As part of Harness Racing Victoria’s pathway to financial sustainability, the 2024 Breeders Crown will transition to a self-funded futurities series.
Australasian participant and owner payments for the series have long been in decline, which has required significant reallocation from Victoria’s prizemoney pool to subsidise it.
HRV CEO Matt Isaacs said with all racing authorities facing cost pressures it was appropriate to evolve the format.
“The requirement for Harness Racing Victoria to operate within its financial means and without government subsidisation requires ongoing assessment of all of our costs, including inefficient race series and stakes allocations,” Isaacs said.
“Breeders Crown has a valued, modern tradition in Victorian harness racing, but in recent years its status as an Australasian series has declined as other jurisdictions' participants prioritise their local futurities. That is reflected in futurity payments, which are putting an unsustainable burden on our prizemoney pool.”
Decreasing participant payments for the series have required an increasing percentage of its stakes to come from Victorian prizemoney. The below makes clear the five-year declines:
- 2013 stakes: $1.094 million (futurities payments), $106k (Victoria funded)
- 2018 stakes: $857k (futurities payments), $443k (Victoria funded)
- 2023 stakes: $575k (futurities payments), $575k (Victoria funded)
Based on futurities payments, the 2024 Breeders Crown finals minimum stakes will be:
- Two-year-old pacing finals worth $80,000+
- Two-year-old trotting finals worth $40,000+
- Three-year-old pacing finals worth $60,000+
- Three-year-old trotting finals worth $25,000+
The four-year-old and graduate races, which are not part of the futurity scheme, will be discontinued, but the November 16 Breeders Crown finals program at Melton will be bolstered with the addition of the $75,000 Caduceus Classic and the $50,000 Australian Trotting Grand Prix. The free-for-alls for pacers and trotters are strategically placed ahead of the Inter Dominion.
The heats-into-finals series will kick off November 6 at Maryborough for the trotters, with the pacing heats on November 8 at Melton.
“HRV will continue to consult with stakeholders, owners and participants on the format of the series beyond the 2024 staging,” Isaacs said.
While the Breeders Crown series will change, the Vicbred Super Series and Victorian Derbys and Oaks will retain their standing amid Victoria's rich season of two and three-year-old racing.
Have a query? Email askhrv@hrv.org.au