Not even Covid can stop the IRB performing miracles in international travel

Among other things, 2020 will be remembered as the year that decimated the travel industry, with movement of people between countries virtually impossible in so many cases. It takes more than that to put off the International Racing Bureau, however.

Today’s Hong Kong International Races, featuring ten runners from Europe and Japan, are an example of the IRB working their magic moving racehorses around the globe, but surely their greatest achievement in this extraordinary year was the Breeders’ Cup. Despite a ban on foreigners entering America, they managed to take a 36-strong overseas team of horses to Kentucky. The raiders emerged, victorious, with four of the biggest turf prizes.

It’s clear then, that the IRB’s indefatigable Adrian Beaumont is very good at negotiating miles of international red tape. What he’s also very good at is deflecting compliments.

“I’d like to praise the Breeders’ Cup team, particularly led by Dora Delgado, for being able to organize the Elite Sportsmans’ Exemption, which allowed us to be able to go to America: owners, trainers, jockeys, grooms and staff such as myself,” he explains from Bahrain, where he’s helping to organize the second running of the International Trophy (run on November 20). 

“We took 21 different trainers and 36 runners, from England, Ireland, France, Germany and Japan. It was remarkably successful to have four winners, at a time when Europeans couldn’t even visit America. It was an absolute thrill, and we were well looked after, by both the Breeders’ Cup and by Keeneland. That will be an absolute highlight of my career.”

What Beaumont does – with the help of just six other full-time employees, plus a network of international agents – is all-encompassing. They work with trainers and racecourses right from entry stage, through travel plans, assistance on the day of the race, even to celebrations afterwards. If you’re travelling a horse, you’re going to want their help. 

“We are paid by racecourses all around the world to promote themselves internationally,” says Beaumont, a youthful 58, who has worked for the IRB since 1982. “We work for Del Mar, Breeders’ Cup, Arlington, New York Racing Association, Woodbine, a lot of tracks in the Middle East, including Dubai, Bahrain and the Saudi Cup. We also work for the Hong Kong Jockey Club and Japan, plus the Turkish Jockey Club and both Racing Victoria and the Australian Turf Club. We also represent several tracks in Europe, including in Scandinavia, as well as Ascot, Epsom, Sandown, Newmarket and York.”

A lot of clients means a lot of challenges, political and otherwise. Chief among them is persuading overseas trainers to take on the best of British on turf at Royal Ascot. Fancy outfits, the chance to see the Queen and centuries of prestige help, but the UK’s marquee festival lacks the megabucks of its overseas rivals.

“Some events, for example Bahrain, Dubai and Hong Kong, pay for the horse’s transport and transport for two grooms,” says Beaumont of the luxury Asian racing experience. “They provide Business Class flights, two each for the owner, trainer and jockey, put them up in five-star hotels and generally try and give them the very best possible experience.

“Other racetracks don’t perhaps have that budget. For example, if you’re going to come and race at Ascot, they will offer you a lump sum, which can be spent any way you want. That works really well for them and the racecourse, as they know how much they’re letting themselves in for. 

“Some of our clients offer a travel incentive where they pay if the horse is out of the first four places. That works really well too because, if the horse were to win a million-dollar race, then the horse has won a lot of money and also enhanced its value, so they don’t mind paying shipping costs. But, if you run disappointingly, it’s very nice that you’ve got some money towards your expenses.”

Everyone does it differently. Once lambasted for making even owners pay for tickets, the Breeders’ Cup is now among those offering good incentives for overseas raiders.

“Breeders’ Cup do a very nice package,” continues Beaumont. “They pay $40,000 for every European runner and that is a great help to me in trying to persuade people to go.”

Equally important is hassle-free travel. Lose a day of training due to a delayed flight or travel sickness and you effectively lose the race. 

“We work very closely with shipping agents and quarantine authorities and it’s really important for racetracks to plan ahead,” he says. “Breeders’ Cup put on a charter flight from London straight into Kentucky, then we organize for them to clear customs in Lexington, so that’s a very easy trip for the horses. Ultimately, trainers want to get the horses from A to B in the most efficient and best way possible.”

