Focus on two-year-olds – is the programme working?

Author - Lissa Oliver

We are living in an age of consumerism and disposable products, instant gratification the main aim for many. Now it seems that mentality is spilling over into horse racing. The two-year-old thoroughbred is fighting more than one battle—the balance of precocity over physical development, tough opposition on the racetrack, even tougher opposition in the marketplace competing against the ready-made horse in training, and the ultimate challenge of the limitation of the two-year-old racing programme.

If the trainer had more say in the programme, there would appear to be a consensus of agreement on how the juvenile programme might look. Whether French, German, British or Irish, there are similar needs to assist the average two-year-old to progress and go forward at three. But as Dominik Moser highlights, the programme and framing of races may not be the only contentious issue.

“I think we are beginning to lose the point of why we do this—why we breed and race horses,” Moser says. “In Germany, still, we have a big family line; the pedigree is why we race. My father was a jockey, and I come from the breeding side. I see how much time and luck it takes to bring a horse to the racetrack, and our breeders understand that. We breed for more than one season of racing. 

“I want every horse to be a good broodmare or stallion, and this is my job; but the new generation focuses more on a fast return of investment rather than achieving black type performance with a horse. We have auction races with big prize money for two-year-olds, so the new generation of owners can get their money back quickly and buy a new horse and a future career is not important. It doesn’t matter to them if the horse breaks down; they can just buy a new one.”

Breeding for precocity—or as some would say, for the sales ring—is not a new problem and has been an increasing concern in recent years. But surprisingly, the two-year-old programme doesn’t seem to be catering to the young speedsters either. By mid-summer, the two-year-old sprinter is beginning to run out of opportunities, and this seems to be an issue across the board throughout Europe.

“I would say we’re reasonably happy with the two-year-old programme in Ireland, although the more you get into the season, the fewer the opportunities at 5f (1000m) and 6f (1200m), which is something we keep a careful eye on,” says Michael Grassick, CEO of the IRTA. “Where those races are staged, they attract fewer runners, so it’s hard to argue a stronger need for them.”

Willie McCreery takes that further, arguing, “In Ireland, they don’t cater for sprinters at all. I would love our two-year-olds to have more sprint options at the end of the year. We cater a lot for the top-quality horses—the ones with the big pedigrees who cost big money and will make up into Derby types.”

There is a similar situation in France, Gina Rarick pointing out, “The whole programme is geared to precocious youngsters and speed, but then there are not enough races to place them in. The two-year-olds from Britain and Ireland come over and win all the top two-year-old races because France Galop is not giving us a programme. The early horse has got enough options at the start of the season, but some that are only starting now have no races at their optimum distance.

“The biggest problem for two-year-olds is if they can’t run over 7f (1400m) by September, then basically they’re screwed. There is almost nothing for them at 5f (1000m)—maybe a few 6f (1200m) races for horses that have not run before. It’s really hard to find a race for them over a shorter distance, especially within a reasonable travel distance from the yard.”

Gavin Hernon agrees, pointing out, “There are races there for the sprinter, but from 1 September to the end of November, there are only two conditions races on a straight track and only five races under 1400m (7f). I think there will be more focus put on those opportunities in the future—it’s part of the France Galop plan. The programme is good for the mile to 2400m (12f) two-year-old, but people don’t buy those horses. Even in August, we’re already having 1800m (9f) maidens, and in September we have 2000m (10f) races.”

In Germany, the later spring and later foals dictate the programme to an extent, with two-year-olds not starting until May, and many of them the middle-distance three-year-old in the making, around which the programme is designed. However, the programme is not the biggest difficulty German trainers are facing.

“We can’t start our two-year-olds earlier than May, and nearly 20% of our two-year-olds in training start,” explains Dominik Moser. “I don’t mind this. I like to protect them, and I’m not under pressure from my owners. They’re not thinking about a two-year-old career; they prefer to wait for the big races for three- and four-year-olds. 

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TopSpec Trainer of the Quarter - Henry de Bromhead

By Lissa Oliver

At what could be described as the only Irish race meeting held in Britain, where 23 of the 28 Cheltenham Festival races fell to Irish trainers, one Irish trainer in particular led the way. County Waterford-based Henry de Bromhead became the first trainer to achieve the historic feat of winning the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Gold Cup in the same year.

Add to those the Triumph Hurdle, Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle and the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, and it’s little wonder de Bromhead is now looking forward to ‘catching his breath’ while quarantining back home in Ireland.

The amazing week began for the Knockeen team on day one of the Festival, when Honeysuckle powered away under Rachael Blackmore to land the Unibet Champion Hurdle. De Bromhead says of the mare, ‘She’s pretty laid back. She’s really straightforward; she likes her routine, and she’s lovely to have around the place.’

Having watched her success from the track, de Bromhead claimed it as his lucky spot and so it proved—cheering home two more winners on the Wednesday that Bob Olinger got the day’s Gr1 tally started in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, under jockey of the moment Rachael Blackmore. Then de Bromhead became the first trainer to send out a mare to win the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, with Put The Kettle On, under Aidan Coleman.

‘We are very lucky to have good mares like them,’ de Bromhead says, ‘and getting tremendous support from our owners. I thought she had a chance, but on ratings I thought she might struggle a bit; but I hoped she would have a squeak.’

The fairer sex again came up trumps for de Bromhead on the Thursday, Telmesomethinggirl, Rachael Blackmore up, leading home stablemate Magic Daze in the Grade 2 Mares’ Novices' Hurdle to give the stable a one-two. De Bromhead said on the day, ‘I’m delighted for Rachael. She is such a good rider and an ultimate professional, and she is brilliant to work with. She earns everything she gets.’

With the week just getting better and better, Quilixios became the fifth winner for the Knockeen team and the fourth Gr1 winner in the JCB Triumph Hurdle, again under Blackmore. ‘He jumped well and did everything right, de Bromhead enthused. ‘I'm delighted for the Thompsons and Cheveley Park—they're great supporters of ours. Rachael was brilliant on him and all credit to Gordon Elliott and his team—the horse looked amazing coming down to us, and we've done very little. It's more down to them than us. He's just a lovely horse to do anything with. He'll be a lovely chaser in time, I'd say.’

Then came the grand finale—the WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup, and another de Bromhead one-two. Minella Indo and young Jack Kennedy led home stablemate A Plus Tard and to complete an historic hat-trick. ‘It's massive,’ de Bromhead told the press. ‘I can't tell you what it means to win it, or just to win any of these races. I feel like I'm going to wake up and it will be Monday evening! To do this is a credit to everyone that's working with us; we couldn't do any of it without our clients supporting us. They give us the opportunity to buy these good horses, and I just feel extremely lucky.

‘We felt we had the team exactly where we wanted them heading over to Cheltenham, but I've thought that in other years, too, when we haven't done so well. I wasn't confident about any of them winning. They all seemed okay and happy in themselves, and I was just hoping that they would be able to do themselves justice. 

‘The whole week was just surreal from start to finish, from Honeysuckle to the Gold Cup and everything in between. It's magic, and I don't think it's going to sink in fully for quite some time. It's the stuff you dream about.’

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A handicap or a benefit? Is the European handicapping system fit for purpose?

By Lissa Oliver

Contrary to the populist view that horseracing is elitist, it is actually one of the few sports built upon equality. Fillies can race against colts, women can compete against men. We even have a handicap system designed to ensure a level playing field for all, providing an equal chance for the horse of little ability competing against the horse of greater ability. All is fair in love, war and on the racecourse.

Except… When did you last see a 10-way dead-heat? Even outside of the handicap system, in the truly level competition of a Gp1, the weak receive an allowance against the strong. The elders are penalised to assist their youngers. The fillies are compensated against the colts. Inexperienced jockeys receive allowances based upon, not exactly experience, but wins. In some jurisdictions, women riders receive weight allowances, too.

It might be equal, although results usually prove otherwise; but is it fair? Racing is the only sport in which winners are penalised and losers are rewarded. Is it any wonder another populist view of racing is one of deceit and cheating?

“Are the jockey clubs looking for equality or equity?” asks renowned handicap expert Mark Cramer. “There's a difference. I think it's a noble effort to have some sort of handicap system, but I'm not sure how equitable it is.”

Cramer is the author of “Thoroughbred Cycles – How The Form Factor Affects Handicapping,” which is considered the definitive work on the subject of thoroughbred form in the USA. “The system makes it that races labelled as handicaps are the hardest to decipher for the studious horseplayer. Furthermore, the whole weight factor may be overrated. A horse carrying two pounds extra is like me running with an envelope in my back pocket,” he points out. “The handicap system favours one type of horse, for example in the Arc, it's the three-year-olds who get a weight edge. I think the harness race industry does a better job with handicaps, simply making a high earner who's above the earnings limit start the race 25 metres behind the field.”

An earnings-based system rather than one based simply on wins alone is a suggestion put forward by more than one industry expert, but the current system of handicapping has been in place for 170 years, introduced by Admiral Rous in 1851. Rous was appointed the first official handicapper in Britain in 1855 and devised the Weight-For-Age scale, which in theory should afford horses of different ages an equal chance of winning.

Tellingly, it says a lot about our sport that he is still remembered anecdotally for the remark, “I have just gone through the next race and have discovered that I have handicapped each horse so well that not one of them can possibly win.”

We could argue that if it isn’t broken, why fix it? Certainly, many trainers have no issue with the system, other than its interpretation by the various official handicappers in relation to their own horse.

“There has to be a process in place, and if we didn’t have handicaps, a lot of horses couldn’t compete and would fall out of training,” says Michael Grassick, CEO Irish Racehorse Trainers Association (IRTA). “I personally believe that handicaps serve a purpose. Many do feel that in Ireland the handicapper is too severe. After a period of time horses will run to a certain rating and when they go above that rating, they will no longer be as competitive until returning to that rating. The Irish handicapper is felt to be very slow in moving a horse who has gone up through the handicap back down the ratings; we feel that in the UK horses are lowered a bit quicker. While in the lower grades of 45-60, the horses seem to drop quite quickly and drop through the floor and out of the system.

“I always feel the system is unfair on a horse who has run and placed,” Grassick observes. “The horse goes up two pounds, runs again and gets placed second again and goes up another two pounds. That horse will find it extremely hard to win and is not being rewarded for consistency. Personally, I don’t think a horse should be put up in the handicap until it has won.”

Grassick makes a valid point, underlined by the research and figures gathered by owner John Dance, an investment manager and CEO of stockbroker company Vertem, based on every Flat horse in Britain with an official rating. In March 2019, Dance tweeted his findings that 2.6% of Flat horses were Class 1; 5% were Class 2; 9.5% were Class 3; 16.6% were Class 4; 20.7% were Class 5; and 45.6% were Class 6 or lower. 83% of Flat horses, he noted, were Class 4 or lower.

Recently retired trainer Milton Bradley.

Recently, trainer Milton Bradley retired after a career of more than 50 years. He cited the growing lack of opportunities for the lower-rated horse in his decision to finally retire, saying, “The current state of the sport is making me feel despondent when it comes to horses being allowed to race and the cost of participating in the sport. Handicappers haven't been giving opportunities to lower-rated horses in weeks. It's frustrating to see people buying horses for over £100,000 only to compete for £2,000 prizes because that's all they qualify for. It's a sad day. I didn’t want to give up, but there’s no future in racing the way it is.”

Even if we agree with the system in place, the given ratings—based on the personal opinion of the handicapper—are often going to be contentious. Retired UK trainer Bill O’Gorman explains, “Handicaps are a reasonable way of ensuring competition between ordinary horses, much as in golf. As in golf, there needs to be a degree of trust. The most obvious solution is to award a rating only upon quantifiable form rather than upon the lack of it.

“The system that we had for nurseries should be revived for all handicaps; only those with a first four placing should be eligible. To get away from the prevailing culture of ‘defensive’ non-triers, I have suggested that maiden races ought to be streamed by valuation. Provincial maidens ought to be restricted to horses bought below the yearling median, to horses of any yearling price or to homebreds of any pedigree entered to be claimed for that amount. With that done, horses that are incapable of placing in a restricted maiden should not have a lucrative career in handicaps gifted to them.”

Like many, O’Gorman believes there are too many handicaps, and they should revert to 45% of all UK races from the present high of 65%. “They ought to be partly replaced with condition races, like the time-limited maiden-at-closing of old. Optional claiming races ought to be introduced so that horses whose connections feel them to be badly handicapped can face an easier task and be instantly re-assessed on one run, as long as they risk being claimed for the deemed value of horses eligible under the race conditions.

“For example, running in a race of level weights for horses rated 75 or less, or of any rating entered to be claimed for the last horses-in-training sales average for a 75-rated horse, would get a 90 horse dropped to 75—unless he won easily, in which case he’d be claimed anyway! If expensive horses were ineligible for every maiden, there would be less runners trying not to finish close up.”

O’Gorman also believes giving potentially top class horses the option of going into the handicap system as All-Weather winners is ludicrous. “The heritage handicaps have too much money and take horses away from the Pattern. If heritage handicaps were restricted to horses that have, say, run six times at entry they would not be such an attractive easy benefit for big stables,” he argues. “Tightening up the system would be universally unpopular in the same way that the 11-plus exam or reducing social security would be. Everyone likes a bad system as long as they can milk it; and it only creates underachievers—equine and human.”

Whether for or against the existing handicap system, there is a prevailing preference among industry professionals for alternative options, including those suggested by Cramer and O’Gorman. Paddock judge and racing historian Peter Corbett is unequivocal on the subject: “The handicapping system operating in Great Britain is not fit for purpose.”

