APRIL 2024
Harry Bentley and Believing at Sha Tin in Hong Kong. ahead of the Chairman's Spring Prize (G1)
By Harry Herbert
A cold wet start to the flat season hasn’t exactly set pulses racing and sadly that theme continued in Hong Kong where Believing lined up in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize (Gr 1) worth a staggering £1,200,000 to the winner. Well the one thing that Believing didn’t want was soft ground and low and behold biblical downpours turned the best draining track in the world to soft ground! You couldn’t make it up! Back here we unleashed our Derby hope Defiance in the Blue Riband (Listed) at Epsom where he ran a blinder to finish second with the post coming just too late. He reappears this Saturday in the Lingfield Derby Trial (listed) over a distance just short of a mile and a half which will suit him much better and his trainer, Roger Varian, reports him to be training very well. The Derby dream, for now at least, is well and truly alive and many congratulations to Roger on winning the 1,000 Guineas on Sunday!
More Classic excitement for HTR is happening at Longchamp this weekend on Sunday where Chic Colombine lines up in the French 1,000 Guineas, the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (Gr 1). George reports her to be in great form and with the ground looking to be in her favour she just could run a big race.
We can’t wait to see Rhetorical make his debut at Newbury on Friday17th May. This gorgeous three year old son of Wootton Bassett has taken time to come to hand but he is now at full throttle and seems to be pleasing his trainer William Haggas. I got very excited watching him come up the grass canter on Warren Hill as he demonstrated a powerful easy action and I might just have detected the ghost of a smile on William’s face….!
We bought a stunning Starspangledbanner colt at the Goffs Doncaster Breeze Ups. He did one of the fastest overall breezes in the sale (top ten!) and was one of those “come on Uncle H - dig deep for this one!” from my nephew Jake! We paid £145,000 for him and the shares in his 20 share syndicate fairly flew off the shelf which was amazing to see. We have named him Tolerance and he is due to do his first piece of work this week so George Boughey could be looking for races for him pre Royal Ascot. Here’s hoping!!
Meanwhile Jake heads to Deauville for the Arqana Breeze Up sale this coming weekend so we will see if we can find another star there. It looks to be a very good catalogue with plenty of top class stallions and some very decent pedigrees as well. Watch out for another “must buy corker” email from me on the weekend or early next week!
I very much look forward to seeing you on the racecourse or at a stable visit very soon.
With my best wishes,
Harry Herbert, Chairman
Horse in Focus
Antipodes (IRE) (2YO b c Starspangledbanner x Albemarle)
Antipodes (2yo b c) - at Roger Varian’s May 2024
Please CLICK HERE to view a video of Antipodes in Newmarket taken this week.
We only have a couple of shares remaining at £12,750 (plus VAT) dont miss out!
I wanted to draw your attention to Antipodes (2yo bc Starspangledbanner ex Albemarle) who is in training with Roger Varian and who looks a very smart prospect in the making. This video of him was taken this week and you can clearly see how exciting he is as a physical specimen. Roger is quite rightly not in any rush but Antipodes is very forward going and as such he hopes that he will be a July/August starter. He has found it all very easy so far and he honestly could be anything. His pedigree is hard to fault too as he is closely related to the Derby winner Adayar and his dam has produced four winners ( two rated over 90) from five runners including the listed placed Lexington Belle.
We have a handful of shares in him at £12,750 per share. I really like this colt and believe that he is one to take a long careful look at!
On the track
by Emily Scott
April is the month when we turn our attention from National Hunt racing to the Flat, as Classic trials begin and Champions are made, or bubbles are burst! We signed off our National Hunt season with a win thanks to Horacio Apple’s, who was scoring for the second time this season. It was his first outing on Good ground and he jumped like a buck throughout. He did idle a bit in the closing stages, but was always doing enough under Jonjo O’Neill Jnr, who made his first ride in the Highclere colours a winning one. It didn’t take long to open our account for the 2024/25 season when Valgrand justified odds-on favouritism to win in convincing style at Uttoxeter at the weekend. He is a horse who has always been held in high regard by Dan Skelton and his team, and he had run incredibly well without winning in two competitive bumpers at Cheltenham and Aintree. From the first hurdle there was a loose horse to contend with, which ducked left and right in front of Valgrand throughout the race, but he wasn’t deterred and won in the style of a good horse. He could be targeted at a Grade 2 novice hurdle at Chepstow in October.
