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BHA Planning For Return Of Owners On Mar. 29

The British Horseracing Authority is planning to welcome owners and amateur riders back to racecourses on Mar. 29. Spectators are expected to be allowed back on racecourses in mid-May. This year's Cheltenham Festival and the start of the flat season on Mar. 27 will take place behind closed doors.

A BHA update released on Friday evening read, “Following the publication on Monday, Feb. 22 of the UK Government's plan to ease lockdown restrictions in England, the industry Covid-19 group has carefully studied the implications for racing in England. Any changes to racing protocols will move in parallel with the steps set out in the road map and are therefore dependent on the Government's timetable.

“Since the plan was published on Monday, Feb. 22, the BHA and senior racing executives have engaged with Government to agree how racing can unwind its own restrictions. At this stage [Mar. 29], racecourses will not be able to provide hospitality, and strict attendance rules will remain in place, including a health screening process. Further enhancements to the owner experience will be permitted from Step Two, which comes into force from Monday, Apr. 12 at the earliest. In line with the resumption of outdoor hospitality on that date, our goal is for racecourses to be able to re-introduce outdoor hospitality for owners, in line with Government guidance.”

The BHA is working on racecourses being able to host up to 10,000 fans under spectators arena guidelines, rather than 4,000 for outdoor events, when Step Three comes into play on May 17.

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Bizakov Adds Mézeray To Expanding French Operation

Nurlan Bizakov's breeding operation Sumbe has been expanded further with the purchase of Haras du Mézeray from the de Moussac family.

The acquisition of the 440-acre farm in Normandy follows the 2019 purchase of Haras de Montfort & Préaux, which is just 10 kms from Mézeray and is home to the Sumbe stallions Le Havre (Ire), Recorder (GB) and Golden Horde (Ire). The latter, who has just embarked on his first covering season, had his first mare scanned in foal on Thursday.

Bizakov founded his breeding empire at Hesmonds Stud in the UK. He has retained that 700-acre Sussex farm, which is used for boarding clients' mares or for his own mares visiting British-based stallions, but his entire broodmare band was moved to France last year. Tony Fry, the long-term manager of Hesmonds Stud, has moved to Haras du Mézeray, and Mathieu Alex remains in charge of Haras de Montfort & Préaux.

The Kazakhstan-born Bizakov said of his most recent purchase, “When I bought Montfort & Préaux I realised that the existing land was not big enough to accommodate my own mares as well as those of Montfort & Preaux's clients. When we moved our 30-plus mares from England it put it under pressure, and from day one, Mathieu, Tony and I have been looking for some options around Montfort & Préaux. Then we decided to look at Mézeray, which was on the market and is just 10 minutes from Montfort & Préaux. It has been a long journey but finally we've done it and I am very happy because Mézeray is a very big name in French breeding. It has a long history, having been founded by Paul de Moussac in 1962. So it is coming up for its 60th anniversary next year.”

During those last six decades two Arc winners, Trempolino and Subotica (Fr), have headed a notable list of Mézeray-bred Group 1 winners which includes Luth Enchantee, Amonita (GB), Naaqoos (GB), Coquerelle (Ire) and Mekhtaal (GB). More recently, it has also been responsible for the five-time Group 2 winner Enbihaar (Ire) and last season's G3 Prix Thomas Bryon winner and G1 Criterium International runner-up Normandy Bridge (Fr), a son of Le Havre who is a Classic prospect this season for young Deauville trainer Stephanie Nigge.

Montfort & Préaux has also produced a number of top-class performers in recent seasons, including the dual Classic heroines Avenir Certain (Fr) and La Cressonniere (Fr), both by Le Havre, who is also the sire of the David Menuisier-trained dual Group 1 winner Wonderful Tonight (Fr). She was bred at the farm, along with Suedois (Fr) and Mont Ormel (Fr) (Air Chief Marshal {Ire}).

