EBF: On the front page, Valentine Lamb writes about the Irish branch of the European Breeders Fund, which is being criticised from some quarters (Lamb doesn’t clarify exactly where). One bone of contention is the claim that the fund is hoarding money, instead of giving it away. According to the latest figures, cash in the bank is £802,028. But Lamb writes that the late Major Victor McCalmont, former chairman of the Irish EBF, had always said that money would be kept in reserve in case of a fall in income. Lamb writes that in 1986, the fund income was £736,000, but in 1994 that figure fell to £275,000.

A recent decision sees the introduction of a sliding scale of fees for stallions that cover more than 60 mares. This new scale will bring in an additional estimated £250,000 to the fund but Lamb writes Coolmore Stud have opposed the new fee scale.