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WHAT'S IN A NAME? A lot we would suggest.


30th May 2022
By Admin.
THE EUREKA!? It scarcely passes muster, when stacked up against things like The Miracle Mile or Chariots of Fire, you'd have to say. They just don't make 'em like they used to, it seems. BUT, thanks to The Breeders Voice man on the inside (aka Fly-on-the-Wall) we can provide you with a sneak look at the minutes of HRA's Executive Meeting when they settled on a miners' uprising as the name of their slot race.

THE EUREKA!?  

It scarcely passes muster, when stacked up against things like The Miracle Mile OR The Chariots of Fire, you'd have to say. They just don't make 'em like they used to, it seems.  

But, thanks to The Breeders Voice man on the inside (aka 'Fly-on-the-Wall') we can share with you the confidential HRA Executive deliberations that led to them settling on a brutal miners' uprising as the name for their new slot race.

Being absolutely obsessed with 'The Everest' (and a 'grass-is-greener on the other side' mindset) there were obviously lots of options on the table. But PINNACLE (the early favourite) was scratched at the barrier, following an objection received from the connections of PEAK (Dnk). Rightly so too. What self-respecting champion trotter would want to see its name harnessed to a pacing slot race.

HILLARY climbed quickly until it was 'trumped'.  Pity, as it is a name with a proven record of conquering Everest. But we assume the New Zealand connection was simply a (snow)bridge too far for the 'Advance Australia' team.

TENZING had some brief support - until it was pointed out that since the Stallion Tax was now going to be levied at 8% and 15%, EIGHTSTING or FIFTEENSTING just didn't have the right ring to them (although the 'Sting' was spot on).

A few board (or was that bored) members tried to polish KOSCIUSZKO, until it became apparent that having two TAB Kosciuszkos would be somewhat confusing for your average punter.

RUSHMORE then came to the fore very fast, but as soon as President Campbell suggested that that would mean his face would be carved into the side of the trophy (mug on the mug, so to speak) support quickly crumbled.

But, truth be told, this was never really about MOUNTAINS and scaling great heights!  Or even HRA's envy of the thoroughbreds' Everest Race.

OH, NO! This was always about TAX - ripping money from the pockets of small, defenceless players, and handing it to the rich and powerful, no questions asked. Except, nearly every breeder in the country was demanding answers, so questions were inevitable.

  • Who sowed the seed of taxing the Breeding Sector?
  • Where else in the world is such a Semen Import Tax levied?
  • How can anybody think that penalising the very bedrock of the whole harness racing industry, to fund just one race, could be fair and just?

So, knowing they would face an uprising of seemingly disenfranchised breeders, the Board Members of HRA certainly chose their race name very wisely - tapping into the spirit of REBELLION and PARTICIPANT RIGHTS.  Such a pity that they got everything else completely wrong.

Just like the gold miners of 1854, Australian Standardbred Breeders are demanding the right to proper representation;  freedom of choice;  and a level playing field - free of any form of taxation.

And be warned.  If we, as breeders, fail to get this particular tax grab overturned, anything and everything will be seen as fair game!  How about a trainer registration fee?  What with 2,822 'on the books', at $400 per head per annum, that's another $1.12 million we have to play with.  Joy, oh joy ...  That should be oK2. "Ever higher - top of the world".


To paraphrase the famous line from 'Romeo and Juliet' :

What's in a name? That which you fund by taxes, would by any name still smell rank.

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