The TBA launches campaign to protect the future of the British Stayer
British racing’s diversity is in serious jeopardy
The TBA request industry support
Britain stands to lose an important part of our racing heritage
To watch the TBA film on this story, featuring John Gosden, Nicky Henderson, Mark Johnston and more experts from across the industry please click on the image below
To download a full copy of the report please click here: A TBA Study into the Future of British Stayers and Staying Races
Newmarket, April 13th 2015: The Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (TBA) today launched a significant campaign requesting industry support to prevent the decline of the British stayer.
At the press conference in London the TBA revealed the findings of an in-depth study into British Stayers and Staying races along with the concerning statistics that highlight the future of the British Stayer and British racing’s diversity is in serious jeopardy.
The TBA called upon stakeholders, including the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and racecourses to, collectively, renew their efforts to support a review and protect a vital part of the sport’s heritage.
The campaign serves as notice to both National Hunt and Flat racing with the majority of National Hunt Stallions as previous high-class, middle distance or staying performers. With the world famous National Hunt race, The Grand National, drawing in 600 million television viewers last week and the beginning of the Flat season commencing in two days, the call-to-action acts as a timely reminder that the impact of losing staying performers will affect all areas of racing and the sport’s future. The robust report shows that proven staying sires in Britain are in decline and, as a consequence, National Hunt breeding is already affected.
The study underlines the concern that British Bred stayers are not only under threat but, those that are succeeding are exported due to the lack of opportunity on home turf. Whilst 53% of staying winners in Britain from 2004 – 2013 were bred in Ireland; the notable departure of stayers to the southern hemisphere is reinforced by more than 50 individual stakes winners bred in Europe who have won for Australian-based trainers since 2011. The need for a review and improvement of the race programme is required now more than ever.
With the key staying races providing an important turnover for racecourses and the betting industry, they are also regarded as the races that represent our racing heritage and without them British racing’s diversity will be seriously jeopardised. The loss of the staying thoroughbred will see a reduction in the gene pool of horses with the soundness and stamina to compete over longer distances and as a consequence the field sizes will suffer. The report highlighted this issue by detailing that the percentage of high class stayers with Group 1 performance, rated 115 or over, has fallen nearly 30% in the last five years.
Commenting on the reason behind the study, conducted by Clive Webb-Carter Bloodstock Services, Richard Lancaster, TBA, Chairman said: “this research was commissioned as a result of two triggers, the European Pattern Committee downgrading the Queen’s Vase and then the Bahrain Trophy being put on the ‘at risk’ list. Both deliver a worrying picture that the staying Pattern and Black Type programme is under threat and, as a consequence, the stayer is in decline. The TBA wanted to ascertain a complete and thorough analysis of the breeding and racing staying landscape in order to act quickly before the issue escalated and more vulnerable Black Type staying races are downgraded.”
The opportunities
Acknowledging that the solution to this issue cannot be solved overnight, or single-handedly, the TBA have initiated this research and campaign in order to highlight the importance of the stayer and it is very much the TBA’s intention to now work with the BHA, and others, to improve opportunities for stayers and redress some of the matters underlined. This isn’t a problem that requires large amounts of funding but merely alternations and tweaks to the programme to give breeders and owners a reason to invest in staying bred Thoroughbred’s. The TBA has compiled some suggestions and ideas of potential ways to rectify the situation which they plan to share with the BHA. These include:
- Introducing a limited number of maiden races for horses by stallions that won over 1-¼ miles or 1-½ miles, similar to the conditions of the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot.
- Reviewing the 3-yr old staying programme. As an example there are no 3-yr old only fillies staying handicaps and only 2 races at Class 4 for 4-yr old fillies and upwards. (see page 16 of the report). The TBA would recommend establishing some staying distance maidens for colts and fillies
- Introducing more 3-yr old only Class II and III handicaps. There are only three Class II handicaps for 3-year olds only and no 3-yr old has run in the Northumberland Plate in the last ten years (see page 18 of the report)
- A review of the Pattern programme is required. There are only three fillies conditions races at over 1 ½ miles with one at Group II and one at Group III and one at listed level. The TBA would like to look at creating more race opportunities for fillies
- Finally, there is an obvious need to boost the value and a limited number of opportunities for both 3-yr olds and older horses in order to ensure they remain in Britain to race then go to stud.
The attractiveness and economics of owning and breeding sprinters are fast becoming that reason that British Stayers are no longer the sort after horse. The TBA are determined to look at ways to turn this around and ensure that races such as the Gold Cup don’t end up being purely a race in history.
Concluding on the report and campaign, Julian Richmond-Watson, TBA Flat Committee Chairman said: “this isn’t yet a crisis but we are heading towards one and we at the TBA believe that we need a carefully considered and an enhanced race programme with a greater emphasis on the diversity that the stayer brings to flat racing. We emphasise how important it is to the National Hunt programme, and we must take urgent action to avert the decline. It is in all our hands to promote and preserve the stayers and the staying programme that is so important to British Racing.”
