Ruby Walsh: Do 48-hour declarations benefit racing? Being honest, I don’t believe so

The HRI board will debate it on Monday, and whatever they decide, it won’t have the massive implications on the sport that some would lead you to believe it will, says Ruby Walsh

Nobody saw the lockdowns coming in March 2020, but we all know the end is on the horizon in October 2021. October 22 is the date Covid is due to expire - not really, of course, but it is the day when normality is expected to resume.

The question is, what will that normality be? For racing, it will mean the racecourses can reopen to total capacity with the odd caveat. Still, only time will tell if racegoers return en masse or if the thought of a crowded enclosure is enough to deter some.

The attendances across the water have been strong since the UK racecourses reopened their gates, so hopefully, we will follow suit.

It is not the hot topic of debate within horse racing right now in Ireland because the trivial matter of whether 48-hour declarations will stay or will we revert to the pre-covid 24-hour system is the consuming one.

The real truth of his whole debate is that 48-hour declarations do help build a narrative for the good races. It allows time for big clashes to be talked about and promoted, creating interest in the sport. As for it being a plus across the board, well, that’s a whole different debate.

Arguments are being made for and against, but I haven’t read or heard a compelling one for either. Bookmakers like the 48-hour version to allow them more time to price up races, yet freely admit over 90% of what they trade on a race is in the minutes just before post time.

Punters, likewise, have more time to research their selections, but has it changed the time of when they gamble? I don’t think so, because they seem to bet on what’s happening now and not what will happen in 24 hours.

Another argument is for people living on the other side of the world, in Asia and, more so, Australia, 48-hour declarations gives them far more time to decide on future bets here. Outside of the very few days a world pool is in operation, what happens in those jurisdictions is of no financial value to Irish Racing.

Some trainers like the organisation 48-hour declarations give them, but again, where is the gain for the sport? Jockeys maintain it helps them to make lightweights. I was one of them and only dehydrated as close to race time as possible to make weight, but they say it helps. I just can’t see how another 24 hours thinking about what you have to do is a bonus because weight management is daily anyway.

My colleagues in the press love the new system, but again, I don’t see the benefit for racing. Today’s paper is today’s news and will carry today’s race cards, not tomorrow’s. Yes, we have more time to organise columns, tips, and whatever else we have done, but are we now promoting the two-year-old maiden on Monday before the four-year-old maiden hurdle on Sunday has taken place? No. We are just more organised, and it suits me too, but does it benefit racing? Being honest, I don’t believe so, but that’s only my opinion.

I know owners do like the extra 24 hours’ notice of when their horse is definitely running, especially now that can attend, so that is the only significant factor I can find that says we should keep the 48-hour system.

But it’s a double-edged sword for owners. Declaring by 10am on Monday for a race at 5pm on Wednesday allows too much time for ground changes. