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An Independent View of the Bloodstock World

Category: Industry Issues

  • Concentration Problem


    Nobody should begrudge Aidan O’Brien, Joseph O’Brien or Donnacha O’Brien their success. They are outstanding trainers and owners are perfectly entitled to send their horses wherever they believe they will prosper.

    But on day two of the Irish Champions Festival at the Curragh, the O’Briens won six consecutive races between them. As a racing fan, I found that troubling.

    There comes a point where racing has to distinguish between celebrating excellence and protecting competition.

    Tony Keenan highlighted an extraordinary statistic in The Irish Field last week: Aidan, Joseph and Donnacha O’Brien had supplied 44.1% of all runners in Irish Group races in 2026 at the time of writing. In each of the previous six years their combined share had been between 34.4% and 37.4%.

    Almost half the runners at the highest level of Irish Flat racing coming from one family should at least provoke a discussion.

    Joseph O’Brien’s operation illustrates the scale now possible. O’Brien himself said in December 2025 that there were “over 200 horses on site, training all the time.” Rumours within racing mention considerably greater numbers when horses in pre-training, recovery and associated operations are included.

    That is an extraordinary business achievement. But should Irish racing ask whether there should ultimately be a limit on how many horses can be returned in training under a single trainer’s licence?

    We already accept that principle at the other end of the scale. An IHRB restricted trainer is limited to four horses per code. There is therefore nothing unprecedented about linking a trainer’s licence to the number of horses he or she may train.

    Fewer trainers, bigger yards

    An economic report using HRI figures recorded 784 licensed trainers in Ireland in 2008. At the end of 2025, the IHRB recorded 392 full trainers, 208 restricted trainers and 17 hunter-chase licence holders. The categories are not directly comparable, but the long-term movement towards fewer, larger professional operations deserves attention.

    The economics are self-reinforcing. Bigger yards attract more good horses. More good horses produce more winners and prize money. That attracts more owners and allows greater investment in staff, facilities, veterinary expertise and technology — which attracts still more good horses.

    There is nothing improper about that. It is simply what concentration looks like.

    But which is healthier for Irish racing: one yard with 400 horses, or eight yards with 50?

    When smaller trainers disappear, racing loses more than businesses. It loses characters, local rivalries and local access to the sport for aspiring jockeys and others. It becomes harder for an ordinary owner to have a meaningful involvement with a local trainer.

    It is the racing equivalent of replacing the local corner shops with a few super-sized Tescos. The operation may be extremely efficient, but something important disappears with the competition.

    We have been here before

    HRI recognised the problem.

    And then it chickened out.

    In 2024 it proposed 60 National Hunt races restricted to trainers who had trained fewer than 50 Irish jumps winners in either of the previous two seasons. Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott, Henry de Bromhead and Gavin Cromwell would have been excluded.

    The reaction was revealing. Noel Meade and Ted Walsh publicly opposed the proposal and the four affected trainers were reported to be considering legal action against HRI.

    The proposal was eventually shelved.

    An alternative subsequently emerged through the IRTA and the William Hill Challenge Series. Everyone could compete for the normal prize money, but the biggest trainers could not qualify for the bonus element. The series ultimately distributed €135,000 in bonuses and delivered significant payments to smaller trainers.

    That tells us three things: racing recognises concentration is a problem; measures to address it can work; and HRI appears reluctant to pursue measures once serious resistance comes from the major yards.

    Who should act?

    Responsibility rests principally with HRI and the IHRB, although their roles are different.

    HRI controls much of the architecture of racing: fixtures, race programmes and prize money. It also receives very substantial State support. Of the €99.1 million allocated to the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund for 2026, €79.3 million goes to HRI.

    That matters.

    One of the traditional political arguments for supporting Irish racing is its contribution to employment and economic activity throughout rural Ireland. If racing becomes progressively concentrated in a handful of enormous operations, that argument becomes less convincing.

    The IHRB, meanwhile, licenses trainers and makes and enforces the Rules of Racing. Any proposal to put an upper limit on the number of horses permitted under one licence would therefore inevitably involve the regulator.

    The Irish Racehorse Trainers Association (IRTA) also needs to be part of the debate, but representation matters. Its committee includes trainers operating at very different levels, including some of the country’s largest operations (you can view the committee here https://irta.ie/irta-today-2/ ). Where policies concerning concentration are being considered, smaller and middle-ranking trainers must have a strong and independent voice.

    What could actually be done?

