Ask PN - November 2011

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Ron I'm sure your mail will be on a chart somewhere which they use to monitor how long it takes them to respond to each e-mail. This will then be presented at regular management meetings under the banner of "Key Performance Indicators".

They'll then employ an outsourced consultancy to review and make recommendations for the improvment of KPI reporting at a cost of tens of thousands of pounds, meanwhile countless jockeys leave the industry to earn more money sweeping the streets....
 
The latest from Racing Post:

"THE BHA is on Thursday hoping to announce changes to the sport's controversial new whip rules that are expected to lessen the penalties imposed on jockeys.

Racing's governing body and the Professional Jockeys'Association are continuing to talk in an attempt to deliver a compromise solution that can suit both sides in the heated whip debate.

However, a source close to the PJA's management informed the Racing Post early on Thursday afternoon that agreement has not yet been reached with jockeys.

The BHA's planned announcement has been timed to reduce the possibility of further unfortunate headlines during Cheltenham's three-day Open fixture - the highest-profile jumps meeting of the season so far - which begins on Friday.

Limits on use of the whip are likely to be kept at seven for Flat racing and eight over jumps."
 
Ron I'm sure your mail will be on a chart somewhere which they use to monitor how long it takes them to respond to each e-mail. This will then be presented at regular management meetings under the banner of "Key Performance Indicators".

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Basics (no links yet, I'm typing this as they're talking about it on ATR):

2 tiers of offence - lower and upper.

lower tier = 2 day ban for first offence & 4 days for second lower tier offence
upper tier = 5 day ban for first offence & 14 days for second upper tier offence

(no word as to what equates to lower or upper levels)

Prize money forfeitted when incurring a ban of 7 days or more.

Group/Grade 1 race exemption for bans is to be reinstated (ie if your ban would rule you out of a G1 race then the day will be rolled over to another day).

Stewards to have more discretion as to whether or not they count certain strikes with the whip (ie smacks down shoulder, safety reasons, etc).

As soon as I have a link to more info I'll put them up.
 
As far as I am aware the amateur riders do not get anything in terms of prize money. Sam Waley-Cohen nothing from the prize money for his win on LONG RUN in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The jockey's percentage on that race was about £17,000.

Amateur riders do not get a riding fee (£148.95 +VAT over jumps) unless they are riding in an open race (ie not confined to amateurs) or have ridden in more than 75 races open to professional riders.
 
Isn't Long Run owned and ridden by the family. I expect he did OK out of it but for amateurs generally it doesn't seem fair. Nothing to stop the owners giving them something is there?
 
Oh no, I don't think there is anything to stop the owner/trainer giving something to the rider by way of thanks.
 
From an outsiders view, it seems that UK breeding has been really keen on stamina in the past. Like everyone else, I've read the stuff being pushed out by both Coolmore and Darley, of the need for a speedier product, but where is the cut off point? With Workforce heading to Japan, you'd have to think that neither of these two "houses" are at all interested in him. And I have to think last year's Derby winner might be in the same boat as Workforce, in that he lacks the leg speed to throw pace. Some times they will of course, but with the purchase of So You Think, and the impending standing of Frankel, are these signals that the mile and a half sire is a thing of the past?

Thanks in advance Princess.
 
The middle distance sire has been on the wain for quite some time. I've often quoted the examples of Galileo and Montjeu (middle distance horses) compared to their stablemates Rock of Gibraltar and Giant's Causeway (milers).


On retiring to stud their fees were set as follows:

Montjeu (2001) – 30,000gns (Irish)
Giant’s Causeway – 100,000gns (Irish)
Galileo (2002) – £50,000 (Irish)
Rock of Gibraltar (2003) €90,000

As you can see, significantly more value is placed on milers than the true middle-distance horse.

It is still the case that sprinters and milers are more sought after at stud, mainly because they are more likely to sire fast, precocious two year olds (and get good early results) than a late maturing type of horse.

It is why so many St Leger winners, Ascot Gold Cup winners, etc are marketed as National Hunt sires, because no one wants stamina. It seems to be a case that people would rather breed for speed and get stamina through training or class.

Coolmore were obviously afraid that YEATS would be seen as nothing more than a National Hunt sire, so they did their very best to counteract that “stigma” by (a) setting his fee higher than most National Hunt sires at €10,000 and (b) placing heavy emphasis on the two year old winners in his family in his stud adverts. His 2010 stud card references his two year old ability and the Group winning two year olds in his immediate pedigree no less than 4 times!
 
Wasn't sure where else to post this, but BANIMPIRE made €2.3million at Goffs this afternoon. She has been bought to continue her racing career in the USA.
 
A shadow roll (sheepskin noseband) is a piece of equipment, usually made of sheepskin or a synthetic material, that is attached to the noseband of a horse's bridle. Like blinkers, it partially restricts the horse's vision, and helps him to concentrate on what is in front of him, rather than objects on the ground (such as shadows).

Classic example of a horse that should have worn one is Dayjur in the Breeders Cup sprint when he shadow jumped, lost momentum and lost the race.
 
Thanks and i remember the Dayjur incident well.

I also remember Red Rum always wore one and noticed that they like Long Run to wear one also.
 
Bit of a funny one but:

Do you have any idea of the proportion of Britain's foal crop that is foaled in Newmarket?
 
I don't know the percentage of foals, but I can tell you that only 29 stallions stand in Newmarket at 6 different studs.
These stallions were responsible for covering almost 3,000 mares between them in 2011. That's 41% of all the mares covered in Great Britain this year by some 140 active stallions.
 
Many thanks PN. It is fairly obvious that Newmarket dominates the flat breeding in this country but it is hard to get a handle to what extent without figures such as the above.