Home Australia Reasons to race a Westbred horse in Western Australia

Reasons to race a Westbred horse in Western Australia

How Many Reasons do you need to Race a Westbred Horse in W.A……There are Millions

The Westbred Scheme, devoted to the Harness Racing Industry in WA, is arguably the best of any Programme currently operating in Australia….certainly per capita it has to be the most lucrative.
So how do you access a horse to be part of the big dollars on offer?
You can either breed yourself a Westbred or better still buy yourself a Westbred and the best place to buy one this year is at the APG Yearling Sale on Sunday 5th of March.
The Yearling Parade will commence at 10am and the Sale starts at 1p.
There are 110 Yearlings on offer and each and every one of them are Westbred Eligible.
The 110 Yearlings comprise 47 Fillies and 63 Colts and a total of 29 of the Yearlings are Double Westbred.
What Races are These 110 Yearlings Eligible For?
1. The APG Race Series, which comprises $10,000 Heats for both Colts and Fillies. The winners of the Heats in WA, to be conducted at Pinjarra in early April, gain automatic entry to the $350,000 Finals to be run at either Melton or Menangle in 2018.
In addition a $10,000- Travel Subsidy is available to the WA Heat winners, should they wish to accept for the rich Finals
2. The WA Sales Classics which are run in 2018 (for 2 Year Olds) and 2019 (for 3 Year Olds). The Two Year Olds have $10,000 Heats for both Colts and Fillies with $100,000 Finals for both sexes.
So remember those number quoted earlier – 47 Fillies and 63 Colts – so your odds of winning a $100,000 race are the best for any Group One race run anywhere in Australia.
Then in 2019, separate Finals worth $50,000 will be conducted at Gloucester Park for each sex once again.
3. Westbred Classics – these are usually conducted later in the season (late June/early July) with separate Finals for both Colts and Fillies and with prize money of $100,000 each.
These races are open to all Westbred two and three year olds, which comprise just over 200 horse for each age and sex….once again great odds to win a Group One race.
Additional Feature Races on WA Calendar
In addition to the various Sales races and Westbred Classics, there are a host of other Feature races for Two and Three Year Olds of both sexes.
Although they are not restricted to Westbred progeny, it is uncommon for Eastern States or New Zealand bred horses to compete in the Two Year Old races.
The Pearl and Diamond Classics do require Futurity payments, although the initial payment falls due after the WA Yearling Sales.
There is More ….. There are Bonuses
In addition to these many Group racing opportunities for Two and Three Year Olds, there is also a Westbred Bonus paid out on all Two and Three Year Old races run in WA with an advertised Stake of less than $20,000.
So where the advertised Stake is less than $15,000 the Westbred Bonus is payable to the first four placegetters as follows;
1st – $2,550 2nd – $675 3rd – $338 4th – $187
For Races with an advertise Stake of between $15,000 and $19,999 the Bonus is as follows:
1st – $4,250 2nd – $1,125 3rd – $565 4th – $310
In addition to these Bonuses, the owner will receive a $2,000 First Win Bonus.
So as an example for a horse purchased from the 2017 WA Yearling Sale, you will receive on your first win the sum of $8,387 when you win a “C” class race with advertised prize money of $7,000
There is even better news if your horse is Double Westbred – that is it is Sired by Stallion based in WA when the foal was conceived.
So in addition to the $8,387 mentioned above, the Westbred Bonus is doubled to $4,462, so the prize money paid into your Bank Account will exceed $10,500.
There are Twenty Nine (29) Double Westbred Yearlings entered in the 2017 Yearling Catalogue.
Now is a great time to invest in a Westbred Yearling
The 2017 APG Yearling Sale in WA has a wide range of Sires represented and each and every Yearling in the Catalogue is Westbred or Double Westbred eligible.
If you are interested in bidding on a Yearling in the WA Sale on 5th March, the APG staff can assist with your buying orders and connect you to a reputable Trainer of young horses in WA.

Upcoming Racedays

Owners Only at Pinjarra Pacing Cup

Owners Only will be at the Pinjarra Pacing Cup on Monday 6 March!
Come along and enjoy a fun day full of kids activities, live music and entertainment.
See you at the trots!

Reinsman Trent Wheeler has enjoyed success at the elite level, but says his driving performances at Wagin almost rivals his greatest thrill in harness racing.
Wheeler celebrated one of his best nights in the sulky, booting home a winning treble including a runaway victory on Machrihanish in the $10,000 Wagin Cup (2590m).
Machrihanish turned the country feature into a one act affair, exploding away near the turn and putting a 20 metre margin over his nearest rival, Ohoka Squire.