He muses, “It seems incredible that nearly 200 years later racing in Britain still uses this method. One myth is that it is designed to give each horse in the race an equal chance. This is self-evidently not the case. The idea that any individual, or collections of individuals, however learned in the art of handicapping horses, can do so and equal the chances of all the runners in a race is ridiculous.

“Another rather silly expression when at the finish of a handicap, half a dozen runners are close together is to say ‘that was a triumph for the handicapper’. Rubbish! That was simply happenstance; if the race were to be run a couple of weeks later under the same conditions, the result would probably be completely different. Some trainers and owners are certain that the system is designed to prevent progressive horses from winning.

“Some horses can become almost valueless because they are euphemistically described as ‘in the grip of the handicapper’. I have never read or heard anyone prominent in racing describe this situation as ridiculous, which it surely is.”

A horse badly handicapped after its first couple of runs and allotted too high a mark can indeed have its chances of winning a handicap for the foreseeable future severely compromised. Corbett reminds us, “On the Flat, horses that are good enough to compete in Pattern races may never run in a handicap, and any handicap mark is likely to be irrelevant. However, for those horses that are below this level, the mark it is allotted will dictate its future career. …

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Trainers and the importance of communicating with owners

By Lissa Oliver

We are all in agreement that in an ideal world training fees should increase, as too the remuneration for existing staff and the ability to increase the team. We also recognise the scenario of “you get what you pay for”, and there is no doubt that owners would be happy to pay slightly more for a better service. But the tipping point doesn’t only come down to prize money. Horses cannot be expected to pay their way, but their owner still expects a certain level of enjoyment and engagement.

How would you feel if you were in the position of the female owner who recently revealed, “I only have two horses in training—one with a very high-profile trainer. She was injured and has stood in her box for most of the year. She hasn’t run in over 300 days and I have received no communication from her trainer throughout that time, other than a bill each month. I was surprised to see she has been entered and declared for a race at the weekend, and still no communication from her trainer!”

The same lady, who doesn’t want her trainers named, reveals that she receives daily updates of her second horse, with a different but equally renowned trainer. “I receive videos of her at exercise, photos of her in the yard and of course updates about her progress and racing plans.” She has younger homebred horses waiting in the wings, and despite the prestige and proven results of the non-communicative trainer, he is unlikely to receive another horse from her.

Just as results can’t be relied upon to pay the bills, so a trainer can’t simply rely upon his or her own results to attract and retain owners. Good communication and fully engaging owners have never been more important skills than during pandemic-stricken 2020.

We may have been used to regular visits from owners and discussions in person, without any need for remote communication, but in 2020, that ended for everyone. Whether we want to adapt, or see any need to adapt, the option has been taken from us; remote communication has become a necessity.

For many trainers, keeping in active contact with absentee owners has always been a part of daily business. You don’t necessarily need time or technical skills to engage your owners. There may be staff or family members who are happy to assist with social media updates, and the curation of yard photos and videos can be a team effort.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube are increasingly popular platforms for instant updates, feeding easily into a website to keep the website current and dynamic. WhatsApp and other chat groups are useful for private group messages—one message goes to all in the group; and Facebook allows for private and group pages—a single point for sharing information that can be accessed by all those invited. None of the platforms require technical skills or high-tech equipment, so there really is no excuse for failing to keep owners involved.

Gina Rarick, based in Chantilly, has a dedicated private Facebook group page where entries, morning work videos, race replays and photos are posted; and she also has her own YouTube channel to which anyone can subscribe for free (www.youtube.com/user/GallopFrance). Regular uploads include horses-in-training, race day videos, explanations of training methods, and French racing rules and customs.

Ger Lyons

Even just maintaining a website can be a big step in the right direction. “We’re quite proud of our website,” says Newmarket trainer Charlie Fellowes. “Any syndicate we form has a WhatsApp group set up for all members so that we can instantly send a video of the horse on the gallops, which enhances the ownership experience.” A comprehensive gallery shows candid photos of the horses at home and at work, sent to owners regularly to keep them in touch and feeling a part of the process. YouTube links provide video footage, too. Fellowes also writes a lively and up-to-date blog, so it’s genuinely possible to follow the yard from anywhere in the world and always feel a sense of personal involvement.

Alex Hutter of Gordon Elliott Racing uses the The Racing Manager app to regularly send pictures and video to owners.

Trainers Jamie Osborne and Ger Lyons are others well-known for their daily Tweets and blogs, which Lyons says takes no more than 10 minutes each morning. Establishing five or 10 minutes per day for blogs or Tweets should be part of a trainer’s daily administrative business, keeping to a regular routine. The easy direct sharing of photos and videos is possible on all smartphones, and there are several apps on the market to assist trainers or syndicate managers with larger group sharing, which may include race entries and race replays—with pricing starting at around €30 per month or on a per-horse basis.

Alex Hutter, racing secretary for Gordon Elliott Racing, tells us, “We currently use The Racing Manager app and try to send our owners pictures and videos of their horses as often as we can. We try and set aside at least one afternoon per week to do this in the yard and each owner receives a video of their horse at the races in the paddock every time they run. It’s definitely beneficial to the business as you can never give the owners too much feedback. With the year that it has been, all of our owners have really appreciated the content that we have sent them.” …

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TopSpec Trainer of the Quarter - Susan Corbett

By Lissa Oliver

The TopSpec Trainer of the Quarter award has been won by Susan Corbett. Corbett will receive £1,000 worth of TopSpec feed, supplements and additives as well as a consultation with one of their senior nutritionists.

Susan Corbett trains over 20 National Hunt and Flat horses at Girsonfield Stud in Otterburn, Northumberland. On 19 December at Newcastle, Andante won the QuinnBet Quarterback “Junior” Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race and Hills Of Connemara brought up the double for the stable when winning a poignant QuinnBet Live Casino Novices’ Handicap Chase. “Andante was a bit of an accident,” Corbett confesses. “Micheál Conaghan asked if I’d make an offer on an unsold three-year-old gelding. I was giving my four-year-old granddaughter a riding lesson at the time and trying to hold her, the phone and the catalogue! I made a low offer, as I couldn’t afford the horse and didn’t want it! So Andante arrived five months ago and we broke him and kept waiting for him to tell us to back off a bit and give him a break, but instead he just kept strengthening all the time. “I took him for his first and only racecourse gallop at Newcastle and my husband Frank came to watch and said, ‘I know what I want for my birthday, I’d like that horse!’ And out he came out and won on debut at Newcastle, two days before Frank’s 70th birthday.”

Completing the stable double was Hills Of Connemara, highlighting Corbett’s patience and ability to bring back a horse from injury. “She was owned by Fred Chapman, who sadly lost his fight to cancer just two weeks ago,” Corbett reveals. “Fred liked to pay as little as possible for his horses and often just acquired them, so I was surprised when he rang to say he’d paid £17,000 for a filly at the Cheltenham Boutique Sale. “Hills Of Connemara ran with promise early in 2018 but then damaged a tendon. We got that fixed and then she damaged the other tendon.

So we spent two years trying to get her back to work, it’s a real tribute to Fred for his patience. She had been off the track for 885 days when we ran her at Hexham and she was pulled up when lack of fitness got to her. We were rushing to get her to the track while Fred could still enjoy her, but sadly he lost his battle before being able to see her repay the faith he had in her. His family were delighted by her win.”

At the age of 11, Corbett was told the stark reality by her parents that she couldn’t have a pony “because Dad only worked in a factory, he didn’t own it.” She has achieved her dream by sheer stubbornness and refusal to give up, which you could say reflects in her patient nursing back to winning ways of Hills Of Connemara. “Not coming from a family with any background in training, I have no preconceived ideas,” Corbett reflects. “I sometimes do random things, like putting Morning With Ivan back in training after her foal was weaned, and she won another five races. We’ve now done the same with Harrisons Promise. Once her filly was weaned she practically ran back into the training yard, she is better than ever.”

With son Jamie working as Assistant Trainer, having only recently retired as a jockey, and Frank managing the farm, which includes the supply of their own high-quality hay and haylage, it’s a real family affair, completed by eldest son Richard and his cousin Adam, who manage the website. They have a professional and ambitious team alongside. “I remember once reading in Trainer magazine that a trainer is only as good as the people who work for them and that has been something I’ve always kept in my mind,” Corbett says. “All the team here are a great bunch, really committed to the horses and they love their job.” In fact, last year the Girsonfield team were awarded 3-star Gold Accreditation in the Lycetts Team Champion Award and this year they made the shortlist of four, earning Gold accreditation.

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Bureaucracy in training - how trainers are coping with the added paperwork they now need to produce for racing authorities

By Lissa Oliver

Conny Whitfield, a small-scale German trainer based in Iffezheim, shares one of German racing’s best kept secrets. “Elsewhere in Europe, most stables have a secretary, but here in Germany, most trainers do not. There are 15 trainers based here, three with over 50 horses in training each; and none of us have secretaries.”

As the office work elsewhere in racing yards increases, it’s perhaps bitter-sweet to learn that some jurisdictions have honed an efficient online system that can actually save trainers time in the office.

“We have 10 horses in training, and I do all the office work myself, although I do have the help of an accountant,” Whitfield reveals. “I find all the paperwork and documentation required on a daily basis to be straightforward, and it has not really increased in recent years. The difference now is that it is all online, and I find it simpler. Moving online has been a great help. What used to take me an hour now only takes 10 minutes. The only paperwork needed is collecting receipts.”

Whitfield has a lot of runners in France and notes, “There’s much more paperwork required by France Galop!” She admits that recruiting and dealing with staff is a bigger issue than office work, as finding good staff in Germany is a major problem.

There are always exceptions, and Cologne-based Peter Schiergen is assisted with secretarial duties by his wife Gisela. He also has Valeria Holinger working on his website and social media, but he does have over 70 horses in training. Christian von der Recke, with 43 horses, has introduced Stefanie Sambale to his team—the first person in his office for many years.

Producing good riders and grooms is the necessary priority for the racing school in Cologne, but the mounting office work faced by most other trainers means that courses for Racing Secretaries are becoming an equal part of the curriculum at Europe’s horseracing academies.

Ireland’s Racing Academy and Centre of Education (RACE) is the latest to introduce such a course—the part-time racing secretary course new for 2020 and delivered via Zoom (due to pandemic restrictions) in six afternoons over three weeks. Among the six modules covered are Racing Administration, Payroll and Health and Safety, which have increased significantly in recent years.

Racing Secretaries courses are designed to provide aspiring secretaries and newly appointed secretaries with a comprehensive understanding of the role of the trainer’s secretary, the structure of the racing industry and racing administration. Clare Breadin was seeking work within the racing industry when she recently completed the Newmarket-based course and found it was an even mix between those already working in a racing yard office and those, like herself, looking to change careers.

“I see the role of the racing secretary as quite demanding,” Breadin observes, “as they cover Health and Safety, Human Relations, declarations, bookings, owners, accounts, payroll and so on. Attention to detail is a must. Also, now everything has to be on social media, which is another additional task. I feel the job could be very stressful, and secretaries are needed seven days a week.”

Breadin, who now works in a leading flat racing stable in Britain, found the software programmes for accounts and billing easy to use and straightforward, so it would seem the traditional tasks have been alleviated somewhat by the digital era. But new responsibilities for employers regarding data management, working hours and the health, safety and general wellbeing of employees have brought a tougher new dimension to the office.

“Some trainers have several secretaries, as some do the book-keeping and some deal with the racing side of things,” Breadin notes. “I think maybe with the increase of racing, and also more international runners, the role has increased.”

This is borne out by Hannah Watson, racing secretary and PA to British trainers James and Ed Bethell. “Over the last year, the emphasis on the trainer's secretary to carry out more and more administration duties and paperwork has increased dramatically,” Watson says. “Weatherbys have now changed several things. VAT Summaries are now online, and we must go through them all monthly and print them out. The naming of the horse online now is done by us, and Weatherbys just send us a sticker for the passport once confirmed. We must make sure of the correct spelling, etc.

“Unfortunately, due to COVID, we now must declare all racing staff online and then do the race day declaration. Previously this would be done by a member of staff at the races in the weighing room. This takes time, and it is so important to get all the information correct, such as whether the horse needs to wear a red hood to the start, etc. It's our responsibility to make sure all our owners and staff have passed the COVID questionnaire before attending racing; we then organise the badges via the PASS Card system.

“I am lucky, as I have worked on and off in the racing industry as a trainer’s secretary for many years. I have had no formal training and taught myself along the way. Weatherbys do have a help desk if we are ever stuck.”

Martine Ricard, secretary to Henri-Alex Pantall in Beaupréau, France, joined the team in 1983, and has followed its progress, being responsible for all the administration and management of the business. “It is with pleasure that I could talk about the job of racing secretary, I’ve been practicing it for 35 years and it’s true that there have been a lot of developments,” she says.

“The job of stable secretary has evolved considerably since I started, 35 years ago. Everything has become enormously professional and centralised at France Galop. The number of race meetings, now several meetings per day, has increased a lot and as a result the workload of entries, forfeits, declarations of starters, climbs too. Then there is the organisation for owners and transport for this. “Fortunately, the internet is there! And the France Galop site greatly facilitates our work, it has become an essential tool for our work, but also much more specialised and demanding, it is also our reference.”

