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In one of his first public appearances since becoming chair of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) in September, Lord Allen admitted that there is no “single silver bullet” to ease the significant challenges facing the sport. In a question-and-answer session with broadcaster Lydia Hislop following the 254th Gimcrack Dinner at York racecourse, Lord Allen, whose appointment to the BHA was announced in November 2024, spoke of his desire for the BHA to be a “world-leading authority”. Addressing a gathering of around 200 guests on Tuesday evening, he said, “I used that time to go out and meet a lot of people, whether it was stable staff, jockeys, trainers, owners, whatever. And therefore, although I've only been in the job probably just two and a half months, I think I've listened a lot, because I think we do need to have change. I met 120 people face to face before I joined and what they all said is they were incredibly passionate about the sport.” Retention and welfare of horses, increasing the number of people betting on racing and attending race meetings, telling racing's stories, and the pooling of race day data are all items high on Lord Allen's strategy for change and improvement in British racing, as is the need to boost the sport's coffers. “The truth is we need more money. Collectively, whether it's prize-money, whether it's investment in the sport, we need more money,” he said. None of this comes as news to anyone who has been involved in the sport for a while, as almost all of the guests at the Gimcrack Dinner have been. Reaction from various trainers at the event ranged from calling for exactly the kind of collaborative approach Lord Allen seeks to one of quiet despair that this has all been said before with little subsequent change to the status quo. Change does seem to be afoot, however, in that Lord Allen is adamant that the BHA board must be populated by independent members not tied to a particular sector of the industry.  “Change needs to happen at the top,” he said. “And one of the issues I looked at over that 12-month period was why weren't we making the changes? And that was because we had well-intentioned people who were on the board, but they were representing a particular part of the organisation – you're there to represent owners, you're there to represent the licenced personnel, you're there to represent racecourses. And sometimes what happened in that process is that we got to lowest common denominator decision-making.” While admitting that he would not be creating a “brand-new strategy”, Lord Allen presented an overview of areas which need attention. “I do have five Cs,” he said, referring to racing's need to convene, collaborate, coordinate, commercialise and communicate.  “I think we could do a lot more if we were much, much more collaborative. The other thing I don't think we do well is communicate. We don't explain our sport to the punters. The thing that surprised me was the C that I found missing was the consumer – the people who pay our wages, who come and turn up and support us. We don't spend enough time thinking about what they want. I come from a consumer and commercial background. We need to do that much, much more. “And then also communicate with government. I think we've had a good start. When I got involved, I thought the [potential rise in] racing tax had a 10 to 20% chance of being avoided. But what really impressed me was literally my first day, being in Westminster and seeing the whole sector stand shoulder to shoulder. And that's what you need to do to influence government.” He continued, “That was a start but it's only the beginning. We need to have a three-year strategic relationship with government that says 'this is what we're going to do'. The other thing we need to do is we need to have a much better relationship with the bookmakers. They are our principal funders.” The BHA's stance during its 'Axe the Tax' campaign in the lead-up to the Budget on November 26 has angered the bookmaking sector which faces hikes in gaming tax that it claims will have a knock-on financial impact for racing.  “It's often easy to find differences, but what we're trying to do is find more common cause,” Lord Allen said. “The other thing I think where we are aligned with bookmakers is the black economy. And what I mean by that is the £80 billion globally that goes offshore, that's unregulated. The Treasury gets no money out of it. We get nothing out of it. And I think we can build common cause on that.” Hislop questioned Lord Allen's comments about the potential to become more commercial, given that the BHA has little to sell. “We don't have the assets,” he admitted in response. “We have 200 fixtures out of 1,500 fixtures. I think there's a number of things that we can do in terms of packaging those assets, packaging those rights. And that's why I want a range of people joining our board that have a range of skills. And one of them would be somebody who actually understands rights and rights management. And somebody who would be what I'd call a digital native who actually understands what TikTok is and speaks to a different generation. I also would like somebody who has financial commercial capabilities. I also want somebody to join the board who actually understands the bookmakers' models, which are all different, to actually help us. How do we collectively create more revenue in working in partnership?” This, among others, is a question that will remain unanswered for now, and Hislop, in closing the 25-minute session, pressed the need for those answers to be forthcoming.  She said, “I think everyone in the room probably feels that with so many challenges facing the sport, that there is a huge sense of urgency in terms of moving forward, so we look forward to those actions.”   The post ‘Change Needs to Happen at the Top’: BHA Chair Lord Allen Addresses Gimcrack Dinner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Turfway Park Synthetic Championships consist of four $250,000 races, two 6-furlong events and two at a mile, all on Turfway's Tapeta surface Dec. 13.View the full article

