Tommy Berry on his way to winning the Queen of the Turf Stakes during The Championships at Royal Randwick. Source: Simon Bullard / News Corp Australia
TOMMY Berry — the jockey who became the feel-good story of The Championships — genuinely believes the inaugural cashed-up carnival can rival the popularity of Melbourne's spring.
But like so many others in the local racing industry, Berry was stunned yesterday after he learned the Mike Baird government would not deliver $10 million worth of funding for next year's The Championships.
The government stumped up with the grant this autumn, but was only prepared to loan that amount in 2015.
Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'landys snubbed the loan, and reiterated last night: "The whole future of NSW racing depends on these negotiations.''
Should the government not change its mind by June 30, The Championships will be dumped next year.
Berry starred at Royal Randwick when he scored an emotional Group 1 double on Diamond Drille and The Offer, just a week after he buried his twin brother, fellow jockey Nathan.
Now in the middle of a hugely successful second riding stint in Hong Kong, Berry said the revamped Sydney autumn had proven a real talking point in Asia.
Tommy Berry celebrates winning the Queen of the Turf Stakes during The Championships at Royal Randwick. Source: News Corp Australia
"It's a big shame. I thought The Championships was one of the best things they've brought in for a long time,'' Berry said. "It was exciting, and I thought in the next few years if we could keep it going, we could almost match the Melbourne spring.
"We had it for one year, and if that's all we have it for, that's a bit of a tease.''
Jockey Jimmy Cassidy said: "We had a horse from Japan and Ireland winning, it looked like it was destined to get better every year.''
The Championships' outgoing chief executive Ian Mackay said: "We always knew it (the funding) was a one-year commitment, but by the same token, we always believed if we had put he runs on the board, we'd have that commitment the following year, and I think we got the runs on the board.''
However, leading trainers Gai Waterhouse and Mick Price, who won three majors between them during the two Saturdays of The Championships, said while it would be a huge blow if the big stakes weren't up for grabs again, the government had an obligation to the taxpayer, not the punter.
"Of course it's a great shame if the money isn't going to be there, but the government has to make it so the taxpayers don't pay more taxes,'' Waterhouse said.
As a spokesman for the Premier said last night: "It should be remembered that NSW continues to face intense pressure on revenues, particularly following the Federal Budget. Our priorities remain frontline services such as schools, hospitals and transport.''
V'landys said he wanted a "level playing field''. For every $100 wagered with the NSW TAB, the state government collected $3.22, compared to the Victorian government's $1.28.
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