Theresa Bateup has lost owners because of it.
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Provincial trainers had been stuck in something of a racing netherworld; where the major metropolitan riches are often unreachable but excluded from the lucrative weekly Highway Handicaps established for country trainers.
As a result, Bateup was among those who saw horses taken off their hands and given to country counterparts, so they'd be eligible for the big Randwick or Rosehill stage.
But the creation of the new Midway Handicaps, $100,000 races to run at Saturday metropolitan meetings, is a game-changer they've been waiting for.
"We still need to see the details of what it will look like, but it offers owners more chance for return on their investment with provincial trainers," Bateup said.
"We've seen the boost it has given country trainers to take their horses to town, but we still need to see how the new points system will work and how mid-level stables are defined."
However, Bateup believes this week's prize money boost and scheduling boost is not a magic solution.
Bateup raises long-standing issues with handicapping, where she believes her horses are heavily penalised for success.
"A lot of it comes down to programming," she said.
"There's a big discrepancy in the Benchmark system and the difference between country and provincial racing and then to metro ratings.
"You end up having to run horses in unsuitable races too often or wait too long to find suitable ones.
"I'm always prepared to travel. I'll go anywhere within five hours, but it still doesn't solve all the issues around benchmarking."
Of her stable, Bateup lists Divine Breath, River Charge and Jarrett among those she believes have been harshly penalised or with little choice but to run in unsuitable races.
The announcement of the provincial and small metropolitan stable level Midway racing came amid a widespread boost in prize money this week, which includes a $200,000 lead-up event for the $1 million The Gong at Kembla Grange in November.
Metropolitan Saturday minimum prize money has been lifted to $130,000.
At the top end, the Epsom Handicap prize zoomed from $500,000 to $1.5 million.
Introducing the Midway to the schedule, starting in July, will result in 10-race meetings and provide an expected boost in betting turnover as a result, to fund the increases.
The Midways will be restricted using a points system, where if trainers reach the threshold they will no long be eligible.
Fellow Kembla Grange trainer Brett Lazzarini expects the boost in prize money will allow for greater longevity in a horse's racing career.
"It will go a long way to helping welfare," he said.
"If you've got horses racing for good prize money and running in these races and getting to Randwick, it ensures trainers and owners will look after it for the rest of its life. [Racing NSW chief executive Peter] V'Landys deserves a pat on the back here.
"People in the industry have been talking about the need for something like this, with a cap on the number of horses in work, and he's listened and done something about it."
Fellow trainer Robert Price - who has two-year-old filly Jamaea running in the Group 2 Sweet Embrace at Randwick on Saturday, with an eye on the Golden Slipper - hopes the next move will be to introduce a provincial version of country racing's Kosciuszko.
Held on the same day as the $15 million The Everest sprint feature - which made Redzel famous - the Kosciuszko is worth $1.3 million in prize money.
"The Midway races level the playing field a bit," he said. "Any industry segregated like ours, it's notoriously the middle that misses out when you're trying to dangle the carrot for country trainers to come to town.
"This is an opportunity to help financially, for owners and trainers when you're looking to buy at the sales.
"Hopefully we'll see a race like the Kosciuszko under similar rules, to really offer that big money event for our best horses."
