What tweaks would you make to NH pattern races / calendar?

Article by Daragh Ó Conchúir

Getting consensus in racing is much like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. So the changes to the Cheltenham Festival programme by The Jockey Club were lauded by many but criticised in plenty quarters too.

The press release announcing the six changes, headlined by the relegation of the Turners Chase from a Grade 1 to a Grade 2 novices’ handicap, said that they were made “with a focus on more competitive racing and a better experience and value for all”.

Everyone agrees with the focus. But Cheltenham is one meeting, THE meeting in terms of National Hunt racing. But if there is an issue of lack of competitiveness and entertainment, piecemeal measures don’t cut it. 

Speaking at the Asian Racing Conference in Sapporo on August 28, BHA chair, Joe Saumarez Smith said it was time to stop thinking in the short term in a bid to reverse fortunes. 

At the same conference, Hong Kong Jockey Club CEO Winfried Englebrecht-Bresges opined that fragmentation was a problem in British racing. It isn’t solely a British problem, given the number of interest groups, but it is made more acute by the lack of central control on a calendar and racing programme.

There is an African proverb that says, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ Unity is required to push past short-term goals in pursuit of the long-term future. Some would argue that given the niche element of national hunt racing, this unity of approach should extend across Ireland, Britain and even France as the three are interlinked in terms of competition and trade. 

Some amendments have been made to the NH programmes in Britain and Ireland in the last year or so, in a bid to address the dilution of the value of graded form. Bigwigs from Horse Racing Ireland and the British Horseracing Association met towards the end of September for a think-tank to discuss numerous issues of shared interest. A discussion on working together in relation to the programme was among the topics but a broad chat was all that occurred.

Meanwhile, I spoke to a variety of stakeholders on where jump racing is going, what it needs and what it doesn’t, and got some interesting responses.

Emma Lavelle (Trainer: Britain)

A former president of the National Trainers’ Federation, best known for guiding the spectacular career of 2019 Stayers’ Hurdle winner Paisley Park, Emma Lavelle has been concerned about the dilution of the product offered by British jump racing for a few years now.

Lavelle offers a cogent and clear argument for change. What is remarkable, in her view, is that while there is too much racing, the programme swelled while still not catering for every tier of horse.

“Changes should be about trying to make racing more competitive at every level,” says the boss of Bonita Racing Stables.

“There's no doubt that uncompetitive racing doesn't make for interesting viewing, good betting medians. You will always have the odd uncompetitive race and sometimes, small fields are competitive and exciting, but uncompetitive racing is a turn-off, and it's a turn-off for the practitioners as well as the general public. So I think ultimately, we've got to do something to shake it up.”

Lavelle recounts that watching Frodon win the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham, about 40 minutes before Paisley Park’s fairytale triumph in the Stayers, was as moving as it was exciting. Shishkin reeling in Energumene late on in a four-runner Clarence House Chase at Ascot three years later was on a similar level. That’s what needs to be encouraged.

Attempting to directly slow the growth and impact of NH’s major yards would be short-sighted she believes, punishing ambition and success. 

“It’s just how the cookie crumbles,” as she describes the stunning resources now available to the likes of Willie Mulins. “But it’s why we need to find different ways of making sure that we can all be competitive. 

“I do think that our race programme needs to become more aspirational from the bottom up. Finding a race for that 130, 140 rated horse is nigh on impossible. You’ve just got one race here and there. If you've got a horse that's rated 100 you can run it six times a week, and somehow that just doesn't seem right. We need to maybe force or encourage some lower-grade horses to compete in mid-tier races off lower weights as an incentive. Otherwise you’re racing to the bottom.”

The over-provision of lower-tier races applies at graded level in Britain too, apart from in the three-mile division she knows so well, when Paisley Park drew swords with the same opposition in the Long Distance, Long Walk, Cleeve and Stayers’ Hurdles to thrilling effect on an annual basis.

“The pattern of this country has been shaken up this year and a little bit last year to reflect that maybe it had just got a little bit big. Hopefully that will just help them make those races a bit more competitive. I do think that the fine-tuning and the slimming of it is an improvement, and I think that needs to happen in Ireland as well. 

“The thing is, where do you send some of these horses if they miss some of the other races? And is it right that we're just turning everything into handicaps? You don’t want to take too many away, because otherwise, what's the point in trying to create a nice horse? So you’re getting the balance right and when you make changes, just seeing how they work.”

Giving alterations time to bed in and to determine their impact is critical, she feels, because there is no one silver bullet. Addressing some clear imbalances should be a starting point, however.

“We always talk about prize money. I If you're lucky enough to get a horse that's good enough to win mid-tier-and-up races. You deserve to be paid for that, and certainly to incentivise ownership, that’s important.

“We're always scared about really shaking up the programme. You look at the French system, a lot of their races are about how much prize money you've won up to a certain period or through a certain period. People are loath to try new things, and then you get a short run at it, because people don't really engage with it, so you don't get the runners, so the racecourses don't want those changes.”

The Wiltshire-based conditioner believes that a co-operative approach between the jurisdictions would benefit but doesn’t believe pursuing a uniform pattern is practical, at this juncture at least, with so much to be addressed on home territory first.

“It would make perfect sense if there was a centralised system of ratings, rather than how it is at the minute, where the Irish will get more weight when they come over here, etc. I think things like that would make sense.

“But the problem is, it's hard enough to get everybody in this country on the same page – and when I say get everyone on the same page, I mean where everybody is coming at it without self-interest, but for the good of the sport. So to think that you're then trying to join up with Ireland or other countries, I just don't know how that could happen. It would be wonderful if it did, but it would take some negotiating.”

If there is one factor, over any other, preventing the level of change Lavelle feels is required in Britain, it is the lack of central control of fixtures and programming. 

“It's so frustrating. Sometimes you just feel, ’Why can't people take a step back and take their own interest out of it and look at the bigger picture?’ ”

Peter Molony (Breeder/Trader/Sales Agent/Racing Manager: Ireland)

Peter Molony is involved in the industry from the start of the process as a breeder, right through to the destination point, as racing manager for Kenny Alexander, owner of the history-making four-time Cheltenham Festival victor and dual Champion Hurdle-winning mare, Honeysuckle, and on the flat side, Qatar Racing’s Irish representative.

