Watching Ad Alta die at Flemington on Saturday was the worst moment of owner Peter Payne's life, and for a while yesterday things looked like getting worse.
Australia's confusing GST regulations appeared likely to require Payne to pay 10 per cent of Ad Alta's value to the Australian Government.
In what would have been the classic double whammy, Payne would have been asked to pay between $50,000 and $70,000 because the valuable mare was not able to be exported out of Australia but a technicality has saved him the trouble.
Any horse who travelled to Australia before the introduction of GST in June continues to arrive there on subsequent trips under the old Customs regulations which required no bond or GST payment if that horse did not leave Australia within 12 months.
"Those horses are deemed to be returned goods," said Racing Victoria's Julian Christian, who handled the thoroughbred industry's representations to Government.
Ad Alta raced in Sydney in the autumn, saving Payne from a hefty payout after Saturday's tragic moments before the $A250,000 Craiglee Stakes when she suffered a suspected heart attack and died after collapsing through the running rail on her way to the barrier.
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It will be Thursday next week before Jim Wallace knows if he has Cent Home's spring programme back on track.
Wallace admits he's probably being a bit conservative in his approach after Cent Home pulled up fractionally uncomfortable following work on Monday morning.
It has cost Cent Home a start in Saturday's $100,000 Hawkes Bay Challenge Stakes, but Wallace stopped short of ruling out the $250,000 Kelt Stakes two weeks later.
"He won't have a serious hit-out at speed until Thursday next week, so we won't know until then.
"It doesn't appear too serious, he walks perfectly sound, but I wasn't quite happy with the way he was trotting after his work.
"The vets have said a bit of treatment and a few days off work should bring him right.
"We had all his joints x-rayed and they were clear so there is nothing structurally wrong.
"And when I let him go after the vets had finished dealing with him he bucked and kicked his way down his paddock, so it's obviously nothing too painful."
Racing: Nothing as certain as death and taxes
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