Have Horse Will Travel - the international racing opportunities that trainers should be targeting this autumn

Ireland

The Irish Champions Festival takes place at Leopardstown and the Curragh 13th and 14th September respectively. The Curragh boasts the richest day of its year, with a card worth over €2.5m (£2.10m) in total. The highlights are the €600,000 (£503,865) Gp.1 Irish St Leger for three-year-olds and up, the Gp.1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and Gp.1 Vincent O’Brien National Stakes for juveniles and Gp.1 sprint The Flying Five Stakes, each worth €400,000 (£335,900). 

The €200,000 (£168,000) Gp.2 Blandford Stakes, the €250,000 (£210,000) Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sale Stakes and two Premier Handicaps each worth €150,000 (£126,000) complete the card. 

On the opening day at Leopardstown, the nine-race card features five Group races, including the €1.25m (£1.05m) Gp.1 Irish Champion Stakes 2000m (10f), the €400,000 (£335,900) Gp.1 Matron Stakes, €200,000 (£168,000) Gp.2 Solonaway Stakes, €150,000 (£126,000) Juvenile Stakes, €100,000 (£84,000) Gp.3 Tonybet Stakes, the €100,000 (£84,000) Ingabelle Stakes and two Premier Handicaps each carrying €150,000 (£126,000).

In addition to the Irish Champions Festival, the Autumn Racing Weekend will be held at the Curragh 27th and 28th September, which includes the 1400m (7f) €1m (£850,000) Goffs Million, the richest race for two-year-olds in Europe, and the richest handicap in Europe the 3200m (16f) Irish Cesarewitch, worth €500,000 (£425,000). The meeting will also include the Gp.2 Beresford Stakes (€120,000/£101,700) 1600m (8f) for juveniles, celebrating its 150th anniversary, 1200m (6f) Gp.3 Renaissance Stakes (€60,000/£50,800), and 1400m (7f) Gp.3 Weld Park Stakes (€60,000/£50,800).

Irish jumps series

For National Hunt runners, a series of seven 3300m (2m1f) 10-hurdle Irish Stallion Farms EBF Academy Hurdle races will be run in Ireland from October to December. The first is at Cork on 12th October, followed by Fairyhouse 4th October, Punchestown 13th November, Cork 23rd November, Navan 6th December, Naas 15th December and concluding at Leopardstown 29th December. 

The races are open to three-year-olds which have not had any previous run under either Rules of Racing or I.N.H.S. Rules other than in Academy Hurdle races. Horses that run in any of the seven races can continue their careers in bumpers, maiden hurdles or Point-to-Points. 

Jonathan Mullin, Director of Racing at HRI, explains, “Each of the races offer a Sales Voucher, similar to the IRE incentive for the owners of any eligible Irish-bred horse which wins or is placed either second or third. Each winning owner will receive a €5,000 voucher while the owners of the runner-up and the third-placed horses will each receive €3,000 and €2,000 respectively.” 

Additionally, all seven races are part of the Weatherbys National Hunt Fillies Bonus Scheme, so three-year-old Irish-bred fillies that win an Irish EBF Academy Hurdle in 2025 will be awarded an additional €7,500 bonus on top of the race prize money and will still be eligible for the €5,000 scheme bonuses available if subsequently winning a bumper or a steeplechase, but not a maiden hurdle.

Germany

This season, Deutscher Galopp introduced 12 premium handicaps and 15 Premium Racedays, which included seven Group 1 racedays, guaranteeing at least €15,000 (£12,500) in handicaps and maiden races on those days. 

The BBAG Auktionsrennen at Mülheim 4th October is worth €52,000 (£43,600), run over 2000m (10f) for three-year-olds offered as yearlings at the 2023 BBAG Sale, while at Krefeld 15th October is the €55,000 (£46,000) Gp.3 Herzog Von Ratibor-Rennen for two-year-olds, over 1700m (8.5f). 

The Berlin-Hoppegarten card 3rd October is one of the Premium Racedays and as well as including the 2000m (10f) Gp.3 Preis Der Deutschen Einheit, €55,000 (£46,000) for three-year-olds and up, there is also a 1400m (7f) BBAG Auktionsrennen for three-year-olds offered as yearlings at the 2023 BBAG Sale, and a support card of seven other races from €15,000 (£12,500) to €22,000 (£18,500). Similarly, 19th October at Baden-Baden sees a nine-race card with the guaranteed minimum that also features the Gp.3 €155,000 (£130,000) Preis Der Winterkönigin for two-year-olds over 1600m (8f), and the Gp.3 Herbst Trophy €55,000 (£46,000) over 2400m (12f) for three-year-olds and up. 

The 26th October Hannover Premium card includes the €55,000 (£46,000) Gp.3 Herbst-Stutenpreis over 2200m (11f) for three-year-olds and up and two €25,000 (£21,000) juvenile races over 2000m (10f) and, for fillies only, 1400m (7f). The Premium Racedays conclude at Munich 8th November, where the feature is the Gp.1 Grosser Allianz Preis Von Bayern over 2400m (12f) worth €155,000 (£130,000), and another €52,000 (£43,600) BBAG Auktionsrennen, this time for two-year-olds over 1600m (8f) offered as yearlings at the 2034 BBAG Sale.