Pantall’s stable is well-established and successful, as Ricard points out. “With the exception of this particular year, we have on average more than 1,000 starters per year, plus those abroad who are also ask to complete special formalities. In addition, there is staff management, and in France social laws are constantly evolving, and all the billing. “In conclusion, one or more secretary in a stable is more and more essential, to free the trainer from this increasingly time-consuming administrative work and she or he must have a great capacity for adaptation.”

It would seem that with any volume of runners, a trainer simply cannot devote the necessary time to the administration involved in running a larger racing stable, even if he or she possessed the required skill set and interest. Few people get involved with horses in order to immerse themselves in office duties, least of all trainers. For many British stables, having two office staff is fast becoming the norm.

With over 250 horses in training, Middleham-based UK trainer Mark Johnston has a team of seven in the office; four secretaries complimented by a dedicated human resources and transport manager, an accounts manager and a partnerships manager to deal specifically with shared ownership horses. …

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TopSpec Trainer of the Quarter - Johnny Murtagh

By Lissa Oliver

The TopSpec Trainer of the Quarter award has been won by Johnny Murtagh. Murtagh will receive £1,000 worth of TopSpec feed, supplements and additives as well as a consultation with one of their senior nutritionists.

Johnny Murtagh had said all along that he wasn’t there for the free lunch; and on the opening day of Irish Champions Weekend, the well-named Champers Elysees ensured the drinks were on her. The three-year-old filly provided Murtagh and his team at Fox Covert Stables on the Curragh, Kildare, with a memorable first Gp1 win in the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown—a remarkable improvement by Murtagh of a filly rated 86 only three months earlier.

Despite the foreshortened season, Murtagh has already surpassed previous season tallies, and Champers Elysees is his 36th winner of the season. Just to add icing to the cake, her stablemate Know It All was only narrowly denied third place, held by a head by Prix de Diane and Nassau Stakes heroine Fancy Blue. 

“I always thought she had a lot of promise,” Murtagh says of Champers Elysees, who remains unbeaten so far this year. “She ran well on her first two starts last year, so we had a go at the Tattersalls sales race where the big field was just a little too much for her; but she went back there and won two weeks later. In the Birdcatcher Nursery she just got a bit tired in the heavy ground.”

With a win and three places from her five starts at two, the interruption of COVID-19 saw a late start this year, when she collected a handicap in June on her seasonal debut. “We liked her a lot,” Murtagh reflects, “and then she won a Listed race at Galway by seven lengths, so I made the entry for the Matron Stakes. At that stage we thought of Know It All as our best filly—she’d won the Group Three Derrinstown Stud Fillies Stakes.

“Then Champers Elysees won the Group Three Fairy Bridge Stakes, and that was the key factor in convincing me to run her in the Matron Stakes—I knew she would run well. Both fillies had been going well for us at home all year, but the week before the Matron they were training really well.”

Know It All was beaten less than a length when third in the Prix Rothschild—that first Gp1 tantalisingly within reach—so the Fox Covert team had good reason to be optimistic ahead of Irish Champions Weekend, which they capped with a win in the Northfields Premier Handicap on the second day with Sonnyboyliston.

“We’ve not been doing anything different,” Murtagh says of his excellent year. “They got held up for two months at the start of the season, so they had a bit of extra training in the spring, then a bit of a break before they got going again. 

“But overall we’ve just got a better standard of horse. We’ve got them fresh and well and ready to run, and they’ve been consistent all year. I’ll be going to the sales next week, and I’ll buy a few that I like myself as I always do, and they’ve been lucky for us. The aim is always to win enough prize money for them to pay their way.

“It’s a real family affair, and my wife Orla runs the office. We’ve got a very good variety of gallops, very good staff and very good riders, which is the most important thing. There’d be no winners without them. I do enjoy sitting down at night to pick races, and this year it was easy to pick them out; they just fell right. 

“Self-belief is everything. I’m a naturally positive person, and I try to put a positive spin on everything we do. To go from champion jockey to successful trainer is hugely satisfying. I’ve worked with some of the best trainers in the world, and I’d like to think some of it has rubbed off and I’ve learned from them.”

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Without Prejudice – how Europe's anti-doping rules leave trainers at risk - Is the integrity of the sport protected?

By Lissa Oliver

After a recent spate of positive samples occurring in German racehorses, where the trainers in question were exonerated fully of any duplicity, it is time to look at whether Europe’s anti-doping rules protect the integrity of the sport to the possible detriment of the professionals whose livelihood is dependent on an honest record.

‘Innocent until proven guilty’ is a maxim relied upon by the justice system worldwide, but it becomes less clear cut in the racing world. With a public image to maintain and improve and the omnipresent perceived threat of foul play from gambling opportunities, upholding the good repute of the sport is given higher priority by some of racing’s authorities than protecting the reputation of the professionals working within it.

We have only to look back to the high-profile case of former jockey Kieran Fallon, which in July 2006 saw him suspended by the BHA until an impending court case acquitted him in December 2007. What subsequently amounted to a 17-month suspension was justified by the panel of the former Horseracing Regulatory Authority because “the integrity of horseracing is impugned by such conduct. Our task is to balance the potentially conflicting interests of, on the one hand, the reputation and integrity of racing and, on the other hand, the right of the individual to pursue his chosen career. 

“There is a strong likelihood that during such a period racing would be severely damaged both by the possibility of further race fixing, and the perception of such; and by the adverse reaction of many members of the racing public to the concept that a jockey charged with an offence is permitted to continue to participate.” The decision was made not to grant a licence renewal until the conclusion of the trial. Fallon said at the time, “The HRA ruled me guilty without trial by banning me from racing.”

While this is an extreme example, it stands as a stark reminder of the fragility of the licencing system in the face of integrity accusations, particularly when so many recent breaches of anti-doping rules have absolved the trainer of any responsibility. Contamination and cross-contamination cases have highlighted how difficult it can be to prevent positive samples occurring; and with only disqualification to be gained from administering performance-enhancing drugs, malicious doping becomes an even greater threat when tightened anti-doping rules put licences and careers on the line.

With this in mind, a number of updates to the British Equine Anti-Doping Rules, primarily to clarify how the Responsible Person can avoid a penalty under such circumstances, came into effect from 1 September 2020 but have been described as “a mixed bag for trainers” by National Trainers Federation (NTF) Chief Executive Rupert Arnold.

The changes by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) came as a result of a comprehensive review of the Equine Anti-Doping Rules undertaken in 2018, following a number of Disciplinary Panel cases which called into question previous assumptions regarding the rules and how they should be applied—prompted largely by the case of malicious doping involving a filly trained by Hughie Morrison.  

Morrison was charged in May 2017 with breaching the rules of racing, after the filly Our Little Sister tested positive for nandrolone following a race in January of that year in which she finished last. Facing the possibility of a ban of between one and 10 years, Morrison sought police help and offered a cash reward for any information to support his innocence. 

“What on Earth could I have to gain from this?” he stated at the time. “Our Little Sister was a horse of limited ability, in a race with hardly any prize money, and there was no unusual betting on it. You're basically committing suicide by giving any horse the substance which was found in Our Little Sister. Racing is my life. My reputation is everything.”

The filly was at a racecourse with three other stable runners at the time the nandrolone was thought to have been administered and had been left unattended due to an injury to another of the runners. “As the rules stand, the onus is on me as the licence holder to establish who administered an anabolic steroid to Our Little Sister,” accepted Morrison.

The trainer escaped any ban by the BHA Disciplinary Panel in December 2017, though he was found in breach of the Rules of Racing and given a £1,000 fine. Jamie Stier, then chief regulatory officer for the BHA, explained of this conflicting decision, “The rules are clear that it is the trainer’s responsibility to prevent horses taking part in our sport with prohibited substances in their system. It is important, therefore, that the trainer in this case has accepted he was in breach of the Rules of Racing, and that the Disciplinary Panel has confirmed that as the Responsible Person, Mr Morrison is in breach of the Rules.”

The subsequent review of the Rules has led to simplifying them to understand and follow, whilst the BHA maintains they still protect those who work in, follow or bet on British racing. In conducting the review, the NTF, UK and World Anti-Doping agencies, as well as sport horse bodies such as the FEI, were consulted.

The main changes to the Rules, which were last updated in 2015 in the wake of the 2013 Mahmood Al Zarooni steroid scandal, relate to the circumstances in which the Responsible Person may be found in breach of the Rules but not be penalised when a case is heard in front of an independent Disciplinary Panel.

Cautions, rather than fines, are now available for lower level breaches, and suspended sanctions are also available for breaches. However, the Rules also demand that if a horse tests positive for a prohibited substance, in order to avoid a penalty the Responsible Person must establish the precise source of the positive finding and prove they had taken all reasonable precautions. As is clear from the Morrison case, establishing the source of a positive sample may not be possible and would certainly be an expensive and lengthy process.

Tim Naylor, director of Integrity and Regulation at the BHA, states, “We have to ensure that our Rules in relation to anti-doping are sufficiently robust, but also that as much as is possible in such a technical area everyone bound by the Rules understands what is required of them. Whilst in places the requirements upon the Responsible Person have been strengthened, there have also been changes to allow more appropriate penalties for lower- and mid-level breaches of the Rules.”

However, the NTF argues that while the BHA took on board the need to remove penalties where malicious administration could be proved, strict liability reverses the principle of innocent until proven guilty by putting the onus on the defendant to prove innocence—in this case by having to prove the precise source of the prohibited substance. 

“This is notoriously difficult to do,” Rupert Arnold points out. “Even the BHA says in its note to trainers that to place the burden of establishing the source of the positive sample on the regulator ‘would make enforcing an effective anti-doping regime impossible, due to the access and resource implications.’ The regulator has comparatively greater resources than most trainers.”

The BHA and NTF have agreed on restructured penalties, including the option of cautioning a trainer instead of imposing a financial penalty for the least culpable breaches, thereby protecting a trainer where a treatment has been correctly administered on veterinary advice, all guidelines have been adhered to and the horse has still provided a positive test. 

However, the minimum sanction of a suspended disqualification in addition to a financial penalty for the lowest-level breach for prohibited substances is a contentious issue. “If the Panel is satisfied, the trainer had no knowledge of the substance’s administration and had taken reasonable precautions, a suspended disqualification is an unwarranted stain on the trainer’s reputation,” Arnold insists. “We appealed to the BHA Board to allow the Panel discretion to impose a financial-only penalty in the right circumstances. It is very disappointing that they chose not to allow that discretion.”

France Galop also updated its Anti-Doping Rules as of 1 January 2020. A new procedure for storing samples for ten years has now been implemented so that samples can be checked retrospectively when new research becomes available. From January, horses under four years of age may not be treated with bisphosphonates. Additionally, prescription registers are now recognised and supervised by France Galop.

France Galop already boasts one of the largest anti-doping resources in European jurisdictions, with an annual budget of more than €10 million specifically allocated. Every one of the 7,300 races run each year in France are subject to at least one control. With 30,000 random checks, this represents 11,272 samples taken from the 77,757 runners annually. France also carries out the most unannounced checks during training—more than 900 per year.

Meanwhile, in August, after much pressure by Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), the Irish regulatory board extended its random testing to unlicensed premises. The minister at the time for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Dara Calleary TD, welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB), providing IHRB officers with enhanced investigative powers with regard to the use of animal remedies. 

In Germany this summer, five horses tested positive for caffeine which was traced to contaminated feed that contained apple pomace.

Calleary explained, “This Memorandum aims to advance the already collaborative working arrangements between my Department and the IHRB to improve the oversight, investigative and enforcement powers of the horseracing industry to support animal welfare and to strengthen domestic and international confidence in its brand. Whilst extending the powers of the IHRB officers, the Memorandum does not alter the criteria or sanctioning process of the IHRB. Related prosecutions will remain at the discretion of my Department.”

IHRB officers will be trained to exercise powers and functions of authorised officers, such as seizing unauthorised or prohibited animal remedies, in relation to horses, land, premises and people across the sector. This will include thoroughbred breeders, their breeding establishments, or horses from other establishments which have not yet entered training; licenced persons and horses in their possession; and any owner. “It’s one part of an overall welfare story that is going to be a strong focus for the industry. And it’s a positive focus,” HRI Chief Executive Brian Kavanagh said.

The welfare aspect of drug testing and anti-doping has always been to the fore in Germany, but positive samples made the headlines this summer when in July five horses tested positive for caffeine, including the subsequently disqualified Deutsche Derby third, Grocer Jack. …

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Price money & the Covid impact - will prize money ever return to pre-COVID-19 levels? - Lissa Oliver looks into the various pots of prize money and the racing authorities’ recovery plans

By Lissa Oliver

We are in a period of uncertainty throughout the global business world, with the loss of many businesses and a need for government aid among others. Racing is no exception, but is the COVID crisis truly affecting European prize money levels or is it simply a new excuse?

In Ireland, 2020 began with great optimism as Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) announced a five-year strategic plan—its first in ten years—aiming to increase annual government funding to €98 million by 2024. The Irish State contribution to racing in both 2020 and 2019 stands at €67 million. HRI also hoped to have prize money increased to €90 million by the end of the five-year period and increase minimum race value to €12,500. Two weeks later, the COVID emergency erupted, and prize money for the year ahead was reduced by at least 10% and up to 50% at the highest level.

Deutscher Galopp produced a similarly upbeat reflection on 2019 as the year began, with imports well above average, negative trends reversed and prize money continuing an upward curve, with a further increase maintained for 2020. Then came COVID and Dr Michael Vesper, president of Deutscher Galopp, announced that due to having no spectators prize money would be cut by 50%, but minimum levels of €3,000 would be retained. 

