The appointment of Canberra Racing's new chief executive had him wavering, but in the end Nick Olive had no choice.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Keeping his business at Thoroughbred Park was unsustainable, which has forced him to move across the border to Queanbeyan.
The trainer who finished second in the 2017 Caulfield Cup said it was sad that he'd been forced to move, having spent his entire career training at Canberra.
In the end he was left with no choice but to join the exodus of trainers leaving the ACT due to the escalating cost of worker's compensation insurance.
Matthew Dale, Luke Pepper, Joseph Ible, Doug Gorrel and Neil Osborne have either already left Canberra or were in the process or moving due to the compo crisis.
It's not just a blow to the capital's racing industry, but to the ACT economy - with jobs being lost across the border.
Olive's insurance bill was more than $100,000 in Canberra, but it drops to about $3000 by moving to Queanbeyan.
Plus, the 25-minute move into NSW means he's instantly eligible for Racing NSW's lucrative Highway Handicap series.
Preference was given to country NSW trainers, meaning Canberra trainers consistently miss out on the races now worth $120,000.
It all added up to a heartbreaking move for the proud Canberran.
"I've just got no choice unfortunately," Olive told The Canberra Times.
"The government needs to back racing a bit more in Canberra otherwise the industry will die.
"I'm taking my business out of the state and taking staff out of the state to work for me. It's pretty sad.
"I've been here forever. I'm not choosing to move for myself, I'm choosing to move because it is becoming unsustainable to run a training business here in Canberra."
Olive will move at the end of September ending his long association with Canberra Racing.
He's also acquired an adjoining Queanbeyan property where he'll be able to train and keep his horses.
Olive backed the appointment of Darren Pearce as the new Canberra Racing chief executive.
He hoped Pearce could turn things around for the racing industry, but he'll face strong opposition from the ACT Greens who were looking to shut it down.
If Pearce does turn back the tide, then Olive said he wouldn't hesitate to return.
"With the new CEO coming on I thought, 'Should I stay?' but just the cost of everything - I've got another $30,000 due at the end of September," Olive said.
"Darren Pearce is very well credentialled. Hopefully he can come in and change some of those things.
"I'm still passionate about Canberra and I don't want to see it die, I want to see it keep going and the people that are still here I want them to survive as well.
MORE CANBERRA SPORT
"Who knows, if it got back to where it was sustainable to run a business out of I'd probably think of coming back."
Olive said the worker's compensation was the main reason for his move, with the exorbitant cost crippling his business.
The small pool of trainers in Canberra, combined with the ACT's unlimited liability were behind the high costs.
Racing NSW has a much larger pool of trainers, plus they're able to subsidise some of the costs themselves.
"That's the main issue, the worker's comp, but the other issue is being the first balloted out of the Highways," Olive said.
"I'm looking forward to even just being able to target Highways, with prize money going to $120,000 - if you run 10th in a Highway you're picking up $3500 - it's pretty good money.
"Racing NSW is going forward and I want to be part of that and I want my clients to be part of that."
Olive didn't have any runners at Canberra's Thoroughbred Park on Friday, where Liberals racing spokesperson Mark Parton held a "Let's Save Racing" function, but he does have three set to jump at Queanbeyan on Monday.
Canberra trainer Keith Dryden will begin Handle The Truth's build-up towards the $2 million Kosciuszko at Randwick on Saturday.
The seven-year-old will run in the group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000 metres) to start his preparation towards The Kosciuszko on October 15.
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark canberratimes.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram