Dear Sir or Madam;
I want to put something to you today, something to think about and hopefully get a number of your backing with. Something that very shortly will effect a lot of us, you could say I’ve morphed back in time to the era of the early 1900’s and met a group of people in the trenches, it was only then when Baldrick turned to Blackadder and said “I have a cunning plan my lord” did I actually think there is some sense in some of Baldrick’s notions in some episodes of Blackadder Goes Forth.
If you’re too young to remember (you’re very lucky) it was Blackadder Goes Fourth that sticks in my mind, Just as they are about to go over the top, Baldrick turns to tell Blackadder he has a cunning plan, we never hear this plan because the whistle blows for them to go other the top. The rest as they say is history. Blackadder and his men of course were killed in the great war but I get the feeling that Blackadder and their men are a bit like a string of racehorses.
As of March 14th 2009, horses rated 45 and under will no longer be likely to race, the disappearance of 0-45 races from that date, means that a number of trainers who train horses rated 50 and under we no doubt be feeling the end is nigh, as if they are about to go over the top. The real point to this is that certain horses who are rated 46 – 50 have a couple of runs lifeline, now I’m not saying all horses under 45 will not be able to race but it’s a high chance they won’t be able to get into races therefore owners will not pay training fee’s, trainers will lose horses, which means stable lads will lose jobs, which means because of the BHA’s wonderful planning, the economic downturn will see more people out of work.
It does favour the rich who purchase much better horses and have free option to race, but whilst many people are welcoming this call, the re-homing of racehorses centres will be overrun with long waiting lists, and those who won’t have facilities to keep horses will end up having to do what many will decide is cruel and that is, unless they are able to give the horse away they will simply have them put down.
The reasoning behind this decision of the BHA is quite simple, they want better quality racing and by replacing no grade racing prize money can be distributed better. However I notice as I look at the card at Lingfield and Wolverhampton today, a few notable factors. The 0-52 handicap on the Lingfield card, needed to be divided, as more than the 12 runners maximum intended to run, in fact they were easily able to get 24 lining up, yet with prize money on offer of £1,700, unless you come 1st or 2nd you will make a loss on the race, however 24 owners and trainers are willing to make that decision. The only non full race today at Lingfield was a 0-70 1m 4f handicap, a race which awards prize money of £2,700 to the winner. The fact only 6 went to post clearly shows there was no demand for such a race. I could easily guess the reason why as well, today at Wolverhampton there was a 1m 2f (or just short of) 0-75 handicap, and a 1m 4f selling stakes. All these three races would attract similar horses, all for similar prize money, and similar grades. Tomorrow at Southwell we are faced with a 1m 3f 0-65 hcp, and a 1m 6f 0-75 handicap. Yet neither of these races are full up. Yet the two 0-60 races on the card, are both full up and one had to be divided. The clear factor is a 1m 2f – 1m 6f horse, horses of that trip are normally versatile have up to 5 options in two days and could probably get in any race they wanted to, but the low grade race is over subscribed and divided and still oversubscribed. Even more importantly oversubscribed offering well over £1,000 less in prize money.
The simple truth is the BHA haven’t listened to the small owner or trainer, they have continuously backed bigger yards and richer people. They lay on more races for horses which have a choice of races anyway and starve out the lesser horses. If a trainer of 20 horses ends up packing in because 15 of his horses cant get in races, around 5 or 6 staff will lose their jobs and more importantly around 10 of their horses will lose their lives.
I believe there is still time to get the BHA to see sense. I would like to see trainers and owners coming together and proposing to the BHA that they re-think their planned action. A show of signatures and speech from Owners and Trainers alone can only save what could well be near 1000 horses, 100s of jobs and a sport we all love.
I struggle to believe that removing low grade racing detracts the punters, a small days racing at Wolves or Southwell may not draw in bigger crowds but I’m sure more punters would prefer to be betting in a 12 runner 0-45 classified race, or a 12 runner 0-50 handicap than a 6 runner 1m 4f 0-75 hcp, which looks impossible to predict.
Owners support racing, as do trainers and stable lads. The economic downturn will certainly have an effect on the industry and many small owners will pack in, but its not for the fact they cant afford it, its because the opportunity they have been presented in many recent years will shortly be taken away from them.
