18th July 2020

There is little to report, horses continue to come in off grass and a few new arrivals are appearing. We have a huge amount to look forward to and I can’t wait for the season proper to get going. 

Racing is not in the greatest of places since corona virus struck. Prior to corona virus, too many people wanted to constantly talk it down, they now have a free rein to do so. Over the last few years I have witnessed the same type of negativity around point to points, negativity is toxic and eventually everyone believes it to be worse than it actually is. 

I’m afraid the stark reality is that racing is currently in poor shape. No one can be blamed for the impact the virus has had and it is simply the way of the world for the time being. What those in power can be held accountable for is the fact that the sport was in such a precarious position prior to the corona virus. Understandably, owners are getting seriously fed up and some action to appease their frustrations should be considered an emergency. We are all in this together and we all need to work together to get through this tough time. If solutions to clam the waters can’t be found I’m afraid it will become one-way traffic and I fear many owners and trainers will be lost and not return. To witness a Newmarket group winning trainer handing in his license at the end of the year on financial grounds is a huge concern for everyone involved in the sport. If racing in the UK ends up being dominated by three or four trainers as it is in Ireland it will be a sad day.  

I am a believer in that some of the cream should be taken from the top and filtered down. I read today that someone was grumbling about The Ebor being worth 250k instead of the Million it was forecast to be. I think 250K for any race is enough and more should be filtered down to the lower tiers. This should naturally be reflected in the entry fees. Charging more for the lower graded races worth more money and less for the higher grade races worth considerably more. What do I know, I am sure that is all far too simplistic?

Black Anthem and Christopher Robin head to Market Rasen on Monday, to read my thoughts click here.