Sweden

Sweden’s showcase takes place at Bro Park 12th September with a card that includes the Gp.3 Stockholm Cup International (Gp. 3) over 2400m (12f) for three-year-olds and up and worth SEK 1,000,000 (€91,700 / £76,900). The three Listed races on the support card are each worth SEK 550,000 (€50,500 / £42,350) and open to three-year-olds and up, namely the Bro Park Sprint Championship 1200m (6f), the Tattersalls Nickes Minneslöpning 1600m (8f) and the Lanwades Stud Stakes for fillies 1600m (8f). 

Later Listed opportunities for three-year-olds up, each worth SEK 400,000 (€36,700 / £30,800), are the 2400m (12f) Skånska Fältrittklubbens Jubileumslöpning and the Peas and Carrots Mile over 1600m (8f) at Jägersro Galopp 5th October, and the 2100m (10.5f) Songline Classic at Bro Park 26th October.

Spain

The highlight of the Spanish season is Champions Day 19th October in Madrid, with a card that includes the Gran Premio Memorial Duque de Toledo over 2400m (12f) for three-year-olds and up, with a value of €50,000 (£42,000) and the Gran Premio Ruban over 1200m (6f) worth €40,000 (£33,500). The €40,000 (£33,500) Gran Criterium for two-year-olds is run over 1600m (8f) 26th October.

British Champions Day

Opening a card that features the British Champions Long Distance Cup (€590,000/£500,000), the British Champions Sprint Stakes ((€590,000/£500,000), the British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes ((€590,000/£500,000), the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (€1.36m/£1.15m), the Champion Stakes (€1.53m/£1.3m) and the 1600m (8f) Balmoral Handicap (€295,000/£250,000) is the newly-introduced Two-Year-Olds Conditions Race, worth €295,000 (£250,000), taking the total prize money on the day to €5.13m (£4.35m). Open to two-year-olds, the 1200m (6f) conditions race, like all races at this distance at Ascot, will be run over the straight course.

Turkey

The Jockey Club of Türkiye hosts seven international races in Istanbul at Veliefendi Racetrack, as part of the International Racing Festival run on the first weekend in September. The highlights are the €62,650 (£53,400) 2000m (10f) Gp.2 Anatolia Trophy for three-year-olds up, €190,000 (£162,000) Gp.2 1600m (8f) Topkapi Trophy for three-year-olds up, the €98,700 (£84,150) Gp.3 1200m (6f) Queen Elizabeth II Cup for two-year-olds, €197,500 (£168,400) Gp.3 2400m (12f) Bosphorus Cup for three-year-olds up and the Gp.3 1600m (8f) €142,400 (£121,400) Istanbul Trophy, entries closing 6th August. There is a transport subsidy for international races, $18,000 for round-trip per horse arriving from the continents of America (North and South), Oceania, Africa and Far East countries, €12,000 for round trip per horse arriving from Europe and United Arab Emirates. Any horses scratched from the race after arrival by veterinary report will still receive transportation subsidy. The Gp.3 Malazgirt Trophy for purebred Arabians over 1600m (8f) will also be part of the card.

USA

Kentucky Downs is home to America's only European-style 2000m (10f) all turf racecourse, hosting just seven days racing from 28th August to 10th September, entries closing from 16th August, when emailed expressions of interest must also have arrived for the invitationals. The feature races are the $3.5m (€3m/£2.6m) Gr.3 Nashville Derby Invitational over 2400m (12f) for three-year-olds, the $2.5m (€2.19m/£1.86m) Gr.3 1600m (8f) Mint Millions Invitational and the 2400m (12f) Gr.2 Kentucky Turf Cup Invitational of the same value which is also a "Win and You're In Breeders' Cup Turf" race. Both races are for three-year-olds and up. 

Carrying $2m (€1.75m/£1.48m) each are the Gr.3 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf for fillies and mares three-year-olds and up over 1600m (8f), the Gr.2 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Sprint 1200m (6f) for fillies and mares three-year-olds and up, the Gr.1 1200m (6f) Franklin-Simpson Stakes for three-year-olds, the Listed 1600m (8f) Gun Runner for three-year-olds, the Gr.2 1200m (6f) Music City Stakes for three-year-old fillies, the Gr.3 2000m (10f) Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon Invitational for three-year-olds and up fillies and mares, the Gr.3 2000m (10f) Dueling Grounds Oaks Invitational three-year-old fillies, and the Gr.2 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint 1200m (6f) for three-year-olds and up which is another of the "Win and You're In Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Division” races.

Each carrying purses of $1m (€870,000/£738,000) are the Bowling Green Gold Cup Invitational 3200m (16f) for three-year-olds up, the 1600m (8f) Listed Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies, the 1200m (6f) Listed Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint, the 1600m (8f) Listed Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile, and the 1200m (6f) Untapable Stakes for two-year-old fillies. The Listed Tapit Stakes over 1600m (8f) for three-year-olds up heads three races worth $500,000 (€437,000/£370,000), alongside the 1600m (8f) NTL Tight Spot Overnight Handicap for three-year-olds up, and the 1600m (8f) Listed One Dreamer for fillies and mares three-year-olds up. Maiden races, already the richest in the world, carry €181,000 (€158,000/£133,300) per race.

“We want to build the Nashville Derby into a race that American and European horsemen alike point to and buy horses for,” says Ron Winchell, co-managing partner of Kentucky Downs with Marc Falcone. “We’ve positioned the Nashville Derby so that it fits into a big-money circuit for three-year-old turf horses.”

