The weekly TRC industry digest - a round-up of the international racing news from the past week.
Baffert’s NYRA suspension is overturned
North America: New York federal judge Carol Bagley Amon has nullified New York Racing Association’s suspension of Bob Baffert. She believed the trainer was not given sufficient opportunity to respond to claims made against him after a failed drug test of 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit.
Amon said that NYRA has “acted unconstitutionally” and that a prompt post-suspension hearing where Baffert could refute the claims was required, but NYRA had “held no hearing — let alone a prompt one”.
Attorney W Craig Robertson III, who represented Baffert at the hearing before Amon, said the ruling confirms that “following the Kentucky Derby, there was an improper rush to judgment and Mr Baffert has been treated unfairly”. He added that Amon’s ruling was “one step, in one venue, toward righting those wrongs”.
Dave O’Rourke, president of the NYRA, said in a statement the association is reviewing the court’s decision to determine its “legal options and next steps”.
Jamie Kah’s landmark victory
Oceania: Racing records were rewritten at Caulfield when Jamie Kah became the first jockey in the history of Victorian racing to ride 100 metropolitan winners in a season.
Victory aboard Deep Speed meant that the world #31 jockey, the highest ranked female rider in the TRC Global Rankings, surpassed the previous record set by Brett Prebble in the 1999-2000 season of 99.5 winners, a tally that included a dead-heat.
Racing Victoria (RV) Chairman Brian Kruger paid tribute to Kah. “I would like to congratulate Jamie on reaching this historic milestone of 100 metropolitan wins in a season at Caulfield today,” he said. “We are truly blessed to have witnessed the feats of some incredible jockeys here in Victoria throughout history and for Jamie to tread where no other has is something that she should be incredibly proud of.
“The greatest part of Jamie’s achievement is the manner in which she has gone about it through hard work, dedication and a willingness to challenge herself to be the best she can be.”
The milestone caps a memorable two months for the 25-year-old, who also recorded her 1,000th career win at Sportsbet-Pakenham on May 12 and became Australia’s most successful female jockey in G1 races, landing her sixth title aboard Vega One in Queensland’s Kingsford Smith Cup on May 29.
Golden Sixty is Horse of the Year
Asia: Golden Sixty’s outstanding exploits during the 2020-21 season has earned the multiple G1 winner the Hong Kong Horse of the Year title.
The Francis Lui-trained 5-year-old was also named Champion Miler and Champion Middle-Distance Horse. In addition, the son of Medaglia d’Oro also secured the bulk of the public vote to claim the Most Popular Horse title for the second consecutive year.
He is currently #2 in the TRC Global Horse Rankings.
Hong Kong breaks wagering record
Asia: The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) is reporting its highest-ever turnover following the conclusion of the 2020-21 season on Wednesday. HK$136 billion (US$17.5 billion) has been wagered across the campaign’s 88 race meetings, marking the first time that turnover has risen above the HK$130 billion mark.
Sha Tin and Happy Valley played host to a record 835 races through the course of the season. Joao Moreira was crowned champion jockey with 157 wins, 32 more than nearest rival and last season’s winner, Zac Purton.
Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, chief executive of the HKJC, said, “We are delighted to have been able to again complete a full season with a clear focus of ensuring racing to continue while upholding the principle of protecting the public health and safety of our employees, stakeholders and the public. The remarkable season turnover has enabled us to contribute more for the betterment of our society.
Levy Board agrees aid plan for British racing
Europe: Britain’s Horse Betting Levy Board (HBLB) has finalised its plans for the distribution of £21.5 million in Sports Winter Survival Package (SWSP) funding.
SWSP was first launched by the UK government in November, with the long-term goal of assisting “the immediate future of major spectator sports” that had been hard-hit by the financial impacts of the pandemic.
It is believed that British racing has lost around £400 million in racecourse revenue, while participants experienced a 41 percent reduction in prize money in 2020, corresponding to over £65 million.
The HBLB will repay the loan using future Levy returns.
Under the HBLB’s plans, £15 million will be divided between prize funds to competitors and financial assistance for racecourses over 12 months from this month. The remaining £6.5 million will be retained by the Levy Board across 2022 and 2023 as a means of providing “further flexibility”.
Elsewhere In racing …
Europe: Starman, winner of the G1 July Cup at Newmarket last weekend, could be aimed at the world’s richest turf race, The Everest, at Randwick in October. More here
North America: The catalogue for 100th Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale has been made available online. More here
Europe: British Racing School has launched a Kickstarter scheme to increase job opportunities. More here
North America: The catalogue for the 2021 Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association Fall All Age Thoroughbred Sale is now online, with an initial group of 40 offerings. More here
Europe: Galway festival crowds will be limited to 1,000 each day. More here