Why has Phumelela not announced a stakes reduction?

louisg wrote: The stakes reduction is a big pill to swallow, but given the Economy, it is probably inevitable, if you are a realist. The real problem is not just the reduction in stakes, but also the increase in costs, the narrowing of the gap...

And Dave Scott is 100 percent correct.The whole story on the Vet bills needs to be told. This is nothing but evil. I have driven this fight and have suffered the consequences. It is the biggest load of rubbish, the "it's not us" stories.

Let it be known that I treated my Owners horses for years, without bills to them . The new Vet friendly rules now prohibit this and my hands are tied, because I am a stickler for the rules.

I CHALLENGE Vee Moodley and the NHRA vets and their accomplices to a public debate on the issue. Can ABC set this up?

I must write the full story of this corruption, sometime, though....

Great post.

louisg wrote: The stakes reduction is a big pill to swallow, but given the Economy, it is probably inevitable, if you are a realist. The real problem is not just the reduction in stakes, but also the increase in costs, the narrowing of the gap...

And Dave Scott is 100 percent correct.The whole story on the Vet bills needs to be told. This is nothing but evil. I have driven this fight and have suffered the consequences. It is the biggest load of rubbish, the "it's not us" stories.

Let it be known that I treated my Owners horses for years, without bills to them . The new Vet friendly rules now prohibit this and my hands are tied, because I am a stickler for the rules.

I CHALLENGE Vee Moodley and the NHRA vets and their accomplices to a public debate on the issue. Can ABC set this up?

I must write the full story of this corruption, sometime, though....

Set some time aside for a 72.1.26 charge. Corruption and the NHA in a sentence? Skandaal

No, corruption and NHA not in one sentence.
Silly, small example- nasal strips.... we bought these for half the price from the original importer....guess who went and got the sole rights now to import these....
And then there is Traumeel.....its not scheduled, can be bought over the counter and is very good as an anti inflammatory. So, it competes with the exhorbitantly priced scheduled drugs...which are accompanied with travelling costs, consultation and other costs. Trainers do not charge Owners for a shot of Traumeel....but now not allowed to use anymore...unless dispensed by a vet.

I repeat - yards like ours who stick to the rules have Owners who pay heavily. Simple.

A dispensing medical practitioner is not allowed to charge the pharmacist’s price of a dispensed drug – only what he paid for it plus a reasonable percentage.
Surely this applies to vets as well
If you feel you are overcharged, report them to the vet council
Also not allowed to charge full travelling expenses for every consult done at the same address.

louisg wrote: No, corruption and NHA not in one sentence.
Silly, small example- nasal strips.... we bought these for half the price from the original importer....guess who went and got the sole rights now to import these....
And then there is Traumeel.....its not scheduled, can be bought over the counter and is very good as an anti inflammatory. So, it competes with the exhorbitantly priced scheduled drugs...which are accompanied with travelling costs, consultation and other costs. Trainers do not charge Owners for a shot of Traumeel....but now not allowed to use anymore...unless dispensed by a vet.

I repeat - yards like ours who stick to the rules have Owners who pay heavily. Simple.

....surely this Traumeel issue can be challenged it is a homeopathic extract from plants.... the mere fact that it now falls under veterinary schedules adopted by the NHRA speaks volumes of collusion between NHRA and vets to fleece owners.....:huh:

It is absolutely shocking what vets charge and nothing is done to protect the owner.
Here's my latest situation. My one horse is diagnosed by a vet from (A practice) needing an op. I get quotes from both (A and B practices) B is the cheapest. The horse is transported to (B practice) only to be informed the horse doesn't need this op. Fantastic !!! Right ??? NO !!! My total bills to date for this whole FCUCK UP +- R 8000.00
I have paid in excess of R700 for a vet to give a horse a inter-muscular injection, this excludes the medicine and transport. WTF ?
Now in my business if my guys stuffed up and did something wrong, who do you think will PAY for it, my client ?
Most of the vets are excellent in their jobs and we couldn't have racing without them but its a free for all when it comes to charging. Help yourself ! The owner will pay !
It needs to be regulated in some way because they are killing this game. They are the only people making huge money.

neigh wrote: It is absolutely shocking what vets charge and nothing is done to protect the owner.
Here's my latest situation. My one horse is diagnosed by a vet from (A practice) needing an op. I get quotes from both (A and B practices) B is the cheapest. The horse is transported to (B practice) only to be informed the horse doesn't need this op. Fantastic !!! Right ??? NO !!! My total bills to date for this whole FCUCK UP +- R 8000.00
I have paid in excess of R700 for a vet to give a horse a inter-muscular injection, this excludes the medicine and transport. WTF ?
Now in my business if my guys stuffed up and did something wrong, who do you think will PAY for it, my client ?
Most of the vets are excellent in their jobs and we couldn't have racing without them but its a free for all when it comes to charging. Help yourself ! The owner will pay !
It needs to be regulated in some way because they are killing this game. They are the only people making huge money.

And the execs on the gravy plane...

Vet bills are a disgrace, you cannot change it as they fall under different department to Human Drs. Racing communication a disgrace as well, I blame our racing journalists for not forcing the answers out of them But then we know some companies that had the same approach, only when they collapsed did the press get involved.

oscar wrote: you cannot change it as they fall under different department to Human Drs.

quite correct - they don't fall under the SAMDC or the HPCSA.
they do fall under the south african veterinary council, and the online complaint form includes an area for account disputes

The Vets have moulded their billing to cater for late and non-payers and also strategically ensured that no Vet from outside of the area they work may do any work within their area, especially those who charge less for procedures.

The medicine mark-ups range anything from 50% to 800% but keep in mind that the mark-up and prices for procedures are all run by computer program. If they are forced to charge less for medicine the program will just allocate the fee somewhere else.

Amazingly the Vets will not write a script after treating a horse and insist on dispensing themselves, if this isn't the height of greed and monopoly then I do not know what is.

Training centres would be much better off when open to any Vet willing to travel, the large training centres could have a local dispensary and offer cash discounts as well. In the case of Summerveld a pharmacy in Hillcrest would be more than happy to dispense the drugs at a discounted rate. A vet looks to make at least R400 on a box of Omeprazole paste which retails for R1200 a box, that is for ordering it and the trainer administers the paste.

As for the Traumeel debacle, I am waiting for the Vets to try and get Vitamins prohibited unless dispensed by them.....

In a letter issued to trainers, Phumelela advise that in consultation with the Racing Association a decision has been taken to reduce the number of races scheduled midweek on both the Highveld and in Kimberley from nine to eight with effect from 1 October 2019.


This is said to be part of an initiative to mitigate the imminent re-alignment of stakes that will be announced in due course in terms of the stakes agreement formula.

Midweek low grade 9th races added to the Highveld programmes will be cancelled from 1 October and Kimberley’s current nine-race programmes will be cut to eight races from the same date.

Due to the financial pressures, Phumelela state that they will generally not be splitting races in the foreseeable future – and then only in exceptionable circumstances.

While the provisional Highveld programme published for the three month period October to December 2019 does not include the minor race stakes at this stage, for the month of October these will be set at current winter stakes levels, whereafter the new minor race stakes levels will be published from November.

Seems that P has found some more creative ways to not call a spade a spade :huh: