The horse has already bolted - British racing needs to act now

After horses trained in Ireland won 23 of the 28 Cheltenham Festival races last week there is one question on everyone’s lips: why can’t the British compete?

There is no short answer, and anyone looking at the issue should take into consideration the extenuating circumstances in which this year’s festival took place.

Nevertheless, it doesn’t appear the playing field will be truly level for some time, and here is what I think British racing should do about it.

1. Condense the racing ­programme

The calendar in Ireland has an established structure. Big festivals punctuate the jumps season, which begins with Down Royal’s Champion Chase meeting and ends at the Punchestown festival.

Trainers have set destinations for their best horses and can choose to aim at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival, the Dublin Racing Festival, Fairyhouse at Easter or others in between.

British jump racing lacks depth, because there are too many Graded events which give connections too many opportunities to dodge other talented horses.

Honeysuckle: one of many of last week's winners to use the Dublin Racing Festival as a stepping stoneCredit: Edward Whitaker

This, combined with the fact trainers are inclined to keep their best horses wrapped in cotton wool – they often choose racecourse gallops instead of a proper race – and away from the top handicaps, has created a watered down, unsatisfactory product.

Colin Tizzard suggested a British equivalent to the Dublin Racing Festival could be the answer, but I strongly disagree as it would only dilute the quality further, even if existing races were grouped together.

The aim should be to create a system which enables the British horses to be good enough to compete against the Irish – not to create more races, and for that to happen radical change is needed.

2. Address the prize-money ­problem

Britain has a prize-money problem. Only two per cent of owners cover their annual costs, while the median return via prize-money is less than 7p in the pound. This, combined with frailties in the ownership experience, such as limits on badges and antiquated racecourse facilities, illustrates the magnitude of the issue.

The fact several forward-thinking trainers – Sophie Leech and Richard Hobson among them – are now operating partially in France, showcases how detrimental the situation has become.

In October, Ged Shields and Jon Hughes released their ‘Blueprint for Racehorse Ownership in the UK’, in which it was stated poor prize-money was the number-one issue for owners. They suggested it needed to be tackled with new sources of funding, prize-money targets and allocation.

Cheveley Park Stud director Richard Thompson on Sunday cited prize-money as a factor when explaining why most of the stud's horses are trained in IrelandCredit: Michael Steele (Getty Images)

Gigginstown House Stud has led the Irish owners’ ranks in recent years, while more recently Cheveley Park Stud, Joe and Marie Donnelly, Brian Acheson’s Robcour and Noel and Valerie Moran have invested substantially, predominantly keeping their interests over the Irish Sea.

By dramatically reworking the fixture list in Britain and increasing prize-money in the right areas, racing will be in a better position to attract and retain owners big and small.

3. Transform British bloodstock

Once the biggest owners have been drawn in by the better returns and superior prize-money in Ireland, they have the security of knowing they have the pick of world-class bloodstock right on their doorstep.

Ranked by total earnings at the time of writing, Scorpion is the top active sire standing in Britain in 28th. Ahead of him Yeats, Getaway, Milan, Mahler, Westerner, Court Cave, Shirocco, Doyen, Sholokhov and Kalanisi all stand in Ireland.

Kayf Tara, who is responsible for the likes of Thistlecrack and Thyme Hill, has now retired from covering duties, while hugely influential sire Midnight Legend passed away in 2016 – both were among the best Britain had to offer.

Scorpion: well down the list of best active sires by total earningsCredit: Edward Whitaker

The outstanding success of Irish horses starts from the ground up. While many years ago jumps horses were bought off the Flat or out of bumpers, these days the trendy, proven nurseries are largely either in France or, most crucially, in the Irish point-to-point sphere.

In the latter, the talent pool is so rich that those operating within it have become very efficient when it comes to identifying the best stock.

The superpower owners have established the best network of trusted advisers, meaning the top horses are ultimately more likely to reach the same pool of people.

Therefore, British owners need big bucks before they can compete, and even then are more than likely to have to part with six-figure sums to purchase the worst of the best bunch.

Foal crops were down in Britain and Ireland in 2020, although only by three per cent in Ireland compared to nine per cent in Britain. Overall, 4,236 foals were born in Britain last year, in contrast to 8,542 in Ireland, so not only do they have quality, but they have quantity too.

Britain desperately needs to work to secure its long-term future in the same way.

4. Re-evaluate the handicap system

Since 2010 there have been only two Cheltenham Festivals where the Irish have won more handicaps than the British – in 2017, when they saddled seven of the ten winners, and this year, when they scooped the same amount from nine. However, that doesn't tell the whole story.

A total of 194 horses ran in the handicaps at this year’s festival, with Britain having just two winners from 129 runners for a 1.55 per cent strike-rate.

Heaven Help Us: one of the seven Irish-trained handicap winners at this year's festivalCredit: Edward Whitaker

Irish-trained horses won seven of the handicaps from just 65 runners for a 10.77 per cent strike-rate, despite being responsible for just 33.51 per cent of the overall fields.

This isn’t a new trend either, as in every year since 2012 the Irish have recorded a higher runners-to-winners percentage at the festival.

It is the handicapper’s responsibility to understand and solve this discrepancy. Are British horses being overrated for what they have achieved, or are the Irish horses still rated too low?

The purpose of a handicap is to put everyone on an equal footing, yet the statistics show we have a long way to go before reaching that reality.

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