The Rathmore Stud manager is an ardent supporter of the ramped up NH mares’ programme in Britain and Ireland in the past decade, which has had such a monumentally positive impact on the demand for fillies at sales and their participation in jump racing.

Molony reckons the mares’ programme could be used as a test case for the creation of a broader uniform jump racing pattern in the jurisdictions. And if it worked, you would have a template to implement a programme on a universal level.

“What we have has been a huge improvement, and it's added massively to the overall racing experience, the market, in every way,” says Moloney of the mares’ programme. “But it's kind of grown up in a sort of higgledy, piggledy, sort of way, with a listed race added here, and a listed race added there, and not the greatest natural progression.

“At times you’d be wondering where the next race is if you wanted to stick solely to the fillies’ programme. So, I've suggested many times that the Irish and British authorities should sit down together and hammer out a proper pattern for them. And to be honest, it would make a lot of sense if they did it on a wider scale. But they could start with the fillies and mares, see how that works, and then go from there.”

As a breeder and trader who has produced the likes of former Gold Cup winner Bobs Worth and dual Cheltenham Grade 1 winner Sir Gerhard, and a NH agent with Goffs, the importance of the pattern is not lost on him. Nor is the erosion of the value of the exalted black type.

“If it was set up properly and got established, I think one pattern would add huge value to everything. And if you started with the fillies, it adds value to their form as well as to the overall enjoyment of the racing fan, of the overall racing product.

“You don’t want too many easy options, giving horses the chance to avoid one another all the time. The mares’ programme has been attacked in the past, and this continues to be attacked, that it's taking away from competitiveness. My argument is that it is actually adding competitiveness, because it's adding a whole new group of horses into the pool that wouldn't be racing at all.”

There were three distaff winners of the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle before 2016. Annie Power, Epatante and Honeysuckle have doubled that tally in the blink of an eye. 

“Before the mares’ programme, the market didn’t exist. So you’d have none of those French mares. If you had a nicely-bred NH mare in Ireland, you just covered her. The racing mares are an exception. So the programme works but for it to be one programme would help it more.

“And then if that worked, bring it into the entire jump programme. In the flat game, people see progressions from your trials, into your Classics, and then into your later, all-age races with the clashes of the generations. People can see the progression, and that's great. It works well. It's easier to sell. I think if you had that in the national hunt game, it would be wonderful.

Willie Mullins (Trainer: Ireland)

There isn’t a sport in the world where sustained success isn’t at some point presented as a negative for the health of the sport. It must be tough to take even if criticism tends to be of a system rather than the winners’ magnificence.

He was crowned champion trainer in Ireland for a 17th straight year last season and became the first trainer since Vincent O’Brien 70 years previously to secure British honours. For context, Aidan O’Brien is on 26 consecutive native titles at the end of 2024 and a seventh British crown. 

Mullins, an ex-chairman of the Irish Racehorse Trainers’ Association, believes that there are plenty of opportunities through the levels in Ireland, pointing to the growth of Gavin Cromwell’s operation as just one sample. He doesn’t see a need for a standardised programme between countries.

“I think people should be very careful when they start messing around with the programme,” says Mullins. “When you do little tweaks with the programme, you don't realise the consequences that will have somewhere else. So that's a great legacy that (former HRI chief executive) Brian Kavanagh and Jason Morris (former director of racing, now director of strategy) gave to Irish racing, and we should cherish it.

“A few of us go to France. The French never come over here. Prize money isn't good enough for them. Our seasons are just slightly different as well. But I think the story about Irish and English jump racing is probably Ireland versus England. And for that to take place, you have to have an English pattern and an Irish pattern. And we're very lucky that we have a race meeting called Cheltenham, where it's nearly, for the want of a better word, a World Championships in our game and all roads lead to there and then to Aintree and to Punchestown.

“I think it's huge, the way it works at the moment. So if you want to break that up, I'm not sure it would be beneficial. 

“I also look at how racing has been put together by racing people, and I've seen, especially in Britain, over the last few years, people coming in from other sports, putting their imprint on racing, and they're not racing people. They don't realise how it works. They're in our sport for five years, and then they disappear off somewhere else. Meanwhile, they leave a fractured sport, putting in ideas that just don't take off or don't work.

“Racing is about breeding the best to the best, and hopefully get the best and taking on one another. And that's essentially it. That’s the core of racing.”

He considers the introduction of a team concept such as the Shergar Cup and racing League on the flat as ludicrous and argues that more focus should be on other factors in improving race-day experience for those in attendance than the action.

“When you have 35 minutes between races, it’s too long. I mean in the flat, it’s awful but even in national hunt. If you have a horse running in the first, and don’t have another till the last, it’s a long day. There are only so many cups of tea you can drink as there’s nothing else to do. It has been very boring for the public. They should look at that.

“And when it comes to Cheltenham, it is just too expensive.”

Jonathan Garratt (Kelso MD: Britain)

Jonathan Garratt has overseen the growth of Kelso as a desired destination for jumps racing with an imaginative, ambitious approach to programming and prize money. 

Last year, Garratt was scathing in his criticism of the BHA’s premierisation policy which planned to “declutter” Saturday racing in Britain, warning it could destroy the sport’s grassroots. It is a policy, Garratt tells us, that ignores the uniqueness of jump racing.

“Each of the three codes (if I can separate all-weather flat racing from turf) have very different opportunities and different threats,” Garratt declares. “And yet the BHA lumps them all together in the fixture process and has encouraged them to compete for a two-tier funding system which they’ve christened ‘core’ and ‘premier’.

“While it’s fairly easy to see an elite strand of racing on the flat, which exists on a global stage, jump racing is a much more integrated environment, where top-class horses develop over time, frequently competing at a grassroots level on their way to the top. The best horses might compete in point-to-points, or bumpers, or both. Many will take in a handicap or two, some in relatively modest company.

“Even during the recent Willie Mullins domination, we’d be hopeful of spotting a future Cheltenham Festival winner, or a Grand National winner, at a Kelso fixture which has been allocated the ‘core’ label.

