The different incentives available across Europe this summer for those in search of prize money and black type success!
/Article by Lissa Oliver
In February, the European Pattern Committee (EPC) announced changes to the 2024 European programme of Flat Black-Type races. The EPC sanctioned a total of 826 Black-Type races (838 in 2023), comprising 416 Group races (418 in 2023) and 410 Listed races (420 in 2023). Five Pattern races have been downgraded in 2024, with a further 11 Listed races losing that status.
Jason Morris, Chair of the EPC, explained, “This year will see another contraction in the number of Pattern and Listed races to be staged throughout Europe, with the total number having declined from 852 races in 2022 to 826 in 2024. The European Pattern Committee continues to enforce the most stringent international quality control measures so that the racing and breeding industries can have the utmost confidence in the quality of European Black Type.”
This leaves trainers rethinking traditional routes to Black Type, but at the same time adding new avenues, some of which could lead to some interesting destinations. The EPC approved an application from Denmark to stage a new Black Type race in 2024, with the Golden Mile at Klampenborg over 1600m (8f) for three-years-olds and upwards in May being upgraded to Listed status and carrying a purse of €46,749 (£40,000).
In Ireland, the Salsabil Stakes, a 2000m (10f) race for three-year-old fillies at Navan in April, has been upgraded from Listed to Group 3. Ireland will also stage a new Listed race for three-year-olds over 2400m (12f) at Gowran Park 27th July, the Marble City Stakes worth €46,749 (£40,000).
Flagship races in Poland and Spain
Although no new Listed race applications have been received from emerging racing nations, the EPC noted the strong first Listed edition of the Wielka Warszawska in Poland in 2023. Run over 2600m (13f) at Sluzewiec Racecourse 6th October, for three-year-olds up, it carries a prize of €111,138 (£95,092).
The €85,000 (£72,728) Gran Premio de Madrid in Spain also continues to perform well after being allocated Listed status by the EPC in 2022. It’s run at Madrid over 2500m (12.5f) 22nd June for three-year-olds up.
These were created through the recent Flagship Race scheme by the European and Mediterranean Horseracing Federation (EMHF) and EPC, allowing countries with no Black Type races to apply for a single Flagship race which qualifies for Black Type at a lower rating level. This provides horses with a slightly easier Black Type opportunity, by 2.2kg (5lbs). It also opens up new and often interesting destinations for owners and team.
Morocco
Dr Paull Khan, Secretary-General of the EMHF, explains, “The quality control that is applied to European Black Type is the most stringent in the world. This is good, of course, because everyone recognises the strength of European Group and Listed races. But, on the other hand, countries with less-rich racing industries have long found it hard to establish races which attract the necessary quality of runners to qualify for Black Type. Essentially, for most race types, the average ratings of the first four finishers must be at least 100. Two years ago, the EMHF and EPC devised the Flagship Race scheme, under which countries with no Black Type races can apply for a single Flagship race to be given Black Type based on average ratings of the first four finishers being 5lbs lower than would normally be the case. In simple terms, this means that trainers with horses up to 5lbs shy of normal Listed Race standard stand a reasonable chance of attaining black type when targeted at these races.
“There is a ripple effect which is of benefit to trainers,” Dr Khan points out. ”Other countries are looking to join the party, and in order to attract the necessary quality of entries - particularly from abroad – are ploughing money into their candidate races, and are often offering attractive travel incentives, too. Even if these races have not yet attained their Black Type status, they can still be immensely attractive propositions.”
Top of the list in this respect is Morocco’s Grand Prix de la Sorec. The 10th renewal of the Morocco International meeting will be held on the weekend of 16th and 17th November 2024 at the Casablanca-Anfa racecourse, a dirt track. This prestigious 14-race meeting plays a major role in promoting the Moroccan horseracing industry internationally and includes eight international races worth €1m in total. Sunday is devoted to Purebred Arabians, with over €500,000 in prize money for the four Black Type races.
Saturday is an all-thoroughbred card and of interest here is the feature €123,000 Grand Prix de la Sorec, 2400m (12f) for three-year-olds up. Entry is €600 by 31st October, free to declare. Also on the card is the €71,600 Grand Prix des Eleveurs for three-year-old fillies, over 1750m (8.75f) and the €61,600 Grand Prix des Proprietaires for three-year-old colts, over 1900m (9.5f). Casablanca-Anfa racecourse provides a children's area, entertainment and excellent facilities for visiting owners and trainers. The Cité du Cheval is the 87-hectare training centre on the outskirts of Casablanca, 15 minutes from Casablanca airport and 30 minutes from the racecourse, with 400 boxes, several training tracks, a farriery centre, two restaurants and a housing and catering area for staff.
International runners will have their flights, via the BBA, paid for, or up to €3,000 toward overland transport. Flights, hotel accommodation and all transfers are provided for two owners, the trainer and guest, and the jockey. Hospitality includes lunch at the racecourse on both days and dinner at the Gala Evening on Saturday.
