The aspect of communication- or lack of it – is probably the underlying issue in this note received from an owner, who was not happy with the deductions on her stake cheque.
The racing operators and the Racing Association introduced a 1% deduction effective 1 June from stakes which are paid to Grooms.
More on that here
One wonders if the fault lies at the door of the racing operators, the owner association, or the trainer?
Should owners not sign contracts with trainers? That is how it works in ordinary day-to-day commercial life, does it not?
The Letter:
Dear Sir
I have just received a statement of stakes won. I notice that there is a now a compulsory deduction for grooms along with trainer and jockey. I must admit this had made me rather angry.
What do owners get when their horses don’t win? Do the grooms and trainers chip in towards my losses? Don’t I already pay monthly for my horse to be trained? Should the grooms not be paid by the trainers out of the training fee?
I have no issue with the jockeys receiving a share, but grooms and trainers getting a chunk out of my winnings makes my blood boil.
Name withheld
Sporting Post response:-
Dear Reader,
Thank you for your email.
The 1% levy for the grooms is an initiative by the Operators and the Racing Association and was announced in May this year (copy of the SP article here). This was brought into force as of 1 June 2015. According to a report posted on News24, there was consultation with a number of leading trainers. It is likely that the Racing Association, in its role as owners’ representatives, was consulted on behalf of owners. If you are a Racing Association member and were not notified, you might like to take the matter up with Larry Wainstein ([email protected] / [email protected]).
Traditionally there is a deduction of 7% for the trainer and 7% for the jockey (although some yards have additional arrangements and when you have a winner, many add a grooms present fee to your monthly invoice). Unfortunately there isn’t an industry standard and fees vary – sometimes quite widely – from yard to yard. Your trainer should have discussed their individual arrangements with you at the outset, but it is understandable to feel frustrated if this was not the case. In an ideal world, terms and conditions should be stipulated in a contract and a few years ago there was a drive to implement contracts between owners and trainers, but it did not prove popular and very few trainers currently offer one.
The implementation of the grooms’ fee has met with mixed reaction from the ownership ranks. Some are in favour of it, but there are also those who feel that grooms are employed by the trainers and should be remunerated by them. However, regardless of one’s feelings on the subject, it is in force countrywide and does seem here to stay.
Sorry not to be able to be of more assistance, but we hope it does not detract too much from the enjoyment of your win!
Kind regards,
The SP team
