Viability the key to survival: Racing Victoria chief Bernard Saundry. Photo: Angela Milne Market forces rather than a move to rationalise training licences in Victoria will see training businesses continue to decline in the next 10 years, according to Racing Victoria chief executive Bernard Saundry. Only the most viable operations will survive the squeeze, he says. Debate has raged in recent weeks about the pressure of debt on trainers, with opinion split between those calling on Racing Victoria for assistance, and those who prefer Darwinian logic to apply. Aware of the pressure Victorian trainers face, Saundry said that although Racing Victoria was working towards better safeguards for trainers, it could not be responsible for the financial viability of struggling stables. "There is a lot of added strain on trainers these days, particularly from owners who now demand much more information and contact regarding their horses," Saundry said. There will always be a place for hobby trainers in Victoria, but the fact is that the dynamics of the business model of training is changing and it is changing rapidly. Ultimately it is up to the trainers themselves to change their practices if they want to run a viable business. Racing Victoria's Racing to 2020 vision statement published in 2008 identified 1250 training licences at the time, with a projected decline to 700 licences by 2020. But Saundry said that was a natural trend and not a movement by Racing Victoria to rationalise training numbers. It's already happening, we're down to 950 licences this year from 1250 five years ago. We're not pushing anyone out, but what we're finding is more of the horses are being trained by stables with more numbers. Market dynamics are working in favour of bigger stables with greater resources.