“My opinion is that jump racing has a more nuanced and interesting narrative than flat racing and so we don’t need these false labels. We should be encouraging racegoers to follow the action at all tracks, and enjoy the progression as horses move through the developmental races and become seasoned performers – at whatever level they eventually attain.”

The purpose of all-weather racing is to provide a betting product in time slots that are not available to jump racing, Garratt argues. The story of jump racing is far deeper and a key asset he maintains.

“Each code has its own strengths. One of jump racing’s strongest is its unique ability to create fantastic, romantic stories. While it’s flattering that so many people have credited Kelso with developing the jumps’ programme through the changes we made to the Morebattle Hurdle, the truth is that we simply tapped into strengths that already existed in jump racing – we increased the value of a high quality race which was close in proximity to Cheltenham, made it a handicap to give more runners a chance, and added a £100,000 bonus to tie us into the existing Festival narrative. We were very fortunate when The Shunter won it in the first year!”

Garratt doesn’t think a centralised pattern for the chief NH countries would work but never one to knock a suggestion without offering another, he makes a different, radical proposal.

“One idea which I’d throw out there, instead, is a unified trainers’ championship. At the moment, the top British trainers will favour races in Britain over valuable opportunities elsewhere because they want to win their Championship. I assume it’s the same in Ireland and France. I might be wrong, but Willie’s bid for the British Championship appeared to be an afterthought, it came into the reckoning after he’d already enjoyed a great Cheltenham.

“If a European Trainers’ Championship had a really good prize and was supported by the media, trainers might consider running in races throughout all of the countries which were part of it. I’m not saying it would work – but if greater international cooperation was considered beneficial to the sport, this might be one way to move it forward.”

Louisa Carberry (Trainer: France)

Louisa Carberry is a native of England from an eventing background who is based in France ten years, where she met and married Philip Carberry, the Champion Hurdle winning jockey from the famed clan that became the first Irish jockey to win the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris – the French Gold Cup - in 2006. 

She became the first foreign woman to train the winner of the Grande Steepe in 2020. Docteur De Ballon backed up 12 months later and with Louisa saddling Gran Diose to a third victory in five seasons last May, she is now in exalted territory.

The programme and prize money make France the most desired place to train for her.

“We have a lot fewer handicap handicaps over here in jumping,” Carberry explains. “What we do have is very valuable handicaps. There was a 100 grand handicap hurdle yesterday and that happens a couple of times a week, and they’re usually for horses rated from 0-130 and they’re highly competitive races.

“It’s a quite nice way of doing it. It might start off with a race for horses that haven't run three times or been placed twice. And then you might step up to races for horses that haven't picked up €20,000 this year. And then you get a kilo for every five grand you won. So you can sort of just step up and up and up. And then when you hit a bar, you change discipline. You go chasing.

“What I like is it's a very clear pyramid system here. For example, for chasers, five-year-olds and over, there’s one Grade 1 in the spring and one in the autumn. And so I think that's nice so the Grade 1 winner is essentially, hopefully, the best horse.”

With fewer jumps horses in training in France, there isn’t a need for the quantity of racing that exists in Ireland and Britain, but ensuring the best are taking each other on and that Grade 1s are not pieces of work should always be the target.

“Otherwise, it loses its importance, doesn’t it? We should have that stepping stone system, into a listed race if they’re capable and so on. You should be taking in a handicap on the way up unless, of course, the horse is clearly so super-talented that you don’t need to.”

She has little time for complaints about the dominance of Mullins et al.

“Everyone started somewhere. It should be more, ‘How can I compete with them more or, do as well as them?,’ rather than complaining. It’s easy to say that, of course, when I’m not in there. But you find what works. There are trainers that their business is based on selling one or two horses a year and if the horse goes on and runs well, they’re thrilled. Whereas I’d rather win a Gold Cup! But each to their own. I’d also be thrilled if the horse sold well and it went on to run well.”

Does being so prosperous within a French system remove the ambition of aiming for a Cheltenham Gold Cup, for example? Or would a uniform pattern, or at least something similar, bring travelling to one of the other two countries into focus for French trainers?

“Definitely, and we have gone to England and Ireland a couple of times. Happy to do more and are likely to do more. It's got to be worthwhile, that you think there's nothing more valuable over here. So it probably comes down to prize money, but then at the same time, God, I’d love to win a really good race, even if it was worth less than something over here. But over here, we know where we are, we've got our mark, their horse is going to do well, and it's worth a lot of money.

“I wouldn’t be against running in a nice handicap at Cheltenham either, by the way. It doesn't have to be a Grade 1. But you don’t know the horses you’re taking on, you don’t know the track, the racing style and the money isn’t great. So do I stick to what I know?”

Carberry believes more French-based trainers are looking beyond their borders, however. Current King George VI Chase favourite, Il Est Français (Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm) and Gold Tweet (Gabriel Leenders) made a splash in Britain in 2023. 

“I think it's important for us to show that we're keen and willing and able and capable of running them, but probably things like the season and the programme, a few little tweaks there might help. But that’s not something that’s going to happen overnight.”

Conclusion

This subheading may mislead. We have no definitive answers here. There is plenty of logic though and a few intriguing proposals  – take a bow, Jonathan Garratt with the idea of a European Trainers’ Championship!

Emma Lavelle’s championing of bands of racing for the mid-tier horse, and suggestions around adopting the French method of framing races around prize money, so well-articulated by Louisa Carberry, certainly appears to have a sound basis.

A single rating mechanism seems straightforward. Less so, perhaps, a NH equivalent of the European Pattern Committee that regulates the programme for flat racing, to avoid clashes in different jurisdictions, set conditions and ensure standard control i.e. that low-performing races have their status reduced and those constantly performing have them increased if they are not already Grade 1s.

One British course clerk, speaking off the record, had no doubt about the need for an overhaul of the pattern in some way. Of the circa 140 graded races in the jurisdiction, using three-year parameters, 54 of them are not performing. 

The pattern is supposed to be how we accurately measure achievement and status, with a variety of ways of eventually reaching whatever your ceiling. But if it is diluted and Grade 1s are thrown about like confetti, the entire product and system is devalued. 

