BHB today announces its Appearance Money Scheme for 2004/05 which sees a further refinement of targeted payments designed to improve the competitiveness of a number of key race types.
Funding of some £2.83m, up from £2.66m in 2003/04, has been secured from the Levy Board and the new Scheme comes into effect today. A full review of the 2003/04 Scheme was undertaken by a working group comprising BHB, the Racecourse Association, the Racehorse Owners Association and the National Trainers Federation.
Payments for 0-75 and higher Flat Classified Stakes will now be made only in June, July and August but have been increased to £500 per runner. This period is when average field sizes in these races have traditionally fallen below eight runners. Similarly, payments for Class B and C Flat Conditions Stakes will increase to £500 per runner in June, July and August, but also continue at £250 per runner for the remainder of the year.
Field sizes in Class A-C Novice Chases should be boosted by an increase in payments to £400 per runner, while horses in Class A-E Juvenile Hurdles will each continue to receive £250. Payments in Grade 2 Jump Pattern races have been discontinued, primarily due to the significant prize money rewards in these races in their own right. Class A-C Novice Weight-For-Age Hurdles payments remain at £250 per runner.
Payments to Mares in Steeplechases began in July 2003 and, while their effect continues to be assessed, these will remain at £250 per runner.
Appearance Money continues to play a significant role in providing competitive racing at Sunday fixtures. Payments are made in all races, though runners receive a maximum of one payment, to reflect the additional costs incurred in having a runner on a Sunday. However, as 2004 sees a near-doubling of Sunday fixtures on 2003 (132 compared with 70), payments will be reduced from £300 to £250 per runner.
Appearance Money provides racehorse owners with a commercial incentive to run their horses in races that fulfil a specific role in the Race Programme, principally those that have historically often failed to attract fields of eight runners or more. In doing this, the Scheme also helps to underpin the VAT Registration Scheme for Racehorse Owners.
BHB Racing Director Ruth Quinn said: “Each Appearance Money Scheme represents a further streamlining and this continues in 2004/05. Appearance Money is a proven and highly successful race planning mechanism and I am confident that it will continue its valuable role in increasing the competitiveness of many of our important races.”
Notes for Editors:
1. The full 2004/05 Appearance Money Scheme is shown below.
Appearance Money Scheme 2004-05
The following Appearance Money payments for 2004-05 will take effect on races run from April 1st onwards.
Horses running in Flat Classified Stakes 0-75 and higher will qualify for a payment of £500 during June, July and August only. (This excludes horses that have a Handicap rating of 45 or lower prior to the race closing).
Horses running in Flat Conditions Stakes (Class B and C) will qualify for a payment of £500 during June, July and August only. For the rest of the year they will qualify for a payment of £250. (This excludes horses that have a Handicap rating of 45 or lower prior to the race closing).
Horses running in Class A, B or C Novices’ WFA Chases will qualify for a payment of £400. (This excludes horses that have a Handicap rating of 109 or lower in Class A races or 74 or lower in Class B or C races prior to the race closing).
Horses running in Class A, B and C Novices WFA Hurdle races will qualify for a payment of £250. (This excludes horses that have a Handicap rating of 109 or lower in Class A races or 74 or lower in Class B or C races prior to the race closing).
Horses running in Class A to E Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle races will qualify for a payment of £250. (This excludes horses that have a Handicap rating of 109 or lower in Class A races or 74 or lower in Class B or C races prior to the race closing).
Horse running in all races on Sundays, other than the above races will qualify for a payment of £250. (This excludes horses that have a Handicap rating of 45 or lower in a Flat race, or 74 or lower in a Steeple Chase or Hurdle race, or 124 or lower in a Class A Steeple Chase or Hurdle race prior to the race closing. Additionally a horse must be rated within 40lbs of the top of the rating band of the race in any Steeple Chase or Hurdle race to qualify for payment).
Mares running in Steeple Chases not provided for in the above races will qualify for a payment of £250. (This excludes mares with a Handicap rating of 74 or lower in a Class B – H Steeple Chase or 124 or lower in a Class A Steeple Chase prior to the race closing stage. Additionally a mare must be rated within 40lbs of the rating band of the race to qualify for payment).
Horses running in Flat races detailed above that are not eligible for a Handicap rating up to and including the Saturday prior to the race closing stage and horses running in Steeple Chases or Hurdle races detailed above that have run less than three times up to and including the Saturday prior to the race closing stage will qualify for the applicable payment.
Any race which has a Total Prize Fund in excess of £30,000 may be exempted from the provisions of this scheme at the discretion of the Directors.
Regional races are exempted from this scheme.
The payment for horses running in Grade 2 Non-novices’ Pattern races has been discontinued.
