Make no mistake, away from the glamour yards at the top of the pyramid there are a multitude of trainers close to breaking point, operating at a loss or at best minuscule gain not worthy of the hours put in and the stress endured.
These trainers have owners who are in businesses likewise in perilous positions. Realistically, all knew there would be a massive financial backlash to the sport from the covid fall out but have sat with fingers crossed hoping in vain that it would pass by.
Now the situation is worse than imagined with energy costs, inflation, and many cutting their cloths accordingly, all in the process of taking their toll on the sport. And it's no good pointing to prize money increases at the venues that are part of the Jockey Club portfolio. Many of these are the creme de la creme of the British racecourses that serve in the main the relatively small number of operators at the summit of racing's pyramid.
It's a sport fit for downsizing and God knows what will be left. Maybe a Dubai type scenario where there is a limited number of meetings, all with attractive prize money, but with only a few dominant owners and trainers involved, many inter connected.
It's important to remember that long before the plague appeared, the sport was pressed with troubles and the future uncertain. We had racing professionals going on strike to protest at what they considered to be pitiful prize money at the courses under the ARC banner. Not unconnected was the fact that the racing proportion of the gambling pie continued to decline in relation to other sports.
Examining what the sport is doing to try and reverse this decline leaves one concluding there is ultimately nothing that can be put in place to turn things around. Far, far too late for that and it's probably best not to get irked and instead sit back and chuckle at some of the dimwitted projects put into action to address the the mess that sport is finding itself in.
The decision to continue with the totally absurd ' Racing League' in 2022 is testament as to how out of touch those pulling the strings are with what ingredients are truly required to draw in souls to the game and have them become truly smitten with it, and lifelong punters too.
The fact that this nonsense will this year be broadcast on ITV racing tells all you need to know about the direction the sport is going. I wonder how they will excuse a run of six Saturdays that will have good grade handicaps with smaller, lower quality fields as a result of this Thursday hullabaloo.
What is even more comical is the belief that the concept will make newcomers look at the team concept as they do with the ultimate glamour sport of Formula One. There is no contest as one of these sports sits on a different plain to the other.
To demonstrate this; imagine a racing fan who has had the sport as his main interest and hobby in life. This person follows other sports with Grand Prix racing fifth in list of preferences. Now, our imaginary character is given the choice of a pass for the weighing room for a days racing at one of the showcase meetings, or a pit lane pass for qualifying day for a Grand Prix - there is no need to include race day as we know that even Grand Prix qualifying is far more popular with sporting TV viewers than horse racing.
Anyone who says they'd rather wander around and observe proceedings in the weighing room than the pit lane is either fibbing, or in a small minority. For even those who have lifelong affection for the racing game could not fail to recognize that the buzz, allurement and fabulous aura emanating from Formula One, make it a sport that racing should not attempt to mimic in any shape or form.
It's easy to have the mind overflowing with such negative feelings on the back of a Monday to Friday that that must be in the reckoning for the worst five consecutive days of racing in the past fifty years. But to let the odd stimulating weekend card kid you that all is OK would be folly.
This is going to be one hell of a bad year for UK horse racing.
image from Wikipedia - CC BY- SA 2.0 de
This from a performance just days after Bula won his second Champion Hurdle,and Glencaraig Lady took the Gold Cup. Bolan did not have the voice of the ultimate great singers but he had presence in adundance.
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