britain | Horse Racing Free Tips

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.”

The post 2020 UK GSSS Award Noms Now Open appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Phoenix Thoroughbreds Will Cease Racing In UK ‘For The Foreseeable Future’

Phoenix Thoroughbreds released a statement Tuesday announcing that the ownership group will cease racing operations in the United Kingdom immediately, according to the Racing Post. The group has racehorses with 11 different trainers in Britain.

“This has not been a decision we have taken lightly,” said Phoenix's founder Amer Abdulaziz Salman. “However, for the growth and wellbeing of our business and our partners internationally, we have taken the decision to leave the UK for the foreseeable future. It saddens me greatly to have to do this but at this juncture, we believe it is necessary. We would like to thank everyone who has helped us achieve our dreams so far.”

Abdulaziz was alleged in a New York court to be a money launderer for fake cryptocurrency OneCoin last year, and he has consistently declined to identify any investors in the Luxembourg-registered equine fund.

Prominent racing figures to have distanced themselves from Phoenix include: Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, trainer Martyn Meade, bloodstock advisor Dermot Farrington, and former vice-president and head of equine investments Tom Ludt.

Also on Tuesday, the Racing Post published a list of questions Phoenix has refused to answer, including queries about the money laundering allegations and the Luxembourg fund. Phoenix responded with a categorical denial of all the allegations against it, insisting they would “vigorously contest all allegations of wrongdoing.”

The post Phoenix Thoroughbreds Will Cease Racing In UK ‘For The Foreseeable Future’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Equine Rescues Expect To Feel Financial Effects Of Pandemic In Winter

A study out of Britain indicates that animal welfare organizations are expecting to struggle throughout the winter months as the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is felt.

The equine portion of the survey, which was conducted by the National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC) and the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH), was sent to 37 NEWC members and 126 equine rescues. Of those asked, 74 responded. Respondents feel that their organizations will be most impacted by the pandemic during winter months when welfare cases tend to rise because of the increase in costs associated with caring for horses.

It was noted that even with decreased donations, rescues still must attend to the animals in their care. British equine rescue and adoption agencies are once again placing horses into homes, but an increase in horses needing their assistance is expected.

There are nearly 850,000 equines in the United Kingdom with at least 7,000 of those animals were considered at risk before the pandemic hit. The rescues responded that they feel the pandemic will place additional pressure on equine welfare organizations, many of which are already operating at capacity.

Over 83 percent of the responding organizations, both large and small, reported that their fundraising has been impacted with the pandemic, with more than half reporting an income reduction of over 50 percent. Rescues that utilized shops to sell merchandise closed to visitors, greatly impacting their donations. More than 40 percent of organizations furloughed staff and over 70 percent had to reduce or eliminate volunteer help. Despite this bleak financial news, 62 percent of rescues still took in urgent welfare cases during lockdown.

An Equine Emergency Rescue Fund has been established to provide grants to British equine welfare organizations in need of financial assistance.