Tuesday March 2, 2015.

 

 

 

 

 

INTERNATIONAL HORSERACING 

Racing Right Global Equus Zone (GB)

Your adventure into the world of Global Horseracing

a warm welcome to  

Nicholas Godfrey (GB) (Racing Post)

http://www.racingpost.

  

Clare Balding (OBE) (GB)  partner Knock Knock (GB) Ascot

Team (Ian) Balding (GB)

"Clare is seen as the first lady of television sport. The former champion jockey presents Channel 4 racing, hosts her own show on BT Sport and adds to her CV with a lead role in the 2014 Commonwealth Games. With deliciously dry wit, Clare goes behind the back page headlines and shares her own highs and lows.

"Clare Balding began her career as an amateur flat jockey, becoming Champion Lady Rider. The transition from competing to presenting began with her television debut at Royal Ascot.
http://www.jla.co.uk/presenters/clare-balding#.VPWIbvmsX5E 

Clare Victoria Balding OBE (born 29 January 1971)^[2] is a BBC television presenter, journalist and retired amateur jockey. She is one of the channel's highest-profile personalities and currently presents for BBC Sport, Channel 4, BT Sport and the religious/spiritual programme Good Morning Sunday on BBC Radio 2.
http://clarebalding.co.uk/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clare_Balding
http://www.kingsclere.com/  
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Balding

List of significant families in British horse racing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_significant_families_in_British_horse_racing 

 

 

 TUESDAY MARCH 2, RACING POST 2015. BILL BARBER INDUSTRY EDITOR

NEWS ANALYSIS

"RACING’S MISSING MILLIONS"

BILL BARBER SPECIAL REPORT
As published in the Racing Post on Friday February 20, 2015

“Bill Barber examines why vast amounts of revenue generated by media rights deals are currently being leaked away from the sport. “

“MEDIA RIGHTS have assumed monumental importance to British racing’s finances, affecting horsemen through prize-money increases. However, changes being mooted to the way media rights are bought and sold could have a profound effect on the sport, on prize-money and the betting industry.

“There are some within Britain’s racecourses who believe tens of millions of pounds is being lost to racing-as much as between £70 million and £80 million, although others doubt it is that high-as a result of the current structure, and they are looking to plug the leak. If successful it would boost prize-money levels through the agreements in place with the Horsemen’s Group.

“One of the options being examined might involve cutting betting shop picture providers SIS and TurfTV out of the equation.

“Last autumn, David Zeffman, of legal firm Olswang, highlighted how pivotal media rights had become for the sport in Britain.

“In 2005, Zeffman said total income received by racing from British and Irish bookmakers, excluding sponsorship, was approximately £143m; that comprised £100m levy,  £30m for the right to distribute televised live racing into betting shops and £13m from Irish bookmakers for pre-race data rights.

“Fast forward to 2014 and Zeffman had revised the amount to a staggering £250m, including all media rights and levy.

“While some have cast doubts over the size of that estimate, the Racecourse Association itself predicted in 2012 that racecourse income from the licensing of betting shop rights would rise to £84m in 2013, up 50 per cent on 2009.

“It is the difference between what is paid for media rights and what gets to racecourses that is the object of increasing scrutiny , specifically what has been described as the ‘leakage’ caused by having TurfTV and SIS running services to betting shops in parallel and having non-racing shareholders.

“It is not only racecourses who wonder why leakage is so substantial. Their clients - the horsemen and racegoers who make nearly six million visits each year – may well ask what the product would be like if with millions of pounds added to resources, although some might also ask if savings could be made among the racecourses groups and those that look after their media rights as well.

£80m leak a sensitive issue.

“The situation is so sensitive that nobody involved is willing to be quoted on the matter. However, one number understood to have been calculated on the racecourse side puts the leakage at £70m - £80m.

“Someone with the knowledge of the situation from a bookmaker perspective said a calculation had been made which was not far from that figure.

“Another on the racecourse side said the “guesstimate” was £60m to £80m, with the important caveat that any savings would have to be shared 50-50 with the betting industry.

“Critically, these massive media rights deals started to come up for renewal at the end of next year, perhaps most importantly involving courses from the old Arena Leasure group, new part of Arena Racing Company following the merger with Northern Racing.

“They include Arc’s all-weather courses, some of the most important to the betting during the afternoon, twilight and evening largely unaffected by the weather.

“The deal involving the old Northern courses coming up for renewal at the end of 2017, while the TurfTV agreements are set to be renewed in 1918.

“However, it is clear serious discussions have already begun-and have already stalled.

“In December it was revealed SIS dramatically pulled out of the talks with media rights partners. It claimed the sum being asked for was too much. There were added concerns about the viability of betting shops as a consequence of the campaign against gaming machines.

“Speaking at the time, SIS chief executive Gary Smith suggested a political element to the withdrawal.

“He said: “The desire to defer decisions until after the general election is definitely our preference because of the uncertainty and we’ll see how the market goes over the next few months. “

“The scent of hesitation at SIS was soon detected. It emerged Arc was reviewing options including, provocatively, the launch of its own broadcasting operation.

“If carried out it would leave SIS without nearly 40 per cent of the fixture list and call its future into question.

“As if the signals needed to be any clearer, former SIS chief operations officer Mark Kingston was brought in by Arc to look at the options.

“Nothing yet is set in stone and Arc could still stick with SIS. However, in the same breath there is understood to be a third option.

“What has been described as an ‘industry solution’ would involve the 15 Arc courses, which control nearly 40 per cent of the fixture list, joining up with the 34 Racecourse Media Group (RMG) tracks – which include the the Jockey Club Racecourses stable plus big independents like Ascot and York-and any others who would wish to join.