Vin Cox, Yulong representative in Australia has discussed it in terms of a similar debate Down Under, about how the black type is the internationally recognised language but that its integrity is compromised by just adding another one “willy-nilly” i.e. without following a set list of criteria. 

Any thriving entity needs cohesion. We shall wait and see.

EMHF Update

Article by Paull Khan

This summer, to coincide with the Italian Derby, Italy’s Ministry of Agriculture (MASAF) and its Institute of Culture organised an event in Rome celebrating the role of the thoroughbred in culture. EMHF Secretary-General, Paull Khan was asked to speak on ‘the role of the thoroughbred in the development of human society.’ The text of his talk is repeated here.

I would like to start by commending MASAF and the Institute of Culture for conceiving of and delivering this event today. Because, in many ways, these are troubled times for our sport globally: the number of thoroughbreds foaled has fallen significantly over recent years, from over 123,000 20 years ago to around 86,000 today; just this year, racing will cease in Singapore, Macau and Greece, and our very social licence to operate – alongside that of other sports and pastimes that make use of animals – is being brought increasingly into question.

So there is no better time to shine a spotlight, for a change, on the enormous benefits that the thoroughbred has brought to human society in the relatively short time since its creation in England in the late-1700’s.  

I could look at the big picture – for example, the overall economic impact of racing (which we have calculated at no less than 21 billion Euros per annum across Europe alone) – but instead, in an attempt to convey the very varied contribution that thoroughbreds can make to society,  and with the ten minutes I have available to me, I am going to take three examples: of thoroughbred racing, first as a symbol of renewal and normalcy after conflict, secondly as a focus for unity and peace and finally as an economic and charitable powerhouse.

For my first example, I look to Libya. You will all remember how Libya descended into turmoil and civil war after Col. Gaddafi’s overthrow in 2011. War was raging in Tripoli as recently as July 2021. However, despite the chaos and conflict that has wracked the country, horseracing has staged a remarkable recovery. Seemingly at the very first races were being organised again. I liken it sometimes to those desert flowers which, after years of inactivity, at the first opportunity, bloom again. Today, there are several tracks that have not only been re-opened, but are being renovated and modernised, and one brand new track is under construction. Government has supported the sport’s funding generously, and racegoers have turned out in high numbers. Despite there being no betting, horseracing is second only to football in terms of attendances, (as in Britain, where I live). I firmly believe the reason for all this is that racing is a symbol of normalcy, and is seen to be by enlightened administrations. The Libyan Horseracing Authority is adopting a particularly socially enlightened approach – it has established the Social Solidarity Cup, which might be the first race meeting in the world designed especially around those with disabilities, special needs and autism spectrum disorders.

Secondly, I turn to Lebanon. Lebanon is a country of great religious diversity - however, for 15 years, from 1975 to 1990, some of you will remember, it was wracked by civil war. A ‘green line’ developed in Beirut, separating the Christian East from the Muslim West. And smack, bang on that green line was the racecourse. Two years into the war, it was decided to re-establish racing. And when they did, at the first race meeting, 12,000 people defied the dangers and went to the races. From then, rather than the racecourse becoming a no-go area, it actually became the only place where, for several years, people from opposite sides of the green line could meet each other, united in their love of the sport of racing. It became a symbol of the hope of national unity and of peaceful Christian/Muslim coexistence. 

There’s a wonderful short film, a German-made film, on Youtube, which describes it very well. It’s called ‘Stories from No Man’s Land’ and I urge you to watch it. At one point, there’s the story of a former fighter who was ordered by his boss, near the start of the war, to plant a bomb in the racecourse buildings. He went to check the place out – ‘do a reccy’. He’d never been racing before, never seen how people react at the finish of a race. And he says: “suddenly everyone got up, Muslims and Christians together, and started waving their arms around, and then sat down”. 

“I was troubled” he says, “all I saw were simple people, Muslims and Christians joined together”. He refused to carry out his mission – no bomb was ever planted on the course.

For several years, racing continued for most of the time. At the President’s request, race meetings took place during the worst of the civil war fighting – when the racing was on, the shooting would subside – only to start again once the spectators had gone home. 

Extraordinarily, there was never any trouble at the racetrack, and the course was even used as the venue for peace talks.

In 1982 the Israeli invasion completely destroyed the stands. But, after the war was over, they were quickly rebuilt in the 90’s and racing started up again – much like in my first example of Libya.

Just because the war was over, it didn’t mean the threats to the racecourse were over.  The civil authorities wanted to capitalise on its prime location – right in the centre of Beirut - and use it for a new presidential palace. But there was a concerted and spirited campaign to save the track, which attracted great public support, I dare say because it had become part of the fabric of society, symbolic of humanity’s better nature. 

And finally, to Hong Kong.

The richest Racing Authority on earth is the Hong Kong Jockey Club. It is a quite remarkable organisation. As you know, Hong Kong is tiny – you could fit five Hong Kongs into Rome. It has only two racecourses. But its Jockey Club employs nearly 20,000 people and is in the top ten charity donors, not only in Hong Kong itself, not only in Asia – but in the world. The Jockey Club is Hong Kong’s biggest taxpayer. 

In round terms, there are 37bn Euros bet with the Hong Kong Jockey Club. They take a little under 15% of that and, of their cut, they then give three-quarters to the state. And that amounts to 3.3bn Euros in tax and nearly a further billion Euros in charitable donations. 

So when it says on its website: “The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society”, you might think that’s just marketing speak. But it is not. In the last month alone, for example, they have been able to make these announcements:

Jockey Club donates HK$ 720 million to help low-income families in transitional housing become self-reliant and Jockey Club Expands to five districts the scheme bridging the poverty divide through holistic support for disadvantaged children and families

And what is at the core, at the heart, of this behemoth? It is the thoroughbred. Hong Kong is, I feel, a great example for the world’s Governments. Governments can choose to establish other ways of raising charitable funds through gambling – such as lotteries. And, more broadly, they can elect to put in place a legislative and taxation framework that favours other modes of gaming – roulette, slot machines, etc. But what none of these arid forms of gambling can do is what the thoroughbred does – support an extensive network of related jobs, which, in most jurisdictions around the globe, are primarily in rural areas; boost those rural economies and bring to society generally a point of cohesion, a sense of shared celebration, a recognition of continuing a great historical tradition. So, I say: “Governments: if you support horseracing with a benign legal and financial framework, our sport will repay you, and repay society, many times over”. 