    1. Introduce a cap on horses in training. HRI and the IHRB should examine a maximum number of active horses permitted under one trainer’s licence. Any limit would need a sensible transition period and anti-avoidance rules.
    2. Expand races for smaller trainers. The failure of the 50-winner proposal should not mean abandoning the idea. More races could include eligibility criteria designed to create opportunities for small and middle-ranking yards.
    3. Use bonus schemes. Where excluding major trainers creates legal difficulties, allow everyone to run but reserve substantial additional bonuses for qualifying yards.
    4. Limit multiple runners in selected races. Particularly where races are oversubscribed, should one trainer be allowed four or five runners while horses from other yards are eliminated?
    5. Publish a concentration index. HRI should report annually the percentage of horses in training, runners, winners and prize money accounted for by the largest five, ten and twenty trainers.
    6. Protect the middle tier. Racing needs more than a collection of tiny trainers and a handful of super-yards. It needs trainers capable of progressing from 20 horses to 40, from 40 to 80 and eventually becoming genuine competitors to the established giants.

    None of this means punishing success.

    America is regarded as the home of the free market, yet it has a long history of intervening when economic power became excessively concentrated. Standard Oil was broken up and, decades later, the Bell telephone system was divided.

    The principle is simple: sometimes competition has to be actively protected rather than hoping the free market will deliver an optimum outcome.

    And Irish racing is not a completely free market. It is a publicly supported and heavily regulated industry. Its authorities determine fixtures, race conditions, prize money, eligibility and who is entitled to hold a trainer’s licence.

    If racing is prepared to tell one trainer that he may train no more than four horses, it is hardly unreasonable to ask whether there should also be an upper limit when individual operations run into the hundreds.

    The objective should not be to make great trainers less successful.

    It should be to ensure that, in twenty years’ time, there are still enough other trainers left to compete with them.

    1. Coolmore’s 2025 Fees Reviewed.

      The return of mares data showed almost 2800 mares covered by Coolmore’s 21 flat stallions in 2024 ranging from 4 for Magna Grecia to 273 for Calyx. The average number of mares covered by a Coolmore flat sire was 133 so they are busy boys. Their Irish flat roster for 2025 comprises 20 stallions following 4 departures and 3 new arrivals. Dropping off the roster were Ten Sovereigns, Arizona and Magna Grecia who had failed to make an early impact and Sottsass who was sold to Japan despite it being too early to fairly assess his merit. The new arrivals are a pair of Derby winners in Auguste Rodin and City of Troy and a first son of Dubawi in Henry Longfellow. Wootton Bassett is now top dog but he lacks the dominance of some of his predecessors in that role.

      Below is my assessment of their published fees for 2024, starting with the priciest sires.

      Stallion €2025 fee (€2024 fee)

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      1. Wootton Bassett €300,000 (€200,000) (2008 Iffraaj ex Balladonia by Primo Dominie)

      Verdict: A good year but it didn’t warrant a €100,000 price increase

      Coolmore will be well satisfied with their investment in Wootton Bassett. I’m not convinced that he warranted the big fee hike but if people have €300,000 to spend on a covering fee they probably don’t tend to shop around for bargains. Four Group 1 winning two year olds (Camille Pissarro, Henri Matisse, Tennessee Stud and Twain) were backed up by six other Group winning two year olds. He ate the lunch of his stud mate No Nay Never and only the winner machine that is Mehmas challenged him for primacy in the European two year old rankings.

      His highest rated two year old, Henri Matisse is rated 113 by Timeform which is the joint 10th highest rated by Timeform. They were good horses but not memorable performers. Commercially his yearling median in 2024 was €250,000 which was less than his fee for next season. He finished 8th on the overall European prize money list but he can expect to improve upon that in the coming years with the offspring of big books due to emerge.

      In my elite sire rankings, I would have him behind Frankel, Dubawi and Sea the Stars. Lope de Vega, Night of Thunder and Kingman offer as much for lesser fees. Wootton Bassett was hard to pigeon hole as a sire after making his name with such diverse types as Almanzor, Audarya, Wooded and King of Steel. However, it’s as a two year old sire that he now seems to be thriving and he is pricey for a two year old sire so he will need to get more classic types to warrant that blockbuster fee.

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      2. No Nay Never €125,000 (€150,000) (2011 Scat Daddy ex Cat’s Eye Witness by Elusive Quality)

      Verdict: Still overpriced, Mehmas is €70,000

      There is a slow release of air from the No Nay Never bubble rather than a sudden popping. Whistlejacket (a full brother to Little Big Bear) won a Prix Morny but was beaten in three other Group 1’s. Bubbling and Truly Enchanting both won Group 2’s but his runners didn’t achieve enough to justify his fee. His yearling median was €128k so there was no profit for breeders who had paid €125k. His sire sons Arizona and Ten Sovereigns were dropped from the Coolmore roster as people cool on a sire who is a noted two year old sire but limited in his accomplishments with his older horses and whose progeny can be ‘hot’. His stud mate Wootton Bassett overshadowed him with two year olds and Mehmas looks better relative value.