At Newmarket sales in October I overheard Gay Kelleway saying “there should be a race every week for every horse”, she is correct there should be a race for every horse, not 3 – 5 races for one horse in two days and 1 race every 3 weeks for a lesser horse.
I own a horse who is a winner, and placed on four occasions. He is rated 45 after a couple of bad runs of late, he was a winner off 39 when 6lb wrong at the weights last year and was then placed twice off 48 in two 0-52’s. The horse has only managed to show good form at Wolverhampton has literally 2 optional races he could likely run in between now and March at Wolverhampton. We know the horse is better than his mark but the BHA have not given us a chance to prove it.
If he were rated 10lb or 15lb higher he would have over 20 options between now and March at the same course, I ask how this is fair. Also had he been able to stay 1m as oppose to 7f he would have around 5 chances to prove his worth. The real problem is not the level of racing but the fact the BHA planning system means that certain horses and trips are favoured and the rest are pretty much left to rot.
I would like to see a program put together of say ten meetings to take place in April which will contain 80 races suiting horses purely rated under 50, with 50 of the races 0-45 and the remainder 46 – 50 handicaps. Over a variety of trips spread out between all weather courses.
With the opportunity of races divided. If staged at Kempton or Wolverhampton there is no reason why 10 or 12 races couldn’t be put on given the floodlight facilities. In order to draw a crowd I would urge the racecourses if the idea is accepted to offer free admission, this could see a good turnout where the racecourse would make their money on refreshments sold at the track.
Finally in order for these races to work, we need to look at the fact we would be looking at say 100 races, this at 3k a race would be £300,000 for full sponsorship. Now given racecourses charge 1000 – 1500 to sponsor races, the outside investment would need to be around 150,000 to cover these races. If we are realistic as owners, I would say there would likely be around 200 – 300 horses wanting to run at these races, and with entry fee’s added I feel the opportunity to get each owner wanting this series to run should donate £150 to the fund, this would surely see around £45,000 raised to fund this venture r part of it.
The point I’m trying to make is that a small price could be paid to give our racehorses a chance of competing and proving to the BHA that there is a need for this level of racing in this country, at present Irish trainers are bringing horses over to run in our low grade races as they have none, which will make entry to our low grade races harder for our own horses to run in.
The real fact should be raised, do the punters want big fields or small fields to bet in, do racehorse owners want to be able to keep their fun horses in training and do small trainers want a chance to be able to keep their business going which will keep a number of stable lads employed.
I think we should be encouraging more low grade racing as the fact is with the current economic climate, that the bigger businessmen will be pulling out of racing as they need to cut back, but the syndicates will keep going strong as long as there are races to run their horses in.
I approach you today as an owner who wants a number of trainers and owners to agree with me so our voices can be heard by the racing media and the BHA to show that we would still want a level of low grade racing that the prize money is not the issue, as we are clearly still happy to compete for it. Only a show from owners, trainers and general public to keep this level of racing will keep our low grade horses from what is a time of uncertainty. If the proposed increase of the minimum rating is brought into action, a lot of horses, thousands that is, will no longer be able to race, the very thing they were bred to do and for many it will mean they will have to be put down.
I for one don’t want this to happen and whilst my own horse will have a home for life regardless of the BHA’s decision I know there are many horses who won’t have that luxury.
It’s the breeding now that should be limited to prevent a number of low grade horses for the future, a cap should be put on the number of stallion coverings and more importantly a cap on the level of horses ability so it can breed horses (stallion or mare), therefore we are creating a better future for racing. A better future for racing is not to put a number of horses lives at risk, and a number of peoples job’s at a higher risk.
I would like to know peoples thoughts on the above and please if you feel that you would happily speak out to the press and the BHA and back my proposed plan then please let me know, if we want to make racing see the small owner or trainers point of view you need to make yourself heard.
Please reply if you are willing to try and do something about the BHA’s plans. I know that many of the trainers, owners or punters reading this will agree with what I say, but its not about agreeing its about trying to do something about it, something that if enough people make themselves heard then the BHA would have to listen.