This is a common picture across Europe, even when the new year had not brought with it such high expectations. The Norwegian Jockey Club announced that the association was in a difficult financial situation and prize money in the big races would be reduced. 

Prize money reduction, and fluctuation, is nothing new. At the higher end of the sport, the Group races have seen a steady decline in prize money since the turn of the century in all bar Ireland and Britain, although increases to the average prize value overall suggests simply a fairer distribution of the pot across all levels. The average Irish prize value, however, shows a recent decline and the financial focus appears to be more on quality racing. Nevertheless, the average prize money in Ireland last year only just topped 2015 levels and failed to match the heights of 2005. In Britain, 20 years have made a scant impact on average prize money, which more or less remains at 2000 levels. Are trainers also having to operate at fees unchanged for 20 years as inflation increases their costs?

Although we are far from any economic recovery and racing continues behind closed doors in many jurisdictions, racing authorities are making recovery plans and hoping to return to pre-COVID levels by year end. Other measures to lessen the personal economic hardship on industry professionals are also in place, and this will also ultimately impact overall recovery.

Deutscher Galopp asked participants to halve their fees and German betting companies to waive all fees until there was a full resumption of racing.

“This is a bridging period between the phase without races and the one with races in front of spectators. It therefore lasts as short as possible and as long as necessary,” said Jan Pommer, managing director of Deutscher Galopp.

All races have been broadcast live and free of charge on the Deutscher Galopp website and other digital platforms during this period. “We want to make the best of this situation and present our great racing to even more people. We hope to win new fans like this,” Pommer said.

Charlie Liverton

In March, France Galop stopped collecting the access fees for horses stabled in the training centres at Chantilly, Deauville and Maisons-Laffitte and regional training centres—a measure in place until at least  May 1st 2020. It also granted trainers who rent their boxes a suspension on rent payments for as long as racing remained suspended. Funds collected from fines were redirected to trainers to help relieve the financial blow of the lockdown. The fund contained €540,000, and if split evenly among all 381 eligible trainers each would receive €1,417. France Galop, however, gave trainers the opportunity to forego the aid to further assist those in need. 

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) provided emergency financial support of £22 million (€24.5m) to help racing people, businesses and communities cope with the crisis. British racing’s main charity, the Racing Foundation, holds the proceeds from the 2011 sale of the Tote, and the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) also stepped up with a substantial package of grants and loans. 

The Chief Executive of the British Racehorse Owners Association, Charlie Liverton, said at the time, “Racing’s leaders want to act as quickly as possible to protect livelihoods and address hardship. We hope this funding will go a long way to supporting the most vulnerable. We also support the Levy Board’s decision to ensure that there is enough money still available to get racing back on its feet once we resume.

“People across racing, including many owners, are currently facing significant financial challenges whilst continuing to maintain payments. They need the prospect of racing activity and prize money to support their costs and get the sport moving again. We would like to thank trainers and everyone else who have worked so hard to ease costs and care for horses in these most trying of times.” …

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Takashi Kodama - The Curragh based trainer is taking a global perspective - how the racing business has been affected during the Coronavirus shutdown

By Lissa Oliver

The respected Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, often speaks about the dangers of a single story. A single story, or viewpoint, leads to misconceptions and many lost opportunities, preventing us from seeing the many and varied stories within a place, or a person—the multifaceted bigger picture. Ireland’s Curragh-based trainer Takashi Kodama can never be accused of such an error. His is a life of multiple stories; and perhaps this has gifted him with the ability to identify and value the multiple stories of the international thoroughbred industry.

As we talk, Kodama has five fillies waiting to be shipped from South America, to the USA and Ireland. The border had been closed due to the pandemic but was to have reopened in mid-May, so Kodama had everything organised for their export, only to receive last-minute news that the border closure had been extended. He had to spend the day urgently contacting local agents and rightly admits, “It has been my biggest nightmare with the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Kodama is no ordinary trainer. Yes, he has his own yard in Kildare and a small string of six horses in training. He faces the same struggles as any small trainer. Yes, he has known major success as a trainer, Pop Rock winning at the prestigious Galway Festival and Elusive Time landing the 2017 Irish Cambridgeshire, a premier handicap, during Irish Champions Weekend at his home track. That saw Kodama honoured with the Special Achievement Award at the 2017 Curragh Racing Awards. 

But unlike many trainers, Kodama has embraced the idea of diversifying and, as a result, has his finger on the pulse of every racing nation as he searches for good value and winners, even if that means sending the horses in his care to other trainers. Even more than a trainer, he is a racing manager.

This brings additional work and issues, as the South American borders testify. “Afternoon here in Ireland is business hours in South America and the USA,” he points out, “and I have six horses in my yard who demand my attention in the morning.”

His passion for horses started a long time ago. “I first started working with horses a few days after my graduation from high school. I went to Hidaka, the main breeding area of Japan, to a pre-training and stud farm. It was supposed to be temporary, but in the typical way of these things I stayed five years!”

Breeding and pre-training are very much interlinked in Japan, so the young Kodama received a good foundation. “I worked at a facility where they did everything. I learnt to ride there, at the age of 18, and my interest went down the training side of the industry. A lot of things seem to happen by chance throughout life, and I met some people who suggested I should go to America. I worked at Santa Anita in California for three years, and then I came over to Ireland, in 1997.

“I got a trainer’s licence in 2002,” he says of his first start in Ireland, “but after three years I realised it was too difficult for a small stable to make a living in Ireland, so I gave up. It is still very difficult for small trainers to survive here.”

Acutely observant of cultures, politics and economies, Kodama is not a man to shy away from obstacles and, crucially, he makes a point of understanding the causes and implications to help him overcome barriers. He had gained from the experience, but it was time to explore different opportunities. “I sent my wife and two daughters to Japan, and I got jobs as a Japanese representative for Goffs and Connolly’s Red Mills. I worked with them for five years, and this brought me fresh opportunities to meet more people day by day.”

During that time Kodama began working for Japanese trainers and owners to assist their international operation. “I attended all the international sales and was familiar with Goffs and Tattersalls, Arqana, Keeneland, Gold Coast, Magic Millions, even Argentinian sales.” His training background also served him well. “I was also able to assist with their international runners in Dubai, Hong Kong, etc. and provided support to get the top international jockeys to ride in Japan, such as Mick Kinane, Ryan Moore, Fran Berry and Craig Williams. From these experiences I got to know more great international racing professionals and was travelling around the world for sales, racing and visiting stud farms.” 

Those five years, Kodama says, were the biggest factor in shaping his life. Four times a year throughout that period, he bought a round-the-world ticket. “I started in Ireland, flew to the USA— visiting Kentucky, California and Florida—then on to Japan, Australia, New Zealand, to Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Brazil, then back to Europe, to Germany, France, Italy and the UK, and then home to Ireland. I travelled with an economy ticket all the time, but my airline status was Emerald Member!

“I met so many nice, experienced horsemen all around the world: breeders, trainers, sales people, vets, jockeys, farriers. I found that every part of the horse industry in every country in the world has a different history, culture and the way they trust in the knowledge gained from generations going back more than 100 years.

“I have learned so many things and gained an understanding of the fact that there are so many different ways, different schools of thought, different tools, cultures and history everywhere around the world, but we are all the same in our love and passion being passed down through every generation. That is what is holding the horse industry together, beside the financial supports.”

Crucially, Kodama has also acquired a great understanding and depth of knowledge of the financial systems of racing around the world. “I examine the cost of breeding, cost of training, average horse values, market valuations, prize money, etc., and then I find the balance of all costs and prize money and sales money; and from those calculations I can calculate the cost of performance of the horse in each country.”

He also has an in-depth knowledge of the racing programmes for each region of the world, which he values. “I realised how important it was to have a knowledge and sense of judgement of the ability level of international horses and of the racing and breeding level in each country. I can compare the ability of horses in various countries and know their value, for buying and selling, in order to try to find the best value performance horses for my owners.”

Kodama cites European horses as definitely the most expensive in the world. “For the same money, you might buy only a maiden winner in Ireland but could get a Listed winner in some other European country or the USA; and you might be able to get a Group winner in South America. The important thing is to compare these horses’ abilities.” He laughs, a typically cheerful man who belies the pressure he is so often under. “Horses bought with the same budget, if you let them run in the same race together, who will win—the Irish maiden winner or the South American Gp1 winner? That is a difficult question to answer and may be impossible to find, but it is also a very important aspect of my job.”

It’s easy to think of him as a walking encyclopaedia, but he does have a lot of help. “I would not be able to do what I’m doing now without the help of the great horse people around the world I have been fortunate to meet. International jockeys who ride worldwide give me their opinion of each country’s racing and the quality of horses, and that also helps my knowledge.”

Communication is key and is one of the talkative Kodama’s chief talents.

“At one time, text and other mobile communications were not as popular as now. Although it might be much easier to communicate with people around the world right now, actually I feel that many, many of the people I have met directly face to face and have shared a drink with, eaten with, or just sat and had a chat or discussion with—or even sometimes arguing and fighting with them! ...but it’s those personal meetings that are my fortune in life and will be for a long time to come.”

Of course, as much as he relishes learning from others, his true passion is working with horses, and the lure of a return to training was never far from his heart. “In 2010, by chance, I was given the opportunity to train the Japanese Group winner Pop Rock, together with a few other Japanese horses in Ireland. So I renewed my licence and re-opened my yard once more.”

Pop Rock may have broken a few hearts when a narrow second in the Melbourne Cup to his compatriot Delta Blues, but he realised a dream once in the care of Kodama. “Legend Mick Kinane had retired a few years before I renewed my licence, but he very kindly helped me to try and get my first winner as a trainer. I had been with Mick as a translator in Hong Kong and Japan, and every night when we had a nightcap at the hotel bar he told me so much great things about racing and horses. He started riding out Pop Rock for me—at the beginning once a week—but getting closer to the race, he was finally riding out most of the week. We got Fran Berry as Pop Rock’s jockey for his first time out in Europe, at the Galway Festival.” The rest, as they say, is history. “Pop Rock won as my first winner at Galway and as my dream come true!”

Sadly, Pop Rock was injured during running next time out in the Gp1 Irish St Leger and retired after the race. But as Kodama reflects, “My time with Pop Rock and with Mick and Fran gave me another super experience as a trainer. After this great time I was so pleased to be able to support Fran for his first season riding in Japan. And when Pop Rock retired, a friend who I had met during those five years of travel found a great place for him as a stallion.

“I cannot say my training career has been good,” he admits, “but I’ve still got Elusive Time, who won three times for me, including the Irish Cambridgeshire at the Curragh on Champions Weekend, which was my biggest success as a trainer. Elusive Time was also my first winner at the Curragh, when Joseph O’Brien rode. Now Joseph trains two colts by Galileo for my owners, and also a South American Group winner is going to him with the aim of running her in the Dubai winter carnival.”

Elusive Time with Kodama, Ross Coakley and The Elusive Time syndicate after winning The Tote Irish Cambridgeshire.

Kodama has some very good Japanese owners he met during his time with Goffs, and they have provided him with the opportunity to turn his small stable into an international racing operation. “As a trainer, I have had a runner at Royal Ascot, at the Arc meeting; and I have stayed in Dubai for the winter carnival with five horses, even though I was a really small trainer with not much experience and only 8-10 horses in my yard.

“I got horses for these international races from South America, Scandinavia, Italy—everywhere—with help from people I met while travelling. I also had help from every racing authority, through having met on my travels. I really wished I could step up onto the international racing stage as a trainer for these great Japanese owners who had given me fantastic opportunities, but unfortunately I realised I was not good enough as a trainer. I just felt so sad and sad and sad... because I could not give back anything good to these great owners who supported me so much.

“And I kept thinking, thinking, thinking… How can I give something good to these owners? What can I do for them? …

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Substance Abuse - a new view of an old enemy

By Lissa Oliver

“I have seen so many jockeys wasting on physic go out like the snuff of a candle,” said starter and former jockey Henry Custance, in 1886. In 2016, work-rider and former jockey ‘Franck’ told Rue 89 journalist Clément Guillou, "I saw that if I drank bottles of vodka and took cocaine, I was not hungry and I urinated a lot, so I lost weight. I became addicted at 22 years old, up to three or four grams a night. Then there are the prohibited products, diuretics (Burinex) and laxatives (Contalax).

"My first Burinex, I lost one and a half kilos in 12 hours. Your heart is beating very fast, you urinate all afternoon. You still want to go, but you have nothing left.” ‘Franck’ took only five milligrams of the most powerful diuretic, prescribed for acute and chronic renal failure. "You feel your belly retract. I know the Burinex shoot my back. And since you have only been snacking for three days, you are a little tense at the time of the race. The cramps happen quickly."

If ‘Franck’ “eats like a normal human being” he weighs 68-70 kilos. He needs to be 64 kilos. But it isn’t only about weight. "Among the lads, there are many former jockeys. The weight has caught up with them, but they remain alcoholics. They work in the yard all morning, and sleep in a nine-square-metre room, because here [in Maisons-Laffitte] real estate is very expensive. Don't be fooled; if you do this job and you don't race...it’s a bad luck thing.”

It isn’t just weight. It isn’t just disappointment and loss of a dream. And, as Custance recalled in his 1894 memoir, it wasn’t only the daily glassfuls of the crude and potent laxative concoction known as ‘Archer’s Mixture’ that contributed to Victorian pin-up jockey Fred Archer’s early demise. “Unfavourable public comments made in the press or conveyed to him by trouble-making acquaintances, slander and back-biting such as it is almost inevitable for a man in his position to suffer, racked him mentally.” Today, we call that social media.

