Anybody that owns a horse, whether that be an equestrian off the tracker or a racehorse, and wants to move it from A to B knows that an increase in fuel price is going to be painful.
Racing NSW has announced a $1.5 million fuel relief package to ease the financial pressure on NSW trainers, owners and jockeys.
Developed with the NSW Trainers, Jockeys and Owners Associations, the package directly responds to the rising cost of fuel, including surcharges from suppliers which has been hitting the industry hard.
The package, fully funded by Racing NSW, includes:
- $100 per race starter payment, for all horses travelling less than 150km each way to a race meeting
- $200 per race starter payment, for all horses travelling more than 150km each way to a race meeting
- A jockey travel allowance increase, the travel component of the minimum ride fee raised to $100 per meeting
All measures start immediately and run until 31 May 2026, when they’ll be reviewed based on conditions at that time. It is estimated that a total of $1.5 million will be distributed to participants during this period.
The starter payments will be credited to the trainer’s Stakes Payment account with 50% retained by the trainer and 50% credited to the owner’s account for training fees.
Racing NSW Chief Executive Peter V’landys AM said: “We know costs across the board have surged, not just fuel prices, but the levy surcharges on top of them. People in this industry are doing it tough and we want to help.”
“This package puts real money back in people’s pockets straight away. We’ll keep watching conditions and increase the funding if needed,” Mr V’landys AM added.
Racing NSW Release
