Straight Up – Confronting the shortage of reproductive vets and Joe Pride’s x-ray vision
In this edition:
- ‘We ask a lot of these people’ – What’s behind Australia’s shortage of equine reproductive vets
- Rowe On Monday – Pride’s x-ray vision, Hermitage’s Flight of fancy and a stallion logjam
- Run The Numbers – The Group 1 producer – Tavistock’s elite Australian record
- Ramatuelle’s Longchamp victory for Sandblom, OTI’s Sevenna’s Knight finishes fifth in Arc
- GRV’s MBL measures designed to re-invigorate wagering
A recent Australian government commissioned study indicated that 36 per cent of occupations in Australia face a shortage of workers.
That study indicated that the skills shortage was particularly pronounced in regional Australia, impacted by aspects such as wage growth and working conditions, and skewed towards those professions with a longer training gap.
There are a host of professions within the racing industry which fit the above categories, but one of the most impacted is equine reproductive vets.
‘Repro vets’ as they are known, are in particular demand during the breeding season, working long hours, with their specialist care invaluable to the broader thoroughbred industry.
Helen Thomas spoke to several experienced reproductive vets about the lack of younger professionals willing to take it on as an area of specialisation and what can be done to address it.
Ceolwulf’s win in the Epsom Handicap on the weekend was significant for a couple of reasons.
The first, as explored in our Rowe On Monday column, is the risk trainer Joe Pride took in buying the future Group 1 winner as a two-year-old. His x-rays when offered at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale were far from ideal, but Pride’s faith has been reward.
Tim Rowe also explore Hermitage Thoroughbreds’ Flight success, the logjam of mares headed to Australia’s top stallions and Snitzel’s ongoing success near and far.
The other angle in the Ceolwulf story is his sire Tavistock. While it has been nearly five years since his premature death, Tavistock continues to make a mark, especially in Australia where he now has eight individual Group 1 winners.
This week’s Run The Numbers looks at where he sits among the most influential Kiwi sires.
Meanwhile, it was a big day in France on Sunday for Australian connections, with Matthew Sandblom celebrating a Group 1 winner and OTI’s Sevenna Knight running a mighty race in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
In the wagering world, Greyhound Racing Victoria is changing up its Minimum Bet Limit structure to try and reinvigorate wagering. It follows a recent change in race fields fees from Racing Victoria.
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Regards
Bren O’Brien
Managing Editor and Founder
The Straight
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