It was Kemal Ataturk, the towering Turkish leader of a century ago - still revered by many in Turkey to this day - who said:

“Horseracing is a social need for modern societies”.

‘A social need for modern societies’….. I believe he was right. 

A BUSY SUMMER FOR THE EMHF

This summer saw a succession of EMHF events. Here is a quick summary.

General Assembly – Copenhagen, Denmark

Our General Assembly took place in Copenhagen in June. For the Federation this was a first – and highly successful – visit to Denmark. In recent years, EMHF annual meetings have evolved into mini conferences, rather than traditional general assemblies and delegates were treated to a wide range of presentations. 

  • Horse Racing Ireland CEO, Suzanne Eade, kicked off a discussion on sustainability and what it means for racing authorities by explaining the approach being taken in Ireland, as part of the HRI’s broader strategy. 

  • Di Arbuthnot, (Chair of the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses) outlined IFAR’s new membership-based model, under which interested organisations and individuals can show their support for aftercare by becoming a member or a supporter of IFAR and then and Teodor Sheytanov (Secretary-General of the European Equestrian Federation) discussed ways in which the thoroughbred and equestrian world’s could align in aftercare efforts.

  • Paull Khan (EMHF Secretary-General) summarised the results of a survey of EMHF members on their experience and awareness of illegal betting, before Brant Dunshea, BHA Chief Regulatory Officer and a member of the Asian Racing Federation’s Council on Anti-Illegal Betting and Related Financial Crime, spelt out the concerning implications of its growth for European racing. 

  • Darragh O’Loughlin (CEO of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board) gave a case study of collaboration between EMHF members, concerning a range of integrity initiatives.

  • The European Pony Racing Association had considered what those in charge of mainstream racing might do, in order that pony racing could best provide the stars of tomorrow. Paull Khan, as EPRA Chair, set out this ‘wish-list’.

  • Cathy McGlynn, (EMHF Political Advisor) summarised progress on the EU’s review of its animal welfare legislation and the continuing efforts of the EMHF’s Political & Legislative Committee in seeking to minimise the adverse unintended consequences of what is currently proposed.

  • Peter McNeile (Director of EMHF’s Official Ticketing Partner, Future Ticketing) explored recent advances in the ways in which racecourses are making use of customer data.

  • Finally, Paull Khan presented the results of the EMHF’s National Racing Survey, which were set out in the last issue of this magazine.

This was the third year of an arrangement whereby commercial organisations, relevant to racing in our region, are invited to join in the General Assembly and its social programme and, at their first attendance, make a short presentation to the delegates. What began with just three companies has expanded to 17 delegates from 12 companies. This year’s presentations - from European Horse Services, Steriline, Berlinger, Turftrax, Weatherbys and Cavago – underlined just how multi-faceted our industry is.

As last year, the General Assembly was followed by the EuroMed Stewards Conference, again organised by the British Horseracing Authority. Brant Dunshea chaired the gathering which, in just two years, has become a highly-valued event among the region’s Stewards and regulators. 

And so it was that around 50 attendees were invited to the following day’s racing action. Klampenborg, on the northern outskirts of the capital, is one of European racing’s success stories. Bucking the general trend, attendances are buoyant and the demographic vibrant. It is perhaps only to be expected that the experience of racing at Denmark’s premier racecourse would be the very embodiment of its concept of hygge. With its architecturally pleasing stands, treed surroundings and proliferation of comfy chairs, it delivered a garden party atmosphere that will live long in the memory.

European Pony Racing Association Annual Meeting – Ascot, England

Following the first two annual meetings, in Budapest and Chantilly, the EPRA Annual Meeting swung into Ascot in July. Britain’s Pony Racing Authority (PRA) kindly hosted us in Ascot’s Berystede Hotel. As well as representatives from several European countries, we also welcomed - in a nod to the Eurovision Song Contest – Australia! Tracey O’Hara gave a fascinating account of how Pony Racing, under Pony Club Australia, which has only been in existence for little over a year, is developing fast. There are lessons to be learnt by all and we are delighted that Australia has become an Associate Member of the EPRA.

The following day allowed our visitors to see how Pony Racing is conducted in Britain, and what better venue than Ascot to showcase this? For the young riders, their experience is wonderful, from their course walk under the tutelage of dual Grand National-winning jockey coach, Carl Llewellyn, to donning real racing silks and mounting their ponies in the storied paddock, to the race itself and, for the winning rider, an interview in the winner’s enclosure, overlooked by the crowds and the towering stands. If they do not remember that for the rest of their lives, it would be a surprise.

Our party was royally looked after and our thanks go out to Howden Group, who generously made available their box, and to stalwart pony racing supporters, Richard and Dawn Prince, who provided the dinner.

​Outgoing PRA Chief Executive, Clarissa Daly was made an Honorary Member of the EPRA - meaning that we will have the pleasure of seeing her at future annual meetings. Speaking of which, next year’s EPRA Meeting will be held at the unique ‘Nationaldagsgaloppen’ racing event that is staged in a park in central Stockholm on Swedish National Day – June 6th – in front of crowds of up to 50,000 people.

European Beach Racing Association – Loredo, Spain

Loredo and Laredo enjoy many similarities. Aside from just their names, both are resorts on Spain’s Cantabrian coast, (separated by less than 40 kilometers) and both have for many years staged official beach race meetings, featuring the Loredo and Laredo Derbies, respectively.

Since COVID, Laredo has, sadly, been unable to stage a meeting, although the signs are good that a return to action in 2025 may be on the cards. So, it has been left to Loredo to fly the Cantabrian Beach Racing flag. We were thrilled when Loredo offered to host our Seventh Annual Meeting. Grateful thanks are due to Antonio Sarabia, lynchpin of Cantabrian racing, from whom we learnt much about the history of beach racing in the region, and to Loredo Neighbourhood Council and Ribamontan al Mar City Council for their kind hospitality.