Horacio Apple’s winning at Ludlow in the Nightjar Handicap Chase
Earlier in April Beau Balko was incredibly unlucky not to win for the second time this season, when taking the roots out of the second last fence at Ayr. He is a horse with plenty of ability who’s jumping has sometimes let him down. If his trainer Paul Nicholls can iron out these issues, he could be a force to be reckoned with over fences next season. Our latest NH recruit, Followcato, had a spin in a bumper at the end of April and ran a lovely race to finish third. He is not a horse you would expect to have the speed to be winning over 2m, but the way he travelled through the race was very eye catching and given his brilliant technique over an obstacle, it will be really exciting to see him go over hurdles next season.
Defiance at Varian Stable May 2024
On the flat, it has been a month of near misses with seven horses finishing second or third. Defiance threw his hat into the Derby picture with a very pleasing second in the Blue Riband Trial (Listed) at Epsom. He was dropped out last by James Doyle where he relaxed beautifully before being produced with a long sweeping run down the outside and had the race been half a furlong further, he may have won. That all bodes well for a potential tilt at the Derby in June, but first he must take his chance in the Lingfield Derby Trial (Listed) at Lingfield this coming Saturday.
Spycatcher showed he retains all his ability and enthusiasm with a brilliant third in the Abernant Stakes (Gr 3) at Newmarket’s Craven Meeting. Despite loosing a shoe as he came down into the dip he rallied incredibly well and was closest at the line, with plenty of Group 1 performers in behind. He has come out of the race very well and the intention is to run in the Duke Of York Stakes (Gr 2) at York next week, ground allowing, a race which he was second in behind Highfield Princess in 2022.
With soft ground the theme through April we looked to the all-weather to get a few of our older horses started and there were plenty of promising performances to take note of. Three-year-old sprinters Pianoforte and Drama both finished third at Kempton and each showed enough speed to warrant a try at 5f. They both probably went a little too quick through the middle part of their races and paid the price towards the finish, but it won’t be long before they are both getting their heads in front.
Cuban Melody found herself in quite a hot fillies’ maiden at Chelmsford where she looked the winner turning for home before tiring in the final half furlong. She will now step back in trip to 6f and holds an entry at Windsor on Monday. Her sire Havana Grey continues to re-write the record books and physically she has thrived in the last few weeks, so we look forward to seeing what she can achieve this season.
Another three-year-old who looks a winner waiting to happen is the William Haggas trained Approval, who has finished second in a pair of Wolverhampton novices this spring. He is a lovely moving horse who will certainly appreciate top of the ground and I look forward to seeing him switched to the turf later this month.
Bountiful (April)
As has been the case in recent seasons, George Boughey sent out our first two-year-old runner of the year when Bountiful stepped out at the Craven Meeting. She was backed into favouritism and certainly looked the pick of the paddock before the race. She had little more scope than some of her rivals and as it turned out she ran like she would appreciate an extra furlong, finishing a close fifth, but given a very sympathetic ride by William Buick. She was half a length behind Seraphim Angel who subsequently won the Lily Agnes Conditions Stakes at Chester. We look forward to seeing her out again in May over 6f and hopefully she can show that the Royal Ascot dream is very much alive!
International travel
by Emily Scott
When taking a share in a racehorse the dream is always to race that horse at the highest level, but, if your horse is just shy of top class in this country, there are many opportunities to race for significant prize money abroad. The science of travelling horses has advance in recent decades, which has opened a global racing circuit where the top horses do battle in the likes of America, Australia, the UAE, and Hong Kong. Some of these racing nations are so wealthy they can offer attractive incentives to encourage international horses to take part in their best races.
George Boughey was so delighted with Believing’s preparation this spring, he felt that it was worth a crack at the £2.2million Chairman’s Sprint Prize (Gr 1) in Hong Kong instead of staying at home to contest the £80,000 Abernant Stakes (Gr 3) or £80,000 Palace House Stakes (Gr 3). As it turned out the unseasonal torrential rain running up to the event, as well as more rain on race day, meant that she was not able to produce her best on the day and she failed to run into the prize money. However, it was a good learning experience for the filly, who showed she is more than capable of handling the rigors of international travel and hopefully it will open more doors for her throughout the rest of the season.
