Participants urged to turn up and speak up at forums

Victorian harness racing participants are being urged to show up and speak up when Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) resumes its industry consultation forums from tonight (Monday June 17).

The round follows a year of difficult truths for the Victorian industry, after the scale of HRV’s financial challenges became known and the organisation promised a new era of transparency and collaboration.

HRV will host the forums, along with Harness Racing Australia, which will present plans for the national ratings system’s evolution from January 1, 2026.  Discussions on racing programs and integrity matters are also on the agenda.

Forums are scheduled for:

• Monday, June 16, 7pm: Maryborough
• Tuesday, June 17, 7pm: Melton
• Wednesday, June 18, 7pm: Mildura
• Thursday, June 19, 7pm: Ararat
• Sunday, June 22, 5pm: Shepparton

Victorian Trainers and Drivers’ Association president Anthony Butt said feedback from participants showed the NR system as one of the industry’s most contentious issues.

“The biggest commentary we are continually getting is about the NR system – and I think everyone agrees it’s vital that we have a good look at it,” Butt said.

“It does have its good points – extending horses’ racing lives and keeping them in the system longer – that’s working. But the downside is that a horse that’s a bit above average wins a couple and finds itself up against horses that have won 10 races and $100,000,” he said.

“We need a handicapping system, but we need a good one. Different people have got different ideas – and if you get 100 people in a room, you might get 100 different suggestions!  But anyone can come up with a good idea and if people attend the meetings and throw some ideas around, that can only be a good thing.”

The forum was an undertaking from the HRV’s first industry roadshow in March, which also resulted in change including:

• Introduction of NR concessions for two and three-year-olds from July 1
• Avoiding all-$4000 meetings from July 1
• Development of a 2026 racing calendar with 390 race meetings and $35M in participant returns
• Continued consultation about opportunities to return to Moonee Valley

Butt said it was important that industry participants continued to take up the opportunity to be heard.

“Everyone complains there is no consultation, and they never get listened to – this is the chance to go to the meetings and talk to the heads,” he said.

“These consultation sessions are on, and we can air our thoughts and voice our concerns. HRV are listening and people can’t complain if they don’t bother turning up.”

Butt said although there was significant pain across the industry, he believed there was opportunity for things to “turn around pretty quickly” if submissions to Government about the future of the industry’s parcel of land at Melton were successful.

“There are people who say we’ve got to keep the excess Melton land for a rainy day, but I think it’s raining pretty hard now,” he said.

“People are hurting across our industry – some are just getting by week-to-week and more people are leaving the State, and leaving the industry the longer we go on,” he said.

“I think things can get going pretty good, pretty quickly if we’re allowed to do what we want to do as an industry.  The Melton land is our land and it’s our money – I understand we can’t sell it without Government approval, but what we need is for the Government to make a decision and let us proceed.”

From Harnesslink Media