National Hunt trainer Kim Bailey shares his thoughts on last weekend’s racing action, the new-style hurdles, and repercussions from the budget
Not often do I sit at home on a Saturday. As a trainer, it’s not something you want to be doing too often. We’ve had a good week, with plenty of winners, but even so…
So, with a glass of wine and a bowl of soup, I parked myself in front of the TV with great excitement to watch the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury and the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle for the return of the great Constitution Hill taking on the young pretender, The New Lion.
Only two flights in and Constitution Hill fell, having stepped at a hurdle again. Two hurdles later, The New Lion thought about running out, and then drama number two unfolded when he came down two from home, stepping in the same way as Constitution Hill and taking a heavy fall when looking all over the winner.
It was left to the forgotten horse in the line-up, reigning Champion Hurdler Golden Ace, to grind it out. I’m absolutely thrilled for her trainer Jeremy Scott; you won’t meet a more special person who has been under a huge amount of pressure this season. There is much sadness, though, for Nicky Henderson and Dan Skelton – two very good horses on the deck, but thankfully both are OK.
Racing throws up results that make you wonder at times, and this tough little mare has simply been in the right place to capitalise on some great horses taking tumbles. But she has become a serious mare in her own right – a Champion Hurdle winner, no less. I do wonder how the Geordies addressed “Jezza” in the post-race celebrations.
Of course, when things go wrong, every person involved in racing becomes a trainer. Poor Nicky Henderson will have endured more than enough unsolicited advice on how to train Constitution Hill from the know-alls. But is it just the case of those new-style white hurdles? It all seems to have gone wrong since he met them.
A racecourse and trainer on the up
Newbury staged two fabulous days’ racing. The racecourse is back on the up and drawing in good crowds again, helped by some excellent racing.
Dan Skelton triumphed yet again, this time in the Coral Gold Cup when his Bryan Drew-owned mare Panic Attack absolutely bolted up.
Remarkably, it’s 21 years since Celestial Gold completed the same winning double with the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham. Surely Dan is now odds-on favourite to win this year’s trainers’ championship?
“No lifeline for racing”
What can you say about last week’s budget? Initially, everyone seemed to think it was good for racing, but I don’t believe it will be. We might have been saved on one front with the “Axe the Racing Tax” campaign – which every trainer, jockey and owner in the sport got behind – clearly helping, because racing’s own tax position wasn’t altered.
But everything else in the wider changes to the Gambling Act has hit the bookmakers hard. Their profits are being wiped out as their tax rates have gone up by at least 40%. That is going to have a huge knock-on for our sport, most obviously through sponsorship, which is a huge worry.
The chancellor didn’t exactly throw racing a lifeline either. Not only are we facing the rise in the minimum wage, but the 40% cap on business rates has been removed as well. I don’t know if many people outside the industry realise this, but business rates on training yards are already high and the thought of those going up even further is alarming.
It’s hard to see how this doesn’t end badly for smaller and medium-sized yards. In a couple of years’ time, when these new rates really bite, I fear we’re going to see trainers going bust. It’s not scaremongering; it’s just the reality of running a yard in the current climate.
On that note, I fear I should be heading back to that unfinished bottle of wine!
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