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      3. City of Troy €75,000 (€na) (2011 Justify ex Together Forever by Galileo)

      Verdict: A bargain if you believe the hype, fully priced based on his actual achievements
      A cracking good two year old, he fluffed his lines in the Guineas. He was good in the Derby, woeful despite winning in the Eclipse, decent again in the Juddmonte and then nowhere near good enough for the dirt specialists. That would still be a lovely cv but he is not ‘Frankelesque’ and he generated hype and praise from Aidan O’Brien and connections that was substantially out of kilter with what he demonstrated on the track. He will be the first son of Justify to stand on these shores. Coincidentally, we also witnessed an extraordinary level of guff spoken about the merits of Justify as a sire in the past year including Aidan O’ Brien saying that as a sire Justify could be ‘the best ever’. Spoiler alert he wont be the best ever, but there will be a glut of offspring by Justify out of Galileo mares running in Europe in the coming seasons and presumably quite a lot of high class performers. Is €75,000 a fair price for City of Troy?Looking at my crystal ball (actually just highlighting what is the standard operating system), I think he will be popular at that fee, he will drop by degrees over the coming years before his first runners hit the track , there will be other competing sons of Justify on the market and then he will find his place in the world. His dam won the Fillies Mile and is a full sister to an Oaks winner. He is a well balanced horse, his size was a subject of some commentary with Aidan insisting that he was in fact a giant beast more akin to a shire horse (officially 16.1). He will generate plenty of stud fees over the coming years (presumably he will shuttle as well) , he will have big books of well credentialed mares and he will have every opportunity to succeed. With varying influences for speed and stamina and his own mixture of precocity and three year old performances its hard to predict where his progeny will excel but he should be a conduit for class and he is a welcome addition to the stud ranks but it is no penalty kick that he will succeed and his fee is no bargain.

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      4. Camelot €75,000 (€50,000)- (2009 by Montjeu ex Tarfah by Kingmambo)

      Verdict: A great result in the Arc, but that doesn’t make him a great sire

      An annus mirabilis saw a fee hike back to his 2022 level. The Prix de l’Arc saw him sire the winner (Bluestocking), 3rd Los Angeles, and 5th placed Sevenna’s Knight. Bluestocking really blossomed at four and Los Angeles lifted the Irish Derby and Luxembourg won a Coronation Cup to make it a good year for Camelot. . His yearling median increased to €125,227 and an Arc winner gives him the sort of kudos that should insulate him from any dips in the coming season. His operates at around 6% stakes winners to foals of racing age which are respectable but not exceptional stats. I think the 2024 Arc may prove to be the high water mark of his career but he has earned his place among Europe’s better middle distance sires, even if he is not entirely reliable.

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      5. Starspangledbanner €45,000 (€45,000) (2006 Choisir ex Gold Anthem by Made of Gold

      Verdict: Flagging
      In Europe, Puchkine caused an upset in winning the Prix Jean Prat. In Hong Kong both Beauty Eternal and California Spangle won Group 1’s. Overall though he didn’t really do enough to enhance his reputation. His yearling median was €48,818 off a €35,000 covering fee. He is operating at a modest 4% stakes winners ratio and he is more than fully priced.

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      6. St Mark’s Basilica €40,000 (50,000) (2018 Siyouni ex Cabaret by Galileo)

      Verdict: Prayers required

      Will have his first runners in 2025 so using him this season will be a leap of faith. Predictably his fee has been shaved. His half brother Magna Grecia made no impact and has been moved onwards. Sottsass, another son of Siyouni was sold to Japan from the roster. St Mark’s Basilica was top class on the track and he may prove equally adept as a sire but I’d rather wait and see than risk €40,000.

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      7. Sioux Nation €30,000 (€27,500) (2015 Scat Daddy ex Dream the Blues by Oasis Dream)

      Verdict: Big reservations
      His yearling median held up at €40,000 despite over 100 yearlings going through the ring. A pair of Group 2 winners in Europe (Ocean Jewel and Sioux Life) didn’t set my pulse racing. 246 mares covered in 2024 follows on from 289 in 2023 and 221 in 2022. If you wanted an argument for maximum book sizes then the number of mares covered by this ordinary sire would make a strong argument in favour of restrictions. He is in no way worthy of this level of support at that fee.

