Leading trainer Tony McEvoy says $24m funding package for SA racing industry is a ‘nice start’

Leading trainer Tony McEvoy has termed a $24 million rescue package for the struggling SA racing industry as a “nice start”, adding there’s a long way to go to turn it around.

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A $24 million rescue deal for the state’s racing industry is “a nice start” but not enough to stop leading SA trainer Tony McEvoy from moving half his horses to Victoria.

McEvoy, pictured, said the funding was “lovely” but bemoaned the State Government rejected pleas to reduce its 15 per cent gambling tax

Racing Minister Corey Wingard‘s rescue package to keep the struggling industry afloat, as revealed by The Advertiser, includes an up-front $8 million payment and an annual payment of about $4 million over four years. “It’s the Point of Consumption tax that’s really hurting us,” McEvoy said.

Leading trainer Tony McEvoy, right, with his son Calvin. Picture: Tait Schmaal

“This is a start but there’s a really long way to go. At the moment I’m reducing my stock and staff in SA by 50 per cent which is significant.”

McEvoy said further action was needed to right the industry and suggested his footprint in SA racing could reduce even further if problems affecting the industry worsened.

“I’ve still got the ability to be their biggest client but I’ve also got the ability to be their smallest client if it goes that way,” he said.

The racing industry has battled to stay on track since last December, after the Government withdrew the Adelaide Festival of Racing sponsorship.

Mr Wingard has ruled out reducing the tax because of a $500 million GST writedown but said the funding would “help the racing industry build the infrastructure it needs to create a viable long-term business model which will support South Australian jobs well into the future”. Legendary SA jockey and media identity John Letts welcomed the funding, saying it was “more than we were expecting”.

He said the stimulus package was “generous” and it was now up to the racing industry to come up with a business model to ensure it is not reliant on handouts going forward.

Letts, who has been a vocal critic of the State Government’s decision last year to pull its $3 million sponsorship of the Adelaide Festival of Racing, said the funding showed the Government was “interested not only in racing, but in employment as well”. “They’ve been generous I think, and everyone in the industry should be pretty happy with it,” he said.

“Now everyone in the industry needs to work hard and make sure we capitalise on this and come up with a business model that can work going forward. We need to make sure we don’t need to rely on a handout every year.”

Greyhound Racing SA chairman Grantley Stevens said the announcement was “significant”.

“The health of South Australian racing clearly benefits when the relationship between the racing codes and Government is founded upon a true sense of partnership,” he said. “The sport of racing has great heritage in this state and has now taken an important step forward with the news of this funding.”

Labor racing spokeswoman Katrine Hildyard said she was glad Mr Wingard had “finally” listened to the industry and given it the financial support it was calling for.

“This should have happened sooner. A lot of damage has already been done to the industry following Liberal cuts,” she said.

“The racing industry should be supported given the jobs it creates and its contribution to our economy and local communities.”