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Having heard the report on C4, I’ve just read this story on the RP website:
Yarmouth Boycott on Monday[/url:1t1vs3ar]
It doesn’t take an anorak to see that prize money for some racing now is a pittance, and Yarmouth has apparently been particularly badly hit, but personally I’m not sure this is the best way to make the point. Obviously the poor prize money is a no-brainer, but what are others’ thoughts on this particular action by some relatively high-profile handlers?
Seems a good idea, pity about the scabs. Maybe they could target all races worth less than 2 grand to the winner at all tracks. Don’t think tracks should be allowed to stage meetings unless they’re prepared to put up a reasonable amount of prize money.
Didn’t Hexham have its levy contribution almost halved for failing to fully spend its allocation over the previous 3 years.
Does a similar situation exist at Yarmouth?
Cav,
The article suggests that the reduction was due to Yarmouth falling to the bottom of the Levy boards’ merit table. Because the table is partly based on contributions by the course to prize money over 3 years, I’d suggest the Hexham and Yarmouth incidents are linked in some way.
everything goes up except the price money.no wonder there is fidles going on with the horses .and in that sensecan you really blame them,horse feed up travel cost up.richard hannon only said yesterday he woulnd send his horses to redcar .because its not worth it.a lack of price money,its a good jubject for a snowyday here near newmarket
You’ve got to wonder how Andrew Balding sending a horse for £1600 win prize money from Kingsclere to Yarmouth is viable. The owner will be hundreds of pounds in loss through tavelling costs etc unless the horse actually wins the race.
Yet again its typical of Northern Racing dumbing down its cards and having poor quality racing.
Its ok for the top Newmarket trainers to boycot as they have huge investments from top bloodstock agents and owners
For trainers like Christine Dunnet its a matter of getting prize money to keep afloat so she should not be hounded by the likes of William Haggas about it.
Look at the Chepstow card which used to be Welsh Champion Hurlde day on BBC, that is now a run of the mill jumping card.
Yet again its typical of Northern Racing dumbing down its cards and having poor quality racing.
Its ok for the top Newmarket trainers to boycot as they have huge investments from top bloodstock agents and owners
For trainers like Christine Dunnet its a matter of getting prize money to keep afloat so she should not be hounded by the likes of William Haggas about it.
Look at the Chepstow card which used to be Welsh Champion Hurlde day on BBC, that is now a run of the mill jumping card.
If Christine Dunnet always planned to run I can’t see a problem. She certainly shouldn’t be dictated to by the likes of Haggas acting as a mouthpiece for the industry. Perhaps one way owners could get a better return would be for the likes of Haggas and co to reduce their fees.
When was the last time BBC covered the Welsh Champion – I can’t remember it.
Last time i remember BBC doing the old Welsh Champion hurdle was in the 90s.
Totally agree about Newmarket trainers behaving like dictators tho as regards to the smaller set ups.
No wonder people are stopping horses!!!!
There can be no money to be made in sending horses to Yarmouth running for the kind of money on offer!!!
Haggas could send her a cheque for £2000 and then she could pull her horse out of the race.
In this day and age no race should be less than £5000 to the winner.
Problem is there is too much racing and far to many low grade horses in training.
As I all but stated in the opening post, there is no doubt that the prize money on offer at certain meetings is nothing short of a joke and that the volume of horses has no doubt aided in the need to spread money between more meetings. My quandry is more along the lines of whether or not a boycott by trainers is the best way for them to throw their weight about?
Meeting abandoned!
Nice to see Mark Johnston poking his nose in – like a footballer running fifty yards to join in an argument that’s nothing to do with him.
I can’t be bothered to go back and count them, but Johnston has been running his expensive horses in AW maidens worth £4k or less all winter. Indeed, he has a Hamdan Al Maktoum owned horse running for £2,300 first prize at Redcar this afternoon.
First class trainer, first class hypocrite.
AP
What is it going to take to have a full root and branch review of racing in this country?
We have far too much racing and the matter needs to be addressed as a priority and if the solution results in uneconomic courses having to shut and low grade donkeys having to be re-homed or culled then so be it.
Racing should not be immune from the economic realities of the real world.
[quote="apracing")
I can’t be bothered to go back and count them, but Johnston has been running his expensive horses in AW maidens worth £4k or less all winter. Indeed, he has a Hamdan Al Maktoum owned horse running for £2,300 first prize at Redcar this afternoon.
First class trainer, first class hypocrite.
AP
Where do you suggest he runs them? If there were 10 grand maidens I suppose he would run them in those. Even the arabs must be getting fed up with current situation and paltry prize money.
Yeats,
I don’t care where he runs them, I just don’t think he should be telling Christine Dunnett where she should run her horses.
AP
Yarmouth would have been racing for a top prize of £2300 today. Considering it’s a Bank Holiday and gate receipts and refreshment revenues would have been considerably increased; it’s a scandal. What are Yarmouth doing with their cut of Turf TV cash btw ? Ponty are staging similar races on Tuesday for twice the prize money.
Christine Dunnett …I think she’s out of order in capatalising on this boycott to steal a few quid with her poor quality horses. It’s all very well saying she’s got a duty to her "working-class" owners..but she’s just undermining a stance which I feel is in the interests of the entire industry in the long term.
Meeting abandoned!
Nice to see Mark Johnston poking his nose in – like a footballer running fifty yards to join in an argument that’s nothing to do with him.
I can’t be bothered to go back and count them, but Johnston has been running his expensive horses in AW maidens worth £4k or less all winter. Indeed, he has a Hamdan Al Maktoum owned horse running for £2,300 first prize at Redcar this afternoon.
First class trainer, first class hypocrite.
AP
Christine Dunnett made the same point in the Racing Post today. Obviously, I don’t know him personally but I can’t think of a trainer with a less likeable image than Johnston. Similar to Paul Nicholls I always think he is on the end of a short fuse. No doubt he has already fired off a reply to the Post.
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