Resorting to substance abuse and becoming reliant upon its effect is as old as racing itself. The problems that drive the unfortunate to addiction have never gone away and are not going to, either. And the benefits of that addiction are hard to obtain by any other fashion. 

“In racing, the call of the bottle and the threat of the scale go hand in hand. Alcohol dehydrates, so it takes you to the bathroom more easily, and acts as a pain reliever,” Manuel Aubry, work-rider, told Rue 89. “A lot of white wine and champagne because it doesn't make you fat. My weight is 73 kilos. I went down to 66.5. I was hypoglycemic.” 

And there’s another factor as well. Maurice Corcos, director of the adolescent and young adult psychiatry department at the Montsouris Institute in Paris, responded, “Sports practice requires dietary restrictions. Both are self-reinforcing and addictive. Anorexia, bulimia and sports are addictions. We must add the state of elation linked to sporting success. When all these addictions are no longer enough, there may be the switch to others like alcohol and cocaine."

If the problems haven’t changed or diminished, our recognition of the symptoms have. As we can already discern from those featured here, what we see only as a problem in itself is nothing more than a symptom of several problems. The industry is tackling the symptoms stringently; but is it equipped to really prevent the problems at source?

That may not be our concern, but of considerable concern to trainers is the repercussion of staff becoming dependent on alcohol or drugs. It doesn’t only affect their timekeeping, work ethic and impact on their colleagues; the risk of cross-contamination is a major issue. 

We have already seen in Britain the disqualification of a winner due to a banned substance that was traced back to the hair dye used by an assistant trainer. Last October, a point-to-point winner in Ireland was disqualified for traces of the drug Ecstasy. Veterinary surgeon Hugh Dillon stated the horse could have been inadvertently exposed to Ecstasy through human contact. The trainer was fined €1,500. Another Irish trainer saw his €1,000 fine waived having taken all reasonable precautions to avoid contamination, as his disqualified horse had apparently tested positive to caffeine from a small amount of coffee spilt on racecourse stable bedding. 

In North America, a trainer was held blameless after a horse in his care tested positive for cocaine. The Maryland Racing Commission ruled, “Because of his past history and the drug in question, the groom was requested to deliver a urine sample. He refused to take the drug test but did admit that he was in possession of cocaine the day the horse ran.” As a result, the trainer was not fined, but the horse was disqualified and lost the $13,110 purse. This was in contrast to three previous positive tests for cocaine handled by Maryland stewards, who handed out 15-day suspensions despite evidence of contamination from backstretch employees.

Texas stewards absolved several trainers of any blame when six horses tested positive for the street drug methamphetamine, and human contamination was ruled as a “mitigating circumstance”. The horses were disqualified and lost the purse money earned.

When it comes to taking “all reasonable precautions”, so much is out of the control of a trainer. In addition to loss of the race and prize money, proving cross-contamination involves lengthy and rigorous investigation and testing, by which time the headlines of disqualification and banned substances may already have caused damage. And there isn’t always a simple solution.

As a trainer found out, being absolved of guilt is sometimes not enough. His filly was found to have the painkiller Tramadol in her system when she ran unplaced, thanks to a groom urinating in her box while mucking out. The trainer was fined £750 and commented, “If I put a little sign out in the yard saying 'Please don't urinate in the boxes', owners coming in here will think we're a right tinpot little firm." He instead employed a former policeman to rewrite his health and safety rules to include a rule against urinating in boxes. It was a costly experience all round.

Alcohol and drug dependency has been a recognised aspect of the racing industry for three centuries, so why is it only now becoming such an issue? Partly this is due to the introduction of testing, but partly, too, we are also more aware of the underlying causes and tragic consequences and are less willing to turn a blind eye.

Testing for alcohol and illegal substances in jockeys was first introduced in France in 1997. Jockeys were breathalysed on a British racecourse for the first time in 2003, and in Ireland in 2007. In 2000, Irish jockey Dean Gallagher became the first in France to test positive for cocaine. “Since testing began three years ago, we have never had any cases of jockeys using hard drugs," said Louis Romanet, Director-General of France-Galop, at the time. “Dominique Boeuf had problems with the police over drugs, but he never tested positive when he was riding.” 

Paul-Marie Gadot, France-Galop, says, “France-Galop occasionally catches a few jockeys, often foreigners not necessarily used to French doping controls. Around a thousand riders are tested per year, not counting the breathalysers. It is not to make sure that they do not lose, because the performance is made by the horse, but we want to make sure that the jockey does not put his health in danger, that he has not taken alcohol, is not on antidepressant or has not taken diuretics.”

‘Archer’s Mixture’ and champagne diets are no longer so open that they’re considered de rigueur. Yet they remain, but now, perhaps dangerously, hidden. With stringent testing, the old methods of relief are denied. This has other consequences. 

“I commissioned a survey in racing in 2015, and 57.1% of jockeys in Ireland had symptoms of depression,” stated Dr Adrian McGoldrick, the Irish Turf Club chief medical officer at that time. In the age group of 18-24, the figure rose to 65.2%. Nationally, only 28.4% of 18-24-year-olds suffer from major depression, so jockeys suffer from depression at an alarmingly higher rate than their non-jockey peers.

To whom do trainers owe the greatest duty of care—their horses, their staff, the jockeys they employ, or their owners? What happens when that duty of care gives rise to a conflict of interest?

Increasingly, apprentice jockeys are testing positive, and they should certainly rate high on that spectrum; they are the next generation of professionals coming through. But should we support, sympathise with, or admonish? What about the duty of care we owe our horses and owners?

Cocaine has been widely used by jockeys as a hunger suppressant, with high-profile names throughout Europe testing positive. Following a six-month ban in 2001, German champion Andrasch Starke was quick to acknowledge the importance of support from his trainer, Andreas Schütz. “I think that's great, and something like that strengthens. He is with me, and I am also with him. I have great appreciation for his behaviour towards me. Because I am aware that it could have been different. Suddenly I could have stood there without a job.” …

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18-40 – captivating the next generation of racehorse owners

By Lissa Oliver

A popular music festival, soon approaching its 60th year, recently generated a great deal of upset on social media with regard to the line-up. “I have been going since it started, and I have never heard of any of these bands!” said many. “Worst line-up ever! It has been getting steadily worse every year!” complained others. “Oh, wow! Brilliant line-up!” said all of the younger ones. One of them even had the sense to comment, “What were 50-year-olds saying about your favourite bands when you first started going there in 1961?”

There is a generation gap; it exists. Times change. The offside rule in football has changed many times, yet the game remains the same. So it is for horse racing; the sport itself does nothing to engender a rift between young and old. The problem seems to be in getting young people through the gates and discovering for themselves that this is something they can become passionate about. It is by no means a new problem—horse racing has historically been dominated by the over-40s audience, and that has been a perpetual worry for the industry.

According to Nielsen (www.nielsen.com) data, only golf has an older average television audience age, at 64, than horse racing. Data collected periodically shows an increase in the average viewing age of televised horse racing from 51 in 2000 to 63 in 2016—the most recent data collected. In 2016, 5% of horse racing’s audience was under 18, falling from 10% in 2000 and 7% in 2006. 

Horse racing isn’t unique in this loss of younger viewers. Those who watched wrestling at the height of its television popularity still do—the average age of a television viewer of professional wrestling has climbed by 21 years since 2006 to the age of 54—the biggest age increase of any sport viewed on television.

Jesse Collings of Wrestling Inc., observes, “For WWE, the main issue for the company is that they have failed greatly to create new fans over the last two decades. Chances are if you are a WWE fan right now, you have probably been watching WWE for over 20 years. From 1997 to 2001, the average age of a WWE viewer was 23 years old—30 years younger than the current viewer today. The promotion was hot and creating new fans on a weekly basis, with a lot of young people that were getting into wrestling for the first time. Maybe they stopped when the top stars of that era retired, or they had kids, or they just got burned out by the product.”

As horse racing is currently at that same ‘hot’ promotion stage, perhaps this should stand as a future warning. It’s retention, not attraction, that should be the central focus.

The Nielsen study of 25 televised sports showed that all but one have seen the average age of their viewers increase during the past decade, as the younger generation gravitate toward digital options. This doesn’t mean they no longer watch the sports that interest them, but it does mean we can no longer rely on television viewing figures to identify our market and popularity. Attendances, therefore, become increasingly important.

This is where there is brighter news for horse racing. In Britain, the Racecourse Association (RCA) reports that the British racing crowd is younger than the overall sporting average, based on advanced ticket purchases. This has been driven by engagement with the millennial generation who are responsible for 44% of British horse racing attendees, even though millennials make up just 21% of the population.

“Engaging audiences at an early stage is crucial for the future of racing and presents a huge opportunity for us over the next 10-15 years as millennials continue to take a larger share of the leisure pound,” reflects Stephen Atkin, RCA Chief Executive. “We hope they will go on to become lifelong followers and participate more in the sport through attending, betting and even ownership or working in racing.”

Great British Racing (GBR) has invested heavily in growing racing’s younger fanbase, promoting free admission for under-18s, and during the six weeks of the summer school holidays there was a 1.15% increase in attendance at family fixtures, tripling the average growth. British attendances have increased by 5% and, importantly, retention rates have increased by 2%.

This is in direct variance to France, where attendances fell by 25% from 2000, before drastic marketing measures were taken in 2017. “The teaching of horse racing from parents to children is lost. There is a whole generation who do not come to the racetrack and who said to themselves it is an insider's environment; it is not made for us,” Grégory Garnier, head of the marketing department at Le Trot, recently told Le Figaro, that evening racing, aimed at young people, has worked best with turnover increased by 30%. The Thursday evening meetings at ParisLongchamp, begun in May 2018, attract 8,500 spectators aged 20-30.

By combining forces, the PMU, Le Trot, France-Galop, the National Horse Racing Federation and the Equidia group developed the “EpiqE Series” specifically to attract Generation Y. “We must conquer the generation of 25-45-year-olds,” says Édouard de Rothschild, president of France-Galop.

The key lies in understanding the target audience. What is Generation Y, and who are millennials?

• “Boomers” (aged 50- 67) typically like activities that are more controlled and structured, they value peer competition and embrace a team-based approach. 

• “Generation X” (aged 35-50) like to ask questions and challenge concepts; they like to know exactly what is being offered and have clear goals. They prefer managing their own time and solving their own problems and like getting feedback to adapt to new situations. They are flexible and gender equal.

• “Generation Y” (aged 13-27) are also known as millennials and are described as the most educated, entertained and materially-endowed generation in history. They have been raised in a self-educated era and are more interested in the social aspects of sports. They like to learn new things in an environment that is engaging, flexible and fun; and they want to experience new things in an environment where their ideas and opinions are heard.

A Turnkey Sports and Entertainment survey, now Marketcast (www.marketcast.com), conducted in 2016 in North America noted that the biggest deterrent to drawing Generation Y to horse racing was lack of personalities—a view shared by 40% of those surveyed. Contrary to what some in racing suggest, the short duration of the main event was only cited by 7%, and the gambling aspect was a concern of just 2%. The welfare of animals was highlighted by 17%.

This year, a survey by Marketcast Kids found that children, a group we will be looking to attract as our customers in the next decade, hold very strong views on social issues—animal rights and wildlife protection figuring high on their list of priority, above world peace, provision for the poor and climate change. Ninety-three percent of children surveyed throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia believe companies have a responsibility to directly support good causes with money, time and publicity.

This is already an idea acted upon by Britain’s “Racing Together” scheme, encouraging racecourses to engage with their local community. Racing Together and the Racecourse Association (RCA) raised over £2.2m through racecourse charitable activity during 2019 for over 250 charities, and racecourse team members volunteered more than 3,100 hours to community projects. Free curriculum-based school trips were hosted for 15,011 students, and all of this received media publicity, particularly during televised racing.

This side of the public face of racing is vital, as young people feel limited by their own means and want companies to help them take action. Of those surveyed, 87% believe they can create change, and they provided a clear priority list of what companies can do to support youth social activism:

1. Make products they can use to help make a difference.

2. Give them a free space to meet and organise.

3. Publicise events that kids and teens are running,

4. Organise after-school clubs or online groups to connect them with others who care about their cause.

5. Run events or fairs.

Their number one priority may not apply to our industry, but we can meet the other needs of today’s children, who are not far removed from the Generation Y we are trying to attract. A designated space at the racecourse and online group interaction offers an engagement with horse racing they themselves can run and control and can be readily supplied by racecourses, already proven in Asia.

Given that golf is the only sport attracting an older viewing audience than horse racing, it might be helpful to look at how that sector is promoting itself to Generation Y. “Get into Golf” is a programme designed not only to support golf clubs in recruiting new members and increasing membership figures and revenue, but to make golf more accessible to a wider audience. To achieve this, it focuses on recruitment, advertising and communication, both internal and external. 

Its taster sessions and awareness days have been particularly successful, combining lessons with a PGA professional with volunteer activities to help integrate participants into the golf club. In 2019 alone, golf clubs running “Get into Golf” enjoyed an average conversion rate from the programme into membership of 66%. 

Similarly, tennis clubs throughout Europe are also adopting a direct approach, most advertising weekly pizza party social evenings for under-21s and designating specific teen social days once a week or bi-weekly, all of which is advertised on social media, and where group pages are deployed to great effect.

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) “Diversity and Inclusion Report 2018” identifies the need to bring horses and sporting action closer to racegoers and cites the Hong Kong Jockey Club as a good example, where virtual reality technology allows racing fans to create their own horse and set of colours and compete in their own race, in designated ‘technology zones’.

