OpinionJulian Muscat
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It's not just breeders who are to blame for Europe's middle-distance decline - the handicappers are culpable too

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Ghaiyyath was the last European to top the World's Best Racehorse Rankings and another middle-distance performer - but have horses from this division been perennially overrated?
Ghaiyyath was the last European to top the World's Best Racehorse RankingsCredit: Mark Cranham

The startling statistic unearthed by my colleague Lewis Porteous in his column this week was akin to a double-barrelled blast from a shotgun.

Britain’s inability to win a single domestic Group 1 race beyond a mile this season illustrates at a stroke where the training power lies. And its broader message amounts to a withering condemnation of where the breeding industry stands today.

In this respect, however, the problem is not Britain’s alone. With the exception of Coolmore and breeders in Germany, Europe as a whole has gravitated towards producing sprinting types, most of them with pedigrees that are corrupting influences when they retire to stud.

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Published on inJulian Muscat

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