Sarabia explained that Beach Racing at Loredo would reach its 70th Anniversary in 2026. Initially it involved farmers with the carts they would also have used to transport their produce. It was in 1975 that races for thoroughbreds were first organised and in 1983 when they became Official races. Today, these races constitute a significant draw for local tourism - in 2019 a record crowd to date of 18,500 attended. Races are confined to Amateur Riders and the meetings are important events in the Gentlemen Riders' calendar.

This year's meeting was not without its challenges. Inclement weather forced organisers to amend the configuration of the track. The two thoroughbred races, of 1,500m/7.5f and 2,000m/1m 2f respectively, were to have been run round one and two bends respectively. However, in the event they were run over a straight course.

In addition, two Pony Races (the first for riders aged 8 to 11, the second for those aged 12 to 16) were run, together with a Pony Racing Challenge Match between two 13-year-old girls, considered stars of the future. Cantabrian Pony Racing has produced significant numbers of amateur and professional jockeys, trainers and owners.

European Parliament ‘Mission’ – Brussels, Belgium

This year being an election year for the European Parliament, 2024’s EMHF ‘Brussels Mission’ took on extra significance. To help maintain racing’s profile and influence in Europe’s corridors of power, we stage an annual visit to its Parliament and Commission to talk to the key decision-makers on the burning issues of the moment. Currently, this means the review of European animal welfare legislation and, most topically within that, welfare in transport. While, in the current proposals for the new legislation, vital exemptions from many of the administrative requirements have thankfully been secured for thoroughbreds travelling to race or for training, there is still much to do to convince the legislators of the need to extend those freedoms for breeding and sales travel. 

All EMHF EU Member Countries are invited to send appropriate delegates to these ‘missions’, which are led by Paull Khan and arranged by the EMHF’s Political Advisor, Cathy McGlynn. 

We were excited to see that, among the rookie MEP’s, is a certain Nina Carberry, the celebrated Irish Grand National-winning jockey – daughter of multiple Irish Champion Jump Jockey, Tommy Carberry and sister-in-law to another great champion, Ruby Walsh - with whom we had a most productive discussion.

Nina Carberry sits on the Transport and Tourism Committee - highly relevant to the current review. Another key Committee for this dossier is that for Agriculture and Rural Development, and we also met with former Irish Agriculture Minister, Barry Cowen, another new MEP.

The Missions allow us not only to meet with new 'movers and shakers', but also to build relations over time and we were delighted to meet up again with former EP First Vice-President, Mairead McGuinness and MEP's Sean Kelly and Billy Kelleher.

The EMHF delegation had a strong Irish flavour this year, with Horse Racing Ireland's Chief Executive Officer, Suzanne Eade, Equine Welfare & Bloodstock Director, John Osborne and Director of Communications & Marketing, Paula Cunniffe making the journey. The team also met with Pat O'Rourke, Advisor to Ciaran Mullooly, MEP and Kevin Foley-Friel, Agricultural Attache with the Irish Permanent Representation to the EU. These national permanent representations are an important group in the next phase of the review’s passage.

Tanguy Courtois, Head of Public Affairs for French racing, represented France and met with Céline Imart (EPP - France), Maria Noichl (S&D - Germany), and Valérie Deloge (Patriots - France), as well as the Permanent Representation of France.

Finally, Paull Khan and Tanguy Courtois joined EMHF Political and Legislative Committee Member and European Horse Network (EHN) Secretary-General, Florence Gras in an EHN planning meeting with MEP Horse Group Chair, Hilda Vautmans, MEP.

All in all, a packed and highly valuable series of meetings. 

How Does the Regulatory Environment for Pool Betting Impact on the Financial Health of Horseracing Around the World?

Simon Bazalgette, the founding Chair of specialist management consultancy GVS EQ, and Martin Purbrick, a founding GVS EQ associate, take a canter around the world to see how betting regulation, and particularly pool betting, has a vital impact on the relative level of prize money, and therefore the financial health of the sport.

For the last century and beyond, Horseracing has had a symbiotic relationship with betting, and this remains the case in most countries – to a greater or lesser extent. As a result, the financial strength of each national horseracing industry depends on the way that betting is regulated and owned in that country. An understanding of a national regulatory structure for betting is vital for any understanding the wide variation of prize money in different countries.

Pool betting, also known as ‘Tote betting’ or ‘pari-mutuel betting’, has long been associated with horse racing. Tote betting was established in the 19th century and involves all the amounts bet combined in a pool, from which the operator takes a cut, then the odds are calculated based on the proportions wagered on each outcome. Totalisator odds are different to fixed odds in that they are not set until the race begins, no more bets are accepted and the total amount in the pool is finalised.

Tote operators were created to harness wagering to support the sustainability of racing, the welfare of horses, as well as employment for the large numbers of people involved in the sport around the world. Horse racing is a high cost and capital intensive sport to organise and operate, and requires considerable sustainable funding to survive. 

In markets with strong totes such as Japan, Hong Kong and France, racing generally does relatively well. In countries where other forms of betting have been licensed, racing can still do well if there is a fair balance of funding provided back to the sport from all types of betting. Australia would be a good example of this. In the US the position is rapidly changing from a pure racing tote market with the introduction of sports betting.

In the UK, the introduction of off course fixed odds betting in the early 1960s, with a relatively loose link to horseracing, has meant that British horseracing has lost pace with its fellow racing jurisdictions around the world when it comes to prize money and investment in the sport from the betting industry.

In South Africa and Australia there remains a mixed economy of fixed odds and pool betting. Australian racing has strong statutory support to ensure a meaningful percentage of betting revenues goes to horseracing ensures that prize money levels remain internationally competitive.

For many years there has been a steady but less than speedy process of the official totes connecting with each other to combine pools on racing – commonly known as commingling. There are several reasons for the slow progress, primarily the different bet types and conditions attached to similar bet types, but also the commingling technology (ITSP) which has been in place for more than 20 years but is still embedded in many heritage platforms. The most important development in commingling has been the World Pool, which is hosted by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. 

