The WESTCHA$E Incentive Scheme is the breeding incentive scheme for greyhound racing in Western Australia. The aims of the scheme are to provide:

• an on-going incentive for the breeding and purchase of City Class greyhounds with a view to ensuring the on-going strength and competitiveness of city racing in Western Australia
• an incentive to local breeders and thereby foster the development of a significant, sustainable and responsible Western Australian greyhound breeding industry.

WESTCHA$E, formerly known as the Breeders and Owners Incentive Scheme or BOIS, was first introduced in August 1999.

Since then the Scheme has been extended to pay bonuses on a range of events such as Provincial and Country Class Novices and Maidens over all distances. The owners and breeders of WA bred greyhounds have been further rewarded for their success against the elite in WA Group Races, their fellow WA bred progeny in select WA Bred Only Feature Events and more recently in Feature Finals not classified as Group Races or WA Bred Only Features.

In 2006/07 the Scheme underwent a name change from BOIS to WESTCHA$E, a new logo was developed and an increased emphasis was placed on the promotion of the Scheme and the performances of WA bred greyhounds in Western Australia.

All WA bred greyhounds are eligible for the WESTCHA$E Incentive Scheme. Greyhounds are classified as WA bred as long as they were whelped in Western Australia, irrespective of the location of the sire and dam or where the actual service took place.

All WA bred greyhounds winning City Class Maiden events are eligible for a significant initial reward for winning their first ever race. All WA bred greyhounds winning Provincial or Country Class  Maiden, Juvenile and Novice events are also eligible for a smaller WESTCHA$E bonus.

WESTCHA$E bonuses are paid to the owners and breeders of all WA bred greyhounds winning any City Class event for the full duration of their racing career.

WA bred Feature Event Final winners are eligible for a Feature Final WESTCHA$E bonus. The value of the bonus is based upon the Class of the event. This bonus is applicable to all Feature Finals that are not Group Races or WA Bred Only Feature Events, which both have a specific bonus. A smaller bonus will apply to Non Feature Event Finals.

WA bred Group Race Heat and Final winners are eligible for a Group Race Heat or Final WESTCHA$E bonus respectively. The value of the bonus is based upon the Group status of the event.

Finally, the breeders of greyhounds winning select WA Bred Feature Events qualify for a substantial WESTCHA$E bonus. The value of the bonus is based upon the Class of the event. These features are specifically open to WA bred greyhounds only, with events scheduled across all three race classes and a variety of distances throughout the year.

The scheme’s signature event – “The WESTCHA$E” is the premier WA Bred Only Feature Event in bonus terms, with connections of all runners competing in the final receiving bonuses.

This is the only event conducted in WA where WESTCHA$E bonuses are payable to non-winners.

There is no registration process whatsoever for the scheme and bonuses are managed by the racing system and paid to the registered owners and breeders in the same manner as stakes. Whilst WESTCHA$E bonuses are registered against individual greyhounds they are not combined with a greyhound’s career earnings.

In 2020 the scheme was expanded to include a conversion bonus for WA Bred greyhounds having their 1st & 10th starts in WA.

In the event of a dead heat with another WA Bred greyhound, bonus will be split.

WESTCHA$E is fully funded by an industry contribution from RWWA. It is currently entirely non-contributory for industry participants, one of very few such schemes in Australia.

Just contact RWWA during office hours on (08) 9445 5287.