• From Monday, 28 Feb., Weighing Room attendees will no longer be expected to show evidence of a negative lateral flow test prior to entry.
• From Monday, 14 Mar., racecourses will no longer be required to configure the Weighing Room complex for the purposes of COVID-19 infection control.

These changes are possible due to encouraging trends in both the national data and the BHA's pre-raceday testing, together with anticipated government announcements on self-isolation requirements–all of which help reduce the business continuity risk to racing. Weighing room access will continue to be restricted to essential personnel only. Anyone testing positive for or exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 should not enter the weighing room complex until they can demonstrate evidence of a negative test. Regular self-testing with lateral flow devices will still be encouraged for all weighing room personnel and raceday attendees, as will completing a full course of COVID-19 vaccinations, including the booster jab. Announcements from the UK and Scottish Governments on the easing of COVID rules, anticipated for early next week, are unlikely to delay racing's proposed timetable, but the final plans will be considered in line with government publications.

BHA Chief Medical Adviser, Dr. Jerry Hill, said, “It is with cautious optimism that we are able to publish a provisional timetable for the removal of the remaining racecourse mitigations, starting with the testing requirement for Weighing Room entry.

“We are satisfied that the data continues to move in the right direction, and that with the UK Government likely to rescind the legal obligation to self-isolate, the risk of COVID-related disruption is further diminished.

“This decision is only possible thanks to the continued efforts of industry colleagues both on and off the racecourse, who have prioritised the health, wellbeing, and livelihood of others. It is through your collective efforts that we have thus far managed to avoid interruption to the racing schedule.

“We will of course continue to monitor the situation over the next few weeks. COVID has not gone away, and therefore racecourse attendees should continue to exercise the necessary vigilance: vaccination and regular testing are still highly advisable.”

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In addition to the survey, there are also a series of focus group-style sessions already in progress, which seek to explore some of the environmental projects in greater detail and discuss the sustainability challenges and opportunities for racing. The engagement work is taking place online and, where possible through site visits. Additional sessions are being arranged for the coming weeks, with anybody interested in contributing to the project encouraged to contact: sustainability@britishhorseracing.com.

Rob Hezel, Chief Executive of the Racing Foundation, said, “We knew before we started this scoping assessment into racing's progress on environmental sustainability that there was a huge amount of work already underway, but that this exercise would also help us identify gaps and further opportunities.

“Climate change presents major challenges for our industry and our hope is that by measuring and understanding where we are now, we can enable industry leaders to plan more effectively for the future. Gathering the initial information and data is crucial to this process, and therefore I encourage everyone to complete the questionnaire and help ensure we benefit from a comprehensive assessment.”

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The survey, which runs through May 16, is open to everyone working across the Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry. Every individual who completes the survey, will receive a personalised well-being report to help improve how they feel, live and work. A Wellbeing Committee was also created, comprising a significant range of expertise across its membership, as well as a dedication towards improving further the overall health of the sport and its employees. The Wellbeing Committee consists of the following:

• Simon Jones, Chair
• Linda Bowles, HR Director and charity trustee
• Kay Boyden, Director of Programmes, Racing Welfare
• Lisa Hancock, Chief Executive, Injured Jockeys Fund
• Jerry Hill, BHA Chief Medical Adviser
• Will McConn, Sports Psychologist and joint author of the 2019 review and recommendations on mental health support in British Racing
• Rishi Persad, Horseracing and sports broadcaster
• Simone Sear, Director of Welfare, Racing Welfare

The committee, which will report to the People Board chaired by BHA Director Laura Whyte, will lead an industry-wide programme of work that brings together all the organisations that deliver support to the workforce, with well-being prioritised. A well-being strategy was identified as a priority within British Racing's COVID-19 recover plan published last summer. There will also be dedicated well-being workshops for leaders across British Racing and the completion of a comprehensive gap analysis of provision across key stakeholder bodies, are among priorities that have been delivered early in 2021.The Racing Foundation has provided funding support in this crucial area to date, which builds on their support of the groundbreaking 2019 report, 'A lifestyle rather than a job': a review and recommendations on mental health support within British Racing.

Wellbeing Committee Chair Simon Jones said, “I'm delighted to have been asked to Chair British Racing's Wellbeing Committee. In establishing this Committee, the BHA and the sport, working with the full range of stakeholders, has given the highest priority possible to a programme of work that puts the wellbeing of our workforce at the top of our sports agenda.

“The industry's Wellbeing Committee will oversee the delivery of excellence in wellbeing, development and pastoral support of our people, and contribute to the continued improvement in the health of our sport.”

BHA Chief Executive Julie Harrington added, “Staff wellbeing, across the full breadth of British racing, is a priority for decision-makers in our sport and will be critical to our recovery from the pandemic, and our growth in the future.

“I wish to thank Simon and his fellow Wellbeing Committee members for their commitment to this crucial area, which will be matched at the BHA as plans and policies are developed. This is a big opportunity for all employees, in every area of our sport, to have their voices heard, and I encourage everyone to complete the survey.”

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Racing is “at some kind of crossroads, again or still depending on how you look at it,” Clancy wrote in a recent editorial.

“At its core, racing exists because of a public trust,” he continued. “Those outside the industry need to trust that the people inside the industry are doing the right things. The questions are pretty simple.”

Those questions the public should be able to ask of racing include: Are the horses well cared for? Is the wagering above board? Are rule-breakers penalized?

Looking at the 2021 actions of just the above four members of the racing industry, those questions become harder to answer. At the end of the day, Clancy wrote, the most important question is whether racing's public trust will survive the actions of the rule-breakers and bad actors.

“That's the most important question, and I can't answer it,” he concluded.

Read more at the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred.

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There are two certainties in horse racing. First–people don't do it for the money. Long hours, hard work and sometimes little reward if things go wrong (which they often can) are enough to put off anyone seeking pure financial gain. People in the Thoroughbred industry do it for a love of the horse, a burning desire to succeed and a determination to overcome the odds in the never-ending pursuit of excellence.

The second certainty? Nothing is free in this world.

Many have long said that British and Irish prizemoney systems require major restructuring to direct increased wagering revenue back into racing. However, as exemplified by the Irish EBF Ballyhane S., there is enormous potential for Special Conditions Races to initiate a transition towards more holistic and successful prizemoney systems, as well as improving overall racing quality and competitiveness.

The Ballyhane S., run for the first time in 2020, is based on a model of stallion median sales prices, where a horse's sire requires a sales median below €75,000. Race weights are then allocated on the same scale. Entries for this year number 369, all hoping for a shot at the total prizemoney of €200,000. Last year's entries set an Irish record–563, where runners competed for €320,000 across two divisions, making it Ireland's richest race for juveniles.

So why do special conditions strike such excellent balance and attract such popularity? The blunt reality of horse racing is not all stakeholders are in a position to spend six-figure sums on yearlings. Many up-and-coming trainers and owners work tirelessly to build client bases before they're able to compete at the top buying bench. This ballot affords huge opportunity to such players, where in other 2-year-old or group-level events they are simply crowded out by the top-level sales purchases.

Many may debate that these races reduce competition and quality, and whilst this specific format restricts horses by elite-tier sales stallions, here is an interesting statistic. The 2020 Irish Flat season yielded 11 individual Group 1 winners–seven were by sires with a career sales median (in GB + Ireland) within €75,000. The fact that over 60% of Irish Group 1 winners last year came from a similar category to the 369 entries for this year's Ballyhane S. is a testament to the fact that Special Conditions Racing doesn't diminish quality.

Looking further afield at Special Conditions Racing and how it has helped propel an industry, we can examine numerous initiatives within Australia. In 2015, the Australian Turf Club introduced the Country Championships–a series of Country heats worth $150,000 each, where horses aimed to qualify for the $500,000 Country Championships Final run at Royal Randwick during the Autumn Carnival.