As Dr Khan points out, “Another factor here is the ‘racing tourism’ element. The exotic location of these races provides an additional appeal for owners and trainers who want to soak up the fantastic experience of racing in different cultures.”
Turkey
Turkey and its International festival on the first weekend of September at Veliefendi Racetrack, Istanbul, has for long been a popular destination, particularly for British trainers. Since Brexit, however, the issues involving a Third Country have deterred British runners, leaving the races more open for other European runners. What is instead happening is that two valuable €240,000 (£208,000) Group races have been wholly contested by locally-trained horses, the 2023 Bosphorus Cup attracting just five runners.
The International Bosphorus Cup has this year been downgraded to Group 3, but remains an attractive proposition. Run on turf over 2400m (12f), the €240,000 (£208,000) race is open to three-year-olds up. With the same prize money, the 1600m (8f) International Topkapi Trophy is another Group 3 for three-year-olds up that last year attracted no foreign runners. And the same applies to the fillies only Group 3 International Istanbul Trophy over 1600m (8f), worth €127,000 (£108,645).
Entry for the International meeting is by 2nd August, and a very generous travel subsidy is available to foreign runners, including $18,000 to horses arriving from the continents of America (North and South), Oceania, Africa and Far East countries. Up to €12,000 is available to European and UAE runners.
Sweden and Norway
Sweden’s 500-acre Bro Park has permanent stabling and training facilities, just over 30 minutes from the centre of Stockholm by car and a similar distance from Arlanda Airport. The two main international days are the Stockholm Cup day 15th September and the Stockholm Stora day 9th June, both branded as Super Sunday, during which the local 1000 and 2000 Guineas are also run. Run on turf at Bro Park, the Group 3 Stockholm Stora Pris is run over 1750m (8.75f) and worth €88,817 (£75,992), with a strong supporting card of the €29,309 (£25,000) Listed Bro Park Varsprint over 1200m (6f) and Listed Bloomers’ Vase 1600m (8f) for fillies, carrying the same value.
The Group 3 Stockholm Cup International over 2400m (12f) on turf carries prize money of €124,343 (£106,380) and the three supporting races each offer €58,619 (£50,151); the Listed Tattersalls Nickes Minneslöpning 1600m (8f) run on dirt, the Listed Bro Park Sprint Championship 1200m (6f) on turf, and the Listed Lanwades Stud Stakes 1600m (8f) on turf for fillies. Lanwades Stud also generously offers a free nomination to one of its stallions to the winner. The card also includes a 1400m (7f) two-year-old race on turf worth €36,859 (£31,534), the Svealandlopning. The other mentioned races are for three-year-olds up.
There are also interesting opportunities in Norway on Norsk Derby day 25th August at Oslo, as Director of Racing Liv Kristiansen tells us. ”Oslo offers a great range of both historic and modern hotels and restaurants and makes for a great long weekend with the Derby Day as a finale. The racecourse is just a 15-minute drive from the city centre and is home to most of the racehorses in Norway. On the day, there will be many runners from Denmark and Sweden as well.”
Kristiansen reminds us that it is prohibited to use the whip throughout all of Scandinavia, and in Norway jockeys are not allowed to carry a whip in races for three-year olds and older.
Germany
As an accompaniment to the familiar Pattern races in Germany, Deutscher Galopp Director of Racing Rüdiger Schmanns tells us, ”in general all races are open for foreign trained horses, even handicaps if the horses have a rating in the home country. We have good prize money options in handicaps on the so-called Premium Race Meetings, which are meetings on Sundays or Bank Holidays with at least a Group race on offer on that day. Handicaps of the best category are in total value of €20,000 (£17,103), the second best of €15,000 (£12,827), the third best of €10,000 (£8,551), and the lowest category of €8,000 (£6,841). At the Baden-Baden meetings there is usually one handicap of the day with higher prize money and in Bad Harzburg we have the so-called Super-Handicaps with exceptional prize money in the different categories, but they have an early closing stage at the beginning of April. Average prize money is the highest ever on offer in Germany at €14,200 (£12,143).”
France
Handicaps should also be on the radar in France, where France Galop is contributing heavily in the relaunch of the Quinté+ bet. As a result, the 13 Major Handicaps programme has been remodelled to restore appeal. Four Super Handicaps are now worth €100,000 (£85,519) and eight more have increased in value to €75,000 (£64139), with maximum runners raised to 20. The four €100,000 Super Handicaps cannot be on a Group 1 card and will be run on 7th April at ParisLongchamp 1400m (7f) four-year-olds up; 5th May ParisLongchamp 2000m (10f) four-year-olds up; 4th August Deauville 1600m (8f) three-year-olds up; and 8th September ParisLongchamp 1850m (9f) three-year-olds up.