Bizakov continued, “We will consider Mézeray and Montfort & Préaux as one farm. Obviously some staff will be focused on one farm and some on the other but I am sure there is plenty of room for synergy between the two. I hope that clients from both farms will benefit from this merger as well because it will give us more room, more facilities and more infrastructure.”

The owner/breeder indicated that he is keen to expand his stallion operation in France. Along with the three stallions at Montfort & Préaux, Mézeray is currently home to De Treville (GB), an Oasis Dream (GB) half-brother to Too Darn Hot (GB) who will be represented by his first runners this season.

“We will discuss with his owner Rashit Shaykhutdinov what he would like to do with De Treville,” he said. “We would definitely like to stand more stallions in the future. That was the main reason that I decided to buy Montfort & Préaux in the first place, because they had Le Havre and Recorder, who I hope will have a big year this year. Now with Golden Horde we have a new stallion at the farm and this year we will look for some options to buy. I would like to stand a Group 1-winning miler and we might look at a mile-and-a-quarter horse as well.”

Bizakov's own mare Card Shop (Chester House), the dam of G3 Prestige S. winner Ollie Olga (Stormy Atlantic), was the first to be scanned in foal to Golden Horde this week. The breeder will also be supporting his new stallion with Albanka (Giant's Causeway) and Totally Devoted (Seeking The Gold), the dams respectively of two more of his group-winning homebreds in Altyn Orda (Ire) (Kyllachy {GB}) and Tomyris (CGB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). Also slated to visit the G1 Commonwealth Cup winner is Melilot (Fr) (Elusive City), whose daughter Mageva (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) was third in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, and Dalkeya (Fr) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), a half-sister to the Aga Khan's G1 Dubai Sheema Classic winner Dolniya (Fr) (Azamour {Ire}).

“Golden Horde has settled in very nicely,” said Mathieu Alex. “He's a horse with a great mind. He has already covered 16 mares and the first one has been scanned in foal. He's a very exciting horse to have in France as he is a Royal Ascot Group 1 winner, so that is very exciting for French people. He had great form at two, which is always a plus, and he's a good-looking horse, so he's been popular.”

Of the inclusion of Mézeray in the operation's portfolio of studs, he added, “It is a great opportunity to be able to purchase such a prestigious farm where 27 Group 1 winners, including two Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winners, were bred. Good land is so important and definitely one of the keys for racing success. Nurlan Bizakov loves the breeding side of this industry and it made sense to go ahead with this farm located 10 kms away from Haras de Montfort & Préaux. It is a very exciting project and all the team involved feel very privileged to be part of it. It is also great news for France where the racing system is one of the best in the world. It's great to see major players want to be here.”

Despite moving his breeding stock to France, Bizakov still has horses in training in Britain and he singles out the 96-rated treble winner Shandoz (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), trained by Roger Varian, as one he is particularly looking forward to seeing return to the track this season.

He said, “We have a good bunch of horses to go to war with. We bought two by Recorder last year to support our stallion and we sent one of those to England to Clive Cox, who trained Golden Horde. In England, we have horses with Roger Varian, John Gosden and Clive Cox, and in France we have a good bunch of trainers as well. With French premiums we will probably have more horses in training in France.”

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Sunday Deadline For Great British Bonus

Sunday marks the final registration deadline for this year's crop of 2-year-old fillies to be signed up to the Great British Bonus.

The scheme has already paid out more than £1.7 million in bonuses to over 110 individual winners since its launch 10 months ago. These include bonuses of £60,000 to those involved with the Bryan Smart-trained treble winner Blackberry (GB) (Brazen Beau {Aus}) on the Flat and Anythingforlove (GB) (Black Sam Bellamy {Ire}), who is owned by a 20-strong syndicate, for her three wins over hurdles this season.

A further six fillies or mares have each won two bonuses, earning £40,000 for their connections. In total, 16 individuals have won multiple bonuses, including those with 50% eligibility to the scheme, such as Martello Sky (GB). Though bearing a British suffix, she is by the late French-based stallion Martaline, but her three wins this season for trainer Lucy Wadham and her owners in The Sky Partnership have accrued bonuses which exceed her total prize-money of £18,434.