The 42nd running of the Breeders’ Cup will be held for a fourth time in Del Mar, California, on the edge of the Pacific Ocean in San Diego “where the turf meets the surf”. Consisting of 14 Grade 1 races with purses and awards totalling more than $31m (€27.11m/£22.97m), the meeting takes place Friday 31 October and Saturday 1st November.

“Our return to Del Mar in back-to-back years marks the continuation of a wonderful collaboration and successful partnership, both with our friends at the track and with the greater San Diego area,” says Drew Fleming, President and CEO of Breeders’ Cup Limited. “We look forward to once again gathering where the turf meets the surf as the world’s best thoroughbreds put on an incredible show.”

“We couldn’t be more excited about hosting back-to-back Breeders’ Cup World Championships and welcoming the very best in international racing back to the town of Del Mar and the greater San Diego area,” said Joe Harper, CEO of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. “The Breeders’ Cup represents the pinnacle in world-class racing and the organisation’s willingness to return here again is a testament to the quality of our racing facilities, our idyllic weather, and the warm hospitality shown to our visitors by the local community.”

With 14 championship races held over two days, Future Stars Friday sees the two-year-old championships run for purses upwards of €931,130 (£783,500) and €1.9m (£1.6m). Saturday boasts nine races, culminating with the €6.5m (£5.5m) Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Classic. The “win and you’re in” series consists of 69 of the best races from around the world, from June to October, awarding each winner an automatic and free entry into the Breeders' Cup World Championships.  

Bahrain

The Bahrain Turf Series is fairly new to the calendar and has seen just five renewals to date. Running from December through to February, each race carries prize money from €73,750 (£62,850) up to €91,880 (£78,200) with total and the series is designed to attract international runners rated 85-100 to compete against local Bahrain-based horses.

“We believe the time is right to build on the success of the Bahrain Turf Series and expand the international programme to incorporate our season’s premier races,” explains His Highness Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Bahrain Turf Club. “Our most prestigious races, including the Crown Prince’s Cup and the King’s Cup, fall within the Bahrain Turf Series calendar, and are intended to make racing in Bahrain an even more attractive and compelling proposition for international visitors.” 

In total, the Series of sprint and middle-distance races comprises of 12 races, six in each division, with each race carrying bonus prizes for the horses accumulating most points in their respective division.

At time of going to press the dates and 2025/26 prize monies were not available, but last year saw significant increases. In December are two 1000m (5f) and two 2000m (10f) races for horses rated 84-100 and a 1200m (6f) and 2000m (10f) race for those rated 80-100. 

In January there are two conditions races, over 1000m (5f) and 1800m (9f). February, when the season concludes, sees opportunities for horses rated 80-100 at 1000m (5f), 1200m (6f), 1800m (9f) and 2000m (10f). For those seeking black type, the 2000m (10f) Gr2 Bahrain International Trophy in November for three-year-olds and up is establishing Bahrain as a premier horseracing destination. Run on turf, in 2024 the race was worth €921,858 (£785,315) in total, with €553,115 (£471,178) to the winner.

Entries close 2nd October with supplementary entry stages later in October, but there are three 'Automatic Invitation' races, for the first, second and third from The Royal Bahrain Irish Champions Stakes and the Gp.3 Strensall Stakes at York. The Bahrain Turf Club will provide air tickets for overseas connections and hotel accommodation on a room only basis. Shipment of invited horses will be arranged and paid for by the Bahrain Turf Club.

Australia

The Melbourne Cup Carnival needs no introduction and the Cup itself is only one of 10 Gp.1 racedays during the 22-day season at Flemington. The 3200m (16f) Gr1 Melbourne Cup will be worth A$8.66m (€4.93m / £4.14m) this year, with prize money down to 12th. 

During the week there are three €1.8m (£1.6m) weight-for-age Gr1s, the 2000m (10f) Champion Stakes, 1600m (8f) Champions Mile and the 1200m (6f) Champions Sprint. “It is always a great thrill to host international connections who make the journey to Melbourne,” Leigh Jordon, the VRC Executive General Manager, tells us.

More recently the Sydney Everest Carnival held at Royal Randwick and Rosehill Gardens has competed for equal attention, running from 21st September to 9th November, and boasting the world’s richest race on turf, The Everest, over 1200m (6f) in mid-October at Royal Randwick and worth A$20m (€11.3m / £9.5m). The opening day at Royal Randwick features two weight-for-age races, each with a total prize of €615,840 (£520,265) for three-year-olds and up, The 7 Stakes 1600m (8f) and the Gp.2 1100m (5f) Shorts. Randwick later hosts the iconic 1600m (8f) Epsom Handicap, a Gp.1 worth €924,000 (£780,500) and on the Everest supporting card is the €3m (£2.6m) Gp.1 King Charles III Stakes over 1600m (8f). 

At Rosehill Gardens, the Hill Stakes over 2000m (10f), and 1800m (9f) Five Diamonds each carry a purse of €1.2m (£1m), with the €6.2m (£5.2m) Golden Eagle over 1500m (7f) the showpiece in November.

Japan

The JRA offers travel incentives for particular overseas horses for Group 1 races and for invited overseas horses for the Japan Cup. The JRA provides air transport costs for the horse and two attendants, the owner, trainer, jockey, and their spouse/partner, and five nights’ accommodation at a JRA designated hotel. 

