thoroughbred racing

With $959,602,269 wagered, total all-sources handle for the sport rose by 9.57% in January, according to figures released Thursday by Equibase. The January numbers reflected a fairly seamless comparison between January 2021 and January 2020 because the racing schedules for both months were not impacted by the coronavirus. There were 2,211 races run this year, only a slight drop from the 2020 number of 2,352. Based on the amount wagered per race day, the industry saw an increase of 21.6 %. Comparing figures during most of 2020 was particularly difficult...

After the announcement of regulatory integration between Purebred Arabian and Thoroughbred racing in the UK last December, further integration steps were released in a joint statement by the British Horseracing Authority and Arabian Racing Organisation on Tuesday. A period of phased implementation by ARO began with the support of the Racing Foundation after the initial announcement. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic there were inevitable delays, however a series of interim measures are being introduced in 2021. Existing BHA licenced trainers will be permitted to train both Purebred Arabians and Thoroughbreds...

Thoroughbred racing resumed in Wuhan, China on Oct. 1. Racing had been halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic which originated in the region. A crowd of 3,000 fans were allowed to attend the races, with masks and strict social distancing measures enforced. The first race of the five-race card was the China Cup (video), which went to Ashraf (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) in track-record time. Racecourse announcer Wen Li proclaimed, "Wuhan racing, we are back."

Jockeys Javier Castellano, Mike Smith, John Velazquez, Manuel Franco and Tyler Gaffalione have pledged a percentage of their earnings from the GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Kentucky Derby race cards to help rider 28-year-old rider Vinnie Bednar, who suffered a catastrophic fall at Los Alamitos Racetrack Aug. 22. Bednar is currently experiencing lower-limb paralysis following initial surgery at USC Medical Center in Los Angeles. He remains hospitalized while awaiting transfer to the Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado, a world-renowned, premier center for spinal and brain injury. The accident occurred in...

The G1 2000 Guineas card at Newmarket on June 6 and Japan's G1 Yasuda Kinen on June 7 will be simulcast for betting beginning in the late evening of Saturday, June 6, the Hong Kong Jockey Club announced on Sunday. Newmarket's seven races are headed by the 2000 Guineas, where European Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) is expected to take part. Meanwhile in Japan the next day, the 1600-metre G1 Yasuda Kinen features Japanese Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and the race will be...

Rewards4Racing, the industry's rewards programme, will be offering its services and expertise to all UK and Irish racecourses, the organisation announced on Wednesday. In 2019, 960,000 tickets were purchased by the reward programme's members, and data has show that they attend race meetings more frequently and spend more when they come racing. One of the tracks that has accepted the offer is Plumpton Racecourse. Racing begins again in the UK on June 1, while Irish racing kicks off on June 8 after extended coronavirus-induced breaks. "During these unprecedented times, there...

A series of new one-hour evening programmes on Irish racing on consecutive Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in June and early July on RTE television have been confirmed by Horse Racing Ireland and RTE on Tuesday. These new programmes, to be broadcasted on RTE2 and RTE Player with 10 extra meetings confirmed up to mid-July, will be held from 7-8 p.m. on Fridays and from 5-6 p.m. on Saturdays/Sundays. Hugh Cahill will be the main presenter, with guest analysts joining regulars Jane Mangan, Ted Walsh and Ruby Walsh. All of RTE...

Fresh from a break having garnered the immensely valuable Longines Turf H. at Riyadh Feb. 29, George Strawbridge's Call the Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}) managed to continue the winning sequence in Sunday's G3 Prix de Barbeville at Deauville and book a potential trip to Royal Ascot. Prior to his Saudi venture, the homebred had been out of luck but always on the premises in seven starts since his defeat of Holdthasigreen (Fr) (Hold That Tiger) in the 2018 G1 Prix du Cadran at Paris Longchamp and it was that old...

The 12 Godolphin Flying Start Trainees for 2020-2022 were announced on Tuesday. Split evenly between the sexes and hailing from Australia, France, Ireland, the UK and the USA, the dozen students will participate in the Thoroughbred Industry Management and Leadership Programme where they will study and work in Ireland, the UK, the USA, Australia and Dubai. The course is accredited by University College Dublin Michael Smurfit Business School as a Graduate Certificate in Management. The trainees are as follows: George Broughton, UK Samantha Bussanich, USA Devon Dougherty, USA Solène Hudbert,...

Along with New York and London, Paris has earned another, more unwelcome renown of late but on the day that most of the rest of France emerge from their doors closed shut by COVID-19, the Bois de Boulogne bears witness to the first major sporting action since mid-March. Such is the tightrope nature of the industry's predicament at present, it was enough to convince President Macron at the 11th hour to allow racing to take place within the "red zone" which is still under strict lockdown. ParisLongchamp has seen its...

With the majority of U.S. tracks unable to race in April,  total pari-mutuel handle during the month fell by 24.42%. Bettors wagered $639 million during the month after wagering $845 million during April 2019. The numbers were provided by Equibase. It has been a roller coaster year for betting on U.S. racing. After posting an 11.8% increase over the months of January and February, handle fell by 22.8% in March when most tracks were forced to close. For most of April, there were only five Thoroughbred tracks racing, but several...

Phumelela Gaming and Leisure Ltd, which owns the majority of the racecourses in South Africa, is facing bankruptcy, Sporting Post reported on Monday. The company released its unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial results for the six months that ended on Jan. 31, 2020, and reported a loss of R115.1 million. Phumelela may now choose to file for voluntary liquidation. Racing was supposed to resume last Friday, May 1, but South Africa has continued its lockdown protocols due to the coronavirus. The G1 Horse Chestnut S., G1 South African Derby and...