The dates of the €75,000 Grands Handicaps, with a maximum of 18 runners, are 2nd June Chantilly 2400m (12f) four-year-olds up; 16th June Chantilly 1800m (9f) four-year-olds up; 15th August Deauville 1200m (6f) three-year-olds up; 18th August Deauville 1900m (9.5f) three-year-olds up; 5 October ParisLongchamp 1600m (8f) three-year-olds up; 5th October ParisLongchamp 2500m 12.5f) three-year-olds up; 6th October ParisLongchamp 1300m (6.5f) three-year-olds up; 6th October ParisLongchamp 2000m (10f) three-year-olds up.
Another shake-up comes in the reduction of entry fees for Group 1 races to revitalise entries, introducing a uniform entry price of 0.65% of prize value, with the exception of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the Classic races. This lowers the entry fees for 15 Group 1 races, out of a total of 21. Trainers should note that entries have also been brought forward to earlier dates, now four weeks prior to the race.
Ireland
Horse Racing Ireland confirmed a record 395 fixtures for 2024, with an increase of €1.3m (£1.1m) in prize money, creating additional opportunities for horses at all levels. In addition, the final €1.4m (£1.2m) in capital schemes will be paid out for stableyard expansions (€0.3m) and racetrack and industry facility improvements (€1.1m), making it a more attractive proposal for visiting horses and team.
HRI, the Irish EBF and Gowran Park Racecourse have announced a significant boost to the three-year-old programme for middle-distance horses with a new Spring Series of median sires races, culminating in the €200,000 (£170,980) Irish Stallion Farms EBF Gowran Classic, 2000m (10f), the richest race ever held at the County Kilkenny course, on Bank Holiday Monday 3rd June. The race is designed to attract three-year-old middle-distance horses with a median price of no more than €75,000 (£64,121). The winner will receive an automatic free entry into the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh on 30th June.
The series, with total prize money of €330,000 (£282,125), will consist of six races with a minimum prize-fund of €25,000 (£21,373) per race. The Curragh, Navan and Cork will host four maiden races between them, two for fillies only, and each of these races will be restricted to runners whose sires achieved a median price of not more than €50,000 (£42,747) in 2022.
A median price of €75,000 (£64,121) will apply to runners in The Irish Stallions Farms EBF three-year-old Spring Series Race, with a value of €30,000 (£25,647) at Roscommon on 13 May. The same median price restriction will apply to runners in the €200,000 series Finale.
Racecourse Manager Eddie Scally says, “Gowran Park are really excited to host the inaugural €200,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Gowran Classic, the region’s richest Flat race. This race will form part of an action-packed day both on and off the track with live music and a massive family fun day. We hope the Gowran Classic will attract all the top trainers and riders from both Ireland and abroad and see for themselves the warm Kilkenny welcome.”
Irish Stallion Farms EBF already sponsor two successful series for two-year-olds, the auction and median series with 27 races in each and a combined value of nearly €850,000 (£726,712). ”We felt it important to develop a similar series for later developing middle-distance three-year-olds,” says Irish EBF Chairman Joe Foley, ”hence the Spring Series was initiated with the Gowran Classic as its centrepiece. We look forward to seeing this three-year-old series grow and develop and are delighted to support Gowran Park racecourse in particular, who are investing heavily in their facilities.”
Curragh-based trainer Willie McCreery points out, “These races are designed to be linked to the median price of the stallion, which allows everyone to participate. It offers great opportunities for middle-distance horses that needed a bit of time to mature and gives them a big target to aim at. The prize money along with the ‘win and you’re in’ to the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby is a super incentive.”
The new series consists of the 2000m (10f) €25,000 3yo Median Auction Maiden (Fillies) at the Curragh 6th April; 2000m (10f) €25,000 3yo Median Auction Maiden at Navan 9th April; the 2000m (10f) €25,000 3yo Median Auction Maiden at Navan 27th April; the 2000m (10f) €25,000 3yo Median Auction Maiden (Fillies) at Cork 10th May; the 2000m (10f) €30,000 3yo Median Auction Winners of 1 at Roscommon 30th May; and the Gowran Classic.
If tourism is the agenda, don’t forget Ireland’s only beach race meeting at Laytown, a small seaside resort just 46km (29 miles) from Dublin. The six-race card at Laytown races is held Monday 16th September 2024 with an average of €7,000 (£6,000) to the winner.
Britain
Last year saw the introduction of high value developmental races in Britain, a scheme the BHA has expanded for 2024. From 63, there are now 84 developmental races for the Flat season worth over €3.5m (£3m) in total prize money. The initiative has been made possible by British Stallion Studs (EBF), Juddmonte, Darley and Tattersalls, as well as the BHA Development Fund and is aimed at supporting the domestic breeding industry and encouraging the purchase of young talent in Britain. The races offer enhanced prize money to horses embarking on the early stages of their racing careers.
