JAMES Mescall is undoubtedly the most vociferous supporter of claiming races in Irish racing. As well as being a prolific ‘claimer’ himself, he continues to campaign for an increase in the number of claiming races. He answers our questions about these races.

Q: Tell us about your own background in racing?

My father was a jockey and, being from the Curragh, I’m around horses all my life. I completed the Irish National Stud course a good many years ago before spending some time in America. I enjoy studying form and going racing.

Q: When did you first get involved in claiming races and how did the system work at that time?

Over the years I’ve often ‘spotted’ or identified cheaper, lesser horses for friends, mostly to send to England to run in sellers and claimers. For many years claiming a horse from an Irish trainer was frowned upon, it was a kind of unwritten law that it wasn’t done. Thankfully this is changing slowly and I hope in time those of us who grasped the nettle will have done so for the betterment of Irish racing.

Q: Recently HRI and the Turf Club made some changes to the claiming race rules. Have they helped?

The introduction of a credit card payment option for new owners/non-account holders is obviously a positive but it is my belief, as is the case with any business, that this facility – as well as the races and their conditions – need to be extensively marketed.

The easiest and cheapest way for any new owner to get involved in racing is through claiming races, as you have a horse that is ready to run. I claimed a placed horse last year for a new owner and he won at the very next flat meeting within a week!

The ‘nominated trainer’ clause was introduced to prevent multiple claims but, to be honest, it’s pointless as there is no contract or obligation for the new owner to put the horse in training with anyone. It’s a red carpet the authorities should be putting down to attract new owners, not red tape!

Q: What more should be done and why?

Without a doubt more claiming races should be added to the programme. However, they need to be properly framed with a proper spread in the weights, and more claimers with a lower claiming price need to be introduced.

As well as giving new owners the chance to claim a horse they offer existing owners a chance to move on horses that are surplus to requirements.

Tithonus’s success in the Rockingham Handicap at the Curragh on Derby weekend, for example, demonstrates that racing is for the many and not just the few. He was the subject of a friendly claim of €5,000 when second behind Bussa in the 2015 Laytown claimer.

He is a subsequent seven-time winner and has improved from his mark of 55 that day to 90, earning roughly €140,000 in the process for trainer Denis Hogan.

Captain Midnight, also the subject of a €5,000 claim on that day, won his next two starts for new connections.

I claimed Not A Bad Oul Day for the ‘standard’ Laytown €5,000 claiming price in the 2016 running of this event and he is

now four times

a winner this year in his last five appearances (finishing second on the other occasion) for John Feane.

John also trained Elusive in Paris to win four times after I claimed him for €8,000 in April 2016.

Hailstone won the three-year-old claiming maiden at Dundalk in March of this year, beating the subsequent winners Brave Display, Steelyeyed (two wins) and Guiding Star in the process. He went on to win two further races (rated 100) for Patrick Prendergast before being sold abroad.

Johnny Levins’ recent winners Palavicini Run, Hasselnot and Bainne have also all come from claimers.

Willie McCreery’s recent Roscommon claimer winner Mauricio was claimed by English trainer Dr Richard Newland presumably to continue his career in England (another English trainer was unsuccessful with their claim), demonstrating that there is also a market outside of Ireland for runners in these races.

Beau Recall, winner of the two-year-old claimer (not claimed) at Tipperary last August is now also a winner and three-times stakes-placed in USA. She ran in the Group 1 Belmont Oaks last weekend.

There should be marketing representatives on the ground at every race meeting explaining the claiming procedure and the benefits of owning any racehorse in Ireland.

Q: Last year the Irish Racehorse Claiming Association was established. Are you involved in the association and what can they hope to achieve?

Yes I’m actually the secretary of the Association. The Association was the brainchild of veterinarian Richard McCormick, while economics lecturer Paddy Waldron is our chairman. The Association is sponsored by Peter Doyle Bloodstock.

All involved only wish to see the industry thrive and see more trainers and owners able to compete and survive. There is no hidden agenda.

Q: To what extent do you think the programme book is effectively controlled by the leading stakeholders who don’t want to change the status quo?

Look, there is and should be room for everyone in horse racing. There are a lot of struggling small trainers and small owners are their lifeblood.

Con Marnane was recently quoted in your publication as saying: “The French racing system is unbelievable. It’s the best racing system in Europe as far as I’m concerned, and maybe the world, ‘cos every horse, every owner and every trainer gets a chance.”

Alas, this is not the case in Irish racing.

Claiming races are a huge part of French racing and, while I fully understand that French owners also benefit from the French premiums and their pari-mutuel system, surely one must question what has gone wrong with the Irish system?

We have the best horses and horsemen in the world but it seems Irish racing and those entrusted with its guardianship have lost their way.

The majority of Irish racehorse owners are small owners. They employ and pay the majority of Irish trainers and provide the majority of runners for the races which generate lucrative media rights income.

These rights were sold out on owners years ago and perhaps now the Asian system, whereby every owner with a runner receives an appearance fee, will be considered. Surely this would go a long way to ensuring the survival of the smaller owner and trainer?

The small owners are supposedly represented by The Association Of Irish Racehorse Owners, but in my opinion this organisation is effectively a toothless tiger. This needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.