Many Regards in advance;
Chris
I want to put something to you today, something to think about and hopefully get a number of your backing with. Something that very shortly will effect a lot of us, you could say I’ve morphed back in time to the era of the early 1900’s and met a group of people in the trenches, it was only then when Baldrick turned to Blackadder and said “I have a cunning plan my lord” did I actually think there is some sense in some of Baldrick’s notions in some episodes of Blackadder Goes Forth.
If you’re too young to remember (you’re very lucky) it was Blackadder Goes Fourth that sticks in my mind, Just as they are about to go over the top, Baldrick turns to tell Blackadder he has a cunning plan, we never hear this plan because the whistle blows for them to go other the top. The rest as they say is history. Blackadder and his men of course were killed in the great war but I get the feeling that Blackadder and their men are a bit like a string of racehorses.
As of March 14th 2009, horses rated 45 and under will no longer be likely to race, the disappearance of 0-45 races from that date, means that a number of trainers who train horses rated 50 and under we no doubt be feeling the end is nigh, as if they are about to go over the top. The real point to this is that certain horses who are rated 46 – 50 have a couple of runs lifeline, now I’m not saying all horses under 45 will not be able to race but it’s a high chance they won’t be able to get into races therefore owners will not pay training fee’s, trainers will lose horses, which means stable lads will lose jobs, which means because of the BHA’s wonderful planning, the economic downturn will see more people out of work.
It does favour the rich who purchase much better horses and have free option to race, but whilst many people are welcoming this call, the re-homing of racehorses centres will be overrun with long waiting lists, and those who won’t have facilities to keep horses will end up having to do what many will decide is cruel and that is, unless they are able to give the horse away they will simply have them put down.
The reasoning behind this decision of the BHA is quite simple, they want better quality racing and by replacing no grade racing prize money can be distributed better. However I notice as I look at the card at Lingfield and Wolverhampton today, a few notable factors. The 0-52 handicap on the Lingfield card, needed to be divided, as more than the 12 runners maximum intended to run, in fact they were easily able to get 24 lining up, yet with prize money on offer of £1,700, unless you come 1st or 2nd you will make a loss on the race, however 24 owners and trainers are willing to make that decision. The only non full race today at Lingfield was a 0-70 1m 4f handicap, a race which awards prize money of £2,700 to the winner. The fact only 6 went to post clearly shows there was no demand for such a race. I could easily guess the reason why as well, today at Wolverhampton there was a 1m 2f (or just short of) 0-75 handicap, and a 1m 4f selling stakes. All these three races would attract similar horses, all for similar prize money, and similar grades. Tomorrow at Southwell we are faced with a 1m 3f 0-65 hcp, and a 1m 6f 0-75 handicap. Yet neither of these races are full up. Yet the two 0-60 races on the card, are both full up and one had to be divided. The clear factor is a 1m 2f – 1m 6f horse, horses of that trip are normally versatile have up to 5 options in two days and could probably get in any race they wanted to, but the low grade race is over subscribed and divided and still oversubscribed. Even more importantly oversubscribed offering well over £1,000 less in prize money.
The simple truth is the BHA haven’t listened to the small owner or trainer, they have continuously backed bigger yards and richer people. They lay on more races for horses which have a choice of races anyway and starve out the lesser horses. If a trainer of 20 horses ends up packing in because 15 of his horses cant get in races, around 5 or 6 staff will lose their jobs and more importantly around 10 of their horses will lose their lives.
I believe there is still time to get the BHA to see sense. I would like to see trainers and owners coming together and proposing to the BHA that they re-think their planned action. A show of signatures and speech from Owners and Trainers alone can only save what could well be near 1000 horses, 100s of jobs and a sport we all love.
I struggle to believe that removing low grade racing detracts the punters, a small days racing at Wolves or Southwell may not draw in bigger crowds but I’m sure more punters would prefer to be betting in a 12 runner 0-45 classified race, or a 12 runner 0-50 handicap than a 6 runner 1m 4f 0-75 hcp, which looks impossible to predict.
Owners support racing, as do trainers and stable lads. The economic downturn will certainly have an effect on the industry and many small owners will pack in, but its not for the fact they cant afford it, its because the opportunity they have been presented in many recent years will shortly be taken away from them.