The scheme's coordinator Grant Pritchard-Gordon said, “These bonuses have been spread right across the entire spectrum of ownership and stud farms. Juddmonte is the only major operation to appear on this list, while there are numerous small owners and breeders that have received bonuses that are often many multiples of the actual prize-money received.”

He added, “Breeders have seen a positive uplift in GBB-eligible foals and yearlings through the sales ring, owners have received bonuses that far exceed prize-money earnings, and British stallion farms have seen a very positive reaction from breeders, who appreciate the benefits of producing 100% GBB-eligible stock. The Great British Bonus scheme is genuinely a lifeline for many in these challenging Covid times. It is probably providing the only good news around at present.”

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BHA Releases 2021 Fixtures

The British Horseracing Authority has released its full fixture list for 2021, with 1,486 total fixtures-897 flat and 589 jumps– scheduled and with prizemoney minimums across all races set to return to pre-Covid levels with the Horserace Betting and Levy Board continuing its higher than usual contribution to prizemoney. There will be 1,079 afternoon fixtures and 407 evening fixtures. Jockeys will continue to be restricted to one meeting per day, with the situation to be reviewed when Covid protocols are no longer required. The BHA will reduce the number of flat races in July and August by about 70, with a potential reduction in the number of 2-year-olds in training in 2021 forecast and to keep fields large and competitive. The Easter fixture list has also been adjusted, when it has historically been planned to maximize spectators.

The Horserace Betty Levy Board will contribute £20.1-million to racing from May 1 to June 30. This comprises £16.4-million for prizemoney and £3.7-million in regulatory and fixture grants. The core day-to-day prizemoney contributions will total £14-million through the per-race rate card, an increase of 49% on the £9.4-million allocated to comparable prize money funds in a typical May and June. The HBLB will also make contributions to the Appearance Money Scheme (£1.3-million), Divided Races Fund (£0.15-million) and the Great British Bonus (£0.9-million).

Richard Wayman, chief operating officer for the BHA, said, “Publishing the full Fixture List now will provide greater certainty for the sport and its customers. This is particularly important for racecourses, who are being asked to make increased executive contributions as Levy Board funding begins to scale back. Of course, until spectators return and retail bookmakers re-open, racecourse revenues remain under considerable pressure. However, the publication of the Fixture List does, at least, reduce one area of uncertainty for racecourses and would allow for increased confidence in forecasting some of their future revenue streams.

“This is an essential step in providing greater clarity around prize money levels that will apply throughout the remainder of the year ahead. More specifically, this includes the return of minimum prize money values to pre Covid-19 levels for all Class 1 races which was considered to be an essential step to support Britain's Pattern programme and attempt to retain British racing's pre-eminent position on the global stage. The result is that, from May, the minimum prize money values for all classes of race will have returned to where they were before the pandemic. We are extremely grateful to the Horserace Betting Levy Board for the ongoing additional support that is being provided to the sport, but there is clearly still much to be done to deliver prize money levels that would help promote the long term future of racing at all levels.

“Working with racecourses and participants, we will continue to develop the sport to make it attractive to both existing and new customers and investors. In addition, racing continues to liaise with Government and the appropriate bodies around the return of owners and spectators to race meetings, the delivery and distribution of the Government's £40-million winter survival fund, the potential impact of the Gambling Commission's consultation on remote customer interaction, and proposals for urgent reform of the Levy.”

Paul Darling, chairman of HBLB, said, “We have agreed a funding package that maintains our overall substantial funding to prize money levels and meets the appropriate additional regulatory costs. The closure of LBOs has had an effect on our income projections, and, with the wider changing situation, it is sensible that we take a view about July onwards when the position is clearer. We are pleased to be able to play a significant role in restoring minimum prize money values for the highest class of races to their pre-Covid levels, in line with all other classes. This continues to be a period of real co-operation between racing, betting and the Levy Board which has served all parties well.”

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