The Victorian A grade trainers list is now irrelevant and anachronistic

The point is what in the heck is an A licensed racehorse trainer? This is the first category listed under licensed trainers.

It’s still relatively exclusive with around 70 names listed but, once upon a time, it carried a certain gravitas as well as exclusivity. And certain benefits which are now virtually irrelevant according to Flemington trainer Troy Corstens who is not among the A listers.

“It’s really all garbage now. Every now and then I’ve inquired about it but it seems there’s no great significance to having an A license,” Corstens said.

However, there is an argument to say that it should be significant.

Corstens is in good company on the general trainer’s list with Darren Weir, James Cummings, Anthony Freedman, Michael Kent, Ciaron Maher, Andrew Noblet, Dan O’ Sullivan, Patrick and Andrew Payne, Symon Wilde, Simon Zahra, David Brideoake and Henry Dwyer – among many others – without an ‘A’ and therefore by implication ‘B’s’.

I’m not about to go through the current A list and determine who’s entitled to be there. You can form your own opinion but there are some currently facing charges and some who are virtually in semi-retirement.

I understand the licensing conditions will be reviewed as indeed I understand the Aquanita blooper will be fixed for the March edition of Inside Racing.

A review could present an opportunity to grant ‘A’ status to trainers on the basis of performance and integrity record. A reward for performance and a ready identifier of those trainers who’ve not transgressed in any major way. “I wouldn’t have a problem with something like that,” Corstens said.

It would certainly be good from a public relations point of view at a time when racing could well do with whatever positive spin we can come up with.

These are the conditions as they sit now: –

“The General A Trainer Licence is generally only granted to the most senior and experienced trainers. Subject to meeting the minimum required starters and winners for a season, a General A Trainer has no limit as to the number of horses he or she may train, and is eligible for premium annual entitlements and benefits.”

Trainers just seem to be a bit vague as to what they might be.

The conditions also state that ‘the applicant must have attained a Certificate IV in Racing (Thoroughbred Trainer) qualification in accordance with the National Racing Training Package (or recognised equivalent qualification)” which seems a bit silly for men and women who’ve been in the game for years.

The current conditions do already take into account ‘disciplinary history and police record’ so there’s no quantum leap required to re-brand a category of the state’s (or nation’s) best trainers based on results and honesty.

At the moment a trainer pays $1482.10 per annum for the ‘privilege’ of an A licence – around $400 more than the general licence fee.