Westspeed Enhancements to include EPONA Scheme for Fillies & Mares

Introducing Westspeed EPONA

Take advantage of the new Westspeed EPONA scheme!

Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) is excited to introduce the Westspeed EPONA breeding credit scheme to the WA thoroughbred racing industry.

Through the scheme, 10% of prizemoney can be accumulated as a line of breeding credit, by any filly or mare who wins a WA race, excluding community meetings, to a maximum of $10,000. This amount is in addition to the winning prizemoney paid.

Westspeed EPONA is designed to assist owners with covering the costs of WA-based stallion service fees and forms part of Racing and Wagering Western Australia’s (RWWA) $6.8 million Westspeed funding commitment, to boost the thoroughbred breeding industry from FY21 to FY23.

RWWA has brought the initiative forward to support the breeding environment following COVID-19, allowing fillies and mares to accumulate credits from 1 August 2019 and be redeemed from 1 August 2020, to use towards Westspeed stallion service fees for their first two consecutive seasons at a stud.

Conditions of Westspeed EPONA include:

  • The amount is in addition to the advertised winning stake.
  • The monies are a notional provision calculated by RWWA, to be utilised only once the Owner claims for reimbursement against the scheme via the EPONA Claim Form.
  • Breeding credits are capped to a maximum of $10,000, and can only be redeemed once $2,500 worth of credits have been accumulated.
  • Payment is made by RWWA directly to the Stud upon attainment of a positive 45-day pregnancy test.
  • Payment to the stud is made on the condition that a ‘free return’ for that mare is provided if the mare fails to deliver a live foal.
  • The credits are “attached” to the mare who earned them and are not transferrable.
  • The credits do not have to be used within a single breeding season, however are only valid for the mare’s first two (2) seasons at stud or three (3) years – whichever is the lesser. With the exception that if a broodmare misses (served but did not conceive) the credit will extend out to the subsequent breeding season.
  • Should the mare become deceased or cannot reproduce, any existing credits will be lost.
  • Mare Owners can only redeem the accumulated credit through the payment of Westspeed Platinum Stallion service fees.
  • While mares may accrue Breeding Credits from the 1 August 2019, payment of Breeding Credits may only be redeemed from 1 August 2020.

For more information, including the full conditions of the scheme, as well as a list of accumulated credits for WA fillies and mares, click here.