All Japanese Gr.1s are free to enter, or by free invitation, and carry the same declaration fee of €20,200 (£17,500), with significant bonuses from first down to last for the participating winners of designated Gr.1 races globally. The 2400m (12f) Japan Cup is run at Tokyo in November for a purse of €7.3m (£6.3m), Also in November, at Kyoto, the 2200m (11f) Queen Elizabeth II Cup for fillies and mares carries a purse of €1.9m (£1.6m), and The Mile Championship is worth €2.7m (£2.3m). Run on dirt at Chukyo Racecourse, the 1800m (9f) Champions Cup has a total value of €1.7m (£1.5m).

International Opportunities - the key international races to target this autumn

Article by Lissa Oliver

As we saw in our last issue, new and emerging racing nations can offer very lucrative targets as they attempt to establish themselves on the world stage. Outside of the European season there have never been as many valuable opportunities as currently on offer this coming autumn and winter, from both new and rapidly rising racing jurisdictions. North America also offers some lucrative opportunities throughout the year, with early-closers starting in May 2025.

North America

Breeders’ Cup

This year the Breeders’ Cup will be held in November at Del Mar and it hardly needs introduction. With 14 championship races held over two days, Future Stars Friday sees the two-year-old championships run for purses of €931,130 (£783,500) and €1.9m (£1.6m). Saturday boasts nine races, culminating with the €6.5m (£5.5m) Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

The “win and you’re in” Challenge Series consists of 69 of the best races from around the world, from June to October, awarding each winner an automatic and free entry into the Breeders' Cup World Championships.  

Santa Anita

This year sees a new initiative creating links between prestige British races and valuable North American turf races. The ultimate aim is to build the international profile of all races in the partnership by increasing the number of runners travelling from the US to the UK, and vice-versa. Winners of two valuable contests in North America in the spring gain automatic entries for the Gr1 Eclipse and the Gr1 July Cup, while the Eclipse and July Cup winners gain automatic entry and travel incentives for two prestigious contests in North America in the autumn, the 2000m (10f) Gr2 California Crown John Henry Turf and the 1300m (6f) Gr2 California Crown Eddie D Turf Sprint, each worth €696,634 (£587,848) and run at Santa Anita 28th September.  

Matt Woolston, The Jockey Club’s Assistant Racing and International Director, points out, “By pairing two of the UK’s most famous and prestigious Group One contests in the summer with a quartet of valuable North American turf contests in the spring and autumn, we feel we have the perfect race schedule for transatlantic runners. In addition, British and other European trainers now have the chance of an incentivised trip to North America in the autumn for races at Santa Anita’s exciting new California Crown meeting. We feel we have highlighted a race schedule that incentivises runners to travel across the Atlantic.”  

Kentucky Downs

Kentucky Downs is home to America's only European-style all turf racecourse and at 2000m (10f) in length it is one of the longest. It hosts just seven days each year, one of the most exclusive meetings in North America. From a VIP experience at the Finish Line to free tailgating and general admission on the final turn and stretch, Kentucky Downs provides a unique experience in an intimate atmosphere. The 2024 programme is 29th and 31st August, and 1st, 5th, 7th, 8th and 11th September, dates to mark in your diaries for 2025.

Headed by the €2.3m (£2m) Gr3 Nashville Derby (formerly the Dueling Grounds Derby) on 31st August, Kentucky Downs will stage six races worth at least €1.9m (£1.6m) apiece, including supplements for registered Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) horses that were foaled in the commonwealth and sired by a Kentucky stallion, with KTDF bonuses totalling €15m (£12.5m) over the seven-day meeting. The Nashville Derby is now the richest grass race in North America outside the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

“We want to build the Nashville Derby into a race that American and European horsemen alike point to and buy horses for,” says Ron Winchell, co-managing partner of Kentucky Downs with Marc Falcone. “The name change reflects our close proximity to one of America’s great cities, which we see as an added incentive for coming. Even horses that aren’t Kentucky-breds will still race for $1.5 million, and we’ve positioned the Nashville Derby so that it fits into a big-money circuit for three-year-old turf horses with Keeneland and Churchill Downs’ stakes, as well as the New York’s Belmont Derby, Saratoga Derby and Jockey Club Derby.”

The Kentucky Downs meet will have 11 races worth at least €931,000 (£784,000) with nine at graded status, including the track’s first Gr1, the €1.9m (£1.6m) Franklin-Simpson for three-year-old sprinters. The showcase 7th September card includes a quartet of €1.9m (£1.6m) races. Maiden races, already the richest in the world, have increased to €158,289 (£133,307) per race.

The meeting reflects Kentucky Downs’ commitment to becoming an international racing venue and has attracted European runners in recent years. Kentucky-bred and British-trained Ancient Rome won the €1.9m (£1.6m) Gr3 Mint Millions, and Irish-trained Reckoning Force won the €465,504 (£391,987) Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile, now with increased purse for 2024.

Colonial Downs

Virginia's premier racetrack is Colonial Downs, in New Kent, with two state-of-the-art racing surfaces. The 1800m (9f) Secretariat Turf Course is the widest turf track in North America and the dirt track is the country’s second largest. In August it hosts the Gr1 Arlington Million, 2000m (10f) turf, with a purse of €919,422 (£783,737).