Richard Wayman, Chief Operating Officer of the BHA, explains, “These races play a hugely important role within the race programme and yet, historically, it is an area where prize money has been behind our international competitors. It is essential that steps are taken to retain quality horses on our shores and with over 80 of these races scheduled for the coming season, this is one initiative that we believe will support this broader aim.”
The 2024 programme began with the Brocklesby Stakes at Doncaster on the opening day of the 2024 Turf season, one of 60 such races for two-year-olds. It comprises 32 Open Novice/Maiden races for two-year-olds, worth a minimum of €46,789 (£40,000); 29 Restricted Novice/Maiden races for two-year-olds, worth a minimum of €35,091 (£30,000); and 23 Open Novice/Maiden races for three-year-olds up, worth a minimum of €46,789 (£40,000).
“British Stallion Studs (EBF) are delighted to be a leading sponsor of the 2024 High Value Developmental Race programme, with a contribution of over €380,172 (£325,000), covering more than 30 races,” says Simon Sweeting, Chairman of British Stallion Studs (EBF). “One of the unique features of our prize money contributions is to encourage racecourses to ‘match-fund’; it is wonderful to see the model we pioneered and embedded, replicated by our fellow sponsors in these races.”
The EBF remains the leading sponsor of European racing and Kerry Murphy, European Breeders Fund CEO, points out, ”The EBF was set up over 40 years ago primarily to tackle the threat of less prize money in two-year-old maidens. With £3.5m total prize money and over 80 high value two-year-old and three-year-old races worth at least £30,000 from the end of March to October, there will be opportunities for all types. It is a great credit to all involved and, of course, all the British stallion farms that contribute to the EBF, and I hope will give owners and purchasers at the yearling sales plenty of incentives.”
The full race list can be seen at:
https://ebfstallions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/2024-Development-Race-List-public.pdf
A 20-minute drive from Stansted Airport, Chelmsford City offers some tempting opportunities for runners from abroad. Not least is the Cardinal Condition Stakes on Saturday 6th April, a Class 2 race that is the last stop of the European Road to The Kentucky Derby, a “win and you’re in”. Run over a mile (1600m) and restricted to three-year-olds, the race is worth £100,000 (€116,953), with the winning horse receiving 30 points, ensuring a place at Churchill Downs. Second through to fifth place receive 12, 9, 6 and 3 points respectively.
“Last year Bold Act won for Charlie Appleby and he has since won a Grade 3 at Keeneland. The runner-up was the Archie Watson-trained Brave Emperor, who had won twice here as a two-year-old and he followed up with a Group 3 win in Germany next time out. Brave Emperor has since added three more Group wins and has just won the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cup, a local Group 2, at Doha. We are hopeful of seeing the Cardinal Condition Stakes upgraded to Listed status for next year, given the strength of the race,” says Neil Graham, Chelmsford City Racing Director.
Another imminent upgrade to hope for is the currently Listed Queen Charlotte Stakes over 7f (1400m) for fillies four-year-olds and up, run on Sunday 7th July, with prize money of £100,000 (€116,953). Graham points out, “Past winners include One Thousand Guineas heroine Billesdon Brook, Group 1 winner Highfield Princess and Soft Whisper, a subsequent Group 2 winner in Meydan. It comes a month before the Oak Tree Stakes at Goodwood and is good stepping stone, as Billesdon Brook showed. It is also Britain’s second-most valuable Listed race, behind only the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot.”
The third of Chelmsford City’s feature races is the £80,000 (€93,595) Listed Chelmer Fillies Stakes over 6f (1200m) for three-year-old fillies, run Thursday 2nd May. “It’s a good option for the non-stayers and it’s a race that builds on quality year on year. Last year it was won by George Boughey’s Believing, who won a Group 3 at Chantilly on her next start,” says Graham.
“We work hard on promoting our feature races, which includes ensuring a high level of prize money, and we work closely with Adrian Beaumont at the International Racing Bureau to attract foreign runners. We look to offer travel incentives to runners from abroad and we consistently offer Class 6 prize money of £7,650 (€8,949) and £9,650 (€11,288) for Class 5 races, considerably more than any other All-Weather track in Britain.
“We have 125 boxes built to the highest standard located in a quiet and secure yard, with ample room for parking and a fantastic team on hand. Paper or shavings are available.”
“We are in the process of developing a Turf track for 2025 to open up further opportunities,” adds Graham, “and a month ago we were voted one of the Top 10 racecourses in Britain, which is a nice accolade to receive and a reflection of the excellent customer experience we offer.”
Overlooking the parade ring, the exclusive Owners and Trainers Bar provides a complimentary welcome drink and light refreshments. An additional facility for Owners and Trainers adjacent to the parade ring has a fully accessible glass-walled marquee and lawn, and there is also a dedicated viewing area in the main Grandstand, fully wheelchair accessible, for owners with runners on the day.