Such was the success of the “Country Champs” that the ATC launched the TAB Highway Series–a standalone event (C1 or C2) at every Metropolitan Saturday meet designated solely for country-based trainers. Many were critical of this idea but six years later the Highway races regularly present the largest fields of each Sydney Saturday meet, with prizemoney recently increased to $100,000. Not only do these events offer country trainers an opportunity to saddle up a horse at elite race days, but also to compete in a level playing field for prizemoney that makes a significant impact to their stables. It also creates better wagering environments with large fields of unexposed horses.

Since 2015, further initiatives have been launched nationwide such as The Everest concept formulated around the offering of 12 'slots', where purchasers front A$600,000 (towards prizemoney) for a position in the race for three years. It's now the world's richest turf race worth A$15 million, and registers the highest betting hold behind the G1 Melbourne Cup, a true reflection of customer engagement. Furthermore, in 2020, one slot was purchased by micro-share syndicate MiRunners, offering 1,000 customers the ultimate ownership experience–a key example of how Special Conditions Racing can benefit all stakeholders.

The Kosciuszko, a A$1.3-million Country-only event on Everest day, determines its slot holders through a raffle, giving each $5 ticket holder the chance to have a horse in the race. In 2019, the A$5-million All-Star Mile was introduced in Victoria, where horses above a minimum rating are selected via public vote. Each voter goes into the running to become an owner-ambassador, with a chance to receive A$500,000 if their chosen horse wins. It's interesting to note that nine of the 15 starters this year were Group 1 winners, and the race recorded the highest Victorian turnover for 2021, a staggering A$17.88 million– another example of Special Conditions Racing generating immense popularity.

Another exciting development is the recent formulation of “Midway Races” which will operate similar to the A$100,000 TAB Highways, but be aimed at small and mid-sized stables in Provincial and Metropolitan regions. As stated by Racing NSW Chairman Russell Balding, they have been introduced with the aim of “building competitiveness and further developing field sizes and quality for metropolitan racing.” The system will operate on a points basis with the number and level of previous season winners determining trainer eligibility.

An argument against Special Conditions Races is the fact they lack the prestige and history associated with traditional pattern events. And this is right–just because a race offers substantial prizemoney does not make it superior to Group 1 events with centuries of history and consistently strong ratings. However, how did these races reach such status? The fact is many trace back hundreds of years to the earliest race days, where owners would gather and compete with each other for substantial personal wagers. The lure of an exciting new concept was what led to increased competition and a foundation for the pattern we see today. Special Conditions Racing aims to replicate just that–using exciting new concepts that allow all stakeholders to compete. And in using race models that put prizemoney back into a wider spread of stakeholders, it generates a positive cyclical effect throughout the whole industry.

It seems only a matter of time before Special Conditions Races start to gain momentum in Europe, and it would not be surprising to see other industry organisations follow the likes of Ballyhane in the endorsement of such events. Be it other stud farms, sales companies or bloodstock agencies, many of these major players can mutually benefit from the endorsement of Special Conditions Racing. In the current climate of COVID-19, it's more important than ever to put forward initiatives that capture wider audiences, be it on-course or on-air, all whilst rewarding the stakeholders who help our industry prosper.

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• Attract people to join the racing and breeding industry
• Develop people to deliver and grow their skills and career in the racing and breeding industry
• Support employers to retain staff to deliver and grow within the racing and breeding industry

These priorities will provide HRI with actions to develop a range of subsidized education and training services to the entire industry to upskill, re-train and recruit/retain staff.

“This was the first time a training education survey was conducted across the horse racing and breeding industry and provided us an opportunity to hear directly from people working in the industry,” said HRI Industry Education and Training Manager Grainne Murphy. “The data provided has helped to shape and inform our training and education strategy 2020-2022.

“Improving training and education opportunities must be a shared endeavour and we hope data from this survey along with future surveys can help drive change. A huge thank you to everyone who took the time and effort to complete the survey, especially my colleagues in the Irish Stablestaff Association, the Irish Racehorse Trainers’ Association, the Restricted Trainers’ Association, the Jockeys’ Association, RACE, the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board in helping us deliver this survey.”

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For more information on eligibility and the grants, please go to www.racingwelfare.co.uk.

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