Celia Sansom, George Boughey, Rachel McCormick, Emily Scott, Lawrence McCormick, Jo Black, Kristan (travelling head lad)
Although Believing didn’t manage to bring back any prize money, we certainly didn’t come home with our tail between our legs, but rather proud that we had broken new ground for Highclere. Believing was Highclere’s first runner in Hong Kong and hopefully she won’t be the last. The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) were extremely hospitable, clearly delighted to be welcoming such an enthusiastic group of international owners to their great racing nation. It was fascinating to hear what a significant contribution the HKJC make to the local and international community, wonderfully articulated to us by the HKJC’s Head of Racing Greg Carpenter. The HKJC is one of the top ten charitable organisations in the world and over the past decade has donated on average HK$5billion (approx. £500million) a year to the community. You can read more about these charitable activities on the HKJC website.
In terms of the owner experience in Hong Kong, we were treated like kings! Each morning, we were driven on complimentary shuttle buses to Sha Tin Racecourse where we watched Believing exercising on the track and enjoyed an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast with all types of cuisines from a full English breakfast to Chinese-style steamed dumplings. This was an opportunity to meet other owners and members of the press and created a great build up to the main event.
Leon Boros, Emily Scott, Jo Black, Sue Boros, Trish Sankey, Paul Sankey, Stephen Palmer, Peter Hall
The weekend was launched with a fabulous cocktail party at the new Clubhouse at Happy Valley Racecourse. The Bollinger was flowing all evening with glamorous waitresses and dancers creating a 1920s style feel to the event. The room was scattered with tables of delicious bowl food, with my personal favourite being the scallop ceviche, and the desert table looked like a modern art display!
Leon Boros, Stephen Palmer, Jo Black, Peter Hall, Trish Sankey, Paul Sankey, Emily Scott, Sue Boros
We were left to our own devices on Saturday evening, so went in search of a good Chinese-style restaurant. Highclere owner, Sandy Dudgeon, who spent many years in Hong Kong was quick to recommend Mott 32, which did not disappoint. The pre-ordered Peking Duck is their speciality and for a couple of the owners to say it was the best Chinese they had tasted was quite the compliment! Nerves were running high by this stage so a few of us kept the candle burning in the Grand Hyatt Champagne Bar after dinner where the ‘It’s Complicated’ champagne cocktail was the firm favourite.
Trish Sankey, Sue Boros, Rachel McCormick, Lawrence McCormick, Paul Sankey, Leon Boros, Jo Black, Peter Hall
The hospitality at Sha Tin on race day continued in the same vein with every cuisine on show and enough lobster to sink a ship! We had a great position in the Paddock Restaurant on level 4 of the grandstand with plenty of room to shelter from the persistent rain. It felt like quite a historical occasion with both Hong Kong legends of the turf, Golden Sixty and Romantic Warrior, bidding to retain their crowns in the FWD Champions Mile and the FWD QEII Cup respectively. Sadly, it couldn’t be the swansong the crowd wanted for Golden Sixty, but Romantic Warrior’s heroic display in the QEII Cup left everyone shaking their heads in disbelief at the way he overcame an awful passage to still claim victory by a neck under his regular jockey James McDonald who was reduced to tears afterwards. The Japanese horse, Prognosis, missed the break by a significant margin and was only just denied, so is one to watch on the international circuit going forwards.
Holly and Believing in the paddock
Believing in Hong Kong
The most important thing is that Believing came back well after the race and is enjoying a well-deserved break in the paddock before she begins her preparation for Royal Ascot, where in an ideal world she would do the sprint double in the King Charles III Stakes (Gr 1) on the Tuesday and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (Gr 1) on the Saturday.
GUEST WRITER
by Stephen Kielt BSc (Sons) DipWCF
Farriery for the Thoroughbred Racehorse
Horses have been domesticated for thousands of years, and this 13th century poem highlights how important good farriery has always been. No foot, No Horse is often cited and for good reason, despite their size and strength, horses are notoriously fragile animals. Thoroughbreds who are bred for speed have slender legs and it is commonly accepted their feet are weaker than other horse breeds.
“For the want of a nail the shoe was lost,
For the want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For the want of a horse the rider was lost,
For the want of a rider the battle was lost,
For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe-nail.”
The hoof capsule is a complex myriad of structures built to withstand tremendous forces, adapt to varying terrains and environmental conditions. It is designed to offer grip, protection, and shock absorption and in its natural environment will wear away at a similar rate to growth. Anatomically, it comprises insensitive outer structures such as the hoof wall, sole and frog. Internally, it encapsulates sensitive structures such as blood supply, bone, laminae, tendon, and ligaments. The demands on the Thoroughbred hoof, especially when training at speed, are considerable; at the gallop it is thought that 2.5 times the horse’s body weight will load onto each individual foot.
