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Why isn’t Haggis writing to the bookies asking them to increase their levy contributions? That’s a major problem in racing and one that never seems to be properly addressed by trainers or "acronyms".
Bookies depend on racing more than racing depends on them.
Is there anywhere on the internet where I can get a breakdown of what the courses receive from Turf TV/SIS from their picture rights (per race) ?
For publicly quoted companies this is in the public domain. Arena Leisure have just done a new deal which raises media rights income from about £10M a year to about £20M.
I understand that Arena host about 25% of all british racing. Arithmetic tends to suggest that there’s £80M or so coming into racing from a source that didn’t even exist a few years ago.
BSB,
The two I spotted are Keith Reveley (Deputy Chairman, Northern Region) and Jim Boyle (Chairman South East Region).
Here’s the page from their website that shows the Council members:
http://www.racehorsetrainers.org/aboutt … ouncil.asp
Two more have appeared in the entries for Saturday – Tom Tate and John Best.
So that’s four of his key colleagues that have ignored Haggas.
Cjboy,
Does that Arena Leisure figure apply to 2011, or does it refer to a deal done for some time in the future. I only ask as I’ve seen references in accounts to similar increases for Turf TV tracks, relating to six year contracts starting in 2013.
AP
So that’s four of his key colleagues that have ignored Haggas
AP
Maybe they or their owners don’t agree with Haggas or one or two could have a late change of mind.
If Redcar can’t afford to put on proper racing maybe they could go down the flapping route, most people agree there’s too much racing and a bit less dross at the likes of Redcar will help.
I’d say Haggas’ plea has largely fallen on deaf ears given that, despite a four-runner race to open the card, a total of 55 runners will be there today.
I’d just like to share with you all the elation I and many others felt on Saturday when the horse we are involved with won the opener at Redcar in a race with prize money of £1295…
It’s a small, newly formed racing club offering an involvement for a small monthly outlay….For myself and quite a few others in the group it’s our first involvement in the ownership side of things.
I unfortuantely missed out getting in on the gamble…33’s into 9’s due to helping the in-laws move house
…but I’ll tell you something….When I found out the result and that the horse had won it was one of the greatest feelings of elation I’ve ever felt in my life and something that will stay with me forever, and that even with the missing out on having a few quid on it!!It could have been £50 for first prize and it wouldn’t have made the slightest bit of difference to how we all felt when the horse won!
In fact while I’m on about independent courses, Leicester has seen a couple of boycotts too.
An important point, and I wonder if the targeting of two independent courses is an entirely calculated change of tack for this series of boycotts compared to, say, that of Yarmouth a few years ago.
If the latter taught the high-profile trainers who instigate attempted boycotts one thing, it was that muscular, hateful, Alpha Male bullying of some of the lesser lights of their profession doesn’t necessarily go down well. Mark Johnston’s gunning for Christine Dunnett after she entered horses at the meeting in question did not pass without adverse comment in the trade press’s column inches (if I remember correctly Mark Winstanley, in particular, was outraged), and nor should it have.
I’m not aware of any comparable slating of the Bob Johnsons, Alan Berrys, Geoff Harkers, etc. of this world by Haggas et al for their participation at Redcar last week – the boycotters’ ire has been directed squarely at the racecourse and the racecourse alone.
Regardless of whether it’s a trainer or a course of limited means being strongarmed, though, the action arguably still constitutes a pretty cowardly attempt at making quick gains by attacking the weak – the boycotting equivalent, perhaps, of a gang beating. I’d suggest there is more virtue (professionally and morally) in a concentrated effort against racecourses belonging to the bigger groups that frequently dip under tariff – certainly things started out that way, if the attempted shunning of that Lingfield jumps fixture this last winter is any guide.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
I wonder if Haggas (in his NTF role), or any of his fellow tariff campaigners saw fit to protest about the 4:00 at Doncaster this afternoon.
This 2-y-old novice stakes has been part of this card for several years and has always been run as a Class 3 event – last year it ofered £10,000 total prize money and the figure had been as high as £12,000 in previous seasons.
Doncaster (i.e. Arena Leisure) have downgraded it to a Class 5 race and the prize money is £3,900. And surprise, surprise, £3,900 is precisely what’s required by the Horsemens Tariff scale for a class 5 race on a Friday.
So the prize money goes down by £6,100, but everybody is satisfied. Good scheme this …….
AP
What about the big 3yo sprint at York a couple of weeks ago and the big 3yo mile handicap at Haydock in the middle of May? Both have always been run as Heritage handicaps till this year when the "Heritage" has been removed from both races, thus reducing the tariff for both races from £95k+ to £20k in one fell swoop.
I wonder if Haggas (in his NTF role), or any of his fellow tariff campaigners saw fit to protest about the 4:00 at Doncaster this afternoon.
This 2-y-old novice stakes has been part of this card for several years and has always been run as a Class 3 event – last year it ofered £10,000 total prize money and the figure had been as high as £12,000 in previous seasons.
Doncaster (i.e. Arena Leisure) have downgraded it to a Class 5 race and the prize money is £3,900. And surprise, surprise, £3,900 is precisely what’s required by the Horsemens Tariff scale for a class 5 race on a Friday.
So the prize money goes down by £6,100, but everybody is satisfied. Good scheme this …….
AP
In 2008 the race attracted 5 runners, in 2009 4 runners and last year just 3 runners. Personally I would have scrapped the race entirely but it seems eminently sensible not to waste prizemoney on a contest which is clearly not well supported.
What about the big 3yo sprint at York a couple of weeks ago and the big 3yo mile handicap at Haydock in the middle of May? Both have always been run as Heritage handicaps till this year when the "Heritage" has been removed from both races, thus reducing the tariff for both races from £95k+ to £20k in one fell swoop.
Yeats, that is so impossible to be true?
Surely……
Zommo, nice, well done matey.
Pete,
The tariff for a Class 2 Heritage handicap on a Saturday (or at any festival meeting) is £95,300.
For a Class 2 open handicap – i.e. one that has no defined top or bottom rating required for entry – the tariff is £43,800.
For a Class 2 handicap with a rating band – i.e 0-105, 0-100, 86-105 or 81-100 – the tariff is £20,000.
Further examples of races which have dropped the Heritage tag in coming weeks are the Old Newton Cup at Haydock and the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket. They remain open handicaps, so the £43,800 tariff applies – actual prize money for those two will be £60k and £50k respectively. In both cases, that’s a £30k cut from last year.
But Yeats isn’t far out – just dropping the word Heritage could save a track fifty grand. I have no idea on what basis they are allowed to do this.
AP
All 4 handicaps were until recently £100k handicaps, strangely Haydock also changed to an open handicap from 0-105 for the May mile race as well as withdrawing the "heritage" bit, maybe it was a smokescreen.
York’s sprint in June was still promoted as a "heritage" race on their website right up to raceday as is the Old Newton Cup on Haydocks website currently which also says the race is worth £85k.
You’d think a question or two about the subject wouldn’t be out of place when Tellwright & Derby have one of their many interviews on RUK.
…but I’ll tell you something….When I found out the result and that the horse had won it was one of the greatest feelings of elation I’ve ever felt in my life and something that will stay with me forever, and that even with the missing out on having a few quid on it!!
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