Gary Palmisano Jr., Vice President, Racing, tells us, “Colonial Downs is widely regarded as one of America’s top turf courses and would be perfectly suited for European runners. The 1 1/8 mile oval is over 180 feet wide and plays as a very fair host to our three Internationally-renowned stakes races. We would be extremely excited and honoured to host European runners here in Virginia.”

Meetings are held every Thursday-Saturday from 11th July through to 7th September and entry fee for each of the stakes races, bar the Graded races, is €372 (£313). With stakes purses of €114,923 (£97,955), these include The Boston 1600m (8f) turf for three-year-olds, The Beverly D. Preview 1800m (9f) turf for fillies and mares three years and up, The Million Preview 1800m (9f) turf for three-year-olds and up, The Exacta Systems Rosie's Stakes 1000m (5f) turf for two-year-olds, and the Kitten's Joy Stakes 1600m (8f) turf for two-year-olds. 

On The Arlington Million card is the Gr2 The Secretariat, 1600m (8f) turf for three-year-olds and Gr2 The Beverly D. 1800m (9f) turf for fillies and mares three years and up, both worth €465,500 (£391,750). The season comes to a close in September with the same prize money up for grabs in Gr3 The New Kent County Virginia Derby, 1800m (9f) turf, and the €229,854 (£195,917) Listed Virginia Oaks, 1800m (9f) turf.

All owners who start a horse at Colonial Downs will receive the greater of €919 (£782) or their share of the purse money from the race, while all trainers will receive €280 (£235) per horse started on turf and €465 (£392) per horse started on the dirt.

Australia

At this stage we’re all familiar with the opportunities open to foreign runners at the Melbourne Cup Carnival and the Victoria Racing Club hosts 10 Gr1 race days during the 22-day season at Flemington.

The 3200m (16f) Gr1 Melbourne Cup is the highlight, offering €98,500 (£83,200) from sixth place down to 12th, with € 2.7m (£2,3m) going to the winner and an overall value of €5.3m (£4.4m). Later that same week are three €1.8m (£1.6m) weight-for-age Gr1s, the 2000m (10f) Champion Stakes, 1600m (8f) Champions Mile and the 1200m (6f) Champions Sprint.

“European trainers have had great success at the Melbourne Cup Carnival for more than 30 years, it is always a great thrill to host international connections who make the journey to Melbourne and race their horses at Flemington,” says Leigh Jordon, the VRC Executive General Manager.

A more recent attraction is the Sydney Everest Carnival, some 640km further along the coast, held at Royal Randwick Racecourse and Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, where owners can also enjoy exclusive and complimentary facilities.

The Sydney Everest Carnival opens 21st September and closes 9th November, boasting the world’s richest race on turf The Everest, 1200m (6f) €12.3m (£10.4m) in mid-October at Royal Randwick.

The opening day at Royal Randwick features two weight-for-age races, each with a total prize of €615,840 (£520,265) for three-year-olds up, The 7 Stakes 1600m (8f) and the Gr2 1100m (5f) Shorts. Randwick later hosts the iconic 1600m (8f) Epsom Handicap, a Gr1 worth €924,000 (£780,500) and on the Everest supporting card is the €3m (£2.6m) Gr1 King Charles III Stakes over 1600m (8f).

At Rosehill Gardens, the Hill Stakes over 2000m (10f), and 1800m (9f) Five Diamonds each carry a purse of €1.2m (£1m), but the showpiece in early November is the €6.2m (£5.2m) Golden Eagle over 1500m (7f).

“It’s pleasing to see continued strong nominations for three of our flagship races in the spring,’’ says James Ross, Australian Turf Club Head of Racing and Wagering. “The strength of nominations highlight the significance of two major WFA races over the Royal Randwick mile in the 7 Stakes and ultimately the $5 million King Charles III Stakes on Everest Day. With the additional investment from our partners Racing NSW, we attract some of the highest quality participation from Sydney, interstate and internationally.”

Japan

Although racing has been established in Japan since the 1870s, this year the JRA celebrates its 70th anniversary. “We hold a variety of races every Saturday and Sunday throughout the year,” says JRA President/CEO Masayoshi Yoshida. “Horsemen from around the world praise the generous prize money, including bonuses, the well-maintained tracks, and the new international stables at Tokyo Racecourse that allow horses to enter directly from the airport. In November we will hold the Japan Cup, the world’s best race in 2023, at the Tokyo Racecourse. We appreciate seeing the greatest horses and watching with our guests from various countries, and our own enthusiastic horseracing fans.” 

The International Stable opened at Tokyo Racecourse in 2022 and each barn has a dedicated grass paddock, air-conditioning and remote monitoring system, with facilities for staff, and three training tracks. Horses can enter the stable directly from the airport for the quarantine period and remain there until the race itself, causing as minimal stress and disruption to their routine as possible. 

The import quarantine period is a minimum of seven days, and arrival and departure date to and from the quarantine is included in that period. The export quarantine period of one day or less will be conducted at the racecourse, unless the importing country, such as Australia, requires a longer quarantine period.

There are also two quarantine bases in the east and west of Japan. Both have good access to the airport and racetracks, and are fully equipped with excellent training tracks and staff accommodation. The Horse Racing School is an hour’s drive from Narita International Airport, while Miki Horseland Park serves horses arriving from Kansai International Airport.