Tom Hamm, who previously served in a leadership role as the Taylor Made Sales Agency's farm manager, will be returning to Taylor Made. His new role will be as a Thoroughbred Advisor, with an emphasis on the growing Digital Sales marketplace. “Tom has remained close with our team since his successful tenure as our Farm Manager several years ago,” said Mark Taylor, President and CEO of Taylor Made. “We believe the time is right to bring in a new Team Member to add more focus on Digital Sales. Our approach brings great value and a higher net return to our customers through our aggressive promotion of Digital Sales horses. Based on our long-time relationship with Tom, we know he will make us even stronger, as we continue to innovate and deliver exceptional service to our customers.” Tom Hamm added, “I'm excited for the opportunity to plug my existing clients into the resources of Taylor Made and for joining a Team that I have always respected and worked well with.” The post Tom Hamm to Rejoin Taylor Made as Thoroughbred Advisor appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Beginning next month, the New York Racing Association plans to throttle computer-assisted wagering at one minute until post, limiting these high-volume teams to the same six bets per second ceiling that applies to retail customers.View the full article

This week on the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland, get ready for a special Best of 2025 episode. Throughout the year, people from all corners of the industry joined us on the show as the Gainesway Guest of the Week to provide candid conversations and insights. In this episode, we roll out the highlight reel of the most compelling interviews of 2025, bringing back the voices and moments that defined the season. This week listeners will hear from: Griffin Johnson: The popular social media star and entrepreneur discusses his surprising involvement in Thoroughbred ownership and his unique approach to the sport ahead of Sandman (Tapit)'s bid in the GI Kentucky Derby. Junior Alvarado: Following his win aboard Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in the GI Belmont Stakes, the Eclipse Award-winning jockey provides candid insight into his biggest wins and the challenges of competing at the highest level. Terry Bradshaw: The legendary NFL Hall of Famer and sports commentator shares his passion for racing, his experience as an owner, and his views on the current state of the game. Tribute to D. Wayne Lukas: A moving collection of testimonials featuring multiple industry figures like Todd Pletcher, Kiaran McLaughlin and Jerry Bailey paying tribute to the enduring legacy of Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. The TDN Writers' Room is also sponsored by the PHBA, the KTOB, 1/ST TV and West Point Thoroughbreds. Click here for the audio-only version of the show or watch below:     The post TDN Writers’ Room: Best of 2025 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Unless you have been to the races with family from a young age I think a day at the races as a form of entertainment can be a foreign idea.  Social event usually means going as a group, and generally consuming alcohol.  Clubs really must be responsible hosts and ensure food is available.  This is where the race day packages are a good idea.  I think all of these packages should include food.  If they are sold a fair way out it gives the customer time to budget for drink, food and betting.  I think all race day packages should include betting element of some kind ... punters club, easy bets, or betting vouchers.  I think a host or racing personality should be assigned to each group to explain racing jargon and bet types.  A lot about racing is confusing.  You won't get repeat custom without a good experience.  

In-form miler Gringotts has history against him in The Ingham. Already needing to set a modern-day weight-carrying record to win the $2 million The Ingham, favourite Gringotts will now have to do it from the outside barrier. The Ciaron Maher-trained five-year-old has come up with gate 24 in the capacity field of 20 plus four emergencies, adding a fresh layer of difficulty to his task of lumping topweight of 61kg, eight kilos over the minimum. The last horse to successfully carry a comparable impost was Monton, who won the 2011 renewal with 58kg. Despite the draw, Gringotts remains a $3.80 top pick and has been unstoppable carting similar weights at his past two starts when he has captured the Big Dance and The Gong, both over a mile. His presence is regarded as a blessing and a curse by connections of rival runner and defending The Ingham (1600m) titleholder, Robusto. The Bjorn Baker-trained gelding carried 59.5kg when seventh in the Festival Stakes (1500m) last start but with Gringotts so high in the handicaps, Robusto drops to 54kg on Saturday. “The best part about him (Gringott’s) being there is he’s pushing the weights down a little bit,” Baker’s racing manager, Luke Hilton said. “I think weight pulled Robusto up a bit the other day. “He was a little bit flat, but he was going from 1300 to 1500 and now he is going from 1500 to 1600, and he’s third-up.  “He is ready to run a peak.” Robusto won last year’s The Ingham from barrier four and has gate six on Saturday, while stablemate Amor Victorious has drawn three. However, the latter’s chances could hinge on track conditions as his best form is on ground rated a soft 5 and better, and rain and storms have been forecast for Sydney during the backend of the week. Amor Victorious finished unplaced on a heavy surface in The Gong and Hilton felt it brought him undone.  “He doesn’t like a really heavy track. He gets through it softish, but it just got too heavy for him the other day,” he said. “He took good benefit out of it, he’s had the two runs now and we are still really pleased with him. Back on a drier surface he could definitely measure up.” View the full article