Horse have played an important role in civilisation for centuries. Nowadays, they are mostly used for leisure and sport purposes as opposed to conflicts and wars. Photo credit Horse & Hound.
Whilst the use of horses has significantly changed over the years the reasons for shoeing have largely remained the same, these being protection, traction, and correction. The first evidence of shoeing dates to around 400BC. The military horses of the Roman army were required to walk large distances and their feet simply wore down quicker than they grew. Early shoes comprised of reed and rawhide, however towards the end of their empire iron shoes were being nailed on. Protection remains the most common reason for shoeing, however the hoof is much more durable than many people think, and often shoes are unnecessary. Research has shown that shoeing limits the natural function of the foot and leads to a deterioration in hoof angle and quality. It is my experience that hoof condition remains healthier when unshod, and healthier feet mean fewer foot issues and lameness. Considering that some research points to feet being a contributing factor in up to 70% of lameness, this is of critical importance in training Thoroughbreds.
The anatomy of the equine foot. Photo credit Irongate equine clinic.
Whilst it is advantageous to keep the horse barefoot where possible for training, whilst racing, shoes offer additional grip which is beneficial to performance and safety. As of 2016, it is now mandatory for all flat turf runners to be fully shod unless permission has been granted. Every action has a reaction and, whilst improved grip is desirable, too much will prevent the natural slide phase of the stride as the horse’s foot contacts the ground. This increases pressure and causes stress on the limbs leading to increased risk of injury or catastrophic failure. For this reason, no protrusions, such as a ‘toe-grabs’ which are commonly used in American dirt racing, are allowed on the shoe.
Protection remains the primary reason for shoeing, however it’s often not necessary. This shows the foot of 2-year-old that has trained all season barefoot.
In this photo we can see how the shoe design and application leads to improved grip and traction.
Good conformation is highly sought after in the Thoroughbred - after all, poor conformation can predispose the horse to musculoskeletal and interference injuries as well as having a significant negative effect on value. It’s important to monitor the growing foal closely, and to correct any deformities in a timely manner to promote normal limb development. Farriery remains the most common means to correct limb deviations, and it is therefore almost certain that each foal and yearling will have had regular conformational assessments and in many cases corrective trimming or remedial farriery to improve or maintain good conformation.
‘An ounce on the foot is a pound on the back’ is a well-known racing adage. For this reason, we use an alloy shoe (known as a ‘plate’). Weighing half as much as a regular steel shoe, the plate is still strong and durable enough to support the weight and forces of the horse. The typical shoeing cycle for the Thoroughbred is around 21 days. Generally, I would not want a horse to race in plates applied more than 12 days prior to the race. This is due to a mixture of hoof growth and shoe wear; remember that grip is an important factor in performance.
Nailing remains the most common method to attach the shoe or plate to the foot. However, in cases of poor-quality feet where nailing might be difficult or result in a high risk of lameness, modern materials such as glue or hoof casts may be used. Their use is often frowned upon because it signifies the horse has a foot problem or issue, and whilst this is true to a certain extent they are when required a very useful addition to the farrier’s toolkit. It is worth noting that while a horse might be sound at a walk and trot, if their feet are in poor condition or overly sensitive, they may be reluctant to fully stride out at a gallop. For these horses, the use of modern materials or remedial shoes can be very advantageous.
Defiance winning at Sandown Park: success makes all the hard work worthwhile.
When working on a horse it’s important to keep it as relaxed as possible, therefore, we try to avoid working on them just before or after exercise. Even when taking the most care possible the process of shoeing can be quite rigorous, therefore I prefer not to shoe a horse the day before a race or important gallop. Generally, we will ‘plate’ the horse on declaration day or, if we feel the horse has particularly sensitive feet, a few days before that.
In an industry where vast sums of money can be won or lost by the smallest of margins, farriers have a vital role to play in the soundness and performance of each horse. While we are unable to alter the horse’s conformation once it has entered training we can, by maintaining good balance and proportion, have a positive influence on soundness and performance. In a large racing yard such as Varian Stable, the team of farriers take care of all the podiatry requirements of the horse including when and how they are shod. To achieve the best results, we work with and alongside various people; this includes vets, head-staff and of course the trainer.
Hungry Harry
by Harry Herbert
Urged on by Clodagh I thought it might be fun to add a food bit to the newsletter as I am lucky enough to be married to a chef and Clodagh recently took me to Rome for some work that she is doing with the Six Senses hotel group. If you already follow Clodagh then this will be old hat but if not and you happen to be in Rome then these restaurants are an absolute must!
