Special Conditions Racing: The New Kid on The Block

In Global Views, Godolphin Flying Start trainees provide insight into practices experienced and observations taken on their worldwide travels. First-year trainee Angus Robertson looks at how Special Conditions Races are changing the Thoroughbred racing landscape for the better.

There are two certainties in horse racing. First–people don't do it for the money. Long hours, hard work and sometimes little reward if things go wrong (which they often can) are enough to put off anyone seeking pure financial gain. People in the Thoroughbred industry do it for a love of the horse, a burning desire to succeed and a determination to overcome the odds in the never-ending pursuit of excellence.

The second certainty? Nothing is free in this world.

Many have long said that British and Irish prizemoney systems require major restructuring to direct increased wagering revenue back into racing. However, as exemplified by the Irish EBF Ballyhane S., there is enormous potential for Special Conditions Races to initiate a transition towards more holistic and successful prizemoney systems, as well as improving overall racing quality and competitiveness.

The Ballyhane S., run for the first time in 2020, is based on a model of stallion median sales prices, where a horse's sire requires a sales median below €75,000. Race weights are then allocated on the same scale. Entries for this year number 369, all hoping for a shot at the total prizemoney of €200,000. Last year's entries set an Irish record–563, where runners competed for €320,000 across two divisions, making it Ireland's richest race for juveniles.

So why do special conditions strike such excellent balance and attract such popularity? The blunt reality of horse racing is not all stakeholders are in a position to spend six-figure sums on yearlings. Many up-and-coming trainers and owners work tirelessly to build client bases before they're able to compete at the top buying bench. This ballot affords huge opportunity to such players, where in other 2-year-old or group-level events they are simply crowded out by the top-level sales purchases.

Many may debate that these races reduce competition and quality, and whilst this specific format restricts horses by elite-tier sales stallions, here is an interesting statistic. The 2020 Irish Flat season yielded 11 individual Group 1 winners–seven were by sires with a career sales median (in GB + Ireland) within €75,000. The fact that over 60% of Irish Group 1 winners last year came from a similar category to the 369 entries for this year's Ballyhane S. is a testament to the fact that Special Conditions Racing doesn't diminish quality.

Looking further afield at Special Conditions Racing and how it has helped propel an industry, we can examine numerous initiatives within Australia. In 2015, the Australian Turf Club introduced the Country Championships–a series of Country heats worth $150,000 each, where horses aimed to qualify for the $500,000 Country Championships Final run at Royal Randwick during the Autumn Carnival.

Such was the success of the “Country Champs” that the ATC launched the TAB Highway Series–a standalone event (C1 or C2) at every Metropolitan Saturday meet designated solely for country-based trainers. Many were critical of this idea but six years later the Highway races regularly present the largest fields of each Sydney Saturday meet, with prizemoney recently increased to $100,000. Not only do these events offer country trainers an opportunity to saddle up a horse at elite race days, but also to compete in a level playing field for prizemoney that makes a significant impact to their stables. It also creates better wagering environments with large fields of unexposed horses.

Since 2015, further initiatives have been launched nationwide such as The Everest concept formulated around the offering of 12 'slots', where purchasers front A$600,000 (towards prizemoney) for a position in the race for three years. It's now the world's richest turf race worth A$15 million, and registers the highest betting hold behind the G1 Melbourne Cup, a true reflection of customer engagement. Furthermore, in 2020, one slot was purchased by micro-share syndicate MiRunners, offering 1,000 customers the ultimate ownership experience–a key example of how Special Conditions Racing can benefit all stakeholders.

The Kosciuszko, a A$1.3-million Country-only event on Everest day, determines its slot holders through a raffle, giving each $5 ticket holder the chance to have a horse in the race. In 2019, the A$5-million All-Star Mile was introduced in Victoria, where horses above a minimum rating are selected via public vote. Each voter goes into the running to become an owner-ambassador, with a chance to receive A$500,000 if their chosen horse wins. It's interesting to note that nine of the 15 starters this year were Group 1 winners, and the race recorded the highest Victorian turnover for 2021, a staggering A$17.88 million– another example of Special Conditions Racing generating immense popularity.

Another exciting development is the recent formulation of “Midway Races” which will operate similar to the A$100,000 TAB Highways, but be aimed at small and mid-sized stables in Provincial and Metropolitan regions. As stated by Racing NSW Chairman Russell Balding, they have been introduced with the aim of “building competitiveness and further developing field sizes and quality for metropolitan racing.” The system will operate on a points basis with the number and level of previous season winners determining trainer eligibility.

An argument against Special Conditions Races is the fact they lack the prestige and history associated with traditional pattern events. And this is right–just because a race offers substantial prizemoney does not make it superior to Group 1 events with centuries of history and consistently strong ratings. However, how did these races reach such status? The fact is many trace back hundreds of years to the earliest race days, where owners would gather and compete with each other for substantial personal wagers. The lure of an exciting new concept was what led to increased competition and a foundation for the pattern we see today. Special Conditions Racing aims to replicate just that–using exciting new concepts that allow all stakeholders to compete. And in using race models that put prizemoney back into a wider spread of stakeholders, it generates a positive cyclical effect throughout the whole industry.

It seems only a matter of time before Special Conditions Races start to gain momentum in Europe, and it would not be surprising to see other industry organisations follow the likes of Ballyhane in the endorsement of such events. Be it other stud farms, sales companies or bloodstock agencies, many of these major players can mutually benefit from the endorsement of Special Conditions Racing. In the current climate of COVID-19, it's more important than ever to put forward initiatives that capture wider audiences, be it on-course or on-air, all whilst rewarding the stakeholders who help our industry prosper.