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      8. Auguste Rodin €30,000 (€na) (2020 Deep Impact ex Rhododendron by Galileo)

      Verdict: No masterpiece
      16 runs for 8 wins including 6 Group ones. A Group 1 winner at two in the Vertem( aka Racing Post/Futurity/Observer Gold Cup) and a dual Derby winner at three. Better still he finished his three year old campaign with a win in the Irish Champion Stakes and the Breeders Cup Turf. On the downside, his four year old campaign saw just a single victory in a substandard Prince of Wales from 6 starts. He was 13-8 for the Guineas when finishing 12th of 14 and he finished last in the King George at three and fifth as a four year old. Coolmore reportedly turned down big offers from Japan for this son of Deep Impact and the decision to keep him in training seemed a rare mis-step. His dam was top class but was known to bleed and some of her son’s performances were dire but he typically bounced back. Saxon Warrior is bred on a similar cross and hasn’t delivered as a sire but Study of Man has done in well in Lanwades. I wouldn’t be rushing to take a chance on him at the fee.
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      9. Paddington €25,000 (€55,000) (2020 Siyouni ex Modern Eagle by Montjeu)

      Verdict: A tough station
      A huge drop in fee after just one season tells you that things aren’t straightforward. He covered 145 mares in 2024 and it will be interesting to see how many foals result. He ran up a sequence of Group 1’s in the Irish Guineas, the St James Palace, the Eclipse Stakes and the Sussex Stakes and he was clearly tough and top class. If his fertility is ok, he would be attractively priced.

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      10. Churchill €25,000 (€30,000)- (2014 by Galileo ex Meow by Storm Cat)

      Verdict: A Toothless bulldog
      Survie won a Group 2 and was runner up in the Prix de Diane but it was another very underwhelming year on the track for Churchill. The memory of the achievements of Vadeni is fading as he produces lots of dross. 192 mares visited him in 2024 and he doesn’t deserve such patronage. He has sired 25 stakes winners from his 597 foals now aged three or more, a very ordinary 4% stakes rate. He had a yearling median of €42,000 for a crop conceived at €25,000 which was better than I expected. However, he is a limited sire and for me he is best avoided as he doesn’t deliver enough stakes horses.

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      11. Little Big Bear €20,000 (€27,500)- (2020 by No Nay Never ex Adventure Seeker by Bering)

      Verdict: Might be a Boo- Boo
      His brother Whistlejacket won the Prix Morny in 2024 but that wasn’t enough to prevent a decrease in stud fee. Two sons of No Nay Never (Ten Sovereigns and Arizona) were moved on from the Coolmore roster and there is a finite market for sons of NNN. Little Big Bear was very impressive in the Phoenix Stakes and trained on to an extent with a victory in the Sandy Lane Stakes and he was runner up in the Commonwealth Cup. He attracted 156 mares in 2024 and it will be interesting if he attracts a similar sized book in 2025. He wouldn’t be my cup of tea but he is aimed at commercial breeders and he is approaching a sensible price.

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      12. Gleneagles €20,000 (€17,500) (2012 Galileo ex You’resothrilling by Storm Cat).

      Verdict: Has escaped from the rough

      Highlighted his versatility by siring a July Cup winner in Mill Stream, a German Derby winner in Palladium and a top 10 furlong horse in Calandagan. He has managed to regain a degree of respectability in the marketplace and attracted a book of 162 mares in 2024. His yearling median climbed to €32,000 off a €15000 covering fee. His progeny stay better than would have been predicted and many need time to improve, but at the money he is a much better sire than Churchill. He has 40 stakes winners from 582 foals aged 3 or more which is a credible 6.8%. He is not particularly cheap but he does bring something to the table and is Coolmore’s best son of Galileo.

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      13. Blackbeard €17,500 (25,000)- (2020 by No Nay Never ex Muirin by Born to Sea)

      Verdict: No hidden treasure
      Notably quirky on the track his reputation won’t have been helped by the relative lack of success of Ten Sovereigns and Arizona. He attracted 171 mares in 2024 following 195 in 2023. To repeat what I said last year, as a temperamental sort from an unexceptional female line I wouldn’t be in a hurry to use him at his current fee.

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      14. Saxon Warrior €15,000 (€25,000) (2015 Deep Impact ex Maybe by Galileo)

      Verdict: A bloody disaster
      The only reason he is still on the roster is presumably that it would be a slap in the face to exile him with so many foals and yearlings still to face the marketplace. He attracted just 37 mares in 2024 and in truth he is dead commercially after failing to produce anything like enough top performers. He had an Italian Derby winner in Borna in 2024 but he is simply a poor sire who won’t be retained for much longer.

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      15. Henry Longfellow €15,000 (€na) (2020 Dubawi ex Minding by Galileo)

      Verdict: Was more prosaic than poetry
      It feels strange seeing a son of Dubawi on the Coolmore roster. However it makes perfect sense for Coolmore to fill a gap on their roster and market this Group 1 winning son of the great Minding. Dubawi is compiling an impressive record as a sire of sires with Night of Thunder, New Bay, Zarak and Too Darn Hot all standing for chunky fees. Henry Longfellow was best at two winning the Futurity and the National Stakes (when City of Troy was a late withdrawal). I would have thought with his pedigree that he would have improved at three but he failed to win in five starts. His best runs were a runner up spot in the St James Palace to Rosallion and a somewhat distant third in the Prix Moulin. As an aside, for all his genius, Aidan O’Brien has never seemed at his best training Dubawi’s. His opening fee is around where I expected it to be. He brings a lot of pedigree to the table and Dubawi is sexy as a sire of sires. He was short of being truly top class but he should prove popular.