Our first lunch was at Al Moro, a modest old fashioned restaurant in a small street close to the Trevi Fountain. We were there in artichoke season and their Carciofi alla Romana was simply outstanding. Artichokes so smooth and tender with the finest olive oil poured over them. This was followed by a Spaghetti Carbonara which was as good as I have ever had and I’ve had a few in my time! It’s one of my favourite dishes and this one took first prize with thin slices of guanciale (smoked pork cheek) tossed into spaghetti drenched in this rich carbonara sauce.
Artichokes at Dal Moro
Carbonara at Dal Moro
And so on to Gigetto in the Jewish quarter of Rome. Dish of the day in this famous Jewish restaurant was their take on Carciofi which was deep fried - again delicious but I preferred the one at Moro.
Their other special was oxtail and this one was as beautifully cooked as any I have had before. Fabulously rich and washed down with half a carafe of house red. Fabulous!!
The third restaurant of note was La Matriciana situated opposite the Opera House. Again, very old school - freshly sliced Palma ham to start followed by a bowl of the juiciest sweetest clam spaghetti imaginable. More house wine and of course we had to taste their much touted tiramisu which didn’t disappoint! Another lunch so memorable that I am aching to go back there. The service was superb everywhere we went and there was real pride taken in the job but the lament was the same - “we are struggling to find staff as the young don’t want to work here”. What a worry.
My worst meal in recent years was at a Chinese in Doncaster when we were at the sales recently. Cold congealing “sizzling beef” that had long lost its “sizzle” and egg fried rice that had cloyed and died a death many minutes earlier. I can’t mention its name but it’s only five minutes from our hotel, the Mount Pleasant in Bawtry. Enough said!
National Hunt Season wrap up
By Molly White
Saturday 27th April at Sandown saw the close of the 23/24 National Hunt season and what a thrilling season it has been. The Gold Cup this year was won by Galopin Des Champs, making it a seriously impressive two on the bounce, having also claimed the crown the year before. This certainly helped Irish trainer, Willie Mullins towards the British Trainer championship, but winning the Grand National with the joint favourite I Am Maximus all but sealed the deal. What a remarkable achievement to be the first Irish trainer to gain this British Championship since Vincent O’Brien 70 years ago, in 1954.
Harry Cobden and Sean Bowen fighting it out for the championship.
Harry Cobden claims the National Hunt Champion Jockey trophy this season by a narrow seven winners, being the youngest to do it this century. Sean Bowen was a close second, and with both jockeys having a 22% strike rate, there was a friendly rivalry going on between the pair of them. Sean was well clear in the championship, earlier in the season, before a fall at Aintree on Boxing Day, which put him on the side lines for five weeks whilst Harry Cobden continued to reel the winners in. Harry won on Beau Balko at Musselburgh in the beginning of February, so Highclere can certainly take some credit in adding to Harry’s winning tally! Harry is a man of many talents as not only is he busy with racing, but in his spare time he rolls his sleeves up and gets stuck into helping on his family farm in Somerset. Most champion jockeys might splash out for a new car or a nice holiday, but Harry Cobden said in an interview that ‘winning the Championship will pay for a new barn for his cattle’…enough said!
Meanwhile back on track, after Exeter University’s research into the colour of National Hunt obstacles, this was the first full season we have had with white fences rather than orange. Their studies showed that white was the best colour to influence a horse’s take off distance and overall visibility, don’t ask me how they worked this out! The British Horseracing Authority are constantly aiming to improve the safety and welfare within the sport and this recent change has overall been very well accepted. If you would like to read more about the new changes click here.
I Am Maximus winning the 2024 Aintree Grand National
The 2024 Aintree Grand National was a great success with no fallers and the highest number of finishers since 2005. It was not without its excitements as the first caused plenty of upset with race favourite and last years champion, Corach Rambler, unseating jockey Derek Fox to the dismay of the Lucinda Russell team. The importance of the Grand National is significant, with around 800 million people watching it yearly, it’s the most watched and prestigious horse race in the world. Hopefully these most recent adjustments in regulations will help keep this historic race fixture in a positive light, and prevent future protests from Animal Rising. The British Horseracing Authority took last years disruptions very seriously and consequently this years Grand National was reduced from 40 runners to 34, and the start of the race was moved closer to the first fence in attempt for a slower pace in the early stages of the race. This was a small step to try and improve the safety of the race without taking away from it being one of the most prestigious races in the sport.
Christian Williams string heading out onto the beach.
