Stuart Williams, Flat trainer
If the current affordability debacle isn’t sorted out in racing’s favour, I fear all we are doing is rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic!
We need to get away from the ‘pile it high and sell it cheap’ model that the racecourses and bookmakers, assisted by an impotent regulator, have promoted over the last ten to 15 years.
I would like to see clearly defined Flat/National Hunt/all-weather seasons, with meaningful breaks between each and a big fanfare to start and finish. Owner/trainer/jockey championships should also be clearly defined in this way.
Of course, I can only speak for the Flat racing programme, as we don’t do National Hunt.
Would it be a silly idea to re-introduce the necessity to finish in the first four in a maiden/novice race before receiving a handicap mark? It worked very well in nurseries for many years – horses would receive a rating after six runs if not finishing in the first four. Along with this stipulation I would like to see a minimum rating of 55; this would make novice/maiden races immediately more competitive, with all runners trying to finish in the top four or achieve a rating above 55.
On top of this, a clear prize-money meritocracy, with minimum and maximum values with each grade worth at least £5k more than the previous grade, should be introduced, again to promote aspirational campaigning of horses. This would need a dynamic race programme directly linked to the horse population; the BHA have this information, all it would need is for the trainers to indicate each month which horses are ready to run in the following two months.
In my ideal world this system would run alongside a comprehensive claiming programme, similar to the one used in the USA.
Obviously, a different funding model would need to be introduced to fund my master plan – this is imperative in my opinion – with Britain bottom of the pile when it comes to betting turnover returned to racing.
Alan Spence, owner and ROA Board member
Is it time to remove the ‘restricted’ Flat novices and maidens and replace them with ‘open restricted’ contests?
Racing needs to create an environment that rewards and encourages investment by owners in the sales ring. The current set-up of the restricted maiden/novice system does the opposite of this – owners and trainers who make that jump up in the sales ring from Band C/D to Band A/B have less options and are faced with stiffer tasks.
At the end of 2024, British racing had staged 689 two-year-old maiden/novice events of which 406 (59%) were open and 166 (24%) solely restricted to Band C/D. Owners/trainers who have spent more money in the sales ring are having their opportunities limited. The threshold for Band B (£39,601) and Band A (£66,001) are below both the average and median prices of a yearling in 2023 at the major sales – owners who make that jump into spending more money are being forced to take on the best of the best, making it harder to win races.
By the end of last year, there had been only 12 two-year-old races, over all distances combined, open to horses in Band A. Owners who are happy to put their hand in their pocket to spend more money for a Band A/B horse are having their chances limited and there will come a point at which it makes more sense to spend less money in the sales ring, knowing you will have more chance to win on the racecourse if you are guaranteed easier opportunities in the current Band C/D format.
Band C/D restricted races are providing the less competitive racing and producing a lesser betting and viewing product. In restricted races for three-year-olds and above since the start of 2012, the average SP of the winner (3.39-1) is considerably lower than open races (4.43-1), while the number of runners in restricted races (7.6) is also lower than open races (8.5).
Rather than removing these races, the concept of ‘open restricted’ races can replace the current ‘high value development races.’ Removing these restrictions on runners, opening the races up to more horses, and increasing the number of bands and the weight given from band to band to offset this will make for a more exciting betting and viewing product, with bigger field sizes to boot.
Clive Hadingham, founder of Surrey Racing
The BHA should consider introducing ‘divided handicaps’ to enhance the overall racing experience for owners and the public. We have two horses in training in France where the appeal of the racing programme, particularly its prize-money and well-structured race programme, is evident, with divided handicaps that attract 150+ entries. These races are split by rating, ensuring competitive fields and guaranteeing runs for all declarations.
The large field sizes generate substantial betting turnover, making this model potentially beneficial if adopted in the UK. It would provide more consistent, attractive races, improve race planning, and help allocate prize-money more effectively.
Many owners in Surrey Racing buy into the experience to enjoy high-quality racing but are often disappointed with low-quality racecards, especially at evening all-weather meetings featuring Class 5 and 6 races. These events lack atmosphere, with low public attendance, and dilute the prize-money pool that could be used elsewhere.
Additionally, race planning is inconsistent, with multiple similar races scheduled on the same weekend. The BHA should prioritise the regular race programme over events like the Racing League and Shergar Cup, which take up many Class 3 and 4 races. These events, despite offering good prize-money, do not appeal to Surrey Racing owners, who take pride in being associated with the brand and are always seen in yellow and blue attire.
A similar issue arises in National Hunt racing, where finding a suitable race for the 139-rated stayer Surrey Quest is challenging, with only one or two options available each month. In contrast, a 100-rated horse can race frequently, which further dilutes the prize-money pool.
Richard Kent, owner of Mickley Stud
There’s a lot of expense in getting a horse to the racetrack, paying for travel, jockeys etc. We could have more barrier trials for two-year-olds and even three-year-olds – I don’t think it’s good to run young horses so often just to get a [handicap] mark.
Barrier trials are a better way to run young horses in an honest fashion – it’s more affordable, and a good way to assess a horse’s ability from an owner’s viewpoint. I think the handicap system has outlived itself.
England is now a trial ground for the world – and getting more like that every day. However, everyone wants to race here because of the history and quality, as well as having the best governed and policed sport. But we must move with the times.
We’re short of good National Hunt horses because of the affordability of the sport. At one time we could breed 40 jumping foals in a year and sell two thirds of them at a profit on production. Now, unless you hit on a fashionable stallion, you won’t get it. The average British tax-payer can’t afford to give £100,00 for a three-year-old [jumps prospect]. It’s become very expensive.
If a new person came to me with £25,000 to buy a horse for a bit of fun, you wouldn’t dream of mentioning National Hunt racing – you’d go down the Flat route as you’d be more likely to get the horse to the racecourse, and much quicker as well.
There’s too much low-class jump racing. Plenty of trainers in the north are struggling. Prize-money is a bit of a boring subject but we ran a jumper in France recently, he came second and picked up £5,800 and another 20% in premiums. It won’t pay all the training fees, but it covers a third of them in his first season. In England you can have a horse in training for two years, finish third in a bumper and get £500. It’s all about affordability.
I’d also get rid of summer jumping completely and if courses can’t put up decent prize-money for 20 meetings, they should stage five meetings. We need to stop spreading ourselves so thinly. In France they have 300 racetracks, supported by the PMU. For every horse you have in training in France you get a €3,000 travel allowance per year. To me, every owner of every horse should be able to turn up at a racetrack free of charge.