In addition to the main national or state totes, there are a number of private pool operators who offer access to the pools particularly for large international players who offer significant liquidity to the market.

Some countries, particularly the Gulf States, do not have licensed betting of any sort, and the sport relies mainly on the financial support of the state, the royal families and rich owners.

To a large degree, the level of funding available for horseracing is dependent on the level of support that national or state regulations provide, particularly with regard to funding from betting, and therefore any attempt to assume that success in one country can be used as a template for another should be treated with great caution.

Let’s take a high level look at what this means for the major racing jurisdictions.

France

The French pool betting market is around €9 billion annually, the profits from which are reinvested back into the sport. It is notable for its wide retail distribution through the vast network of over 20,000 tabacs (tobacco and convenience stores) in the country.

Pool betting in France is primarily controlled and run by the PMU despite attempts to open up the market over the last decade or so. The PMU returns all its benefits to the 66 French horse racing companies organising gallop and trotting races (France Galop and Le Trot), sustaining more than 60,000 direct and indirect jobs throughout France. 

In 2023, the PMU paid a total contribution of 835 million euros to France Galop and Le Trot. This financial contribution supported the operation of 233 racetracks and 26,000 horses in training.

Other types of betting operator have been licensed in France since 2010 but they remain heavily restricted and take only a very small share of the French horserace betting market.

Japan

The Japan Racing Association (JRA) is the custodian of horse racing and also tote betting at the national level. Pool betting on racing in Japan generated a betting turnover of over 2.5 trillion Yen (Euro 15 billion). The JRA is required to provide 10% of its gross betting turnover to the national treasury, as well as 50% of any surplus profits remaining at the end of the fiscal year. Three-quarters of the contribution must be used for improvement of livestock breeding and the JRA also contributes additional funds to horse breeding as well as the promotion of equestrian culture.

It is no coincidence that Japanese racing offers the largest pool of prize money in the world, given the JRA’s control of horserace betting in Japan under its vertically integrated sole licensed operator. Betting on other sports is also limited to only a small number of local sports such as bicycle, boat and motor racing.

The Japanese pool is restricted from commingling with other international pool operators, with only limited pilot trials having taken place to date. Typically this is driven by the presence of Japanese runners in overseas races, to allow Japanese punters to bet on these horses. When this does take place, it generally has a major impact because the level of Japanese betting will be significantly larger than the home pool.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong has vertically integrated racing and pool betting, operated by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC). It generates around HK$130 billion (€15 billion) in annual betting turnover, with the HKJC being the largest corporate taxpayer in Hong Kong, and operating one of the world’s largest and most active charitable trusts. All surplus funds after operating expenses are either reinvested in racing or passed to the HKJC Charities Trust.

Most recently, the HKJC has become the host of the most successful international pool betting initiative, the World Pool and involves a collaboration of over 25 racing jurisdictions allowing customers to bet into a single pool involving enormous liquidity. This enlarged liquidity ensures that there are less odds (price) variations in smaller betting markets and better value for all betting customers. In the 2023/24 racing season, there are 45 World Pool fixtures at racecourses around the world, and the number is likely to continue to grow.

By allowing international horseracing fans the ability to bet into one pool on the major group races around the world, it has created a significant additional betting revenue stream in other territories whereby, for example, racedays such as the Epsom Derby, Caulfield Cup and the Dubai World Cup benefit from the significant level of betting that can be generated. 

United States

In the US, betting is regulated at the state level and historically was limited to pari mutuel betting on horseracing.

Alongside this there were some examples of licensed casinos or slots which would usually be allowed only on racecourses or designated casino sites. Where a racecourse had such additional betting, it would significantly increase the level of prize money that racecourse could offer compared to other US racecourses.

The first Off Track Betting (OTB) service for horseracing was licensed in New York State in the 1970s, and rolled out in a number of states thereafter. These have been superseded by account deposit wagering services (ADWs). Horseracing remained the prime beneficiary of the OTBs and ADWs until in 2018 a Supreme Court ruling opened up the potential for states to licence fixed odds sports betting and almost 40 states have now done so to some extent.

US horserace pool betting is dominated by the two major racetrack groups - Churchill Downs (through its Twin Spires service) and the Stronach group (through their 1/ST and Xpressbet services). The two groups also own two of the major tote tech companies, United Tote (CD) and Amtote (1/ST). Churchill recently announced that NYRA (the racing operator in NY State) had completed its purchase of a 49% stake in United Tote.

Licensed betting on horseracing remains around $10 billion pa but betting on other sports has grown to over $90 billion pa.

United Kingdom

The UK has arguably the most competitive licensing environment for betting in the world. The UK Tote was created by Winston Churchill (a Jockey Club member) in 1926 as an independent body run for the good of racing; but unlike other countries, its betting monopoly was ended in the early 1960s with the creation of licensed fixed odds betting shops. Also unlike elsewhere, British horseracing was given no control over the off-course market, but instead a statutory levy was created to ensure that a small proportion of the profits from betting on horseracing was passed through to contribute to the financing of the sport.

Since that time, pool betting has had a declining share of the betting market and currently represents around 10%. The UK is dominated by fixed odds operators, and while British punters have the widest choice of competitive bets in the world, they also benefit from the highest return on bets in the world. This means that pool betting, with its higher take-out rates, struggles to match the pricing for fixed odds for simple bets, but is more competitive in so-called exotic bets, particularly the Place Pot.

The Levy is currently set at 10% of gross margin on betting on domestic horseracing, which, due to the highly competitive market and the low margins, is the equivalent of around 0.7% of betting turnover, amongst the lowest return from betting to horseracing in the world.

There have been various attempts to bring the Tote closer to racing, either through transferring its ownership to the sport, or through a preferential sale to racing, but these attempts have all failed. In 2011, the Tote was nationalised and then sold to the bookmaker group, Betfred, who sold it on to its current owners (which includes several large owners and breeders) in 2018. The UK Tote has had a commercial arrangement with the British racecourses (via their shared on-course betting company, Britbet) which is due for renewal in 2025.

Horserace betting remains at a significant level in the UK, c£5bn pa, second in Europe to France, but due to the difference to the regulatory structures, the amount transferred to the sport is significantly lower than in France.