“This group would sell direct to bookmakers. And that might remove TurfTV from the stage as well as SIS. "

“Working out leakage figures.

“As has been mentioned, there is some guesstimation needed to go through the figures and come to something like “£70m-£80m leakage.

“TurfTV is the brand name of Amalgamated Racing Limited (Amrac) whose latest accounts showed revenue of around £69.4m, a figure now likely to be in the low £70ms with inflation.

“SIS’s revenues from supplying  pictures are more difficult to work out as its accounts no longer show as clear a segmental analysis as they once did.  

JMC: There is estimated to be billions of pounds owed to true Horsemen who through male government brutally unjust laws have been put through hell on earth by a mish- mash of these bloodhorse illiterate subsidiary government parties left ongoing over the last 6 decades.

Published in the Racing Post on Friday February 27, 2015. Page 19.

Bill Barber Industry Editor writes:

“Wise use of levy crucial as yield declines. “

“PRIZE-MONEY and how it is distributed seems to be a subject that is exercising minds across the racing industry, that is when those minds are not occupied by the Cheltenham Festival.

“Last week it was Willie Mullins who said that what jumps racing was generating in betting interest was not reflected in the prize-money it was able to offer its participants.

“This week it was Arena Racing Company that called for an industry review of the way levy money is distributed, arguing its 15 courses generate £2.5million more in levy than they receive.

“While Mullins called for a doubling of prize-money for the major jumps races – although he also voiced concern for the lower levels of the sport – Arc wants a redirection of levy funds to what it called the ‘grass roots’ of racing.

“This would reverse a change proposed by the BHA, Horsemen’s Group and the Racecourse Association – including Arc – and subsequently implemented, to the way levy funds were to be distributed from 2014.

“While Arc now wants levy to be distributed to courses more on the basis of how it is earned, that is the opposite of what racing proposed two years ago, which was for a smaller share to be apportioned on that basis.  Instead greater weight has been given to how much a racecourse contributes towards prize-money itself.

“Arc believes this is unfair, pointing to the recent example of the Qatari sponsorship at Goodwood which, as a result of the levy distribution mechanism, means the course will receive additional levy funding on top, funding that Arc argues will not result in any positive impact on levy yield. The argument goes on to say that unlike other sports in which money generated at the top is used to finance the grass roots, the opposite applies in British racing.

“Arc’s plea did not elicit a particularly positive reaction from the BHA government or Horseracing Group, although the Levy Board executive is looking at whether the system can be simplified.

“Arc could be accused of self-interest in its call for a redistribution of levy funds downwards and the idea suggests a belief the levy their courses generate belongs to Arc rather than for the improvement of horseracing”, which is the Levy Board’s raison d’etre.

“However, a debate on how the money is spent looks likely to be required giving the increasingly worrying warnings about the decline in levy income. Racing’s disappointing betting performance, and therefore levy yield , for the first three quarters of the current levy year means prize- money, set to be a record £130m in 2015, is likely to be reduced in 2016.

“The horseracing betting right, or racing right as it has also been called, is the sports favoured method of replacing the levy system and putting its finances on a sounder footing.

“The prime minister’s visit to Newmarket last week has given further evidence that the political wind is behind the sport and while the Budget comes just six days after the consultation on a racing right closes, hopes are increasing there will be further encouragement from the chancellor next month.

“However, even if a racing right does replace the levy system there are likely to be at least another couple of levy schemes to come before it is introduced and if the trends in levy yield continue then the argument for a debate on redistribution strengthens.

“Then of course there is the question of how quickly a racing right could be implemented  if that is the route the government chooses.

“While racing feels issues like those surrounding the VAT status of the new mechanism and questions over whether the right could be extended to other sports have been settled, an article by Dan Tench, a partner at legal firm Olswang, outlined a number of questions that suggest things will be far from straightforward.

“European law has been the bane of racing’s efforts to modernise its finances before and Tench raised the prospect of it proving a hurdle again, with state aid rules as well as issues surrounding restrictions on the freedom to provide services between member states potential triggers for legal challenges.  JMC: (British male government Bloodhorse Illiterate law from no matter what horseracing country is unjust, unsound, it brutalises both horse and rider, who compete as one, in all competition on the track, and in all preparation off the track,  therefore has no place to stand in any global horseracing country anywhere in the world today March 3, 2015. )

“Europe could also be a factor when it comes to the thorny issue of whether VAT would have to be paid on a racing –right. Racing and the  consultation paper itself argue payments to the sport would not attract VAT.

“Tench is not so sure, saying: “It is not at all clear whether under European law even primary UK legislation could properly exempt the betting right from VAT. “

“So the chances are the levy will not be disappearing in the short term. The issue of how it is distributed while in decli8ne is not something that should be pushed under the carpet. 

"If the trends continue, the argument for a debate on redistribution strengthens. "

Read Bill Barber’s Business Bulletin every Saturday on racingpost.com

JMC: A: There needs to be a 'True British and Irish Horseracing Betting Right ' for all those who choose to play the popular ' Gambling Game' that horseracing provides.

 

B: There needs to be a totally different 'True British and Irish Horseracing Equus Racing Right.' which entitles all those who have achieved true bloodhorse literacy in their own right to be paid properly out of monies collated through this  'True British and Irish Horseracing Betting Right'. To include the provision of a  'True Veterinary Medication Equus Racing Right. '

C: The New Family Day Out Project Direction Development over time will  open up and bring a different perspective to horseracing if it is to be allowed to be run honestly, that is.

 

Last weeks Racing Post and Godolphin  "Stud and Stable Staff Awards."

In Irish and British horseracing all those who are termed to be 'Stud and Stable Staff.' A corrupt and misleading evil bloodhorse illiterate title.