If it’s culture and tourism of most interest, a day at Ascot is always a highlight. This season, Ascot’s total prize money has risen to €20.4m (£17.5m) including Royal Ascot at €11.6m (£10m), with no Royal meeting race run for less than €128,688 (£110,000). Entry for Royal Ascot Group 1s is 30th April and for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes 4th June.
Conditions for the Chesham Stakes (7f 2yo’s), traditionally run on the last day of the fixture, have been altered for 2024 - with horses no longer eligible to qualify via their dam’s performance. The race will return to a stallion only qualification as the race was prior to 2019 (sire must have won over 10f+).
Hannah Parlett, Owners and Trainers Manager, tells us, ”We have received an ROA Gold Standard again for our outstanding owners’ and trainers’ facilities here at Ascot, which include dining rooms overlooking the pre-parade ring in addition to a dedicated bar in the same area, along with a superb track facing facility. There are also two dedicated viewing areas.”
Another ROA Gold Standard winner is Newbury, recognising Newbury’s continued efforts to enhance the on-course experience for owners. The OLBG Owners Club is close to the pre-parade ring beside the owners and trainers entrance. It is exclusively reserved for owners, with a private terrace.
*Euro/Sterling rates Xe.com 07/03/2024
![Willie McCreery – master at the game of patience There is nothing superficial about Rathbride Stables, a traditional yard on the very coalface of the history-steeped Curragh Plains of Kildare. And there’s nothing superficial about Willie McCreery, either. Like most modern yards, the atmosphere is relaxed. McCreery appears laid back, and the staff arrive at 7 a.m. and calmly set about their tasks—the routine as smooth as a well-oiled machine. There are no instructions being given and none needed; teamwork is at its finest.But there’s a keenness here, too—a simmering energy beneath the calm exterior. McCreery is quietly watchful and aware of every nuance. This is a man who loves what he does and just happens to be very good at it, too. The Wall of Fame in the office bears testament to the success—no better example being Fiesolana, the Gp1 Matron Stakes heroine. Improving every season and gaining a first Gp1 win for McCreery and his team as a five-year-old, she’s a good example, too, of McCreery’s patience and expertise with fillies and older horses, for which he has gained something of a reputation. Her now five-year-old Galileo colt, Up Helly Aa, is also keeping Group company under the tutelage of McCreery.This is thanks largely to the patronage of owner-breeders. While some trainers survive on sharp two-year-olds and trading, McCreery acknowledges that having the perceived luxury of time with horses that have a longer career ahead comes with its own challenges. ‘Not selling horses and training for owner-breeders brings even more pressure’, he points out. ‘A win becomes more important, and then when they’ve had their win, you’re looking for black type. If they don’t get a win, it’s worse than if they don’t race at all; poor performances run the risk of devaluing the whole family. It comes down to making the right call, being sure enough from what they’re doing at home that they can do well and improve the family; or maybe having to risk the decision not to run them’.Rathbride Stables, once home to Flashing Steel and where the Irish Grand National winner is now buried, has been home to McCreery since 2010. He had taken out a licence and sent out his first winner two years earlier. The original loose boxes are companion boxes, with the window through to the next box at the feed trough. ‘They can have a chat with their neighbour and have a nibble at the same time’, McCreery says. ‘It encourages them to feed, and I’m a fan of anything that gets them eating well.‘I feed as best as I can. I hope to be second to none in that respect. I use a combination of Connolly’s Red Mills mix and nuts, and also alfalfa imported from Italy. I’ve picked it up along the way. I’m a firm believer in staying ahead of your feed, and if a horse is a little off, cut back straight away. I feed four times a day’. McCreery starts his day in the yard at 6 a.m. with the first of the feeds, and he’ll turn out any of the horses not working that morning. That day’s runners will go out in the paddocks in the evening after returning from the races and again the next morning. Rathbride has 40 acres of turnout paddocks, as well as a 400m covered wood chip ride, and is currently home to 60 horses.It’s ideally situated and well chosen. ‘We can just walk across to the gallops; we’ve the vet just beside us, and we’re within an hour of six tracks. As an example, I had a horse injured on the Old Vic gallop at 7.40 a.m. and he was X-rayed, diagnosed and back in his box—all by 9 a.m. I’m very lucky; any issue at all, and I have the vet with me in five minutes. I can drop blood samples in and have the results in 10 minutes’.In the pre-COVID days, McCreery liked to give his horses days out, particularly at Dundalk where they could walk round the parade ring in front of a race crowd and gain experience. He also found the local equine pool a great help for horses who enjoyed it, but that’s now closed. ‘I would love to be near a beach; sea water does a great job’, he says. ‘But I’m not a fan of spas. They can mask the injury, and the problem is still going to be there. They’re okay for sore shins’. Training racehorses was always in his blood; McCreery’s father Peter had enjoyed great success as a National Hunt trainer, and his older brother Peter Jr by coincidence sent out Son Of War to win the Irish Grand National the year before Flashing Steel’s success. We might wonder why McCreery chose the Flat in preference.