Kitty’s Light has been a flag bearer for the Christian Williams team over the past few seasons, most notably winning the Scottish National last year, but running in this years Aintree Grand National was certainly a highlight. Christian, who trains his horses predominantly on the beach in South Wales, had high hopes for the eight year old and would have been the first Welsh trainer to win this race in nearly 120 years. Kitty was well fancied and had masses of support from the entire racing community and ran an admirable race to finish 5th out of 21 finishers. This was a true family effort, in all sense of the word, as the 2024 Grand National was more than a horse race for this family. Devastatingly Christians youngest daughter, 6 year old Betsy, was diagnosed with Leukaemia just over a year ago. The weather gods have made it a tough season for everyone in the industry, but tough takes on a whole new meaning for the Williams family. It was clear that Kitty’s Light running well in the National meant more than anything to their friends, family and dedicated team. The smiles on their faces said it all that day, especially Kitty’s biggest fan, Betsy. National Hunt racing is a privilege to be part of particularly at times like these, where the spirit and ethos of the National Hunt community transcends the sport and embeds itself into the lives of those involved.
With a quick end of season racing break of 6 days, the 2024/2025 season has already kicked off and hopefully another brilliant National Hunt season and plenty more winners to look forward to. Valgrand was Highclere’s first winner of the 2024/2025 season, winning for the first time over hurdles at Uttoxeter on the 4th May, for trainer Dan Skelton. We have had a relatively tough season with the weather, but Highclere have had an impressive 44 runners, seven of these being winners. We have added an exciting new addition to the National Hunt team, Followcato, who came second in an Irish Point to Point earlier this year and is now in training with Ben Pauling. He ran a promising race in a bumper at Huntingdon a few weeks ago for his first start with us and will now be turned out for a well deserved summer break. As opposed to the flat, most National Hunt trainers will turn the majority of their horses out for the summer during this quieter time of the season, with the jumps not beginning to get busy again until October.
Having grown up in the National Hunt world (being based with Philip Hobbs and my father Johnson White in Somerset) I am unsurprisingly, very passionate about jumps racing and feel it is important to shine a positive light on this side of the sport. I am thrilled to have joined Highclere for the summer and am very much looking forward to spending a few busy months learning about the flat season with such an exciting book of horses.
Rolf’s Ramblings
by Rolf Johnson
check mate for racing?
If this country kicked a football into the back of the net as often as we kick ‘issues’ into the long grass, we wouldn’t still be hankering for a repeat of 1966. We can’t wait that long for racing’s problems to be resolved…the ‘grass’ is growing and the most threatening of measures planted by the Gambling - Review “affordability checks” – must not be allowed to take root. Otherwise they’ll shoot up like bamboo.
Those checks – on how much we can afford to lose (which restricts how much we might win) - were designed by the Review, members of which have been on more boards than a Californian surfer but who’s CVs betray no knowledge of betting or racing. These checks are not Rules or Law – yet – but in taking away our democratic right to back our judgement in racing, which the Courts have endorsed as a game of skill, reminds me of a scene from the iconic film Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid.
Butch (Paul Newman) is leader of the Hole in the Wall Gang but he’s forced into a knife fight by a challenger. Butch asks his fearsome adversary, plaintively:
“What about the rules Harvey?”
“There ain’t no rules in a knife fight,” snorts Harvey.
So Butch floors him with a swift kick in the goolies.
“Have it your way Harvey.”
The Gambling Commission’s Review, making up Rules as it went along, is a boot in the groin for racing. Betting has certainly ballooned, smart phones putting the sporting world’s odds at our fingertips. And bookmakers have got smarter too. One after another they announce record profits – and record fines for…breaking Rules.
“Rules are mostly made to be broken and are too often for the lazy to hide behind” - American General Douglas McArthur. Horseracing has a fetish about Rules many, to be fair, intended to preserve racing’s integrity.
Unfortunately, the Rules of Racing are as entertaining as nineteenth century German philosophy and sometimes as obscure. Cosmos Artist got rid of his jockey at the start of a race at Windsor in April – but was declared “a runner”.
Dubious concessions - “Money back as a free bet” (*terms and conditions apply) make me nostalgic for the bygone days; of William Hill - “Hill No Limit “; Coral’s “Never a quarrel bet with Coral”. If the late John McCririck had been given as many backhanders as the times he repeated “Ladbrokes the Magic Sign” he could have afforded even more outrageous outfits for his TV appearances.
