This is the message emanating from the news that the thoroughbred marketing bodies in Ireland, Britain and France are to work together to promote the three European countries to the wider world. This new era does not negate the need for the individual bodies and there will still be areas where a focused country approach will need to be adopted. This will surely be nowhere more evident than in the individual sales houses promoting their particular venue to both vendors and buyers.

The key players in the bloodstock world manage to find their way to all the major auctions in Europe and no doubt will continue to do so. It will be very interesting to see at what level and to what degree the areas of co-operation will occur. The three organisations concerned, Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, Great British Racing International and the French Racing and Breeding Committee, all know each other very well and are regularly to be seen at major racing festivals worldwide competing for the attention of potential buyers.

On the breeding front the establishment of the European Federation of Thoroughbred Breeders’ Associations in 1994 has made it possible for smaller breeders’ associations to be represented at a European level with a strong single voice. EFTBA represents the majority of European thoroughbred breeding countries.

On the racing front the need for cooperation has become an imperative as the three major racing nations in Europe strive to attract a limited number of top-class runners to key racing events in each country. Thus the French, Irish and British will serve the industry best by framing their major racing programmes by consultation.

The idea of a united marketing drive is a good one – now we need to see it in play.

DRUG TESTING

The spectre of illegal drugs in racing is one that still casts a shadow on the upcoming Cheltenham Festival in just over a week. It was good to see the Turf Club come out strongly yesterday with plans to extend its drug testing regime. They could have sat on these plans until after the four-day extravaganza was over, but instead they have reacted positively and forcefully in advance. Some of their proposals still need to have legislation enacted to allow for the new measures, but anyone with any interest in the betterment of the racing product will surely lend their full support to the initiatives. Racing in Ireland, and elsewhere, must be drug free.