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jpfuturemerge
This is not meant to knock JP but a genuine attempt to understand what the whole set-up is about.I realise that he is a very rich man and it is probably a rich man’s hobby but what an expensive hobby.
I had a look at the figures for the last full season 2009/10:
He had 161 horses in training in GB, they had 605 runs, 98 wins, 167 placed and total prize money of £1, 753, 310 (a better than average year for prize money, probably down to the Grand National win)
In Ireland 156 horses, 507 runs, 49 wins, 118 placed, total prize money £776, 550.
So that’s 317 horses in training (excluding horses that have run on the flat), that’s a hell of a lot of training fees.
He probably isn’t too concerned about the cost (from what I’ve read) but I’m still having difficulty understanding why he needs or wants so many horses running in his colours, a lot of them aren’t very good. Is it just a philanthropic enterprise in that he feels the trainers he uses need the fees?
Is it the scattergun approach, in that if he has lots of horses there must be a bigger chance of getting a champion?
As I say I find it difficult to know what he gets out of the exercise.
I understand that he loves his horses and looks after some in their retirement but he can’t do that for 300+, surely.
And it is difficult to think that he has a connection to each and every horse, something that I would want if I ever owned a horse.
Again, this is not criticism of the operation just an attempt to find out if anyone else can explain what they think JP gets out of it.
Colin
Id say he does it because the whole thing gives him an enormous amount of personal satisfaction. Even if he spends 10 million a year on racing(very unlikely) and you take out the 2.5 million prizemoney returned, that’s a cost of about 1.5% of his estimated net worth of circa half a billion.
As for the multitude of bad horses, he’s no problem throwing money at lost causes if his support for Limerick GAA is anything to go by.
I remember AP talking about him and saying something like ‘I mean I love it (racing), it’s my life. But I don’t love it like JP loves it. He really loves it’.
This topic comes up now and again and I’m not sure why. What JP spends is a small portion of his fortune.
There are many owners with just one horse who are struggling to get by. Why do they do it?
- Total Posts 17716
I can’t explain it, you’d probably have to ask him mate. Anything that stops horses from being murdered cause they’re not good enough is a good thing though, right?
As for the multitude of bad horses, he’s no problem throwing money at lost causes if his support for Limerick GAA is anything to go by.
That’s well below the belt Cav!
Poor Limerick. Always had a soft spot for their hurlers. I would advise any Clareman not to watch the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fayiAfDvzgM
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