Early on the morning of the first day of the 2010 Cheltenham Festival course chief Edward Gillespie stood on his weighing room steps – and did a double take. Overnight, high on Cleeve Hill overlooking the home of steeplechasing, aping California’s iconic HOLLYWOOD sign, ten huge white letters had appeared. They spelled PADDY POWER; a new altogether more aggressive era competing for the punter’s pound, kicked off.
So the Gambling Commission, self-styled Tarzan of the betting jungle, dedicated to “protecting the vulnerable masses” (0.2 per cent of the population) proposed a reduction in the amount a person can lose in a month to £125 or, in a year, £500. The Review’s two hundred and fifty lumbering pages boasted risible chapter headings: “Unaffordable losses”, “Frictionless enhanced spending checks”, “Triggers” (not the horse), “Harmful binges”, “Protecting vulnerable minorities while not impinging on the rights of a responsible majority” – proof of George Orwell’s contention that “Political language is designed…to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” In his dystopian novel ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ Orwell wrote: “Gambling filled up the horizon of their minds. To keep them (the Proles – that’s you and me) in control was not difficult”.
We kicked that ‘controlled’ where it hurts with a petition of over 100,000 of us provoking a debate in London’s Westminster Hall. We held our breaths for the consequential ‘update’ on May 1 when white smoke rose from Parliament: the status quo was retained until frictionless affordability checks are “developed, tested and implemented”. There’s to be a “six months’ pilot” of a new interim betting code reducing the number of punters asked for personal financial documents.
Autocrats the world over dictate people’s lives behind the cloak of ‘populism’ – crude, rabble rousing rhetoric deluding ordinary folk (Proles). Politicians use crack-downs on gambling as an electoral tool to give the appearance of social responsibility. Cutthroat restrictions on betting would see punters go ‘underground’ back, indeed, to the days of the Peaky Blinders. That would be the kiss of death to racing – yet the Commission didn’t pucker its lips to online casinos and fantasy land lotteries.
So what have we done to be singled out by ‘Big Brother? Stuart Andrew, current Gambling Minister, shied like an unbroken yearling from the questioning in Westminster Hall. He was clear that “the government fully supported racing” defending, without conviction, the Commission’s proposals insofar as gambling allegedly spreads despair and despondency across the land. Andrew, in the ‘sin bin’ of political appointments, is former Minister of Prisons. His ‘sentence’ ends at the next election – he’s not standing.
Subsequently he sent out a ‘Love letter’ to the petitioners. “The Government backs horseracing…racing makes a significant contribution to our economy and it plays a pivotal role in the livelihoods of rural communities. It is not our job to tell people how to spend their money. (Really?).
“We have a duty to protect the under one per cent (correct) of people who are problem gamblers and those at risk…I am confident our proposals are balanced, proportionate and fair.” (Orwell dips his pen again).
At the time Andrew said: “In addition, our review of the Horserace Betting Levy will conclude by April 2024 and I hope will see additional money flowing into racing from the betting industry through a voluntary agreement between racing and betting.”
Good luck with that one – whenever it does ‘conclude’.
Politicians habitually cross from the Commons to College Green to regale the media with their triumphs and excuses. Ironic really because the verdant Green is immaculately tonsured – no grass long enough to hide in.
Back in the nineteenth century, on Derby day, MPs deserted the House of Commons for Epsom - all bar the curmudgeon member for Cockermouth, Sir Wilfred Lawson who called the sport “an organised system of rascality and roguery”. He got his way in 1892 when Parliament voted to abandon the Epsom jolly.
So who is currently representing the 80,000 folk working in racing, protecting them from the threat to their livelihood from Gambling Commission edicts and indolent politicians? And what happens to the 14,000 thoroughbreds, neighing but no voice? Or the thousands of racing supporters – will they get a fair hearing - “Go on my son!”
Racing’s cash flow lifeblood comes from the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) hypothecated from the tax retrieved from bookmakers. It would be slashed – by as much as £50million it’s said - if betting is curtailed. Punters would, en masse, disappear underground to black market betting.
Saving gamblers (and others) from themselves is a British tradition. Zealots at racecourse gates would raise apocalyptic banners - “Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here”. They were succeeded by ‘streakers’, cavorting nude exhibitionists (non-stayers). Currently we have ‘high-viz’ animal activist invaders. Racetracks are vulnerable. Back in 1913 Emily Davidson died fighting for women’s rights, throwing herself under the King’s horse in the Derby… And here we are, still fighting - for our right to bet.