At Newmarket sales in October I overheard Gay Kelleway saying “there should be a race every week for every horse”, she is correct there should be a race for every horse, not 3 – 5 races for one horse in two days and 1 race every 3 weeks for a lesser horse.
I own a horse who is a winner, and placed on four occasions. He is rated 45 after a couple of bad runs of late, he was a winner off 39 when 6lb wrong at the weights last year and was then placed twice off 48 in two 0-52’s. The horse has only managed to show good form at Wolverhampton has literally 2 optional races he could likely run in between now and March at Wolverhampton. We know the horse is better than his mark but the BHA have not given us a chance to prove it.
If he were rated 10lb or 15lb higher he would have over 20 options between now and March at the same course, I ask how this is fair. Also had he been able to stay 1m as oppose to 7f he would have around 5 chances to prove his worth. The real problem is not the level of racing but the fact the BHA planning system means that certain horses and trips are favoured and the rest are pretty much left to rot.
I would like to see a program put together of say ten meetings to take place in April which will contain 80 races suiting horses purely rated under 50, with 50 of the races 0-45 and the remainder 46 – 50 handicaps. Over a variety of trips spread out between all weather courses.
With the opportunity of races divided. If staged at Kempton or Wolverhampton there is no reason why 10 or 12 races couldn’t be put on given the floodlight facilities. In order to draw a crowd I would urge the racecourses if the idea is accepted to offer free admission, this could see a good turnout where the racecourse would make their money on refreshments sold at the track.
Finally in order for these races to work, we need to look at the fact we would be looking at say 100 races, this at 3k a race would be £300,000 for full sponsorship. Now given racecourses charge 1000 – 1500 to sponsor races, the outside investment would need to be around 150,000 to cover these races. If we are realistic as owners, I would say there would likely be around 200 – 300 horses wanting to run at these races, and with entry fee’s added I feel the opportunity to get each owner wanting this series to run should donate £150 to the fund, this would surely see around £45,000 raised to fund this venture r part of it.
The point I’m trying to make is that a small price could be paid to give our racehorses a chance of competing and proving to the BHA that there is a need for this level of racing in this country, at present Irish trainers are bringing horses over to run in our low grade races as they have none, which will make entry to our low grade races harder for our own horses to run in.
The real fact should be raised, do the punters want big fields or small fields to bet in, do racehorse owners want to be able to keep their fun horses in training and do small trainers want a chance to be able to keep their business going which will keep a number of stable lads employed.
I think we should be encouraging more low grade racing as the fact is with the current economic climate, that the bigger businessmen will be pulling out of racing as they need to cut back, but the syndicates will keep going strong as long as there are races to run their horses in.
I approach you today as an owner who wants a number of trainers and owners to agree with me so our voices can be heard by the racing media and the BHA to show that we would still want a level of low grade racing that the prize money is not the issue, as we are clearly still happy to compete for it. Only a show from owners, trainers and general public to keep this level of racing will keep our low grade horses from what is a time of uncertainty. If the proposed increase of the minimum rating is brought into action, a lot of horses, thousands that is, will no longer be able to race, the very thing they were bred to do and for many it will mean they will have to be put down.
I for one don’t want this to happen and whilst my own horse will have a home for life regardless of the BHA’s decision I know there are many horses who won’t have that luxury.
It’s the breeding now that should be limited to prevent a number of low grade horses for the future, a cap should be put on the number of stallion coverings and more importantly a cap on the level of horses ability so it can breed horses (stallion or mare), therefore we are creating a better future for racing. A better future for racing is not to put a number of horses lives at risk, and a number of peoples job’s at a higher risk.
I would like to know peoples thoughts on the above and please if you feel that you would happily speak out to the press and the BHA and back my proposed plan then please let me know, if we want to make racing see the small owner or trainers point of view you need to make yourself heard.
Please reply if you are willing to try and do something about the BHA’s plans. I know that many of the trainers, owners or punters reading this will agree with what I say, but its not about agreeing its about trying to do something about it, something that if enough people make themselves heard then the BHA would have to listen.
Many Regards in advance;
Chris
