The Jockey Club | Horse Racing Free Tips

Virgin Bet To Sponsor Sun Chariot Stakes

Virgin Bet is the new sponsor for the G1 Sun Chariot S. at Newmarket on Oct. 7.

In addition, Virgin Bet will also sponsor three more races on the card, as it expands its sponsorship portfolio across The Jockey Club. The company already sponsors races at Exeter, Kempton Park, Sandown Park and Wincanton. Part of the QIPCO British Champions Series, the Sun Chariot is the first Group 1 Flat race sponsored by Virgin Bet.

Virgin Bet Marketing Director, Ric Leask, said, “We are hugely excited to expand our partnership with The Jockey Club and support this prestigious contest through the sponsorship of the G1 Sun Chariot S. at Newmarket's Rowley Mile.

“The Sun Chariot S., with its rich history and exceptional line-up of past winners, perfectly aligns with Virgin Bet's commitment to top-tier horseracing.”

Sophie Able, Newmarket Racecourses and International Director at The Jockey Club, said, “We are delighted to welcome Virgin Bet to Newmarket and are thrilled to be strengthening our partnership with them with such a prestigious contest, which will be worth a record £275,000 in 2023.”

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Are Horses More Likely to Break Down on Wet Tracks? The Stats Say No

Are wet tracks more dangerous than dry ones? According to statistics compiled by the Jockey Club, the answer is no.

The TDN reached out to The Jockey Club and asked it to dig into the Equine Injury Database and provide us with statistics regarding breakdowns and various dirt track and turf course conditions. The study was conducted by Dr. Euan Bennet and Professor Tim Parkin and covered the years 2021 and 2022.

On the dirt, there were 419 fatalities on tracks listed as fast during those years from 308,954 starts. That comes out to 1.36 deaths per 1,000 starts. The numbers varied little on tracks listed as something other than fast. Below are the statistics covering all track designations:

Condition       Starts              Fatalities          Fatalities Per 1k starts
Fast                  308,954                 419 1.36
Frozen              29 0 0.00
Good                22,147 38 1.72
Heavy               95 0 0.00
Muddy             17,936 22 1.23
Sloppy              25,085                   36                                 1.44
Slow                  58                           0 0.00
Wet Fast         2,541 3 1.18

The possibility that track conditions were a factor in breakdowns came into play in 2019 when 30 horses died at Santa Anita in what was an unusually wet period in Southern California. Since, 1/ST racing, which owns Santa Anita, has been cautious when it comes to inclement weather and has, on a number of occasions, canceled racing on days when there has been a lot of rain.

When it comes to turf racing, the numbers look similar. On courses listed as firm there were 91 fatalities from 81,434 starts. That comes out to 1.12 deaths per 1,000 starts, again, in line with all other course conditions. Below are the statistics covering course conditions in the grass.

Condition       Starts              Fatalities          Fatalities Per 1k starts
Firm                  81,434                   91 1.12
Good                12,542                   9 0.72
Soft                   175 0                                   0.0
Yielding            1,567                     2 1.28

“For the two years of data studied–2021 and 2022–there were no statistically significant differences in incidences of fatality found to be associated with track condition on either dirt or turf surfaces, Bennet and Parkin concluded.

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Longtime Owner and Philanthropist Alex Campbell Dies

Lexington, Kentucky native Alex G. Campbell Jr., who campaigned the likes of GSWs winner Karlovy Vary, Mean Mary and Bye Bye Melvin, died in Delray, Florida, Tuesday. He was 95.

In addition to Karlovy Vary, who annexed Keeneland's GI Ashland S. in 2012, Campbell previously campaigned Turk O Witz, winner of the 1995 Santa Maria H. in addition to 1996 Big 'Cap scorer Mr Purple. Also running in his colors, dual graded stakes winner Ultra Brat, and Grade III victor It's Tea Time.

A member of The Jockey Club for 34 years, the longtime horse owner invested in First Security Bank in Lexington, which later sold to Bank One and subsequently to JPMorgan Chase. He was also among the early investors in what later became Humana Hospitals.

The philanthropic Campbell also supported the growth and development of downtown Lexington in the form of Triangle Park and Thoroughbred Park.

“I wish I had met him 30 years ago,” said Graham Motion, who trained Mean Mary and Bye Bye Melvin for Campbell. “He had a big influence on my career personally and professionally in a short space of time. It's part of a generation that we are going to miss in horse racing.”

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‘Transferred as Retired’ Goes Digital

The Jockey Club's 'Transferred as Retired from Racing' process can now be completed digitally through the Interactive Registration (IR) website at registry.jockeyclub.com.

Previously, the retired from racing process required notarized signatures on a hardcopy form. With the assistance of digital signature verification, The Jockey Club will be able to collect the signatures required to complete the retired from racing process through IR.

“Being able to ensure a horse can still be used for breeding, but cannot race is important for many owners, and we wanted to make the retired from racing process as easy as possible, yet still ensure the integrity of the process,” said Rick Bailey, registrar of The Jockey Club.

To date, more than 5,400 Thoroughbreds have been recorded as retired from racing. A list of these horses can be viewed through IR.

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