The Report also explores opportunities to collaborate with other equestrian organisations and inner-city charities and highlights initiatives such as “Take The Reins”, where horse racing is harnessed to inspire personal and social change and be a force for social good in disadvantaged communities. The sport is used to promote its values and excitement to new and under-represented communities by improving access, understanding and involvement. The feasibility of establishing an inner-city racing academy as a focal point for the next generation is also being explored.

The “Racing To School” initiative, showcasing the sport and career opportunities in schools, has been broadened to include trips to training centres and the introduction of ‘family follow up week’ during school holidays.

France-Galop and Great British Racing already promote the successful “Under 18s Race Free”,  an incentive also adopted by Irish racecourses, but CEO of the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association, Michael Grassick, identifies a serious issue.

“Something that really needs to be addressed by HRI (Horse Racing Ireland) is the rule that under-18s must be accompanied by an adult,” he points out. “It’s ludicrous to turn away young people because they come racing on their own, and it needs to be sorted out at once. It’s a very serious issue. We were all as children taken racing by our parents, and we went racing by ourselves on days off from school. We developed our love of racing as children, so for the current young generation to be told they have to be accompanied by an adult, because of the betting and alcohol at races, is a joke. The barman at the races should be like any barman everywhere else and not serve anyone without age ID, and the same for betting. Stopping them at the gate is ludicrous, and we’re seeing it happening.” …

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Should we fear or embrace continuing professional development?

By Lissa Oliver

There is a saying, ‘teaching Granny how to suck eggs’, which implies Granny has more knowledge and experience than we may ever teach her, and it’s a reverent approach we tend to take with any successful professional within the thoroughbred industry. Be they young or old, if they have bred or trained winners, we defer to their expertise or seek it out for our own education. And yet there’s a far more common idiom used regularly among trainers: ‘you never stop learning when it comes to horses’.

Just how do our industry professionals continue to learn? From the new ideas of the next generation coming through? From innovations in technology and food science? From networking and sharing ideas? From trade magazines such as this, bringing the latest research news? Possibly all of those; but there is one obvious source missing: the classroom.

Continuing professional development (CPD) is mandatory in many professions, and we wouldn’t expect it to be otherwise. Vets, for example, need to undertake a minimum of 105 hours of CPD in any three-year period, with an average of 35 hours per year. That’s four full days a year. Veterinary nurses need to complete a minimum of 45 hours of CPD in any three-year period, with an average of 15 hours per year. Dentists must complete a minimum of 100 hours of CPD over a five-year period and must have some CPD training within two consecutive years.

Each registered practitioner must make an annual declaration of their CPD and will be removed from the register if they fail to record CPD. They are also required to have a personal development plan (PDP) outlining specific training requirements and targets. Even following a career break, to be returned to a professional register involves evidence of compliance with CPD. And would we, the client, have it any other way?

You might argue it is to be expected of medical practitioners and agree that it’s also a safeguard for teachers and accountants, among the many professions for whom CPD is mandatory. But is it really necessary for the thoroughbred industry, which is still based very much on skills handed down through generations? How much has equine husbandry actually changed?

Possibly very little, but the business of producing and training racehorses has certainly seen a massive change in recent years. Compliance with the arrangement of working hours, new taxation methods, the safeguarding of staff against bullying, parental leave, health and safety assessment, staff induction policies, social media marketing—the list is endless, and none of the new challenges facing trainers have readymade solutions passed down from our forebears.

Closer to home in the equine world, Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) has instigated a mandatory CPD programme for all Level 1 Apprentice, Level 2 and Level 3 Coaches. HSI is keen to see all coaches progress their coaching skills, and this is the premise on which their CPD programme is based. HSI’s CPD events are a minimum of a half-day, and the minimum requirement of CPD credits is five per year. Examples of CPD are Safeguarding, worth one credit; First Aid, worth two credits; and HSI Coaching, worth three credits.

Again, it is the responsibility of each coach to maintain records, certificates and other evidence of compliance and to submit these to HSI. Anyone who fails to acquire the required credits or submit sufficient evidence will be removed from the register. Similarly, the British and Irish Pony Clubs have mandatory CPD requirements for instructors based on the same credit/point system. How much has the art of teaching people to ride changed, we may also ask?

OK, so CPD is necessary for skilled practitioners upon whom the public depends, and for teachers and coaches who need to be certain they are passing on current approved skills driven by modern standards. But how does this apply to me? Racehorse trainers fit both categories. Not all staff arrive with years of experience behind them, and the general public is actively encouraged to get involved in horse ownership. We are skilled suppliers of a public service and are expected to be trusted sources of learning for our employees.

Whether we like it or not, the modern workplace has progressed, and as trainers we are expected to progress with it. CPD is no longer simply a requirement of licencing bodies; it is expected by clients and depended upon by those to whom we owe a duty of care—our staff and horses and, most importantly, ourselves. Can we afford to be without it?

In North America, many trainers believe we can. Under some licencing jurisdictions CPD is mandatory, yet trainers still fail to attend required seminars, and the compulsory attendance is unenforced. Deutscher Galopp has a dedicated page for trainers on its website and suggests news of seminars and workshops can be found there when available, but there are currently none. 

Liv Kristiansen

Liv Kristiansen, Norsk Jockeyklub, reports that other than the mandatory course to gain their licence, Norwegian trainers are equally reluctant. “We have arranged some seminars, but our experience is that trainers very seldom attend any conferences or seminars even when offered.”

“I can understand that,” reflects Michael Grassick, CEO Irish Racehorse Trainers Association (IRTA). “Many trainers are having to do most things themselves; the majority run small operations with less than 20 horses, and they’re riding out and having to be very hands-on. They haven’t the time to be away from the yard. 

“Courses are a help, but it should be a personal choice; I wouldn’t like to say mandatory. Trainers do need help with things; everyday business is becoming more complicated with more documentation needed. They need help with things like litigation, health and safety, manual handling, insurance. They are well able to train horses but are needing more and more help with the business side of things. Seminars would be useful, but they would need to be held in the afternoon or evening.”

Michael Grassick,

What is it about CPD that makes us wary? Continuing professional development certainly sounds like something we should all welcome and embrace, but it hasn’t always been marketed as such. With compulsory hours and the inference that participants are merely wasting time certifying already existent skills, CPD has become something to fear and resent, akin to being taught ‘how to suck eggs’.

We should instead remember that, working with thoroughbreds, we never stop learning; and the rapidly evolving workplace brings with it an additional pressure to learn. Correctly tailored, CPD helps enhance the skills needed to deliver a professional service to our clients, staff and satellite community, such as media and authorities, and ensures our knowledge is relevant and up to date. It should help us to be more aware of the changing trends and directions of our profession. It is vital, therefore, that the accredited courses and workshops recognise and address those needs. Simply acquiring a certificate for existing skills is not enough.

CPD must be a documented process that is self-directed and driven by the participant, not their employer or licensing authority. That means that to make it relevant, trainers should be sourcing areas of learning of most interest to them and suggesting topics for workshops to be run by the licencing bodies.

This has long been the practice of the various Thoroughbred Breeders Associations, who run seasonal training programmes and workshops for participants, based on the feedback and needs of members and participants. The education programme is not compulsory, but courses and workshops are always over-subscribed and certainly the idiom of ‘never stop learning’ is embraced and practiced by those working in the breeding sector. Should the training sector be any different?

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Down Royal racecourse, tradition reborn

By Lissa Oliver

Down Royal racecourse in Northern Ireland boasts a heritage as regal as its name. They have been racing on the course since the early 18th century—the land originally donated by the first Marquess of Downshire, but its history goes back even further. In 1685, King James II issued a Royal Charter and formed the Down Royal Corporation of Horse Breeders. In 1750, King George II donated £100 to run the King’s Plate, a race still run today as one of the summer’s highlights, the 2800m Listed Her Majesty’s Plate. The Ulster Derby, now a premier handicap, is the most valuable Flat race hosted by the track, but Down Royal is best loved for the National Hunt Festival held at the start of November and headlined by the Champion Chase.

Inevitably, a rich history must also include challenges and threats and the racecourse has been no exception. As recently as last year the course faced the prospect of closure, its operators, Down Royal Corporation of Horse Breeders, signalling intent to cease operations in October. Fortunately, owners Merrion Property Group took over the running of the course from January of this year and it has been business as usual.

Emma Meehan CEO

With a bright new future and lofty ambitions, Manager Emma Meehan is charged with seeing those aims achieved, but the path ahead remains fraught with new challenges, not least the spectre of Brexit. Based in the UK, but under the authority of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB), places Down Royal in a tricky position and the timing of the NH Festival opening on 1 November could bring unknown difficulties. 

“The impact of any change in the current Tripartite Agreement could create initial difficulties”, Meehan recognises. “We remain in limbo regarding Brexit and continue to communicate with DAERA and the IHRB. We are ready to react to support the passage of runners and riders to our flagship festival on Friday 1 November and Saturday 2 November and beyond. The landscape is changing daily at British Parliamentary level; a general election could be on the cards very soon. Whatever the outcome, we will adapt to any new requirements and ensure we provide maximum assistance to our owners and trainers”. 

Facing the unknown isn’t new territory to Meehan and she joined Down Royal at a particularly difficult time, following a successful 14 years as marketing manager at Dundalk Racing Stadium. “I found the transition in the early stages tumultuous to say the least”, she admits. “I likened it to trying to put a jigsaw puzzle back together again and I had to figure out where pieces were and, indeed, that some individuals were holding some of those pieces behind their backs. It was a challenging phase, but one that I grew from personally.  

“Fast-forward to now; nine months on and I have a wonderful team and I couldn’t be happier.

The support I have received from Merrion Property Group and their progressive mind-frame has complimented my thinking at all levels. Merrion Property Group have a vision for Down Royal, with racing centric to that vision. We have a five-year investment strategy in the pipeline to bring the facilities, both for the social racegoers and racing fraternity, in line with a Grade 1 track, and modernising in tandem. I’m very excited about the changes afoot at Down Royal”.

Susan McCartney

Claire Rutherford

Nicola Evans

In the modern landscape, investing in a racecourse doesn’t seem the best of ventures, particularly a ‘fixer-upper’ in property agent parlance, but Merrion Property Group bought the racecourse as far back as 2006 and saw the end of the lease with the Down Royal Corporation of Horse Breeders as an opportunity to run its own racing-centred business from the track. 

“The overall site and infrastructure at Down Royal are huge. Continuous investment is fundamental to remaining competitive in the industry and providing a best in class environment for owners, trainers, bookmakers, punters and all the services and supports which go into racing”, Meehan explains.

“Our aim is to provide memorable and sociable experiences for groups, businesses and sports people, looking to bring together racing, good food and entertainment. Our investment compliments this objective”.

She sees the importance and influence of a community vital and central to the objectives of the new management. “It’s hugely important that the racecourse is the epicentre of the local community, and it’s our intention to embrace the community through several initiatives. Looking ahead to 2020, we are choosing local charities to collect at our gates, ensuring that the platform and the opportunity to raise monies is directed back to our charitable community partners. …

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Brexit remains the heaviest cloud on the horizon

By Lissa Oliver

This is now the third update on Brexit we have carried and we could easily reprint the first, from March 2018; so little has changed or moved forward. Alarmingly, the bleak 2018 predictions from those involved at the highest level have come to bear, yet Britain and the EU have appeared to turn a blind eye to the prospect of a no-deal Brexit until the last possible moment. While we look at the current views and contingency plans of individual countries most affected, it is clear that their problems are shared by all, and a common thread runs throughout.

EEA nationals and UK nationals

We all need to be aware of how Brexit will affect our freedom of movement and right to live and work throughout Europe and the UK. Any EEA national with five years continuous residence in the UK can apply for Permanent Residence to protect them from future legislative changes. Applicants must have been resident and in employment, or self-employment, for five years; and it is recommended to apply before the official date of Brexit.

There are strong indications that the current Common Travel Area of the UK and Ireland is likely to remain, to enable Irish nationals to move freely and work in the UK, but this remains unconfirmed; and it is recommended that Irish nationals living and working in the UK apply for Permanent Residence.

The EU has yet to decide how UK nationals living and working in the EEA will be treated. They may qualify for Permanent Residence in the applicable country and are advised to make an application prior to the UK’s withdrawal from Europe.

France

Edouard Philippe

The economy of the French equine sector is driven by horseracing, sports and leisure, work, and horse meat production. While the sports and recreation sector is responsible for the majority of horses (68%), horseracing has the largest economic impact and financial flow (90%), for only 18% of the horse population, and will be the most affected by Brexit. 

The start of the year found France preparing for a disaster scenario, and the view hasn’t softened. Prime Minister Édouard Philippe has told press,

“The hypothesis of a Brexit without agreement is less and less improbable. Our responsibility is to ensure that our country is ready and to protect the interests of our fellow citizens.”

In January he initiated a no-deal Brexit plan prepared in April 2018. Philippe’s priority is to protect French expatriate employees and the British living in France in anticipation of the restoration of border control. 

Fishing is considered the business sector most at risk, but Philippe has also looked to protect the thoroughbred industry with a €50m investment in ports and airports, where 700 customs officers, veterinary controllers and other state agents have been added—in the hope of avoiding administrative delays. He told press,

“It will be necessary that there are again controls in Calais.” 

