The 2021 FCI contracting charges guide shows an average price increase of 4%.
Contracting charges for the year ahead are up by 4% on average across all operations, according to the annual guide published by the Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI).
The association emphasises that this is only a guide and that charges may vary considerably. These charges are compiled by collating an average figure for each operation from a panel of FCI members from across Ireland.
FCI noted that contractors will be quoting a 4% increase on last year’s charges to cope with increasing labour, insurance and machinery costs.
Promising Listed winner Shelby Cobra will resume for trainer Michael Moroney in the $150,000 VOBIS Gold Dash (1100m) on Saturday at Caulfield.
Moroney plans only to give the three-year-old Toronado gelding a light preparation, with view to tackling richer races in the spring.
“We ll give him a pretty quiet time,” Moroney said.
“I don t think he’ll have many runs … we may get him to Adelaide for a three-year-old race, but we’ll see.
“That will be as far as he’ll go, because we want to have a bit of a go in the spring with him.”
Despite winning the Listed Springtime Stakes (1400m) at Flemington last November, Shelby Cobra is likely to be kept to sprinting distances.
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Poland may not be Phar Lap yet - or most likely ever - but trainer Michael Moroney believes his distant relation to the equine legend has improved sufficiently to challenge for Group 1 honours at Flemington on Saturday.
Moroney intends to accept with Poland for the $1 million G1 Kennedy Australian Guineas (1600m). Poland s ninth dam, Fortune s Wheel, was the older sister of Phar Lap and was the first foal of Phar Lap s dam Entreaty.
Phar Lap won 13 races as a three-year-old and Poland will contest the Australian Guineas after winning his second race for the season, a first-up victory in the $200,000 G2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 6 by a length.
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