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      16. Calyx €12,500 (12,500)- (2016 Kingman ex Helleborine by Observatory)

      Verdict: Overused
      I wrote last year that I thought he might have been a bit of value but it was still astonishing to read that he covered 273 mares in 2024. No sire is worthy of a book that size and this fellow certainly wasn’t either. He has a good winners/runners percentage and he has virtues as a sire but he has only sired 4 stakes winners to date. A yearling median of €26,250 off a €12,500 fee was fine but that was for 21 yearlings sold and the market may feel more saturated when a multiple of that amount are all vying for buyers attention. For commercial breeders, he may be a victim of his own popularity.

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      17. Australia €10,000 (€17,500)- (2011 by Galileo ex Ouija Board by Cape Cross)

      Verdict: Gone South

      A deep cut to his fee probably wont be enough to reverse the slide in popularity. Attracted just 60 mares in 2024 and whilst a yearling media of €36,000 seems impressive those were off a €35,000 covering fee. Port Fairy won a Ribblesdale and he had seven stakes winners but he has lost the love of the market. His career stats are actually respectable running at 43 stakes winners from 780 current three year olds + (5.5%). His detractors will say his progeny tend to need time and generally lack a potent turn of foot . He is not going to become commercially attractive any time soon but at his new revised fee he might not be a bad option for owner/breeders not worried about the sales ring.

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      18. Footstepsinthesand €8,000 (€8,000) (2002 Giant’s Causeway ex Glatisant by Rainbow Quest)

      Verdict: Will leave no trace
      Thankfully coming to the end of his career. Covered 19 mares in 2024, his yearling median was €17,719 and that is too much for this very ordinary sire.

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      19. Holy Roman Emperor €8,000 (€8,000) (2004 Danehill ex L’On Vite by Secretariat)

      Verdict: A decent sire at this level
      The Coventry winner Rashabar served as a reminder that he is still a useful sire. However his median dropped alarmingly to €9987 from 11 sold. Appoaching the end of his career but not a bad sire (5%) stakes winners for the money.

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      20. The Antarctic €5,000 (€6,000) (2020 Dark Angel ex Anna Law by Lawman)

      Verdict: Leaves me cold
      Dark Angel reached the top of the summit this year to be crowned Champion Sire in the UK and Ireland. To date he has yet to strike oil with a good sire son (Harry Angel probably the best to date). The Antarctic was no more than a Group 3 winner and the exploits of his brother Battash are probably the primary reason he found a slot at stud. He attracted 126 mares in 2024 but he is a long shot to make an impact.

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      Final thoughts: Horses are a herd animal and unfortunately for the good of the breed many Irish and UK breeders also seem to blindly follow the herd. The worst examples above are the book sizes of Calyx and Sioux Nation which are completely divorced from their respective merits as sires. Coolmore isn’t unique in having huge books and there is a wider industry problem. Alas there seems to be no official or regulatory will to tackle the issue or even push for voluntary caps on book numbers and we are losing stallion and genetic diversity due to mega-sized books for ordinary sires.

    2. Newland- Idiotic,Insulting, Incendiary, Interesting and Important.

      Dr. Richard Newland’s article with Racingtv was insulting, incendiary, interesting and important. He came across as a Little Englander with a dislike of Johnny Foreigner who automatically assumes that the Irish could not win without cheating (“the Irish ‘advantage’”). The reference to a ‘lack of trust’ in the Irish anti-doping regime makes it clear where he thinks lies the source of that advantage. At no stage does he consider other reasons for the Irish level of success such as better stock sourcing policies, a better funded industry in Ireland, and the benefits that accrue from the need for continuous improvement by trainers in a more competitive racing environment. His ‘solutions’ which included restrictions or banning Irish runners almost seem like a parody.
      It would be interesting to know if Newland had direct knowledge of drugs in Irish racing (track or Point to Point). Had he ever purchased horses that he later suspected of having been previously administered drugs?
      What is important about his article is that it has reopened the debate on the integrity of racing and put the spotlight back on the drugs issue. He is following in the footsteps of Jim Bolger a man with a very different national outlook, who is the most important trainer to have spoken out on the issue. Richard Newland may have come across as a bit of an idiot but if he helps to bring about an improvement in the integrity of the sport he will have been an important idiot. It is in the interests of the industry on both sides of the Irish sea to restore confidence in the sport and avoid unsubstantiated innuendo against all Irish trainers. Trading insults won’t help but a proper coordinated, well resourced approach to tackling the issue would help.

