How to make claimers more appealing to new owners

Sir, - Following the recent inaugural meeting of the Irish Racehorse Claiming Association, I read with interest Mark Costello’s article (June 4th, page A3) regarding Horse Racing Ireland being “open to adding more claiming races to the programme should they increase in popularity”.

It continues: “Recent claimers have attracted small fields but the newly formed campaign group say claiming races can bring new blood into the industry if framed correctly.” Jason Morris went on to point out in the article that the number of claiming races has trebled this year to 30.

The fact that this campaign group has been set up in the first place should surely sound alarm bells for those responsible for promoting and marketing such events at present.

The Irish Thoroughbred Marketing website states: “’There are also a small number of claiming races in Ireland, from which you can literally ‘claim’ a horse. Your trainer can advise you on the process.”

Considering that racehorse owners in Ireland have voted with their feet in the past seven years, with a 52% decline in their numbers, surely someone, somewhere should have taken or should now take the opportunity to start pointing out to prospective owners the benefits of these races as the simplest and quickest way to get involved in racehorse ownership?

In the four claiming races run this year between April 15th and May 13th alone, owners had the opportunity to claim, among others:

a) A three-year-old winning half-sister to two blacktype stakes horses, with residual broodmare value,

b) a five-time winning 87-rated four-year-old for €20,000,

c) a subsequent Tipperary maiden winner, also placed twice at The Curragh, and

d) a subsequent three-time winner for €8,000.

Allowing for the fact that the race programme has already been finalised for the 2016 season perhaps the following simple points could be implemented by the relevant bodies in an effort to better market this season’s remaining claiming races:

Claiming prices to be clearly printed beside each runner in all the national raceday newspapers.

A web page outlining the protocol for claimants be set up, with reference to the website address being clearly made in the race title or in the race conditions in order for people to know how to claim a horse in the first place. A well laid-out web page can only help to increase knowledge, interest and understanding of race conditions and inform prospective owners on how to claim horses from such races.

Existing owners and former owners to be emailed at declaration time, the day before any claiming race, outlining the opportunity to claim horses the following day at their allotted prices. Furthermore details of recently successfully claimed horses could be highlighted in an effort to encourage more owners to get involved in the process.

A facility for any new unregistered owners who wish to claim and pay for their purchase with a credit/debit card to be set up (pre-authorisation being sought from them at time of claim).

Sadly prospective owners will continue to miss out on the opportunity to get involved in racehorse ownership through claiming races run on Saturdays, Sundays or bank holidays (or for evening meetings after the first race for that matter) for the simple reason that claimers are not presently held on these, the best attended racedays.

Remarkably, it seems the only reason for this is that there isn’t anyone available to answer calls from claimants at HRI’s offices at these times. Surely it would be far more beneficial for HRI to be ‘open’ to accept claims from new owners on these, the busiest racedays before they are “open to adding more claiming races to the programme”!

One can only hope that a simple solution can be found to this little impasse before the new group meets again next August. Suffice it to say an after-hours Indian call centre is not the answer on this occasion!

On the above I will, as always, leave such judgements to fair-minded people. – Yours etc.,

JAMES MESCALL,

The Curragh,

Co Kildare.