Dr Paul-Marie Gadot, France Galop, is also working to avoid delays at the border posts. "The political negotiation is still going on, as you know, and as long as it lasts we will not get agreement on the movement of horses. We have prepared for two years, with our Irish and English counterparts, a technical solution—the High Health Horse status—which would allow thoroughbreds and the horses of the Fédération Equestre Internationale to benefit from a lighter control. 

“This organisational scheme was presented to the Irish, UK and French Ministries of Agriculture, and we received their support. It was also introduced to the International Office of Epizootics, which is WHO for animals, and it was very favourably received. We have presented it to the European Commission, but we are not getting a favourable answer at this time.

“In the absence of agreement, border control will be put in place. This means for the public authorities and the European Commission the implementation of ‘Border Inspection Posts’ with the ability to process movements. Our departments are very aware that this situation will be very difficult to manage without endangering the economic activity and the well-being of horses. We are working on palliative solutions, but I strongly fear that the situation is unmanageable.”

Gadot points out there are 25,000 horse movements per year between Ireland, the UK and France, and any hindering of these movements would be a blow to international racing and participation and to the breeding industry. Any challenge to the current freedom of movement could also threaten sales companies such as Arqana, where Irish and British-bred horses are catalogued, and Irish and British buyers are active.

Germany

The Haile Institute for Economic Research reveals that a hard Brexit will hit employment in Germany the hardest, with an estimated loss of 102,900 jobs; although that is just 0.24% of the country’s total employment figure. With its thoroughbred industry barely figuring in any economic impact, it is little wonder that Germany’s sport-related concerns focus on football. But the issues facing Britain’s Premiership are similar to racing’s problems and also heavily tied to Ireland. 

Currently, as per EU law, Britain’s Premier League clubs are allowed to have as many EU players in a team as they wish, but a minimum of eight players in a 25-player team must be British. Elsewhere, Portugal limits non-EU players to just three per top flight team, with none allowed in the lower leagues. Italy also has restrictive rules on the purchase of non-EU players. If German football managers are concerned by the effect Brexit will have on the transfer market, how worried should British trainers be at the prospect of similarly curtailed recruitment?

And the concerns of German trainers? These are not being highlighted by the general press or by the government, but German racing and breeding are fairly self-contained and self-sufficient. How many British and Irish-bred horses are catalogued at the BBAG, however, and what percentage sell to Britain and Ireland? Ireland may still be in the EU, but its landbridge will not be come October.

At the 2019 BBAG Yearling Sale, five British-bred yearlings were catalogued and 18 Irish-bred—four of which were offered by an Irish agent. The top five lots at the 2018 sale were purchased by Godolphin, Peter and Ross Doyle Bloodstock and Meridian Bloodstock; and the sixth highest-priced yearling was foaled in the UK, as was the ninth in the listings. Fetching €110,000 and €100,000 further down the list were two Irish-foaled colts, both bought by German agents. The marketplace is cosmopolitan, and no market can afford to lose two supplier links or two buyer links.

Sweden

Swedish trade minister Ann Linde warns that a no-deal Brexit could have major implications for the country, which has a prosperous trading relationship with Britain. “The big companies have the possibility to analyse what is happening and prepare themselves, but there are too many small and medium-sized companies which have not fully prepared,” she points out. The Swedish National Board of Trade has sent out checklists to companies to work through to understand the consequences of a no-deal Brexit. 

Ann Linde

Linde is also concerned for the futures of 100,000 Swedes living in Britain and 30,000 Britons living in Sweden. Hans Dahlgren, the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, fears it is unclear how the new British government will treat EU citizens who want to move to the UK for work after 31 October.

"The previous British government had made some openings for people coming to the UK after Brexit, and those statements have not yet been endorsed by the new government," he said.  

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Racing Groom – the .com needed by every country

By Lissa Oliver

You would think that racehorses bring more than their fair share of issues to a stable, but more often than not they are the simplest aspect of the job of training. They don’t look after themselves, however, and that’s where it gets complicated. Shortage of staff and the difficulties of staff retention are subjects we have dealt with in almost every issue, and the problem isn’t going away.

Part of the problem could be the image the racing industry presents of itself and the perceived lack of career progression; even trainers are sometimes unaware of the many and varied skill sets within their staff. Fortunately for the UK, this problem is now being addressed and hopefully rectified over the coming years, with the aid of an innovative new website originated, created and funded jointly by the National Trainers Federation (NTF) and the Racing Foundation.

Shelley Perham is the Nationals Trainers Federation (NTF) consultant for Recruitment and Retention of Racing Staff.

In the UK, Shelley Perham is the National Trainers Federation’s (NTF) consultant for Recruitment and Retention of Racing Staff and explains the reasoning behind racinggroom.com. “Racing Groom started as a mind map to pull together all the fragmented pieces of information from various stakeholders who offer services of support to racing grooms. 

“When I googled ‘how to become a soldier’, there was an in-depth amount of content to help at the moment of decision making. I googled ‘how to become a racing groom’, and it only led to the job boards and training providers. From the trained eye, there was no proper job description or anything to inspire a young person to look further at a career as a racing groom”. 

Things have moved on significantly now, however, and the current career advice given is impressive, Perham points out. “There is a huge package of support and benefits which accompanies the job and I wanted to pull it all together in one place so we could demonstrate that there was no better time to work in racing”.

Perham’s background is showing and competing, and she recognised the benefits and support offered by racing are vastly different to that which grooms are offered in other equine disciplines, “but at that time we weren’t shouting from the rooftops about it”.

The racinggroom.com hub came about after Perham looked at her daughters’ university portal, where students can log in to find out what is happening on campus, access discounts and read content relevant to their studies. “We don’t have a staff intranet, and the NTF sends out important notices to trainers which may not always pass down the line to staff. I wanted to help staff feel empowered, recognised and valued, so providing industry news direct to them seemed to be a logical step”. 

When Perham started the role of consultant to the NTF, her first question was ‘what had happened to all the racing grooms who had left the industry’? There was no database which could be used to contact former grooms to inform them that things had changed since they had left, or to run a survey to ask why they left. It seemed logical to her for the NTF to start its own database where we could communicate with staff.

“We are dealing with over 4,000 racing grooms, which is a decent number to ask suppliers and businesses to make offers of discounts on products that racing grooms use on a day-to-day basis.  The ambition is to have all racing grooms in the UK registered as members, then we can start approaching companies to offer staff discounts and rewards”.

It was a very ambitious idea, to say the least, and finding a website agency able to deliver was the first step, but once sourced, the project happened quite quickly  in just over 18 months from that original mind map to launch…

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Good Going – are ground descriptions accurate across Europe?

By Lissa Oliver

The state of the going is one of the touchiest topics in racing. One trainer will be doing a rain dance as another prays for sunshine, while all the time the Clerk of the Course has an eye on his weather app as he tries to balance the protection of his turf with the provision of safe ground for racing. Few would envy him, but many will criticise him. Just what are the issues both sides are facing?

Heinrich Sievert, head groundsman at Baden-Baden, speaks for all those in charge of the turf at racecourses when he explains the complexities of his role and the importance of the root system. It’s not what we see above the track that really matters, it’s what is keeping it alive below.

“Before the race meeting starts we must improve the root system. We make sure the grass is growing to the ideal depth, and most importantly we try to create a solid root system. Shallow roots are not good for horses to race on. We improve aeration and allow water to infiltrate to encourage the root system. We use a small amount of fertiliser, but really we want to feed the roots and we don’t want too much growth above ground. We try to keep growth as natural as possible.

“We must ensure we do good work throughout the whole year to maintain the ground. We work closely under instruction from the Direktorium, who have a checklist to ensure safe ground for horses and riders. If the ground is not safe, the Direktorium stops everything and we cannot race. If they are happy and approve the ground, it’s my job to keep it OK. 

“We can’t change the ground conditions on the day; we can only water if the ground becomes too hard, but we can’t do a lot more other than keeping it in the best possible condition before racing. Watering is not ideal, it can make the ground slippery and unsafe. 

“On the day of racing, I use a penetrometer and I test the ground all over the course. Unless we have a heavy thunderstorm and rain, the going will not change, and the jockeys will be in agreement with the stated going”.

The good news is that it’s clear that Sievert and all clerks of racecourses are singing from the same hymn sheet as the trainer. The discrepancies arise then from the highly personalised needs of individual horses and prioritising between this afternoon’s track condition or the long-term protection of the track. It is all very well to argue against watering a track and changing the going from firm to good, but it isn’t ideal to race on bare patches of ground, and some consideration must be given to the grass as well as the horse. 

There is a common suspicion among trainers that Clerks of the Course intentionally water a track to prevent a description of firm going, but following any successive dry days in warm weather the turf will require watering, with no ulterior motive regarding the going description. Grass is a plant and needs water to remain healthy. Recently at Sandown Park, 5mm (millimetres) was added three days before the meeting, which was run on good to firm. 

“For a high-quality card we are aiming for the fast side of good”, says Sandown Park Clerk of the Course Andrew Cooper. “We’ve had almost four full days of dry weather and you’re going to lose 2-3mm of moisture a day. If you did nothing you'd be good to firm, firm. It's a judgement call what you do and when you do it. It's easy to be critical of something on Monday morning when what it all boils down to is what it's like at 6pm on Thursday night".

We are all at the mercy of the weather and while water can be added, if needed, it cannot be removed. State-of-the-art drainage systems may help, but ultimately the ground is what we, and the clerks, are given.

Scientific advances in both groundskeeping and measuring of going may help, but even the GoingStick cannot remove the subjectivity of descriptions. In January 2009, the BHA introduced into the British Rules of Racing a requirement that a GoingStick reading be made available by racecourses for each race meeting at the declaration stage and again on race day itself. The readings are published alongside the Clerk of the Course's official going description. The GoingStick is also used in France, Sweden, Norway and one Irish racecourse (Gowran Park). 

The GoingStick accurately measures the penetration and the shear (the energy needed to pull back to an angle of 45 degrees from the ground), combining the two measurements to represent a scientifically-based proxy for the firmness of the ground and level of traction experienced by a horse during a race.

The BHA claimed that, “Moving beyond the traditional subjective approach, the GoingStick is a device that clerks of the Course use to give an objective numerical reading that will reflect the state of the going at any given racecourse.” However, the specific GoingStick figure is subject to any number of course-specific variables and different tracks can produce different going descriptions, despite having the same reading. The verbal description by a clerk is still used alongside the numerical reading. Cooper reflects the views of many clerks when he admits, “I certainly wouldn't ever want to be putting out a GoingStick reading on its own; I think we need the verbal assessment as well”.

The GoingStick, far from providing an objective description, is user-specific and still depends on the pressure used by an individual to push it into the ground. It differs only from the traditional penetrometer in the fact it produces a calculated figure rather than the personal judgement of the user and many Clerks of the Course state they prefer the traditional penetrometer. Whichever version of stick is used, the course must still be measured at a minimum of 30 points across the track, always at the same points for consistency.

A greater issue is in the interpretation of the going description. Not only is it subjective, but even if we can all agree it’s soft, is that softer than one particular horse would like or firmer than the preference of another? Only the trainer of the horse can know. This brings us to the question of welfare, of both horse and trainer. Is it right to run a horse on unsuitable ground? And is it right to penalise a trainer if he or she withdraws a horse because of the ground?

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Trainer welfare - what can be done to help trainers combat 'trolling' online?

By Lissa Oliver

Cyberbullying is something we’re all aware of but generally only associate with teenagers on Facebook or celebrities being attacked on Twitter. Not surprisingly, recent studies in the United States have linked it to poor sleep and depression, so it’s not to be taken so lightly. 

With modern trainers needing a more public face and social media presence, online abuse or ‘trolling’, as it’s known, is quietly creeping into the racing industry and threatens to become racing’s dirtiest secret. While it’s not yet prevalent, complaints are beginning to filter through, and it’s therefore worth familiarising yourself with how to deal with the issue.

Trolling and cyberbullying are two slightly different problems—cyberbullying being more personal and the targeting of a victim, usually by someone known to the victim. This can be particularly hurtful as it will involve direct personal insults, and the bully may feed off the victim’s fears and weaknesses. 

Trolling is more general online abuse, like strangers who simply want to get a reaction from the online community. They crave attention, good or bad. The more their victim engages with them, the more hateful comments they will post.

The important thing to remember is that if you experience trolling or cyberbullying, it is not your fault. You did not deserve to be targeted. Do not allow what happened to you define you as a person.

Jockey Alan Lee pointed out a similar observation during the short JETS (Jockeys Education & Training Scheme) information film “Resilience”, and it’s worth reminding ourselves of it. It is important for us to recognise self-worth. The mistake for jockeys and trainers is often in basing our sense of self-worth on the performance of our horse, when in fact we should distance ourselves from racecourse results and recognise that our self-worth is measured by how we are as a person and how we behave as a partner, as a parent, as an employer or as an employee. As Lee warned, losing a race should hurt and will hurt, but only for about ten minutes. After that, move on and move forward.

Abuse need not only be online. Trainer Conny Whitfield has suffered first-hand experience of personal abuse at a German racecourse. As her horse was led out for its race, one of the syndicate members enquired of its chances. She suggested that with a fair run, it could be involved in the finish. As it was, the saddle slipped and although involved in the finish, her horse was beaten two lengths by the winner. 

Sadly, Conny was then subjected to alarming abuse by the syndicate member in the very public surroundings of the unsaddling area. To make matters worse, she was in the company of her husband and very young daughter, who naturally found it distressing and was close to tears.

“He told me I was too stupid to saddle a horse and as a result he had lost €500”, Conny relates. Among other abuse, he threatened that the horse would leave her yard. Thankfully, it was the irate punter who left and, while the horse remains with her, the punter is no longer with the syndicate.

“It left me dreadfully depressed for days afterwards”, Conny admits. “I’m OK now, but it wasn’t a nice experience to have on a packed racecourse, where all sane people know that we strive to do our best”.

“Punters and even owners have a strange perception that we all know when our horse is going to win!” John McConnell

It seems obvious to us that we arrive at the races wanting to win, but a misconception of malpractice still haunts our sport. And even if most racegoers are aware of integrity and desire to succeed, as Irish trainer John McConnell points out, “punters and even owners have a strange perception that we all know when our horse is going to win”! 

He has had some experience of online abuse, but admits that jockeys probably get a lot more abuse than trainers. “Most of it comes from guys just talking out of their pocket, and the sensible thing is to ignore it”, he says. “I’ve had a little tiny bit of it, which I found quite amusing, actually! I had a winner at Hamilton and received an email calling me a cheating scumbag. I’d just been reading Mick Channon’s autobiography and he’d shown a few offensive tweets he’d received and there was my man among them! I got quite a kick out of it, that I was up there on a par with Mick Channon”!

Michael Grassick of the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association reports, “I’ve had one complaint in the last two years and that wasn’t serious abusiveness. My advice is just to keep away from social media. If an owner wants to find you, they’ll find you. You can afford to come offline if you need to. The right people always know how to get in touch”. Criquette Head-Maarek shares Grassick’s view. “There is always a risk with social media”, she agrees. “If a trainer is not on social media, then there is no problem”. 

Abuse does not always stem from losing punters, and social media can sometimes be used as a tool in defence, as Ger Lyons demonstrated on Twitter recently. When comedian Ricky Gervais attacked the welfare of the racehorse following the Grand National, Lyons had a simple response: “visit my yard”. This is also a policy sometimes adopted by Jamie Osborne, and it’s possible that educating critics, rather than arguing fruitlessly, could be a more positive solution. Clearly with more vicious personal attacks, it is not the answer, however.

“I will sometimes reply to social media insults. It very much depends on my mood at the time and what is said and how it has been said, and whether the person making the remark has any credibility”, Osborne says. “These days we must accept that everybody has an opinion and everyone can voice their opinion. If it is constructive then I’ve no problem at all, and if they are just confused I will politely correct them. It’s when the comments become insulting that it creates a problem. I should ignore them, but often I find it hard to do so, so I will often reply publicly, simply to close the curtain for being insulting, which is unnecessary.

“There is a school of thought on the worldwide web that trainers and jockeys almost know the result before the race. Those who believe that to be the case don’t know the details of the many infinite things that may occur in the days leading up to a race that may affect the result. We are talking about half a tonne of strong-willed animal being asked to race against several other half-tonne strong-willed animals and sometimes we are at the mercy of circumstances outside our control. Because of this, there is no absolute in racing, but some less-informed people on the worldwide web believe in that absolute and feel it necessary to insult those of us involved. I should ignore them, but I don’t. 

“Sometimes on Twitter I re-tweet without a comment, which makes them look stupid. If I feel strongly enough I’ll rip them apart! Luckily, I’m not sensitive, and a part of me finds it mildly amusing; and I enjoy starting an argument! It will never be eradicated because there’s one born every day”. Some who are somewhat lacking in intelligence find the need to publicly display their lack of intelligence, and we should feel rather sorry for them. 

“I did see Ger Lyons’ invitation to Ricky Gervais, and I have done that a few times. I always find it shuts the really gobby ones up! I’ve had some very nice people come to the yard and they have helped, but the really insulting ones never reply. An invitation frightens them away completely. I think they are afraid of being found out and proved wrong”. Osborne sums it up perfectly when he concludes, “I don’t have to be on Twitter, but I enjoy it”!

Vicious trolling is becoming a growing concern in Britain…

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VAT and tax-deductable expenditure across Europe

By Lissa Oliver

The EU has supposedly similar tax laws and reciprocal VAT agreements to avoid double taxation, but in practise racehorse trainers are among the many businesses who discover this is not always the case. Invoices incorrectly issued with VAT can lead to problems in reclaiming the tax, if at all, and tax deducted at source from prize money can take up to four years to reclaim. Such is the difficulty involved—many simply don’t bother to try.

The European prize money payment system may not be fully unified but most racing authorities and organisations such as Weatherbys, Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) and France Galop, work together on a reciprocal payment system to make the transfer of prize money as straightforward as possible. The problems arise when additional costs are imposed, not by the racing authority, but by that country’s government.

Withholding tax, which can catch owners and trainers unawares, is out of the hands of racing authorities and beyond the scope of unification. If, for example, a person is deemed to have earned money in Germany—including prize money—they are deemed liable for the income tax on that money. In most cases this can be very simply avoided by completing the necessary forms beforehand, as the EU rules that if you have paid tax in one European country you do not have to pay it in another.

However, some Member States do not consider an EU VAT number as sufficient for withholding tax exemption or VAT-free invoicing, and their racing authorities are obliged by law to charge VAT on their invoices. Which countries these are is not always clear, as treaties to avoid such complications are in place but not complied with. As an example, in December 2017 the European Court of Justice (ECJ) decided that German anti-treaty shopping rules, which denied full or partial relief from withholding tax, was not compatible with EU directives. An amendment to German taxation law is expected to be made as a result but has yet to be introduced.

Weatherbys, France Galop and HRI have a withholding tax exempt form, which can be filled in before a horse races abroad. This is advisable because it is much harder to claim back any tax stopped afterwards. It can be a month later when the prize money arrives into an account, at which point the tax stopped becomes apparent, and it is difficult to apply for a refund. Double taxation conventions and treaties exist between cooperating countries, but stamped certificates from the relevant tax offices are still required in advance. Your racing authority will be able to help you with this.

Withholding tax rates shown in the table are the current statutory domestic rates that apply to payments to non-residents, which may be reduced if an applicable tax treaty is in place. Qualifying payments to EU residents may also be exempt under EU directives for all listed countries, with the exceptions of Hungary, Norway and Turkey.

While withholding tax only applies to prize money won abroad, a more regular taxation issue is VAT, applied to purchased goods and services. The EU has standard rules on VAT, but these rules may be applied differently in each EU country. For EU-based companies, VAT is chargeable on most sales and purchases within the EU. If you are registered for tax, theoretically VAT can be reclaimed, but where it is deducted by another EU country, this can lead to “double taxation” problems.

In an attempt to ensure tax is paid only once on EU services and purchases, double taxation conventions and treaties have been agreed between cooperating EU countries. However, there are growing concerns at cross-border tax problems facing individuals and businesses operating within the EU and, at time of writing, the EU Commission is currently considering closely the possible conflicts between the EC Treaty and the bilateral double taxation treaties that Member States have agreed with each other and with Third Countries.

A study completed by the Commission in 2001 on taxation highlighted a number of problems that have yet to be tackled, including the question of equal treatment of EU residents and the application of bilateral treaties in situations where more than two countries are involved. A possible solution is the creation of an EU version of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Model Convention that serves as a guideline for establishing tax agreements, on which Member States' bilateral tax treaties are based, or a multilateral EU tax treaty.

The double taxation agreements of Member States will continue to be subject to review by the EU Commission, particularly in trying to address the problems resulting from a current lack of coordination in this area—most pronounced where more than two EU countries share a treaty or where a Third Country is included.

Belgium has a network of treaties for the prevention of double taxation with 88 countries, including Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the UK.

Germany has treaties with, among many others: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey and the UK. As identified by the ECJ, those treaties are not always honoured. France likewise has a long list of treaties that includes the EU Member States, and Ireland has signed comprehensive double taxation agreements with 74 countries.

Some racing jurisdictions have very clear guidelines set by government, and the German Federal Central Tax Office has a special procedure for exempting foreign taxpayers from certain taxes deducted at source, requiring a tax certificate and withholding tax exempt form well in advance. Foreign individuals are subject to limited tax liability in respect of the income they derive in Germany, and this tax is otherwise automatically withheld at source.

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Brexit Preparations?

By Lissa Oliver

At the time of writing, 29th March draws closer but we are no nearer clarity on the Brexit issue. Will there be a deal? Will there be no deal? Will there be an extension, leading to a second referendum and no Brexit at all?

We may not know what the future holds, but indications are that all governments are preparing for the possible border controls, which will have a serious impact on the movement of racehorses to and from the EU and the UK.

Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany are the countries with the closest trade links with the UK, and the Netherlands launched a major information campaign at the end of January. Trade Minister Sigrid Kaag commented, “After Ireland, the Dutch economy is most entwined with that of the UK," and warned that many small and medium companies had failed to make sufficient preparation for a no-deal Brexit.

The Netherlands has made provision for more than 1,000 future jobs created in customs and food safety agencies, but the government points out that a no-deal could also provide positive new opportunities for businesses. Whether or not there is a deal or the UK leaves on 29th March, the European Medicines Agency is relocating from London to Amsterdam.

France, closely linked with the UK and Ireland within the racing industry, published a draft bill in January for a no-deal contingency, which will reinstate checks on goods and passengers to and from the UK, as well as inspections of food, plants and live animals. An additional 250 customs staff have already been recruited in 2019, and this is expected to increase to 700 by the end of next year.

Edouard Philippe

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced a €50m investment in ports and airports to cope with a no-deal Brexit. “The plan consists of legislative measures that aim to ensure that the rights of French citizens and businesses are protected”, he said.

Germany has apparently lagged behind in providing public information and support for businesses regarding Brexit contingency plans but has also recruited additional staff to deal with new economic relations with the UK. No-deal preparations include dealing with the status of approximately 100,000 British citizens residing in Germany, as well as Germans living in the UK.

Spain has at the time of writing made no public information available on its no-deal plans but is expected to agree reciprocal arrangements for 310,000 British citizens living in the country. A protocol on Gibraltar, due to be attached to the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, will not come into effect if there is a no-deal, but Gibraltar is already outside the Customs Union and has a border control in operation. Staffing in Spanish immigration offices has been stepped up.

In Ireland, the government has been proactive in providing public information and supporting businesses. In February it launched a free-to-use Brexit SME Scorecard, an interactive online risk assessment tool for Irish companies to self-assess their exposure to Brexit. The assessment is based on six key pillars: business strategy, operations, innovation, sales and marketing, finance and people management.

Irish companies are told they can and should be taking immediate action to mitigate the potential risks and take advantage of any arising opportunities. The Scorecard, at www.prepareforbrexit.ie, identifies risk points, allowing managers to assess where planning and preparation are most required.

Companies are advised to:

• identify risk

• identify opportunity

• review supplier base for vulnerability

• consider the resources needed for extra administration

• consider potential impact of Brexit on your customers

• consider the impact of compliance with possible new standards and regulations in the UK

• amend sales and marketing plans

• assess impact of currency volatility

• consider potential for price changes with your customers and key suppliers

• consider how potential restrictions on the movement of people may impact recruitment

The Irish government also drew up the Consequential Provisions Bill 2019—Brexit Omnibus Bill—at the end of February, covering primary legislation to address the immediate issues likely to arise in the event of a no-deal Brexit, ensuring key measures and protections are in place. Financially, supports include a €300m Future Growth Loan Scheme and a separate €300m Brexit Loan Scheme for Business.

Helen McEntee

Helen McEntee, Minister of State for European Affairs, stated, “Revenue will have 400 additional customs staff trained and in place by the end of March, and they can recruit an additional 200 by the end of this year. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is implementing the necessary steps to facilitate more Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) controls. Veterinary personnel and 70 other support staff are now being recruited to implement animal and health (SPS) checks, as are 61 extra Environmental Health Staff”.

While an alternative for the Tripartite Agreement has not yet come closer to being agreed, the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association (ITBA) remains positive and in early February hosted a 2019 Action Plan, at which Michael Treacy, the ITBA EU consultant, warned a Brexit no-deal is the worst possible outcome from all points of view.

Treacy emphasised the ITBA had been very significant at key EU meetings and assured the audience the EU Commission has stated it will engage with affected Member States and endeavour to assist, saying of the thoroughbred industry in particular, “Everyone in Brussels is really aware of the problems we have”.

Treacy later accompanied the European Federation of Thoroughbred Breeders’ Associations (EFTBA) Chairman Joe Hernon with a delegation to Brussels, highlighting the concerns of the European thoroughbred industry, which contributes in excess of €100bn to the EU economy, with around €800m of thoroughbreds sold annually. Approximately 220,000 people are employed in the equine industry throughout Europe.

The delegation also included Hubert Honore and Paul Marie Gadot of France, Andreas Tiedtke of Germany, Giovanna Romano of Italy and Des Leadon, EFTBA veterinary consultant. The EFTBA delegates met with senior EU officials, including EU Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan, and Dr Alf-Eckbert Fussel, EU Commission’s Directorate General on Animal Health.

One of the concerns raised was the free movement and transportation of thoroughbreds post-Brexit. Hernon confirmed, “The EU Commission and the respective Departments of Agriculture appear to be well-versed in our needs and desires for international trade to continue”.

Ireland’s Tánaiste (deputy prime minister), Simon Coveney, was among those addressing the ITBA Action Plan seminar and concluded, “Ireland has extraordinary solidarity across Europe. This is a sector that is extremely exposed to the wrong outcome. We need racing and equine health managed on an all-Ireland basis but don’t have an agreement from the UK on that yet. The derogation for movement of livestock is applicable to Member States only and not Third Countries. If the UK leaves with no-deal, there will be 100% animal inspection at the border”.

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