      As part of an article a few years ago (full article at https://www.montjeu.com/racing-to-the-exit/ , I wrote about what I believed to be the solution to drugs in racing. That solution is to focus on information and incentives for whistleblowing rather than reliance on tests. An extract from that article is shown below and I believe it is still relevant.

      Drugs/Doping

      The evidence revealed in the Servis and Navarro cases showed the extent to which designer and undetectable drugs were available in the US. There are the same incentives to cheat in Ireland and the UK. The drugs can be relatively obtained, often cannot be detected so why should anyone believe in Irish (or UK) horse racing exceptionalism?
      Over the past decades we have had eGH (equine growth hormone) EPO, cobalt, milkshakes, micro dosing and God knows what else. The cheaters are usually ahead of the regulators and testers. By the time testing is in place for something, the cheaters will have moved on or developed masking techniques. Our regulators are stuck in a misguided belief that by simply doing more tests, they are doing their job. In truth they will most likely just get more negative results as the testing regime is limited in what it can reveal. An alternative approach is needed, based as much on human psychology as pharmacology.

      Catching people requires better information and targeting. Unscrupulous vets and some alternative practitioners (such as John Warwick) seem central to some of the cases that have been uncovered. Some actions that should be undertaken include

      1. Target trainers who utilise these vets/practitioners
      2. Look for agreements with the veterinary regulators that would see severe penalties for vets who inappropriately supply equine medications.
      3. Proper Data analysis- Identify telltale signs ,perhaps high levels of horses going for long lay offs/fatalities from a stable/ sudden changes in strike rate or abnormal strike rates.
      4. Introduce a focus on non race day testing in pre-training yards and non-licensed yards
      5. The different forms of doping need different approaches. Doping to lose (nobbling) is relatively rare but can still occur. Hopefully the greatly delayed introduction of cctv in racecourse stables will help with that

      All of these changes should help but they won’t be enough.

      If you are serious about stopping it, you need much better information and you will have to be prepared to pay for it. Its difficult to see the Gardai in Ireland or the UK police having the powers or resources that allowed the FBI to catch Servis et al. Racing needs to put in place financial incentives to counteract the incentives to cheat. A large bounty (c. 75k+) for each conviction should incentivize some to blow the whistle on what they may know or have witnessed. The culture of omerta might start to crumble. There is rarely honour amongst thieves. It would be the best few million that the sport could spend.


      Our testing regime only seems good at catching people who made a mistake over the correct withdrawal period for therapeutic medication. Where our regime falls short is in detecting performance enhancing drugs that are only detectable for a very short window, if at all. It’s worth paying a price to uncover that information, remove the cheats and restore the reputation of the sport.

    3. Racing to the exit?

      There is an unusual amount of negativity around racing at the moment with some even questioning its prospects of survival. Optimists will suggest that racing has survived world wars, depressions, recessions and all sorts of upheavals over the past 250 years and it will continue to do so. They are probably right but racing needs to get its house in order.

      Below are ten issues and outline solutions to these problems. I will keep my thoughts on racings dreadful environmental record for another post…

      1.Small field sizes– Recent stats have shown a reduction in field sizes (although they tend to be smaller in the Summer months regardless). This is more of a UK problem as the less congested Irish racing calendar sees greater demand for starting berths with balloting a regular feature of Irish racing.

      Conclusion- fixable (eventually)

      This needs

      a)better race planning that matches race types to the abilities of the horse population.

      b) Britain needs fewer races and to stop allowing the bookies to determine fixtures. The convuluted levy system has the tail wagging the dog when it comes to fixture setting.

      c)Prize money and appearance money to offset travel costs could also help.

      d) Breed sounder horses….. The reduced soundness of horses leads to a consistent decline on average starts per horse. Germany has a requirement that stallions were sound and never raced on medication (there is a good article on the subject at https://www.thoroughbredracing.com/articles/2147/country-where-stallions-who-have-ever-had-lasix-are-disqualified-breeding/ ) . In the UK and Ireland, breeders prioritise speed and precocity over soundness. We have a host of stallions in the UK and Ireland who do not transmit soundness yet attract three figure books of mares and breeders seem in thrall to first season sires..Racing insiders need to look in the mirror before blaming all of this issue on the fixture setters. When did you last see an advert for a stallion that referenced average runs per offspring? Breeders need to start breeding horses that are good for racing not just the sales ring….

      2. UK levels of Prize Money

      UK prize money is derisory and uncompetitive globally. It has been for decades. For most owners, horse racing isn’t an investment but a hobby. In terms of Government support, it is difficult to win an argument that more State supports should go to funding prize money for the relatively affluent. In Ireland the begging bowl/special pleading to Government has been more successful on the basis of the importance of the wider industry to the rural economy.

