National Hunt trainer Kim Bailey shares his thoughts on the importance of showcasing racing to all
OLD as I might be I really cannot recall a longer dry spell of weather as we have had this autumn. It is seriously beginning to affect the jump season and for us National Hunt trainers with proper winter horses, reading that racecourses are still watering to maintain good ground in the last 10 days of November is perhaps a major warning of what the future holds in a world of climate change.
It might sound strange for those not in the sport as “good ground” is surely good ground, but for those in the sport, we know that good ground when watered is “false”. When you use a sprinkler on your lawn you get false patches where more water has landed in some areas and that is the problem when watering a racecourse, no two places will be the same.
The press has been giving the sport grief for not having enough runners to keep the public happy, but I am sure the public would be much less happy if we were to run their favourite horses on unsuitable ground, which could potentially cause an injury.
A damaged tendon takes an immeasurable time to heal and can be career-ending; competitive racing is all well and good but taking the risk of damaging a horse really is not worth it.
Increasing understanding
THERE has been much talk about Netflix or other TV producers thinking of reinventing the wheel when it comes to a documentary on racing.
Netflix’s Formula One: Drive to Survive was hugely popular and really showed how Grand Prix racers lived on a daily basis. Sporting feuds and rivalry were all too evident in this excellent documentary and I for one feel that horse racing really should do a similar programme.
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Very few people have any understanding of what goes on behind the gate in a racing yard and those who are able to see it through stable tours or being an owner simply love it. Now is the time to show the country what we do and how we come to make the decisions we do.
Another benefit of the above will be to show young people just out of school that racing life is one they too can enjoy. At present, too many youngsters who come into racing are frowned upon by their friends as they believe it is a cruel sport. It is not, but the working hours certainly are.
Again, we need to be proactive in finding ways to promote our industry to all audiences; it has so much going for it, including the love of animals.
Irish dominance
WE are just a few months into the jump season and the recent Betfair Chase run at Haydock was won in hugely impressive style by A Plus Tard and Rachael Blackmore. The performance was worthy of the legendary four-time Betfair Chase winner Kauto Star as A Plus Tard became the first Irish runner to plunder the opening Grade One of the British season.
Is this the start of another season of Irish dominance of English racing? Time will tell but it does set the season up nicely for the months ahead.
How do you think the racing industry could promote itself to the public? Write to hhletters@futurenet.com
This exclusive column will also be available to read in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 2 December
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National Hunt trainer Kim Bailey has sent out more than 1,300 winners including triumphing in the Grand National with Mr Frisk, the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Master Oats and the Champion Hurdle with Alderbrook. Kim comes from a background steeped in jump racing and is absolutely passionate about the sport. Having started his career in leading jumps yards of Captain Tim Forster and Fred Rimell before starting on his own, he has a wealth of experience. He trains from a state of the art training facility at Thorndale Farm in the Cotswolds with an enthusiastic support team and an exciting selection of horses.
