Investment in National Hunt horses for keeping and racing is a costly hobby requiring a full on passion for the game and a willingness to accept that it's a pastime that will be operated at a long term loss, often a substantial one.
The big investors in the game have made their fortunes by entrepreneurship and shrewd business moves, and it will not come natural to them to enter a venture that is certain to result in a loss. Nonsense comments about age just being a number is no consolation to those who are alert to the fact of how big a worry for National Hunt racing it is, when the age of those who have been investing heavily long term is noted. These are supporters whose massive, sustained contributions are somewhat taken taken for granted.
Michael O'Leary announced that he would be winding down his substantial interest in National Hunt racing well before the Covid pandemic was even on the horizon. At the time he did not rule out a turnaround with fresh reinvestment at some stage in the future but in light of the devastating damage that the plague has had on the airline industry, that change of heart is very unlikely to ever happen. He is now 60 years of age.
J P McManus's continued support for yards up and down the country in both Ireland and England is something which no one really takes time to step back and consider that nothing lasts for ever. From the days of Jack of Trumps when Eddie O'Grady was his main trainer, McManus began to expand the trainers used and in many instances his support has been a lifeline for some operations.
McManus is now 70 years old. The time will soon arrive when he begins to wind down his interest and it is most unlikely anyone else will step in to fill the void. As a general rule the younger entrepreneurs would be less likely to become involved in operations were loss making on a large scale is assured, irrespective of the pleasures derived from.
Graeme Wylie became attached to racing relatively late on in life. After being part of the team that developed the Sage computer software, then sold his share off for an astronomical sum, he bought Lord Transcend who turned into a cracking performer at Howard Johnston's, the success resulting in Wylie investing heavily and being rewarded with some great equine contributors to the game, Inglis Drever and Tidal Bay leading the way, along with several other smart performers.
He was faithful to Johnston in light of some sniping comments about how better he'd do if expanding the number of trainers he used. Once Johnston lost his licence, Wylie turned firstly to Paul Nicholls and Willie Mullins, to train the horses in his colours, then lately Mullins alone. The success with Johnston was never reproduced though the Mullins trained On His Own failed by inches to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Wylie is back in business developing a product to compete with Sage. He is almost certainly not going to be returning to racing - and to think we took it for granted that he'd be a prominent player in the game for the rest of his life.
Robert Ogden once had a cracking string of jumpers and there was a period when he brought Paul Carberry over as a retained rider for a three year spell in the second half of the 1990's. After they split Ogden continued with a string of forty odd quality jumpers. The striking Marlborough a real star in his own way and an important part of the jumping scene, Voy Por Ustedes ( in picture) a cracking two miler, Exotic Dancer a player in the big championship events, and who can forget how well Ad Hoc was travelling when brought down four out in Bindaree's Grand National.
Ogden long ago wound down his jumping string and will shortly be reaching 86 years of age. While Trevor Hemmings had now passed and his colours will gradually leave the scene. Just have David Johnston's have, and soon the Andy Stewart colours will have gone.
Yes, it's all very gloomy but there is a point to this. All these owners had a passion for the game that drove them to blank out their normal strict requirement to reap a financial gain because the reward of watching a National Hunt animal realise its potential and make it to the high grades was privilege worth paying for.
Though it's more of a subjective hunch than an objective fact with figures to back up the argument, there is no doubt whatsoever that the emerging owners are much, much less likely inclined to want to own National Hunt owners and more drawn to finding a juvenile on the flat that will be ready to go and bring some money back in and maybe attract some big offers from other parts of the word.
Richi Ricci seemed to appear from nowhere and could just as easily disappear as quickly. His patronage cannot be taken for granted while who know how long Noel and Valerie Moran will stay on the scene. It's a humbling thought that it only takes a few of these names to drop out ( they all will eventually, some sooner than others) to create a void that finding new investors to fill it may just not be possible.
image taken by author
A famous opening track from a vintage album released shortly before Bright Highway won the Mackeson, and would have been in thousands of households when he followed up in the Hennessey. A time when the future of National Hunt racing seemed perpetually safe and secure.
No comments:
Post a Comment