The JRA may offer travel incentives for particular overseas horses, taking into consideration factors such as the horse's international rating, for Group 1 races. For invited overseas horses for the Japan Cup, the JRA will provide air transport for the horse and two attendants (economy class), return business class air tickets for the owner, trainer, jockey, and their spouse/partner, and five nights’ accommodation at a JRA designated hotel.

All Japanese Group 1s are free to enter, or by free invitation, and carry the same declaration fee of €20,200 (£17,500). The 2400m (12f) Japan Cup is run at Tokyo on the last Sunday in November for a purse of €7.3m (£6.3m), €3.3m to the winner (£2.9m). It also carries additional bonuses of €92,000-€2.8m (£79,000-£2.4m) from last-placed finishers up to first, for the winners of 14 designated European Gr1 races, six North American and seven Australian, and the Dubai Sheema Classic.

In mid-November, the 2200m (11f) Queen Elizabeth II Cup for fillies and mares at Kyoto carries a purse of €1.9m (£1.6m), with bonuses from €163,000-€646,000 (£138,000-£553,000) available to the winners of nine designated European Gr1 fillies and mares races, and travel subsidies are also available.

Sandwiched between those two races is the Mile Championship at Kyoto, worth €2.7m (£2.3m), also with travel subsidies available. The bonuses for winners of seven designated European Gr1 mile races, and the Dubai Turf, Woodbine Mile and Hong Kong Champions Mile are from €163,000 up to €646,000 (£138,000-£553,000).

Run on dirt at Chukyo Racecourse, the 1800m (9f) Champions Cup has a total value of €1.7m (£1.5m) with additional bonuses to the winner of 11 designated USA Gr1s, and the Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup of €163,000-€646,000 (£138,000-£553,000).

There are also travel subsidies available for international runners in Japan’s other valuable Gr1s, including the 1200m (6f) Takamatsunomiya Kinen on turf at Chukyo on the last Sunday of March, the 1200m (6f) Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama on the last Sunday of September, the 2000m (10f) Tenno Sho Autumn at Tokyo last Sunday in October, and the premier summer races, the 3200m (16f) Tenno Sho Spring at Kyoto last Sunday in April, 1600m (8f) Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo first Sunday in June, and the 2200m (11f) Takarazuka Kinen last Sunday in June at Kyoto.

Bahrain

The Bahrain Turf Series is now in its fifth year and runs from 8th December through to 6th March. Each race carries prizemoney from €73,750 (£62,850) up to €91,880 (£78,200) and this attractive series is designed to attract international competition and to raise the profile of horseracing in Bahrain, providing opportunities for internationally-trained runners rated 85-100 to compete against local Bahrain-based horses.

“Three years after its launch, we believe the time is right to build on the success of the Bahrain Turf Series and expand the international programme to incorporate our season’s premier races,” explains His Highness Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Bahrain Turf Club. “For the first time, our most prestigious races, including the Crown Prince’s Cup and the King’s Cup will fall within the Bahrain Turf Series calendar. This move, coupled with the new floodlights, provides more flexibility to the race programme, and is intended to make racing in Bahrain an even more attractive and compelling proposition for international visitors.” 

As Hugo Palmer pointed out earlier this year, “The prize money in the series is excellent but consequently the races are competitive. With the right horse, you will have a lot of fun and the trip will be very worthwhile. This is the second time I have had runners in the Bahrain Turf Series and it’s clear that the Bahrain Turf Club is making giant strides. They are committed to improving everything from the training facilities to the race programme. My owners have absolutely loved it when they have gone to watch their horses run.”

In total, the series of sprint and middle-distance races comprises of 12 races, six in each division, an increase from last year, with each race carrying bonus prizes for the horses accumulating most points in their respective division.

On 8th December are the 1000m (5f) and 2000m (10f) races for horses rated 84-100. On 20th December are the 1000m (5f) and 2000m (10f) races for horses rated 84-100. 29th December sees the 1200m (6f) and 2000m (10f) races for those rated 80-100. On 12th January are two conditions races, over 1000m (5f) and 1800m (9f). Horses rated 80-100 have races on 2nd February over 1200m (6f) and 1800m (9f) and finally the series concludes 16th February, again for those rated 80-100, with a 1000m (5f) and 2000m (10f) offering.

The 2023/24 series attracted a record number of international runners, including horses from Hugo Palmer, John and Sean Quinn, and George Scott. The Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club has quarantine facilities for 50 horses, an equine pool and world class veterinary facilities provided by Baker McVeigh Veterinary Services.

“The racetrack has been in good condition throughout,” observed Sean Quinn. “Given the climate it must be hard to keep the turf track in such good nick, but the watering system is excellent.” 

George Scott, who earlier this year sent out Bahrain’s first Triple Crown winner, concurs. “The facilities for the horses are excellent, the barns are great and the training tracks have got better and better, you can use the grass or the synthetics. It’s a great place to train. My staff have loved it; it has been a great experience for them. A really wonderful set up. Another plus is that there are options outside of the Bahrain Turf Series, you can run your horse in the domestic programme too. I thoroughly recommend everyone to come and try it.”

For those seeking black type, the 2000m (10f) Gr2 Bahrain International Trophy in November for three-year-olds and up is establishing Bahrain as a premier horseracing destination. Run on turf, the race is worth €921,858 (£785,315), with €553,115 (£471,178) to the winner.