Australia

Australia is arguably the best example of a mixed economy of pool and fixed odds betting, all of which provides significant funding back into horseracing. 

Each state and territory has its own regulatory authority for betting and racing. Betting is owned and run separately from the sport, and generates around €15 billion pa, which is pretty evenly split between pool betting and fixed odds.

Tabcorp Holdings, a public company, is the largest operator of pari-mutuel betting, running TAB-branded services across multiple states, and each state tends to have its own pool operator as well.

As in the UK betting operators are required to pay a proportion of their revenues to the sport, under what is known as Racing Fields regulations. The level required in Australia is significantly higher than the UK levy – typically between 1.5% and 3% of betting turnover - and allows Australian racing to offer prize money at the top end of international levels. 

Ireland

The betting market in Ireland has many similarities to the UK. Betting on horseracing is around €1.1bn to €1.3bn each year, with Tote Ireland representing a small proportion (6%-7%). Betting operators pay a government levy which is paid over to the horseracing industry via Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), usually between €80m - €100m pa. This funding supports the development and promotion of the industry, racecourse maintenance and annual prize money of around €65m pa.

South Africa

South Africa is a market with a mixed economy between the original pool operator (the SA Tote, owned by Phumelela, the largest racecourse group) and fixed odds operators. Phumelela has arrangements in place with the National Horseracing Authority of South Africa to support prize money and the promotion of SA racing in the country.

Pool betting on horseracing is around €400m pa and represents around two thirds of the market, with fixed odds operators growing fast.

Conclusion

The financial contributions to racing from totes are a critical part of the sustainability of racing, supporting a huge number of jobs in the sport. However, the regulatory and tax structure for pool betting varies considerably around the world.

Most countries will have started from a similar position of the tote being the only form of licensed betting as explained by Sir Winston Churchill: “I have always believed that it was a good thing for the State to organise the totalisator and take control of this form of betting in order to eliminate illegal practices and to ensure that a proper proportion of the proceeds went to public purposes.” 

The position in each country has diverged significantly over the last 100 years, and this means the impact on the funding for the sport is very different in each country. While there are areas of similarity, building greater collaboration between tote operators is a long road but one that can only benefit racing in the long term.

EMHF - Might technological advance lead to greater international co-operation in racing?

MIGHT TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCE LEAD TO GREATER INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION IN RACING?Impressions from Korea and the Asian Racing ConferenceThe Asian Racing Conference (ARC) was first staged 58 years ago and attracted less than 70 delegates. These days, …

By Dr. Paull Khan

The Asian Racing Conference (ARC) was first staged 58 years ago and attracted less than 70 delegates. These days, it is held biennially, and the 37th ARC returned to Seoul this year – the third time it has been Korean-hosted.

The Racing

Prior to the conference, delegates had the chance to attend Korean Derby Day at Seoul Racecourse Park. Prize money for the 11-race card averaged over €100,000 per race, with the Derby itself – won by 2/1 favourite Ecton Blade, a son of imported Kentucky-bred stallion Ecton Park – worth €640,000.

The grandstands at Seoul are enormous structures, stretching far along the finishing straight and reminiscent of those at Tokyo racecourse. For many of the 80,000 racegoers who can be accommodated, there is the option of an individually numbered seat, not with any vantage point affording a view of the track, but rather deep in the bowels of one or another of five identical and cavernous floors. Each of these floors was packed this Derby Day with studious race fans, mostly deeply absorbed in their form guides, checking betting monitors, and scribbling notes, doubtless plotting betting combinations of fiendish complexity. The bias towards exotic bets is extreme in Korea, with just one percent of the handle directed at win bets.

By the time of each race, the crowds migrated to the viewing areas of the stands, looking out at the biggest big-screen in the racing world – which, despite its 150m width, is every bit as picture-crisp as one would expect from Korean technology.

Racing is an immensely popular spectator sport in the country. Annual attendances of 15 million from a population of just 50 million put European countries to shame. (For example, in Britain, where racing is the second most popular spectator sport, the 65 million population only make 6 million racecourse visits, and even on the island of Ireland, the ratio is not as impressive as in Korea: 1.3 million turnstile clicks from a population of 6.6 million). One might imagine that this results from a monopoly that racing enjoys when it comes to the gambling options available to Korean citizens. To some extent, this is true: there is but one casino in the whole of the country which Koreans may enter, and there is no domestic online betting offering. But betting – albeit to limited stakes – is allowed on a variety of other sports, a curious selection, including cycling and ssirum (Korea’s answer to sumo wrestling). And illegal online betting is widespread.

So the numbers can be seen as a great advertisement for the sport. And the crowds were fully engaged in the day’s activities: noisy and every bit as animated as one would find at Ascot or Flemington. But there is one striking feature of the scene at Seoul racecourse that sets it apart from virtually every other, outside the Middle East. It slowly dawns on one that these tens of thousands of committed racegoers are enjoying their long day’s racing…..with not an alcoholic outlet in sight! Proof that racing can thrive without an alcoholic crutch: further evidence of just how our sport, in all its diversity around the world, maintains its ability to surprise us and challenge our stereotypes.

The Conference

Those whose business is horseracing descended on Korea from Asia, Europe, and beyond. While the total of 600 or so delegates was some way short of the record numbers attracted to Hong Kong four years ago (tensions in Korea were particularly high at the time people were asked to commit to paying their USD $1,300 attendance fees, which could not have helped), to my mind, this ARC scaled new heights, in terms of the interest and relevance of the topics covered and the professionalism of the presenters.

Sweeping a bright but focussed spotlight across a broad range of issues of real moment to our sport worldwide, it illuminated such things as the frightening increase in illegal betting, the (to many) puzzling speed of growth of eSports, and the growing menace of gene doping.

The standout ‘takeaway’ from the conference for me was a talk on broadcasting technology trends by Hong Kong Jockey Club senior consultant Oonagh Chan.  While this fell within a session entitled “Reaching and Expanding Racing’s Fan Base” and focussed on technology advances in areas such as picture resolution and clarity, and how 360° video might attract new followers of horseracing, I was left pondering how dramatically they might also have an impact on stewards’ rooms around the world...

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