The knives have long been out for the Levy, seen by some as a conduit for transferring betting revenues from the poor to the rich (worse still, foreigners). Nonsense of course. The latest statistics showed £900 million less was bet in Britain on racing in 2022-23 with regulated online bookmakers than in the previous year. The Levy Board could be history before their own survival plan arrives in 2025. By then gambling could be a free for all, smart phones at the ready, day and night.
(Back in the 1950s ‘Sergeant Bilko’ was an unlikely American TV comedy hit. One day everything unredeemed punter Bilko forecast came to pass – down to the colonel’s wife breaking a leg. Bilko didn’t realize his ‘gift’ until near midnight. The only bet on offer was a greyhound race in Japan. Fort Baxter’s money was down and the dog was winning by a street – at 11.59 pm. But when the clock struck twelve it stopped to cock its leg. Nowadays Bilko, on his mobile, would have had time to lay off).
Betting and Gaming Council chief Michael Dugher bats for the bookmakers: Stephanie Peacock, shadow Media and Sports Minister who has spoken in favour of accessibility checks, is more of the Sir Wilfred Lawson persuasion. She equivocated when declaring her support for the racing industry. In power Ms Peacock she would have to make her mind up.
Dugher and Peacock are the successive MPs for Barnsley, where betting is second nature – the film Kes was set there; when the juvenile hero Billy Casper fails to place his big brother Jud ’s bet, Jud kills Billy’s kestrel in revenge.
Barnsley is my home town where, as a child in pre-betting shop days I’d take my father’s half-crown bets, wrapped in the Daily Herald, to the bookies runner behind the barber’s shop. Legitimate betting in shops was part of that 1961 Betting Act - making the runner and myself redundant. Dugher insists that if the current betting melee results in a hike in the Levy (threatening his member’s profits) all racing will be doing is “rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic”.
Affordability checks are racing’s iceberg, a menace that Peacock (and her ilk) no more see looming than did the doomed liner’s lookout. If the BHA on their watch for racing’s fellow travellers rest on the belief they can man the lifeboats, like those in command of the White Star Line’s flagship, they may find them unseaworthy. Are we cruising to disaster?
Where Are They Now?
by Frances de Haan
Following on from the Horse in Focus Antipodes, we have his half brother Tyson, also a son of Starspangledbanner. Tash and Tyson have been taking the competition world by storm. Tash has sent through some lovely photos of the iron grey who, like his champion boxer name sake, has apparently been total ‘dynamite’ in his new life in the dressage arena!
Tyson enjoyed two seasons with Highclere, winning during his 2YO campaign at Bath where he justified favouritism in style landing the Cazoo Maiden Stakes over 5f by an impressive 2 1/4 lengths. Tyson found himself in the placings on various occasions and was most successful of the 5f 6f distance.
‘Tyson has progressed a lot in his retraining over the past year, he has been placed in the top two of all his competitions so far including winning his first BD test.
He is entered for our local county shows over the coming months in the Retraining of Racehorse classes so we will see where that brings him.
Tyson is a joy to have and thoroughly loves his new career after racing!’
A small world
Left to Right: Annabel’s mother, grandmother, Annabel and Sequence
Annabel Neasham sent this lovely photo and comment to Harry recently, not only is it three generations of Annabel’s family but its the previous generation of Naval College!
‘My mum just sent me this photo as it popped up in her memories from 10 years ago. It’s me with mum and granny when I was working at the Royal Studs, and the mare I’m holding is Naval College’s dam Sequence. Isn’t it such a small world!’
Clodagh’s recipe
by Clodagh McKenna Herbert
THYME PEAR AND BRIE TART
METHOD: INGREDIENTS:
Serves 6
12 sheets of filo pastry
10 slices of brie
2 pears, thinly sliced and halved
20g butter, melted
2 eggs
200ml double cream
2 tsps thyme leaves
Honey
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180oC fan.
2. Gently fold up the filo pastry sheets, gathered like a fan, alongside each other, quite snug in a baking tray. Brush the pastry with the melted butter.
3. Place the slices of brie cheese and pear, in between the sheets.
4. Whisk together the eggs, cream and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread this all over the pastry.
5. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 40 minutes. Drizzle with honey and serve
Taittinger Moment
Gustavo Sanson
This month’s Taittinger moment goes to Gustavo Sanson who, along with his wife Teresa, travelled across from Venezuela for The Epsom Derby course walk. Gustavo is an avid fan of english racing and The Derby, having attended the latter on numerous occasions.
A lovely photo taken under the winners podium… hopefully this was good practice for the real deal with the Derby only 3 weeks away!
Out and about with the Highclere camera