Entries close 2nd October with supplementary entry stages later in October, but there are three 'Automatic Invitation' races, for the first, second and third from The Royal Bahrain Irish Champions Stakes and the Gr3 Strensall Stakes at York. The Bahrain Turf Club will provide air tickets for overseas connections and hotel accommodation on a room only basis. Shipment of invited horses will be arranged and paid for by the Bahrain Turf Club.

Kentucky Downs - America's only European-style turf course

By Ken Snyder

Working as a groom between his junior and senior years in college, Corey Johnsen wagered his entire week's salary on a horse in his care in hopes of earning his second-semester tuition. Decades later, Johnsen, now president and part owner of Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Kentucky, gambles on the success of a turf-only course accommodating shippers-only with just a six-day annual race meet. Will it be a winner? If uniqueness were a guarantee of success, Kentucky Downs, hard by the Tennessee border, would be a huge overlay. It is billed as the nation's only European-style turf course but General Manager John Goodman modifies this slightly and perhaps best expresses its essence: "It's English racing meets the county fair."

Only the whine from tractor trailer tires on nearby Interstate 65 disturb a pastoral setting that might surpass the most scenic track in Ireland. There is no tote board in the infield, and the "grandstands" are the balcony on the two-story clubhouse and two well-weathered bleacher sections at the finish line that look as if they have been imported from the nearest football field. The large clubhouse, with tall palladium windows and white columns at entrances fore and aft, is Southern Colonial meets Belmont Park minus the ivy.

There is also a touch you won't find at a county fair: The jockeys' quarters are in a doublewide trailer, the kind likely to be found throughout a rural Kentucky far removed from the plank-fenced splendor of Bluegrass horse farms to the north. Taken together, Kentucky Downs is a delight, a jewel in comparison to big-city "race factories," and a total surprise among the chain restaurants and motels that are the obligatory fixtures at the Franklin interstate exit and seemingly all others in America.
Johnsen and ownership partner Ray Reid, a Texas investment banker, bought the track in August of 2007, gaining an 85% controlling interest from former owners Churchill Downs, Turfway Park and Kelley Farms. (Each of these entities retained a 5% ownership in the track.) They are proceeding with renovations and other changes as if the odds are far better than the 8-1 that Johnsen got on Hi Ho Dash many summers ago at Centennial Park in Denver.

The path to Franklin and ownership of Kentucky Downs is a long one for both Johnsen and Reid. For Reid it began in his college days, also. While at the University of Pennsylvania, he roomed with a member of the Hanover family of harness racing fame and became interested in racing. Perhaps not surprisingly, given that he was a student in Penn's Wharton School of Business, his interest specifically was in racetrack ownership.
Ownership of horses in partnership with Johnsen preceded Reid asking his partner to create a list of five tracks that might be in play for possible purchase. Kentucky Downs was on the list.

For Johnsen, his position is the latest in what has been a career lifetime at racetracks. From groom, he progressed to the grandstand side, working seasonal jobs first at Turf Paradise in Phoenix then at Arlington Park in the marketing and publicity department. "I was director of media relations for the inaugural Arlington Million," he said.
His first year-round job was at Louisiana Downs before becoming part of the management team that developed Remington Park. He moved from there in 1994 to help develop Lone Star Park in Arlington, Texas before leaving for the presidency and part ownership of Kentucky Downs. Additionally, he helped with the reopening in 1999 of Hipódromo de las Americas in Mexico City and Hipódromo Nacional de Maroñas in Uruguay a few years after that.

Perhaps reflecting his experience in developing tracks from the ground up like Remington and Lone Star, Johnsen's first priority at Kentucky Downs was, quite literally, the ground; and renovation of the turf course.

"I feel that a racetrack surface is the foundation to the success of any track," he said. In November, after Kentucky Downs' six-day September meet, Game Day, a company that maintains several different kinds of athletic fields throughout Kentucky, renovated the turf course. Game Day mowed the mile-and-five-sixteenths course down to the base, aerated it, seeded it with a specialty seed, and then top-dressed the turf with fine sand. Improvements followed in the clubhouse. A new sports bar opened and a chef was brought in from the Hyatt Regency hotel organization to add appeal to non-racing fans in the area looking for a night out. Significant, too, the track gained a liquor license last year.
With things seemingly in place for the new owners, the question is how can the track build on last year's second-highest on-track handle in history, $444,601, and a $9,618,208 all-sources handle that was 21% over 2006 numbers?

With only a six-day September meet that, while obviously brief, culminates in a $500,000 Kentucky Cup Turf Festival, the possibilities might seem limited. It is, however, the inactivity of Kentucky Downs, aside from six-day-a-week simulcast racing, that creates potential, according to Johnsen.
Future plans call for a regional horse center on the grounds--a "Kentucky Horse Park South," as Johnsen refers to it, or a counterpart to the real Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington that is a center for equine events for all breeds. "We have 250 stalls that sit empty 50 weeks every year. Why not utilize that infrastructure for horse shows, events, auctions, and those types of things?" Johnsen said

Steeplechasing is also a natural for Kentucky Downs and not just because of the gently undulating turf course. Nashville, barely 45 miles away, annually hosts the biggest steeplechase race in the country every year, attracting between thirty and fifty thousand people every May. "The event is a fund-raiser for a local hospital down there," Johnsen said. "What we want to do is tie in to that same hospital with a fall event."

Johnsen also foresees a time when his track would be in line to host the Breeders' Cup Steeplechase as well as turf races that would serve as strong prep races for the main Breeders' Cup event.

