THE evening session then focused specifically on the NH filly, the panel comprising Jason Morris, director of racing HRI, the BHA’s Ruth Quinn, director of International racing and racing development, trainers Jessica Harrington and Willie Mullins, veterinary surgeor, breeder and pinhooker Walter Connors and Michael Hickey, of Sunnyhill Stud.

The future of the NH filly very much depends on her past, as Jessica Harrington pointed out: “If the mare has won I’d be more likely to buy a horse than one with a similar pedigree from a mare that hasn’t run.”

Willie Mullins was in full agreement: “I love a page of winners, whether they were in Timbuktu, Sweden, wherever, winners mean soundness.”

It was agreed the current weight allowance of 7lb against geldings was a great advantage to most mares and had helped, as had the ITBA scheme. “Because there are now more mares’ races we’re inclined to buy more and you can acquire fillies easier,” Mullins commented. “Should we be trying to race our fillies earlier and get them to the paddocks quicker? In France they race them at three and four and then breed from them if they’re any good.”

RACING NH FILLIES

Walter Connors told of his success sending a young NH filly to race in France and retiring her to the paddocks after a busy four-year-old season. He was able to discover her worth as a racehorse much quicker.

Observing that the Irish-bred horse was no different to its French counterpart, Mullins cited Douvan as a prime example. “He is enormous, 17.2hh and he hasn’t grown an inch since he came to me. If he was in Ireland he would have been put by and only just starting in point-to-points.”

Ruth Quinn was positive, recalling how quickly a concerted effort led to the current programme, but didn’t want to “run before we can walk” and wanted to ensure the horses were there first. “We are all aware of the compelling veterinary evidence of the benefits of starting horses younger,” she agreed. “Three-year-old bumpers are meeting our expectations but the prospect of seeing that develop into a significant juvenile programme for fillies is quite daunting.”

Jason Morris, however, conceded that in Ireland it was a struggle to fill four-year-old bumpers and there had been no real support for the idea of three-year-old bumpers.

“Would there just be a rush to buy horses in France?” he wondered. “It could impact negatively on the Irish breed.”

Quinn found the mandatory staging of one mares’ race for every three days’ racing held by all British racecourses had been a positive step and field sizes vindicated the ratio. Increasing this to one for every two fixtures staged would be considered in the future.

CHANGING THE PROGRAMME

“I think we’re being forced into a situation of having to change,” noted Peter Hickey. “If we want to change the programme it will mean changing everything, selling at two years. It would help breeders, so a mare would be starting her stud career at six and will have plenty of time to breed for you. We do need to go to the track earlier and go to stud earlier.

“Half of our NH foals are fillies and if a mare produces two or three fillies there’s very little chance to make her a broodmare, as it’s very hard to get a filly into training.”

He pointed out the existing gaps in the NH racing programme for fillies and said more mares’ races were needed. “A trainer needs to be able to say to an owner I can run that filly whenever she’s ready.”

The gap in the programme for mares in certain months was also picked up on by Bryan Mayoh of the TBA, but the new programme for fillies and mares has had a significant impact in a very short space of time.

WORLD SERIES

Mullins was in favour of a suggested World Series, believing a two and a half mile hurdle would fit the necessary requirements. “The scope is there and if we don’t internationalise National Hunt it’s going to get smaller and smaller and go the way of America, where they’re down to very little racing.

“The Americans would embrace our horses coming over. The Australians would love to get good horses out there.”

Quinn agreed it was a terrific idea and she would love to see National Hunt on the world stage.

Asked their opinion of a free return if a mare produces a filly, the two breeders on the panel had their doubts. “It’s encouraging mediocrity and doesn’t feed anything,” Walter Connors maintained.

“There is a demand from breeders now that stallion masters have to give concessions,” Michael Hickey observed. “A €3,000 stallion bargained down to €1,000 and then getting a bad mare covered is diluting the breed.”

Speaking from the audience and aptly summarising the situation, Bryan Mayoh concluded: “We must start a blacktype programme and encourage fillies to race. The industry is based on a toss of the coin, you lose more on a filly than you make on a colt. We need to increase the number of mares’ races. It’s not a question of whether to or can we fill them – we have to do it.”