      Conclusion: fixable but not readily.

      There is no magic money tree to provide more funding for prizemoney- it needs to come from owners, bookmakers, media rights, racecourses or Governments-someone needs to pay more…The UK pie clearly needs to be resliced to see more directed to prizemoney from other stakeholders. No one wants to pay more and previous efforts at reform (in particular getting more from bookies under levy reform) have come up short. I wouldn’t hold my breath expecting change but an improved BHA could deliver on this front.

      3. Interference Rules–

      The UK rules are not fit for purpose and encourage interference. There seems to be little risk of disqualification unless the margin is a head or less.

      Conclusion: Easily fixed–

      Revised guidelines that give the benefit of the doubt to the victim of interference rather than the agressor. Disqualifications and severe penalties for dangerous riding will end this problem.

      4. Whip concerns-

      Animal welfare advocates view racing as cruel and the idea of using a whip on horses is abhorrent for them. Rebranding as a ‘pro-cush’ sounds daft to many horse folk, but it’s being done to placate a different audience who could do long term damage to racing. Most racing people are perhaps unaware of how some animal welfare groups portray racing on social media (see for example https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-in-entertainment/horse-racing/ ) . This is the accepted narrative for many non-racing people. Some US legislators seem open to greatly restricting racing and its worth remembering that greyhound racing (a comparatively similar industry) is now banned in 42 US states over welfare concerns.

      Conclusion: Fixable-

      It may seem like capitulation to the ‘enemies’ of racing but racing will have to seriously consider banning the whip or restricting its use exclusively to circumstances where a safety issue is involved for jockeys (controlling a wayward horse). From a PR point of view, the whip is ironically a big stick with which to beat racing. Racing will adapt without the whip and life will go on…

      5. Declining Attendances-

      Lots of tracks have shown declining attendances post Covid. Racing struggles to attract a younger audience and is still predominately a white male sport (pale, stale and male)…

      Conclusion: Fixable

      There have been lots of reports, marketing plans, committees, taskforces in various countries on this issue. It is a marketing issue- there is a good product (if rip off prices, poor catering, toilet facilities etc are resolved) and racing is a fascinating sport on many layers that can absorb and entertain. There is a glamour and aspirational element to racing that should be utilised and gambling is part of the attraction for many. I wrote about the poor effort at marketing the Irish Derby https://www.montjeu.com/saving-the-irish-derby/ but there are other examples of what can be done to reverse the slide such as https://www.racingpost.com/news/more-than-4000-at-downpatrick-in-midweek-so-what-are-they-doing-differently/568067 . Incidentally, I think the fact that children are no longer allowed to bet on the tote (whilst undertandable) has removed the gateway that started many peoples interest in racing…Bring back underage gambling – it never did us any harm:)

      6. Reduced number of trainers– There has been an ongoing reduction in the number of licensed trainers in Ireland. There were 805 trainers in 2007 and we now have 577 (363 public licence and 214 restricted licence). This in itself may not seem like a concern but a wider spread of stables and trainers allow more people exposure and access to racing.

      Conclusion: Not so easily fixed.

      The desire to send horses to big name trainers means owners are eschewing the smaller trainers who can provide a real personalised service and behind the scenes access. In Ireland we have an unhealthy concentration of resources between Mullins/Elliott in the NH sphere and the O’Briens on the flat. It might be anti-competitive but regulators could look at having a maximum number of horses allowed per stable. The growing concentration of resources with a smaller pool of trainers for me is like the takeover of the retail scene by the multiples and not something to be welcomed.

      7. Staffing Issues

      Most trainers are lamenting the lack of competent staff, particularly work riders

      Conclusion: fixable but not easily

      There is no magic wand to suddenly find hundreds of capable and committed stable staff and riders. Accommodation issues compound the problem. Staff shortages are not unique to racing but are now apparent in most service industries. Trainers have improved staff conditions and there is a notable upturn in the wages available but it hasnt solved the problem. Staff can point to anti-social hours and weekend work, the physically demanding nature of the work and the general lack of career progression opportunities which are areas that can be worked on. Stable design and process changes could improve efficiencies as basic stable mucking out and feeding regimes are still labour intensive and little changed in centuries. In the short term bringing in overseas workers seems the only solution and this needs a political will to issue lots of working visas for stable staff. That should be interesting with the current anti-immigration hysteria so prevalent in UK politics..

