Trainers ready to carve up WYD pie

RANDWICK and Warwick Farm trainers are set to divide up $10.8 million in World Youth Day reparations.

Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'Landys is ready to sign off on the financial agreement with the WYD authority, which represents the State and Federal governments.

"We expect to conclude an agreement tomorrow," V'Landys said on Thursday.

"Accordingly, we will immediately accept claims or applications from affected persons and in particular the Warwick Farm trainers who are presently incurring expenditure which they would not normally."

Pope Benedict XVI will host a closing mass at Randwick on the evening of July 19, but trainers at headquarters will be forced to relocate about 700 horses on June 15, when the site is handed over to WYD organisers.

In a bid to cater for the bulk of those horses, Warwick Farm is currently under going a multimillion-dollar makeover.

Stables for 400 horses are being built along with a tunnel under the course proper and training tracks.

A new synthetic track and sand circuit are also being put down, but the construction has caused havoc for Warwick Farm trainers.

"We are open to all suggestions, but at a minimum Warwick Farm trainers will be reimbursed float costs incurred for having to transport horses to other tracks for training," V'Landys said.

Randwick trainers might be forced to train from other venues for up to 10 weeks, and there were suggestions they would get $1500 a week for each horse in work.

"Our next step will be to sit down with the Randwick trainers to determine how they will be compensated for the disruption to their business during World Youth Day," V'Landys said.

"Naturally we will also consult the State and Federal governments once we have finalised a distribution method."