The foundation for the plans would seem to be solid. In addition to good numbers from last year, Kentucky Downs attracts top horsemen. Todd Pletcher sent out Kentucky Cup Ladies Turf winner Quiet Royal and won three other races during the meet. Calvin Borel, rider of ‘07 Kentucky Derby Winner Street Sense, also came down to ride the final three days of the meet. In addition, Jeremy Rose, regular rider of 2005 Preakness and Belmont winner Afleet Alex, piloted the Grade III, $200,000 Kentucky Cup Turf winner, General Jumbo, to victory last year. Indicative, too, of the niche carved by the racetrack with Kentucky horsemen is field size: Over nine starters on average went to the post per race last year.
David Carroll, Churchill Downs-based trainer and conditioner of Derby third and Belmont second show-finisher Denis of Cork, is an unabashed fan of Kentucky Downs. "We've never had a problem with a horse there coming back," he said. "It's a fun place to go and I love going down there."

He does acknowledge that some trainers are concerned for the safety of their horses because of the gently rolling surface but believes concerns are misplaced. "What I find is that it is not so much the horses that don't handle it, but the riders," he said.

Jockey James Graham, also an Irishman who has ridden at Kentucky Downs, seconds Carroll. "You're best off walking the course before you ride it.
"Believe me, it's not a course you can ride like you ride every day," Graham added
.
A false straight on the kidney-shaped course's far turn has caused riding mistakes, according to Carroll. "You turn and you've got another turn too, and that's where a lot of jockeys get caught out and move too soon," he said.

With improvements, success, and acceptance by horsemen, a move to more race dates would seem obvious, but there are obstacles. First and foremost, a commission structure unique to Kentucky hampers purses at Kentucky Downs. "It calls for 50% of the commission earned on simulcast wagering at Kentucky Downs to go to the host track in Kentucky that is running at the time," explained Johnsen. Basically, half of what could go into purses or association expenses at Kentucky Downs goes to Ellis Park, Churchill Downs, Keeneland or Turfway Park.

Kentucky Downs must also weather something already experienced by Turfway Park and Ellis Park especially in Kentucky: trainers leaving the state for bigger purses at casino-supplemented tracks or racinos. Presque Isle in Pennsylvania, specifically, has already caused problems for Kentucky Downs.
"We had trainers who had run many horses with us in the past who have actually moved their Kentucky division to Presque Isle," acknowledged Johnsen.
"I can't blame them. They're running for $500,000 a day and we run for about $200,000."

Any purse total below that, according to Johnsen, would take away from Kentucky Downs. "You drop below that and I think the quality of our race meet decreases dramatically and thus the handle decreases and you head into a negative spiral.

"What we've found out is our year-round simulcast efforts and our on-track live handle for our race meet supports about six days of racing. If we wanted to do 10 days, then all of a sudden your purses drop significantly and then you don't get the horses.

"I think we've found a nice niche that has a limited effect on other tracks in the state, if there's any effect at all. At the same time we're an additive to the racing industry here by helping Kentucky benefit from the Nashville market." Penetration of that market, a tantalizingly short drive away, is a key objective but one contingent on increased purses and the bigger handle that would come with them. Casino gaming at Kentucky tracks, according to Johnsen, could increase purses and fund the kind of marketing efforts that Johnsen oversaw at Lone Star Park in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

This year the Kentucky legislature thwarted new governor Steve Beshear's push for casino gambling that would have brought slot machines to Kentucky Downs. Despite the defeat, Johnsen believes casino gambling at Kentucky racetracks in one form or another is inevitable. "We going to have fun without gaming and then, when we can supplement our purses, it'll be tremendous," he said.

Others without a stake in the success of Kentucky Downs echo a sunny outlook for the racecourse. Sports writer Michael Compton, who has covered Kentucky Downs racing for several years for Bowling Green's Park City News, believes the racetrack is "the little engine that could." Of the new owners he said, "You get the sense that they definitely are thinking about the future and have some nice ideas." Already, according to Compton, they've piqued interest in the area beyond racing fans with restaurant improvements and the liquor license.

The location, too, despite the small size of Franklin (population 8,000, approximately) is a plus. "Franklin, Kentucky used to be a sleepy little town, but now every month it seems there's an announcement about a new distribution center or a new manufacturing plant," Johnsen said. In short, the Nashville-Bowling Green, Kentucky corridor is growing, Johnsen observed, and he even sees some parallels between it and growth of San Antonio and Austin in Texas.

Johnsen would hope that there are similarities between his bet on Hi Ho Dash while a college student and his investment with Reid in Kentucky Downs.
With a knowing smile he recounted how he came to bet his week's wages- "$82 take home"-which he put on the horse. "Hi Ho came to us from California and the owner insisted he be run right away and ran horribly because of the climate and altitude," Johnsen said. "Three weeks later, he was acclimated and I knew he was ready." He won going away. "My tuition was $620, so I basically won it in my bet."

Inside knowledge might not be at work with Kentucky Downs but the improvements, strategy, and ownership seem to be in place. Johnsen is, after all, the same man who while president at Lone Star, snared the ‘04 Breeders' Cup from more established tracks. Continued and long-term success might not be nearly the surprise for industry observers as it would be for those venturing off Exit #2 - Franklin to discover Kentucky Downs.