Here To Shock is trained by Ben, Will and JD Hayes – who provide the only three runners backing up from the inaugural edition of the $1 million slot race. They will also saddle up last year’s runner-up Arkansaw Kid and 2024 fifth placegetter Roll On High, who is also owned by Slade Bloodstock and was previously trained by Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman. The presence of Private Eye casts a huge shadow over the event and he is $2.25 favourite with Sportsbet. Slade quipped the best chance of Private Eye’s rivals beating him would involve his float breaking down. Here To Shock hadn’t been over-taxed in terms of starts and that had led to him racing at his peak later in life. From the moment Here To Shock began racing he showed talent, but he was his own worst enemy according to Slade, as he didn’t want to settle in his race. After he started his career with Brent Stanley, he was transferred to Lindsay Park and Slade said it was Ben Hayes’ intuition which helped turn his career around. “He was also maturing but Ben suggested earmuffs and that played a big role in settling him down,” Slade said. Slade pointed out that Here To Shock netted $2 million prizemoney as a seven-year-old gelding last season. Here To Shock became his syndication group’s third Group 1 winner when he was successful in the Waikato Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa in February this year. “In ability, he’s behind the other pair of Group 1 winners Alinghi and Moment Of Change, but he’s a bit unique; they didn’t win $2 million in a season,” he said. “The key to him is that he’s a fairly lightly raced for an eight-year-old having only had 42 starts whereas most horses that age have had a lot more. We’ve never really had any dramas with him.” Here To Shock started his 2025 spring campaign with a first-up third to Private Eye in the G2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield but he had three unplaced runs before he led throughout to win the Testa Rossa Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield at his latest start. Here To Shock also competed against Private Eye in the Moonga Stakes over 1400m at Caulfield two starts ago, finishing sixth behind him. Slade said Here To Shock’s form is better than it looks as ratings-wise he is running up to his best, but he is carrying more weight. “If you look at his times and ratings he ran up to his usual mark, but he was in races he couldn’t win with the weight he was carrying,” he said. “He was in form but he also didn’t look good in the coat; he was one of those horses which didn’t come up in the spring. I looked at him at Lindsay Park the other day and his coat is magnificent and I think he’s coming into his own.” Slade pointed out that Here To Shock will again have to carry a kilogram more weight than Private Eye, making his task harder. “Private Eye had a year in the wilderness and we had a great year so we’re paying the price for that,” he said. “How are we going to beat him? I’m not sure. He might get caught in traffic. “Last time against him we didn’t lead, which even his jockey Mick Dee said was the wrong thing to do. The other day Mark (Zahra) summed the race up the other day and used the catch-me-if-you-can tactics. Here To Shock can take a sit these days, but he is also capable of setting a fast rolling tempo, which could be the case with Daniel Stackhouse riding him on Saturday. Stackhouse rode Here To Shock in last year’s The Supernova, when he sat second behind the front-runner Buffalo River in the run and then defied the challenge of his stablemate Arkansaw Kid in the closing stages of the race. Here To Shock will follow the same path to New Zealand for the Waikato Sprint (1400m), which will be run at Te Rapa on February 7. Here To Shock has Cavallo Park Stud’s slot in The Supernova, while Roll On High has Yulong’s. View the full article

Remember the focus on the whip rules when first applying to amateur riders whereby they cannot take their hands off the reins when slapping them on the shoulder.