‘I’ve no preference, I’d be happy training both, but I was just led that way’, he says. ‘I suppose I veered more to Flat fillies because of owner-breeders. If people have a horse that needs a bit of time, they’ll send it to me because I’m known for that type of horse’.This could be due to McCreery’s strong background in breeding. As well as growing up with racehorses, he served his time on the renowned Irish National Stud diploma course. He went on to work in Australia, Japan and America. Having returned home and worked at KIldangan Stud, he served as assistant trainer to Charles O’Brien for eight years before setting up on his own. His experience and the insight gained from the breeding sector has certainly stood him in good stead.‘A lot of what I’ve learnt comes from running a large commercial stud where we were foaling 100 mares in a season’, he says. ‘I picked up horsemanship. When you’re raising them, you know when they’re a racehorse—you can see when they have that fighting spirit. I also know about the doctoring that can be done on a young horse, which can impact on their racing but not for the sales. I know what to look out for and consider. ‘I see a big problem in the overpopulation of farms and the rate of Rhodococcus equi infections. The foal recovers, but what about the effect on lung capacity? Should that be recorded on the catalogue page? I believe that if a foal has had surgery, that should be on the catalogue page, but it’s not. Time spent standing in is going to impact on development at a crucial stage. My stud background has definitely been an advantage in so far as the youngstock side. I can see joint problems and other problems, and I know how to deal with them’.McCreery is also scathing of the amount of scoping carried out at the sales, to the point that even professionals forget the simple basics. ‘I’ve seen vets walking round with the scope hanging over their shoulder!’ he complains. ‘One guy put it down on the floor, then wondered why I refused to let him use it on my horse’!At the sales, McCreery relies on his own judgement. ‘I do all my own buying at the sales myself; I didn’t really like some of the horses agents were fetching out to show me. I used to buy cheap fillies with faults that I knew I could train, but then I’d find that I couldn’t sell them on afterwards. Because of the faults, agents wouldn’t look at them.‘I try to buy the quick types, as I get given late-maturing horses, so it’s a way of having some early two-year-olds, but I’m not really known for my two-year-olds. I always go round the sales with horses marked off in the catalogue, but very often a groom will pull out another horse for me to see and if it’s a correct horse and I like it, I’ll take a chance on it, so usually I don’t end up with the horses I’d marked off at all!‘There are some studs I won’t buy from because they only breed a sales horse. You look in a catalogue and see mares ruined being bred to the wrong horse. I’ll only look at those sent from the studs I know breed a racehorse’.When it comes to buying cheaper horses and having to forgive some faults, McCreery is careful. ‘I won’t forgive wind. Ninety percent of horses have wind issues; we’ve bred that into them now. Bad feet can be tricky, too. I wouldn’t like a curvy hock; you end up married to them then. I look at them as if I’m going to be selling them in a year’s time; I look at them like a vet. I don’t like a flashy walker; I like to see them more relaxed and professional. And I hate the fact they are all given so much tranquiliser at the sales; you get a totally different character when you get them home’.Prior to taking out his licence, McCreery’s vast experience hadn’t been limited to horses, and he also brings a lot of knowledge from another sporting world, having played Gaelic football at the highest level. He was a midfielder for the famous Kildare team that won a national title in 1998, while still working by day with Charles O’Brien. ‘I learnt a lot from our manager Mick O’Dwyer’, he acknowledges. ‘I think the biggest thing was that when he had you 100% fit, he tried to get you 110% fit and lost three players to injuries. I learned from that. A lot of horses lose their races at home on the gallops. When a horse is 100% fit, it can’t get any fitter. I learnt to back off and not do too much with them. ‘That’s the greatest skill. What John Oxx did with Sea The Stars—that was a phenomenal feat, and we won’t see it again. To win six major Gp1 races in six months, that was an incredible achievement and it’s a wonderful thing for us to learn from. It’s what we all have to aim for, even with a low-class handicapper, that ability to keep them fresh and at their peak from the beginning of the season to the end. It’s things like that that I love. ‘I see myself as a conditioner of racehorses, not a trainer. Getting a horse ready for its first time at the track takes a lot of work, but from then on it’s just a matter of keeping them fit, and they don’t need much work at all. I like to use their races as their work. I weigh them once a week and before and after races. Their weight can tell you if they were trying or not. ‘On the gallops I love my horses finishing together. That way, they are all confident; they all go home happy. When they go to the races for the first few times, I like the jockey to make it an enjoyable day for them. Billy Lee is our jockey, and he won’t punish a horse; they’ll come on all the better for it. Most horses try their heart out; they know that when a jockey goes “giddy up”, they need to go faster. Billy Lee and Nathan Crosse are horsemen, and my apprentices are all drilled in the same: why hit a horse when he’s trying his best?