Breeding - Westspeed
W.A. Thoroughbred Breeder and Owner Incentive
Introduction 
Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA), maintains and supports the Westspeed Incentive Scheme as a means of fostering and promoting local thoroughbred breeding and racing activities.
Benefits of these schemes include:
- Potential to increase the financial rewards associated with owning and racing a locally bred horse and therefore encourage owners to remain in the industry longer and possibly extend the level of their investments..
- Encouragement for local breeders to source quality sires and/or dams in order to develop well bred progeny and improve Western Australian bloodlines.
- Provide breeders with the opportunity to access an on-going revenue stream from the yearlings they’ve previously sold, via their racing performances.
- Maintenance and possible growth of local support industries, eg farriers, veterinarians, feed merchants, product suppliers etc.
The W.A. Turf Club introduced the Westspeed Incentive Scheme at the beginning of the 2000/2001 racing season. Since then, the WATC/RWWA have paid bonuses totalling almost $11.5 million to participants in the scheme. Last season alone (2007/08) bonus payments of $3.207 million were won.
How Does Westspeed Work?
Eligible horses are nominated for Westspeed during their yearling season (nominations for 2007 foals close May 22nd 2009) and earn bonuses for wins only, in the following races conducted in W.A.
- All TAB covered, non-Group Races for two year olds.
- All TAB covered, non-Group Races for three year olds.
- All TAB covered, non-Group Races for two and three year olds.
- Every TAB covered All Aged Maiden Event.
- As a two, three or four year old, every TAB covered event over 1800 metres or more
Furthermore, the 2008/09 Racing Season has seen the introduction of the “First Win Initiative”. This enhancement means that any Westspeed nominated galloper which ends its three year old season as a maiden, will receive a bonus at the appropriate rate, for its first win in a TAB covered event, regardless of its age. This change is applicable to all gallopers which have been nominated for Westspeed since the scheme’s inception.
What are the Returns to Participants?
The level of the bonus paid for wins as detailed above, id dependent on the advertised stakemoney of the race in question. In 2008/09, bonuses will be paid in accordance with the following table
| Race Stake |
Total |
Owner |
Breeder |
| > $43,749 |
$20,000 |
$15,000 |
$5,000 |
| $15,750 - $43,749 |
$10,000 |
$7,500 |
$2,500 |
| $6,300 - $15,749 |
$5,000 |
$3,750 |
$1,250 |
| < $6,300 |
$2,500 |
$1,875 |
$625 |
Which Yearlings are Eligible?
The following rules must be satisfied for a horse to be eligible to participate in the Westspeed Incentive Scheme.
- A yearling must be a product of a sire standing in W.A. at the time the dam is served, or,
- A yearling can be the product of any sire provided the dam,
- was owned or part owned by a West Australian breeder at the time the yearling was conceived, or
- carrying that foal, or with that foal at foot, at the time she was purchased by a W.A. breeder.
How It's Grown
Westspeed kicked off on 1st Aug 99 with the intake of the first group of yearlings (1998 foals), which commenced racing for bonuses as two year olds in 2000/01. It can be seen from the table below, that after a strong opening, participation in the scheme faltered for a couple of seasons (which is probably reflective of the prevailing mood within the industry) but since 2003/04 participation rates have soared.
| Season |
Sub's Rec'd |
Bonuses Paid |
| 1999/00 |
$676,500 |
|
| 2000/01 |
$513,000 |
$236,500 |
| 2001/02 |
$475,500 |
$686,500 |
| 2002/03 |
$517,500 |
$605,000 |
| 2003/04 |
$660,500 |
$1,032,250 |
| 2004/05 |
$842,000 |
$1,719,000 |
| 2005/06 |
$1,032,000 |
$1,798,125 |
| 2006/07 |
$1,160,500 |
$2,171,875 |
| 2007/08 |
$1,216,000 |
$3,206,750 |
Reaching this critical mass of industry participation has facilitated a dramatic rise in bonus levels since the 2003/04 Season, as indicated below.