Beaumont and his team don’t stop there. On a raceday, he can regularly be seen scurrying behind runners, carrying water bottles, bandages, and solving any last-minute problems. That’s the less glamorous part of the job. More fun, perhaps, is helping to decide how many millions go where, which he did when helping to set up the inaugural Saudi Cup fixture in February 2020. 

“We’ve launched virtually all the international races over the years, including the first ever million-dollar race, the Arlington Million, and the first intercontinental race, the Japan Cup. That is where Brough Scott famously said “the continents collide” as we took horses from America, Europe and Australasia to race in Japan. 

“I also went on the very first flight to take horses to Australia to race and come back. We had to do two weeks’ quarantine in England. We started in France, went to England, went then to Winnipeg, Honolulu and round to Sydney because in those days you couldn’t stop off in Sharjah or Dubai like you would these days. 

“Everyone said you couldn’t do a race in Australia, but we proved them wrong and, subsequent to that, we’ve had great success in Sydney and obviously in Melbourne.”

Perhaps because the constant travel takes him away from his wife, Caroline, and daughter Sophie – a talented rider, you sense it is achievements closer to home that give Beaumont the most pleasure. Along with Ascot’s Director Of Racing, Nick Smith, he has been an integral part of transforming the royal meeting from the best of British to the best of the world. Black Caviar, Takeover Target, Choisir, Cape Of Good Hope – none of those huge transcontinental wins would have happened without the involvement of the IRB. While they were all big moments, Beaumont singles out Wesley Ward’s success at the meeting as one of the best things he has been involved with. 

“Wesley Ward has been amazing for the IRB,” he says. “I remember when he first arrived in England, this crazy guy from Florida, with this unusual plan to run 2-year-olds at Royal Ascot. It was something very ‘off the wall’, but he’s been amazingly successful. He’s been very good to work with, he takes on ideas, he’s always looking to change things, tweak things, to make things better for his owners. His successes have given me great pleasure, as has anybody’s who tries something new.”

Wesley Ward to William Haggas is quite a leap, but Beaumont manages it, barely drawing breath.

“This year we’ve gone through the worldwide pandemic but probably one of the highlights for me was William Haggas, who I assisted to take a couple of horses down to Sydney. He had to jump through many hoops, but nothing put him off and he won two Group 1s with Addeybb. It gave everyone in racing in Britain, during lockdown, a huge fillip to be able to watch him and Tom Marquand do so well there. It wasn’t an easy trip and it’s credit to William for being able to put that together.”

Next big international venues

So, after successfully launching huge meetings in America, Dubai, Bahrain, Saudi and Australia, where does Beaumont think will be the next big international venue? 

“[South] Korea has come on board already in a small way with their September meeting,” he says. “I don’t think it’s reached its full potential yet because of the sand track they’re racing on. If they have a turf track, then Korea could become a real destination for horsemen, plus they have a strong breeding programme.

“I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see some of the other Gulf countries coming on board. We’ve had visitors from the likes of Oman recently coming to England and looking at how things are run, so they could be one of the next ones.

“I think a lot of destinations are looking to take horses for longer periods of time, either to run in a sort of grand prix of big international races throughout the European winter, or to be able to host Europeans for racing in a good climate. The likes of the Dubai Carnival could be soon replicated in other countries.” 

Cheering for the internationals in Britain

If that happens, Beaumont and his trademark brightly-coloured chinos will be at the heart of it. His enthusiasm for international racing is undiminished and his energy for work unsurpassed. He’ll go from hosting a dinner until 11pm to being the first at the barn at 4am. Quite when he sleeps is a mystery, but he loves it, and takes it to heart when ‘his team’ doesn’t get the results they want. 

“When we bring horses to the Middle East, for example, I’m very much on ‘Team Europe’, cheering on the European horses and trying to help them to take on the home team,” he explains. “Similarly, when I’m at home I’m cheering for the internationals; the Aussies, Americans or Japanese. I’m looking after them day to day and it’s absolutely my pride and privilege to do that. Nothing gives me more enjoyment than seeing the international horses do well in England.”

While most in the UK will be spending Christmas worrying about what Coronavirus tier restrictions they must adhere to, Beaumont will be juggling declarations alongside decorations. The Dubai Carnival will be first on his agenda, then Saudi, then onto the UK turf season. It’s an international merry-go-round, and he’s right at the centre of it.