‘It’s about keeping them mentally happy and when they run it doesn’t kill them, there’s plenty more for next time; they can keep improving. With some trainers that first run is a horse’s best run; they went all out for that win and gave everything, and there’ll be nothing more to come from them. ‘It’s all about knowing when to stop. If I’m not sure about a horse, I’ll run it over a shorter distance and it will recover quicker. I’ve found from experience that if I’m doubtful about them getting a trip and I run them over shorter, I’m usually right. Individuals will get given a break if they’re not growing or they look a bit sad, but I like to keep going with the two-year-olds. I’m not a two-year-old trainer; their early races are bonuses. It’s their three and four-year-old career I focus on. Horses are not mature until they’re four, so I won’t do too much with them in their first season. My owners know what they bought themselves and know I won’t push them’.Typically, his horses, who step straight out onto the Curragh from the yard, will have a four-and-a-half-kilometre hack over to the gallops. Those that need it will have stalls practise, but otherwise he prefers not to put them through the stalls, as there’s always a risk they may get a fright and then develop an issue.‘I love to use the grass gallops, and I especially like bringing them up Walsh’s Hill. It has a quarter-mile width and provides good ground from March to November. It has a little incline the whole way up, and if the Lord ever gave me a field, it would be this one. Some of my horses have never turned a bend until they get to the races!‘I’m in the yard at six and matching riders to horses on the board—that’s so important. If any rider calls a horse a bad name, they never ride it again; it’s clear they don’t get on together. Some riders have a good energy, and some have a bad energy; and horses are very sensitive to that.”McCreery has gleaned plenty of knowledge from the people he has worked with and the roles he has experienced, but he reveals, ‘By far the biggest help to me as a trainer was when I worked at Kildangan Stud, and I did a course in managing people. That taught me an awful lot. Every staff member has good traits and bad traits, so good management is about finding what they like doing and what they can do. The skill is in getting them to use their skill and be beneficial to the yard. It’s the same in every walk of life and in every business. If you leave people doing things they’re not good at and don’t enjoy, they’ll leave.’Staff retention is a big problem, and recruitment is an issue not only limited to Ireland. ‘It’s a huge problem and getting worse by the day’, McCreery agrees. ‘It’s a worldwide problem, and I worry about the state we’ll be in in 10 years’ time. There is so much being introduced—Health and Safety and insurance getting more expensive. It’s a lot harder now in the administration side of things’.McCreery also notes a change in modern culture and work ethic. ‘Young people only want to ride out; they don’t want to do anything else. They don’t like early starts and working weekends or bank holidays. They’re not as driven. For every one good person you get, 10 go through your hands. There’s no loyalty. ‘People are getting heavier; it’s a tough game to get into for any kids. The educational facilities tell them they can have a good career ahead, and they then get disgruntled when they don’t get on as a jockey. All trainers want a good apprentice, but if they’re not good, owners don’t want them on their horse. You bring on an apprentice as best you can, but at the same time you can’t jeopardise your business. Apprenticeships and educational facilities are an integral part of recruitment, but the reality is that it’s like the soccer youth academies—only the very few will make it’.Ideas have been cited in the past for every trainer to take on an apprentice to train rather than rely on the educational facilities, but McCreery has his doubts. ‘If you have a bad teacher, you get a bad pupil; it won’t work that way. It’s important to be guided by the right person. The only way for apprentices to learn is from the good riders around them, and the Irish jockeys are among the best in the world. You can put any of our top 10 jockeys anywhere in the world, and they’ll be in the top 10 there. Visiting jockeys find it hard to ride here; it’s so tight.‘The reality is most jockeys have very poor winning percentages and it’s tough, but they have to deal with it. My old manager, Mick O’Dwyer, used to say [that] when someone pats you on the back, they’re just looking to see where to put the knife! As a jockey walks back in from a race, they can be aggressively accosted and verbally abused, so it’s important kids are protected from that and know how to deal with it’.However, there is a growing shift in culture and a lack of respect among some younger people that can prevent them from learning the traditional way – ears and eyes open and mouth shut. ‘It’s unfortunate, but the older jockeys used to offer advice to the younger ones. But now, if an older jockey goes over and says something to them, the youngsters tell them to f*** off’!Perhaps a bigger issue is the scope of the education provided at racing academies. McCreery picks up on something that should be fundamental, given the modern issues of height, weight and mental wellbeing.