      8. Regulatory/ Structural Issues

      In Ireland we still have the private gentlemans club that was the Turf Club (rebranded as the IHRB) running many aspects of Irish racing. It takes large chunks of State funding but is not subject to Freedom of Information legislation and is largely unaccountable. It should be absorbed into the HRI as a first step towards transparency and accountability. I don’t know enough about the BHA to comment on its performance but I’m assuming it is not as bad as Twitter users state but open to improvement on a number of fronts. Racing needs competent leadership in the HRI and BHA and I haven’t seen anything inspiring in either jurisdiction in recent years.

      9. Welfare Issues

      Images of mistreated/emaciated former racehorses are obviously hugely damaging to the industry. A proper system for rehoming horses needs to be put in place.

      Conclusion: fixable but not easily

      Animal welfare standards in racing are in general exceptionally high. Animal cruelty cases are rare and not condoned by anyone in the industry. Blanket Veterinary restrictions on racehorses being sent to abbatoirs cause problems with horse disposal. We need to look at how to deal with horses no longer suited to racing or breeding . There have been excellent initiatives involving the retraining/ rehoming of horses and these need to be properly supported. As an occasional syndicate member, I always hope that former horses end up in good homes but it would be preferable if there were a proper industry scheme guaranteeing a proper home for any ex-racehorses. This can be funded by a levy on owners/breeders or perhaps voluntarily supported by one of the super rich people who inhabit the sport. If 3,000 horses were supported each year at a keep cost of c. €5,000 each that would be €15 million per annum which should be fundable by the industry given the importance of this issue in emotional and welfare terms.

      10. Drugs/Doping

      The biggest single issue threatening the integrity of the sport. The media may have moved on after Jim Bolger’s comments shone a spotlight on the issue but it is still unresolved and corroding the sport. The circling of the wagons and the lack of support given to Jim by his fellow trainers and industry figures was dispiriting. Nothing to see here- please move on seemed to be the wish of many old and young farts in the industry. Doping is not a new phenomenon nor is it unique to horse-racing. Athletics, baseball, tennis and especially cycling seem to be unable to rid themselves of drug cheating. US racing has an even bigger problem as its training regime rely on the use of a range of medications regardless of medical need eg Lasix. The evidence revealed in the Servis and Navarro cases showed the ease with which designer and undetectable drugs were available . Why does anyone believe in Irish (or UK) horse racing exceptionalism? There are the same incentives to cheat as elsewhere, the drugs can be relatively obtained and in many cases they cannot be detected. Why wouldn’t a trainer use them? Why wouldn’t a breeder or consignor give hormones to a yearling to ensure a better price at the sales ring? In both cases you would be very unlucky to be caught and you can usually escape meaningful penalties by blaming inadvertent use/ a mix up of medications or getting your vet to take the rap.

      Conclusion: Not fixable but can be improved

      Over the past decades we have had eGH (equine growth hormone) EPO, cobalt, milkshakes, micro dosing and God knows what else.The cheaters are usually ahead of the regulators and testers. By the time testing is in place for something, the cheaters will have moved on or developed masking techniques. Our regulators are stuck in a misguided belief that by simply doing more tests, they are doing their job. In truth they will most likely just get more negative results as the testing regime is limited in what it can reveal. An alternative approach is needed, based as much on human psychology as pharmacology.

      Catching people requires better information and targetting. Unscrupulous vets and some alternative practitioners (such as John Warwick) seem central to some of the cases that have been uncovered.

      A) Cutting out this element of the supply chain would be a huge win.

      B) Target trainers who utilise these vets.

      c) Target trainers who have sudden changes in strike rate or abnormal strike rates.

      d) Look for protocols with the veterinary regulators that would see vets struck off for the inappropriate supply of medications.

      e) Look for patterns of horses going for long lay offs.

      f) Introduce a focus on non race day testing.

      All of these changes should help but I fear they won’t be enough.

      If you are serious about stopping it, you need better information. Its difficult to see the Gardai in Ireland or UK police (who haven’t a good record in racing investigations) devoting resources to surveillance or indeed having the powers that allowed the FBI to catch Servis et al.

      g) Racing needs to put in place financial incentives to counteract the incentives to cheat. A large bounty (€50k+) for each conviction should incentivize some to blow the whistle on what they may know or have witnessed. The culture of omerta might start to crumble. It would be the best few million that the sport could spend. As Mark Twain said ‘two people can keep a secret if one of them is dead’ and there are nearly always other actors involved.

      h) The different forms of doping need different approaches. Doping to lose (nobbling) is relatively rare although in Ireland we are still waiting on CCTV in stable areas ?

      Therapeutic use of medication and pain killers is often legitimate and necessary but sometimes abused. Our testing regime only seems good at catching people who made a mistake over the correct withdrawal period for medication.

      i) Where our regime falls short is in detecting performance enhancing drugs that are only detectable for a very short window but which leaves long term benefits to the horse in terms of muscle mass or endurance. You can’t test every horse on every day so information is key to dealing with this problem…