IFHA: Owners A Chief Concern Internationally As COVID-19 Pandemic Continues

As racing jurisdictions around the world continue to wade through the complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic, international authorities agree that one of the biggest concerns they have is keeping owners engaged during this unpredictable time.

The 54th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities concluded last week with its fourth and final digital session asking racing authorities to look to the future after a rollercoaster year that saw racing suspended or altered in most places.

The biggest theme across two virtual panels was a concern about whether owners would remain engaged during a time when their ability to attend races or workouts has been limited in most places. Economic hardship has come to many people of course, which may also factor into a reduced interest in spending money buying, racing, or breeding horses.

A shrinking international foal crop was already a worry, especially for places like Hong Kong, which relies completely on imports to sustain its racing population. The pandemic has put a more glaring spotlight on the potential ramifications of this continued shrinkage. Of course, the full effects of the pandemic can't be felt for several more years, and panelists said they didn't necessarily expect to see drastic changes for the 2021 foal crop. As the years go on however, tracks and regulatory authorities will need to make changes to keep field sizes sustainable and the wagering product attractive if the population shrinks.

Tracks which rely on high-attendance events should be particularly cautious of the future, also — it's possible that even once a vaccine is developed for the novel coronavirus, some people may be wary of gathering in groups of thousands. Panelists from Britain and Hong Kong agreed that in the meantime, they believe it's important to show customers stuck at home that they take public health seriously and to instill a sense of trust before they actually ask them to come back to the facility in large numbers.

Catch a replay of the two panels below.

The post IFHA: Owners A Chief Concern Internationally As COVID-19 Pandemic Continues appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

The Friday Show Presented By Woodbine: Riding Crop Talk With Mike Smith

Mike Smith calls it his “last-ditch effort” to protect his fellow riders and the horses on which the sport depends. As a Hall of Famer, the all-time leading Breeders' Cup jockey and co-chair of the Jockeys' Guild, Smith, 55, is speaking out about restrictions on the use of the riding crop he believes are putting jockeys and horses at increased risk.

Smith has written to the California Horse Racing Board urging its members to reconsider changes recently put in place. And this week he joins publisher Ray Paulick and editor-in-chief Natalie Voss on the Friday Show to elaborate on those concerns.

“I'm all for change, and I'm all for helping,” Smith said of the need for some riding crop reforms. “I want to make sure the horse is as safe as possible, because the only time I'm safe is if the horse is safe. If I put that horse in any danger, guess who's next? I hit the ground right after he does. That's my life that's out there, not the spectators and not anyone else that's not on that horse's back.”

And that's the dilemma horse racing faces. Can the sport successfully tackle public perception issues related to the riding crop while still giving riders the tool they say they need to remain safe and to give horse owners and gamblers a fair and honest run for their money?

“As long as we can show that we're doing the best that we can, that we're keeping (the horses) safe, that we're not harming them, that it's protection for us as well, that's all we can do,” Smith said.

Watch this week's Friday Show below and let us know what you think on this subject.

The post The Friday Show Presented By Woodbine: Riding Crop Talk With Mike Smith appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

IFHA: International Trainers, Jockeys Reflect On Working During A Pandemic

The 54th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities, organized by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), continued today with a discussion on participating and working in racing during the on-going pandemic.

The IFHA Conference is typically held in-person in Paris, France, the day after the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), but in light of COVID-19, this year it is being conducted as a series of videos released during the first two weeks of October.

The third session was introduced by IFHA Vice-Chairman Brian Kavanagh, who is the chief executive of Horse Racing Ireland. Rishi Persad then moderated a panel featuring leading trainers and jockeys from around the globe. The pre-recorded Zoom discussion included trainers Charlie Appleby (Great Britain), Ger Lyons (Ireland), and Chris Waller (Australia) as well as jockeys Hollie Doyle (Great Britain) and Zac Purton (Hong Kong).

