The Racing

The $6.3 million Vicbred Program is the richest racing and breeding incentive program in Australasia. In 2011/12 prizemoney totalling $6.3 million will be distributed in Vicbred race stakemoney and in Vicbred win bonuses.

Vicbred prizemoney is shared equitably. The owner receives 80% and the trainer, driver, breeder and stallion nominator each receive 5% of all Vicbred race stakemoney and Vicbred Win Bonuses.

The Vicbred Program incorporates three principal racing elements:

* Win Bonuses totalling $2.5 million. The Vicbred Win Bonus is a bonus on a Vicbred eligible horse’s first career or metropolitan class win in a 2yo, 3yo or 4yo race in Victoria. The bonus is $5,000 for the first bonus and $1,000 for the second bonus.

A 2yo pacer or trotter will win a $5,000 bonus on its first win as a 2yo in a career or metropolitan class race in Victoria.

A 3yo pacer or trotter will win a $5,000 bonus on its first win as a 3yo in a career or metropolitan class race in Victoria, provided it hasn’t won a $5,000 bonus as a 2yo. If it had won a $5,000 bonus as a 2yo, a $1,000 bonus will be paid.

A 4yo pacer will win a $5,000 bonus for its first win as a 4yo in a career or metropolitan class race in Victoria provided it hasn’t won a bonus as a 2yo or 3yo and the horse is assessed as a C0 class horse at the time of the race.

A 4yo trotter will win a $5,000 bonus for its first win as a 4yo in a career or metropolitan class race in Victoria provided it hasn’t won a bonus as a 2yo or 3yo

A 4yo trotter will win a $1,000 bonus for its first win as a 4yo in a career or metropolitan class race in Victoria provided that not more than one bonus was won as a 2yo and 3yo

Starting with 2yo’s of 2011/12 a pro-rata system will be used for Vicbred Win Bonuses. If the first win is in a restricted class race, half of the applicable bonus will be paid, with the other half payable for its first career or metropolitan class race.

* Super Series a $1.8 million race series comprising heats, semi-finals and finals for 2yo, 3yo and 4yo’s. Each age group is divided into three sections – female pacers, male pacers and trotters. Vicbred Heats in 2011/12 are $10,000 while Semi-Finals remain at $20,000. All six pacers finals are of $100,000 each and the four trotters finals are of $50,000 each. There are no semi-finals for trotters. All races are mobile starts.

From Season 2011/12 a $50,000 Group One final will be run for both 2yo Male Trotters and 2yo Female Trotters

* Other Races    totalling $1 million.   Metropolitan races - monthly M0 class races and quarterly TM0 races plus regular basic races for 2yo, 3yo and 4yo’s and feature events for 2yo’s and 3yo’s.   Country races - over 100 races spread throughout the year at all 25 country clubs for Vicbreds in the lower classes.

Eligibility to compete in any race or for any win bonus of the Vicbred Program during the 2011/12 racing season is open to any Vicbred horse that has had the relevant Age Acceptance Fee paid.

The Breeding

In 2011/12, over 40% of the Standardbred foals bred in Australia will be born in Victoria. Even more will be sired by a Victorian based stallion.

Eligibility Summary. The general rule of thumb for a horse to be Vicbred eligible is – either its sire or dam must be resident in Victoria or South Australia for the relevant breeding season. (Note: Stallions standing in South Australia or Tasmania and mares residing in South Australia are deemed to be resident in Victoria)

On the sire side, progeny notified to HRV are automatically nominated for the Vicbred Program whereas foals that are notified to a controlling body other than HRV are not Vicbred eligible unless the tear-off Vicbred coupon at the bottom of the Certificate of Service is lodged with HRV. On the dam side, its progeny must be conceived and born in Victoria or South Australia and must be notified to Harness Racing Victoria.

Eligibility Conditions. A horse conceived in 2011/12 will be eligible for the Vicbred Program if it is the progeny of:

(a)        a stallion registered and standing in Victoria, South Australia or Tasmania during the 2011/12 breeding season provided that such stallion has not also stood in any other State or Territory of Australia or in New Zealand during the 2011/12 breeding season AND provided that the relevant foal notification/eligibility form has been lodged with HRV.

(b)        a mare inseminated in Victoria or South Australia during the 2011/12 breeding season with the semen of a stallion registered and standing OUTSIDE of Victoria, South Australia or Tasmania at the time of insemination provided that the foal is born in Victoria or South Australia and is notified to HRV.

Breeder’s Bonus. The progeny of mares bred in 2011/12 will be the eleventh crop to cash in on the lucrative Vicbred Breeders Bonus Scheme. The Vicbred Breeder Bonus was increased to 10% commencing with foals that are born in the 2007/08 season. These resulting Vicbred foals will earn for their breeders $1 million in Vicbred Breeder Bonuses when they race as two, three and four year olds.

In 2011/12, Vicbred 2yo’s, 3yo’s and 4yo’s will earn for their breeders a cash bonus equal to 10% of the advertised gross stakemoney for any 2yo, 3yo or 4yo race win in Victoria and any 2yo, 3yo or 4yo Group Race win in Australia.  Note that Breeder Bonuses are paid over and above the advertised stakemoney.

Vicbred eligible foals notified to HRV are automatically nominated for the Vicbred Program on lodgement of the foal notification however foals notified to any other controlling body can only be nominated by lodgement of the tear-off Vicbred Eligibility Coupon at the bottom of the Certificate of Service. If a HRV Certificate of Service has not been issued, perhaps for semen exported to another country, the breeder must still notify HRV in writing of a live foal and pay the relevant fee for it to be Vicbred eligible.

Vicbred breeder bonuses are dependent only on lodgement of the relevant foal notification/eligibility fee and not on payment of any subsequent Vicbred Acceptance fees.  The Vicbred breeder’s bonus scheme is partially funded by Vicbred premium foal fees for foals sired by non-Victorian stallions.

Note that under the Rules of Harness Racing, the definition of a breeder changes for foals resulting from services in 2011/12. The breeder is now defined as “the registered owner/s or lessee/s of the mare at the time of the last date of service”.

If applicable, transfers/leases must be lodged prior to serving because any Breeder Bonus will be paid by HRV to the official “breeder’.  The rights to breeder bonuses are not transferable or available to be traded.