SHORT-SIGHTED, BALLABRIGGS, BLACK MARKET, LESSENING PRIZE-MONEY & CARTIER AWARDS.

I am not advocating extreme leniency for people working in racing who flout B.H.A. rules. But there are occasions when banning someone from the sport is akin to shooting the sport in the foot. An ex-employee of Harry Derham, one Graham Baines - he might be a good chap gone wrong or an absolute bounder - has been found guilty by the B.H.A. for selling inside information. Derham had already dismissed him for serious misconduct and doubtless would not furnish him with a good reference, which would make life more difficult for Baines even without a 2-year ban from employment in the racing industry. Again, I do not know Baines from Adam and he might not be worthy of a second-chance within the sport, but as he only benefitted by less than £2,000 from his offence, money he claimed was needed to pay family bills, and given the shortage of experienced staff the industry is suffering from, it might have shown foresight if Baines had been given a suspended sentence of exclusion, with appropriate restrictions imposed on him as sometimes people who err need a good kick up the arse to get their lives back in order.

Before I had this site tidied-up, on my home page there was a photograph of Ballabriggs. Sadly, he has recently died at his late owner's farm in the Isle of Man. He was 25 and will be laid to rest where he lived-out his retirement. At one time, he shared a paddock with both Hedgehunter and Many Clouds, perhaps the only time three Grand National winners munched grass alongside each other. Trevor Hemmings must have been so proud. I hope there is a heaven for horses and that Trevor can pop-in from his heaven to see his old pals from time to time.

Bill Barber's report in today's Racing Post on two differing views on the bookmaking black market highlights how governments around the world, and I include our present government, overlook criminal activity. As with illigal immigration, the black market is illegal and it matters not a jot whether one organisation believes 1.5% of British punters are turning to it to bet on the black market or whether that percentage is 10% or 25%. If something is illegal then the numbers do not matter. One person murdered is just as much illegal as 100-people suffering the same fate. In standing by and doing nothing to prevent a known crime, our government is complicit in that crime. Someone needs to point that out to both the police and whoever the government minister is that is responsible for overseeing the betting industry.

Prize-money in Ireland is falling, as it is in real terms in Britain. In Ireland, where they have a revenue stream that comes direct from government, there is a need, I believe, to set a minimum prize-money for all races. If, say, that minimum was 10,000 euros and that amount throughout the year would exceed the money available from government, then prize-money at the top of the pyramid should be shaved-off to balance the books. The Galway Hurdle, for instance, was worth 300,00 euros back in 2025, with the 2026 renewal worth 30,000 euros less. That to me makes sense. It remained the most valuable handicap hurdle in Ireland and as long as prize money does not continue to slip, those in the sport should not lose any sleep over it. As I have always said, it is the races at the bottom of the pyramid that need to be baulked-up, not races already worth six-figures to the winner. What also must be remembered is that horse racing is as much a sport for owners as it is for everyone else and owners should not think of owning racehorses as an investment, and if they should end each season on level par that should make them smile not grimace. And if someone is half-mad enough to fork-out 400,000 on a horse and it wins but one maiden hurdle, sobeit, racehorses do not come with gurantees of success, do they?

After saying yesterday I did not have enough enthusiasm to vote for my horse of the year in the Cartier Awards, I admit to voting in every single category after The Racing Post sent me a link to the voting 'papers'. And, yes, for horse of the year, I voted for Sun Goddess.