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Warwick Welcomes Pilot Crowd

Warwick Racecourse welcomed a crowd of 500 annual members and hospitality guests for its jumps meeting on Monday. It was only the second time since racing resumed from a nine-week shutdown on June 1 that a crowd was permitted on a British racecourse-Doncaster had a week-long pilot project planned for its St Leger festival but that was shut down after just one card due to tightened government regulations.

Trainer Christian Williams was among those praising the Warwick project on Monday, saying, “It was brilliant, I think everything has been run so well. I think we’ve advertised ourselves well, and it was just great to come in today and see the crowd here. It’s our sport, and it’s great to see people back at the races.”

Racing continues to hold its collective breath, however, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson set to make a statement on Tuesday in the wake of rising COVID-19 levels in the country.

Owners were allowed to return to Irish racecourses beginning on Monday, with meetings staged at Listowel and Fairyhouse. Part owner Darragh McDonagh was on-course to see his Politicise win the featured Liam Healy Memorial Lartigue Hurdle at Listowel, and he said, “We come to Listowel every year and normally we come Thursday and go home on Sunday, but today is strange. We went for lunch in Listowel and were considering staying down today if the horse won, so at least we have decisions to make.

“It is a strange atmosphere, but they are doing the best they can. We are all trying to do our bit to stay safe and we’re back racing, so we’ll take it.”

Fairyhouse’s General Manager Peter Roe said of the return of owners, “It’s a great step. It’s the first tiny steps, and we hope we can keep going. It’s great just to get a bit of atmosphere back here again, and great to see their enthusiasm. They pay the bills, keep the show on the road, and it’s great to have them back. They’ve come back to a different experience than they left beforehand, but I think everyone here is just delighted to get going again–we hope we’ll be able to continue.”

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Horse Lovers Can Now Pay To Sleep In A Stable

A hotel in the United Kingdom is allowing horse lovers to spend the night in a barn designed to cater to overnight, two-legged guests. Dubbed the “Stable Stays” experience, equine enthusiasts can spend the night with either a Friesian horse or a Shetland pony for $250.

The accommodations are anything but rustic: the sleeping stall is outfitted with a double bed and a bunk bed, as well as with a mini fridge, microwave, shower and toilet. The stall beside it, where the horse lives, is partially separated by a transparent divider so guests can keep an eye on their four-legged friend all night.

Guests are encouraged to feed and groom the horse with whom they will be spending the night; if they are reluctant to get in the stall with the horse, they can brush or feed it from the bunk bed. The hotel reminds guests that horses don't sleep in the same manner people do, for multiple hours in a stretch; they are up and down during the night, which may be hard for some people to get a good night's sleep.

2020 UK GSSS Award Noms Now Open

Nominations for the 2020 UK Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff Awards are now open. The awards recognise and reward the outstanding skills, commitment and contribution of over 10,000 stud and stable staff in England, Scotland and Wales. In this challenging year, the 2021 awards will particularly look to recognise the challenges faced by stud and stable staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. The finalists will be judged, most likely remotely, on Feb. 22. After the winners are selected, there will be a virtual awards ceremony, and a celebratory event is slated for summer 2021, subject to relevant government guidance. Nominations will close on Nov. 10. They can be made by anyone on behalf of anyone working in a yard or stud via www.studandstablestaffwards.co.uk. For more information, go to www.britishhorseracing.com.

“In this extraordinary year it is more important than ever that we reward those dedicated, hardworking people who do so much behind the scenes of the racing and breeding industries,” said Godolphin UK & Dubai Managing Director Hugh Anderson. “The challenges that both industries have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic have been on a scale unlike anything we have felt before, and those who work with our horses day in, day out have shown outstanding commitment in keeping our industries going.

“Godolphin is delighted to be continuing its support of these awards and we look forward to celebrating the achievements of stud and stable staff up and down the land again in 2021.”

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California’s More Restrictive Whip Regulations to Go Into Effect Oct. 1

California racing regulators, who have long sought measures that would limit the use of the whip, announced Monday that a set of more restrictive rules will be implemented starting Oct. 1.

The rules were approved June 11 at a meeting of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) ,but could not go into effect until undergoing a regulatory review process.

The new rules will bring about three major changes:

(*) Riders cannot use the crop more than six times during a race, excluding showing or waving the crop or tapping the horse on the shoulder.

(*) Riders cannot use the crop more than two times in succession (within the six-time limit) without giving the horse a chance to respond before using the crop again.

(*) The crop must be used in an underhanded position with the crop always at or below the shoulder level of the jockey.

“Most of the riders are not happy about this,” said Flavien Prat, who is coming off a riding title at Santa Anita. “I’m for a change, but I think we have gone from one extreme to another. We have gone from no restrictions to pretty much no whip at all. Having a restriction is fine. It would be nice to have a restriction on how many times you can use the whip, something in the middle.”

The whip will still be allowed to be used when there are mitigating circumstances, such as when the jockey feels its use is necessary because of safety concerns.

Under current rules, a jockey must give his or her horse a chance to respond after using the whip three times in succession, which is the only major restriction when it comes to whip use.

Though he was aware that it was just a matter of time before the rules were enacted, Darrell Haire, a Jockey’s Guild Regional Manager whose territory covers California, was not pleased with Monday’s news.

“The riding crop is a valuable tool,” Haire said. “It’s part of the art of race riding, how you switch sticks and how you encourage a horse. It helps you get the most out of a horse. It’s going to hurt everybody, starting with the jockeys because they won’t be able to do their job. It will hurt the owners, the trainers, the fans, the bettors. It’s going to affect everybody. We have tried to compromise and believe they could have come up with something more reasonable.”

Starting Oct. 1, any jockey that violates the rules will be subject to a maximum fine of $1,000 and a minimum suspension of three days. However, the CHRB has recommended to stewards that they impose lesser penalties at first and allow for a transition period. The stewards are set to meet with the riders before the rule goes into effect in order to explain the regulations and answer any questions.

“…the CHRB is recommending to the Boards of Stewards that they should, for a reasonable period of time, use the “mitigating circumstances” language to employ the current penalty structure–lighter penalties–in order to make the transition to the amended rule less disruptive to jockeys, in particular, as well as all stakeholders and the wagering public generally,” read the statement from the CHRB.

The new rules will mean that California will have the most restrictive regulation in the U.S. when it comes to the whip, but that won’t last long. Starting with the 2021 season at Monmouth Park, jockeys in New Jersey will not be allowed to whip a horse, with the only exception being when there are safety concerns.

California appears to be heading in that same direction. CHRB Executive Director Scott Chaney has said that he would like to see whip use eventually eliminated all together. The CHRB’s new rules could be an interim step in that direction.

“I don’t think jockeys should carry crops. It’s not necessary,” Chaney told the TDN in April. “To me, it’s not a safety issue. That’s a red herring. Ten years from now, if jockeys are still carrying riding crops, we’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere.”

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