‘They should be taught how to cook’, he insists. ‘It’s farcical. They come out of work and go to the chip shop! I’m astonished at their lack of basic; it’s fundamental. As soon as my apprentices arrive here, I take them to a nutritionist. They learn to cook and to eat the right things’.He is, however, blessed with good staff who have been with him throughout. ‘Our apprentices are Nathan Crosse and Jack Cleary. Mick Clarke—he’s my head lad and assistant—he’s been here 10 years. Eddie Dempsey is our travelling head lad. Cathy Canon is in the office; she does the accounts. My wife Amanda and Brian Donoghue are in the office, too; they do all the horse side. And John Breen has been with me 10 years looking after the yard’.The restrictions placed on working hours is another headache faced by European trainers and, as McCreery points out, ‘Animals don’t know what day of the week it is. When I worked in America, there was no difference between a weekday or a Saturday or Sunday. I can see that in the near future we’re going to have to hire more people to work less days, like in France. We’ll have weekend workers, kids from college. Owners will never be happy to accept a fee increase; the only way is to have more staff working fewer hours. But staff won’t be getting a full week’s wages, so they won’t stay’.Many trainers are looking ahead with trepidation, but perhaps that was always the case and it has certainly never stopped aspiring young people taking out a licence. McCreery had the full support of his wife Amanda when he decided to start up on his own, her own career providing financial support until such time as she could join the Rathbride team.‘I don’t think it’s too difficult for a young trainer to start out’, McCreery believes. ‘You can rent a yard or even just a few boxes and start with just two horses. I started off with just €20,000 and 12 horses, in the height of a recession. There is so much to learn off other trainers, and you either pick it up fast or not at all. You make mistakes, and you learn by them. If you don’t do everything right and efficiently you won’t succeed’.The topic of the moment is social media, and the stress and pressure it can cause where once it was promoted as the newest tool in marketing a business. McCreery isn’t a fan and doesn’t do Twitter. ‘Where do you stop’? he says. ‘It takes up so much time. The bigger yards can do it, where they have someone employed just to keep it up to date. I don’t get owners from social media. Do trainers really need advertising? The minute you have runners, they are your advertisement.’A consistent problem in Ireland has been the treatment of owners at racecourses—a situation that is improving rapidly but still bringing complaints from some trainers. It has been highlighted by some that there can be a tendency for racecourse staff to behave more like “bouncers” than “greeters”, which can undermine the hard work trainers have put in to securing owners.It has also been argued that Ireland doesn’t have room for two authorities, in the form of Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB), but McCreery would disagree.‘HRI has done a great job keeping racing going’, he acknowledges. ‘It’s hugely important to keep the structure that we have in place—to keep the two bodies neutral. HRI is responsible for the promotion of the industry, and the IHRB controls the regulations. We’ve the best racing and breeding in the world, and we cannot afford to jeopardise that status. We are a nursery for the rest of the world, and that trade is very important; it keeps trainers going. Every weekend in the USA the grass races are won by former Irish-trained horses and look at their success in Australia and Hong Kong. We need to be totally transparent and 100% honest; we set the standards in racing worldwide.“I think our stewarding is very good. I know some call for professionals and ex-jockeys instead of amateurs, but I would be very afraid of professionals once they’re on a salary; they can be got at and controlled. At least with our amateur stewards, they are respectable and they’re doing it because they want to give their time; they can’t be got at. I would have a fear of professional stewarding being tampered with. France’s stewarding has gone a bit mad, I feel; Europe has to come together and unify the rules. As things stand, it’s very unfair on jockeys.‘The biggest problem is the Handicapper—we only have the one, and no one questions him. It’s hard to have a conversation with him; it just turns into an argument. There should be Handicappers for different length races, with more specific knowledge of those horses. A horse needs to be rated 80 to win a maiden, so why should the runner-up be punished and raised? The runner-up should be dropped 3Ibs.”Obviously, HRI will be undergoing a change this year as CEO Brian Kavanagh moves on to a new role at The Curragh Racecourse and Training Grounds, and his successor is sought. ‘Brian Kavanagh gets things done, instead of talking about it he just does it’, McCreery says. ‘He has kept racing going throughout the pandemic, and he’s done great for prize money. He has been hugely beneficial to us especially in the redevelopment of the Curragh training grounds. ‘I suppose you could argue that trainers didn’t get enough input; we did and we didn’t, but that’s probably not a bad thing. We know how to train, but it was probably better to leave it to the experts. The grounds are brilliant. In the future I would love to see a dedicated horse crossing, but that’s a council issue’.As conversation turns to the infrastructure of the Irish industry, McCreery paints a positive picture and has few complaints. ‘I would like to see more median auction races and fillies maidens—for my own preference—as it’s very hard to win with cheap fillies. Claimers are now part of the programme, and people understand them a lot better. A lot didn’t understand them at first, but it’s your chance to handicap your own horse, and it’s also a chance to get rid of a horse. At the same time, owners can buy a horse from a claimer that’s ready to run. They used to be very popular with syndicates, but COVID has led to the loss of a lot of syndicates’.There is one area in which McCreery would like to see more action taken. ‘We really, really have to address welfare or we won’t have racing. We need a proper committee’, he warns. ‘The racehorse is a phenomenal animal and we’re very lucky to be working with them’.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/517636f8e4b0cb4f8c8697ba/1625059615945-9P7NV0L6S8ROD7UIAUB0/IMG_3830.JPG)