| History Of Westspeed Bonus Levels |
| |
1st Tier |
2nd Tier |
3rd Tier |
4th Tier |
| 1/08/2000 |
$9,000 |
$4,000 |
$2,000 |
|
| 1/08/2003 |
$12,000 |
$5,000 |
$3,000 |
|
| 1/08/2004 |
$15,000 |
$7,500 |
$3,000 |
|
| 1/08/2005 |
$15,000 |
$7,500 |
$5,000 |
|
| 14/02/2007 |
$20,000 |
$8,000 |
$5,000 |
$2,000 |
| 16/02/2008 |
$20,000 |
$10,000 |
$5,000 |
$2,500 |
The Big Winners So Far
| Top Westspeed Earners (As at 31/7/2008) |
| Rank |
Horse |
Wins |
Breeder |
Owner |
Total |
Foaled |
| 1 |
Dark Target |
6 |
$27,000 |
$81,000 |
$108,000 |
2004 |
| 2 |
Local Legend |
6 |
$24,750 |
$74,250 |
$99,000 |
2001 |
| 3 |
Cohort |
6 |
$23,750 |
$71,250 |
$95,000 |
2004 |
| 4 |
Paris Petard |
6 |
$22,500 |
$67,500 |
$90,000 |
2003 |
| 5 |
Vain Raider |
5 |
$22,000 |
$66,000 |
$88,000 |
2004 |
| 6 |
Metallic Storm |
7 |
$21,375 |
$64,125 |
$85,500 |
2002 |
| 7 |
Scenic Shot |
6 |
$20,625 |
$61,875 |
$82,500 |
2002 |
| 8 |
Wild Target |
6 |
$19,500 |
$58,500 |
$78,000 |
2001 |
| 8 |
Great Nation |
7 |
$19,500 |
$58,500 |
$78,000 |
2001 |
| 10 |
Idyllic Prince |
6 |
$18,750 |
$56,250 |
$75,000 |
2002 |
| 10 |
Kia Ora Miss |
6 |
$17,500 |
$52,500 |
$70,000 |
2002 |
|
How Do I Enter?
There are several ways in which a yearling can become a participant in Westspeed.
- A breeder nominates their horse for Westspeed on the Magic Millions Premier/Autumn Yearling Sale Nomination Form. If accepted for the sales, this lot then carries the Westspeed logo in the sales catalogue and Magic Millions deduct the breeder’s nomination fee ($550 inc GST) from the proceeds of sale. Purchasers of such yearlings then have the option to pay the Owner’s Subscription Fee ($1100 inc GST) fee direct to RWWA subsequent to the sales. Any yearlings which go through the yearling sales as non Westspeed nominated horses, cannot be nominated for the scheme subsequent to the sales.
- A breeder/owner may enter a horse privately. In any season, most of the Westspeed eligible yearlings don’t go through a public sale as described above however, and these along with any which went through the public sale as Westspeed nominations, but were not sold, effectively become “private nominations”. Such nominations are effected by completing the nomination form/s attached on this site and forwarding them to RWWA with the appropriate payment, before May 22nd 2009.
- A yearling can be breeder nominated only. This scenario occurs when a breeder nominates a yearling but the subsequent owner chooses not to make the subscription payment. In this situation if the horse goes on to win a Westspeed race, the breeder will receive the breeder’s portion of the bonus but the portion available to the owner will remain unclaimed.
Note: A horse must be breeder nominated for the owner to have the option of declaring for the Owner’s Bonuses.
- If an owner wants to pay the Owner’s Fee on a yearling which has not been breeder nominated, the registered breeder, as per the Australian Stud Book, should be contacted re: their Westspeed intentions. If they do not wish to pay the Breeder’s Fee for that particular horse, they may be willing to provide permission for a third party (usually the owner referred to above) to pay up as the breeder (for the purpose of Westspeed participation only), thus facilitating the acceptance of the owner’s fee. This can only be done on the basis that the Registered Breeder understands that their right to future breeder’s bonuses in respect of the horse in question has been relinquished. If a registered breeder does not wish to nominate a particular horse and is not willing to approve of the aforementioned arrangement, then the owner’s fee cannot be accepted and the horse in question will be omitted from the scheme.