This international panel of trainers and jockeys discussed their experiences participating in racing during a pandemic, including the challenges surrounding staffing and how they are meeting the needs of owners. In addition, they offered commentary and feedback to racing administrators on concerns they have going forward as well as provided insight on the impact the pandemic and its restrictions have had on the mental health of both humans and horses.

The post IFHA: International Trainers, Jockeys Reflect On Working During A Pandemic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

IFHA: COVID-19 Has Demanded Creativity, Yielded Innovation For Racing Broadcasters

The second of four digital panels of the 54th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities was released last week and focused on the evolution of racing media in the time of COVID-19

The conference, organized by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), normally takes place in person in Paris the day after the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. This year's conference program focuses on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the international racing world. In this digital panel, broadcast media members were asked about the way their outlets have adapted to a socially distanced racetrack.

A few takeaways from the panel of media experts:

  • In Britain, viewership that would normally spike for main events and decrease for more pedestrian race days in between has remained more consistent throughout the past months, according to ITV's Francesca Cumani. It's hard to tell what this may mean, but Cumani hopes it's a sign fans are becoming more engaged with racing as they've had more time to devote to watching a horse prepare for a classic run.
  • In Japan, Japan Racing Association's Shigeru Suzuki said the country has seen a drastic increase in new account sign-ups for online wagering platforms. The number of registrants increased by 250,000 compared to pre-pandemic numbers, bringing the total to 4.7 million users. Suzuki also said the Green Channel, normally a pay-per-view way to watch the races at home, has been made available free of charge (though the online app is still paid). Total turnover in Japan year over year is similar to 2019 despite the lack of fan access during COVID-19.
  • Rob Hyland of NBC Sports said that although the disappearance of fans from the racetracks took away some of the magic from big races like the Kentucky Derby, the channel did its best to expand its use of technology to bring the fan experience to viewers at home. Capturing ambient sound became a bigger priority, now that conversations between riders and the sounds of horses galloping could be heard without background noise. More jockeys at this year's major races were wearing microphones and cameras. These extra points of access enabled remote analysis from anchors who were covering the race from out of state. The restrictions on media attendance also forced NBC to be more efficient — NBC's crew is normally over 300 for the Kentucky Derby, while this year it was less than 100.
  • In some ways, the silence at racetracks enhances the experience — Jason Richardson of Channel 7 and Racing.com recalled a moment when a jockey got a first Group 1 victory at Royal Randwick. Because there were no crowds shouting at the wire, Richardson was able to hear a group of jockeys behind the winner cheer for their colleague as the race finished.
  • In Australia, Channel 7 has brought the experience of celebrating owners to its viewers by asking ownership groups to film themselves watching the races or providing recordings of Zoom parties they use to virtually gather and watch races. Their energy doesn't translate exactly the same way, but still elevates the production, according to Richardson.
  • Cumani said that as racing has returned in Britain, broadcasters have had to be mindful of public perception when sending out images from the track. As happy as racing media were to be back, they had to be sensitive to the fact that daily life in the country remained disrupted.

    “In England I think there's a big danger that racing is is seen as an elitist endeavor, and why should racing continue when other things can't?” she said.

    Katherine Ford of Equidia and Sky Sports Racing echoed those sentiments from her viewpoint in France, agreeing that camera operators had to be careful not to inadvertently film someone who had pulled down their mask temporarily for a cigarette or a drink, lest viewers think racing personnel or racegoers were not masking properly. Hyland agreed, citing camera framing choices on Kentucky Oaks Day for some presenters whose backdrops were chosen so that the physical distancing between themselves and others would be clear to viewers.

  • Hyland recalled preparing for this year's Kentucky Derby weekend, when he tried to have more racing participants than usual wearing microphones for ambient sound. Trainer Bob Baffert, who Hyland characterizes as a bit superstitious, declined to wear one on Oaks Day since he felt confident about his chances with Gamine, worrying it would jinx him. He did agree to wear one for the Derby, where he felt less confident in his contenders. Of course, that meant NBC ended up with audio of his emotional reaction during Authentic's run.

The post IFHA: COVID-19 Has Demanded Creativity, Yielded Innovation For Racing Broadcasters appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights