There is the old adage that there are none so blind as those who refuse to see. The horse racing industry in T&T continues to be plagued by this ailment and it is becoming increasingly clear that not even the Blind Welfare Association might be able to help them.
The Arima Race Club (ARC) has witnessed the departure of virtually all of its major sponsors without even the slightest whimper. One is left to wonder at the role and activities of the Marketing Committee since no sport can survive without sponsors.
Having seemingly accepted its fate, the ARC responded earlier this month with the publication of its draft (sic?) 2016 Classic Diary.
This document which itself has been mired in some controversy in the past - for example, with respect to the conditions for this year’s Trinidad Derby – has signaled a radically different philosophy in the structure of prize money for horse racing in 2016.
The almost across the board cut in prize money for the sport can only be applauded for its transparency as opposed to its consequences. This transparency is in stark contrast to the haircut which was applied to the transport subsidy during the last month or so, such haircut having not been previously advised to anyone.
The cuts however are quite dramatic and the implications extend beyond the races listed in the Classic Diary since, it stands to reason, that there will be further cuts on the prize money paid out in the non-Classic events. Racehorse owners’ love of the sport will be tested to its maximum in the coming 12 months, if not for some before then.
The Classic Diary has always boasted of six marquee events – the Triple Crown (comprising the Guineas, Midsummer Classic, Derby), the Breeders’ Classic, the Stewards Cup and the Gold Cup. The Breeders’ Classic was a new addition following its introduction in 2014 and was designed as a stimulus to the local breeding industry.
Historically, the Derby Breeders’ Classic and Gold Cup commanded the top prize, $500,000 each. The other three events carried significant less, but equally attractive prize money. The 2016 Classic Diary signals the departure from that philosophy.
In 2016, there has been a cut in the prize money in each of the three premier races. The Derby will now be worth $400,000; the Gold Cup, $350,000 and the T&T Breeders Classic, $300,000.
In the case of the latter, the prize money was cut by $200,000. This is quite significant and represents a major body blow to the local breeding industry. This reduction places the Breeders Classic below the Midsummer Classic ($350,000) and on par with the Guineas. What is also of interest is that when the race was introduced, the industry was advised that the Betting Levy Board (BLB) was specifically funding it as part of its support of local breeders.
One is left to wonder why the BLB would have so dramatically changed its position, notwithstanding the known challenges confronting that institution. But that is if the BLB was informed of this change .
The slashing of the prize money for the Gold Cup is also a body blow since it signals a retreat in the sport to a more inward looking Caribbean centric purchasing patterns. On average a quality imported animal will cost in the region of US$40,000 ($256,000).
The two major races for these animals would be the Stewards Cup and the Gold Cup. Prize money for the Stewards Cup is a relatively low $250,000 and, when coupled with the fewer opportunities in general to race imported animals of substance must translate into a reduced level of interest in acquiring horses bred outside of the West Indies.
That being the case, the main beneficiary will be Jamaican breeders who will now view Trinidad as easy pickings for their animals.
The myopic nature of the decisions being taken sometimes seem to be at odds with the business acumen previously displayed by some of those at the helm of the industry. One is left to conjecture as to the reasons for this seemingly nonsensical approach.
Rather than trying to resuscitate the industry–the only way possible –and this is by improving the quality of our racing product, we seem more interested in supporting mediocrity in the sport and contesting more races of a lower level. Fans do not come out to see 15 horses in the 0 to 25 category compete, they come out to see five horses in the 100 and over category.
The ARC has however commenced a policy of cancelling subscription races with five or less horses while splitting West Indian bred four year old and over maiden races with 22 horses. One wonders if when the race is cancelled, subscriptions are repaid to all horses that had been nominated from the first stage or if only those who were nominated at the final stage or maybe even only those who were entered are refunded.
This is an interesting legal matter to be taken up by connections of the affected horses because the ARC cannot be entitled to retain all of the subscriptions which were meant to go towards the total purse for the event. The ARC need to be cautious going forward with this backward approach.
With the change in prize money, connections of the top class horses must feel incentivised to try and take advantage of the current scenario. This will therefore be the final year in which the prize money for the Gold Cup, Stewards’ Cup and Caribbean Champion Stakes will be at its current level.
There is one horse that is entered in each and who has a realistic chance of winning all–Bigman in Town.
The problem for the Bigman is that there is only one week between the Caribbean Champion Stakes and the Stewards’ Cup. Will connections be brave enough to contest both races? Quite frankly, Bigman should not have to come out of a canter to win the Caribbean Champion Stakes with his closest competitor in the event, Momentum, rated a full 36 points lower.
Every one of his rivals in that race will be racing outside of the handicap because their riders will be unable to catch the allotted weight. This could be a nice warm up race for the Stewards’ Cup one week later over 1200 metres.
Bigman is not getting any younger and this might be his final year to sweep a triple crown of sorts that has never been tried previously, in other words write some history! Few horses attempt the Stewards/Gold Cup double, let alone succeed at it.
To add the Caribbean Champion Stakes to that double would go some way to cementing the Bigman’s status in local racing folklore. We hope connections make the brave and bold decision in the best interest of horseracing.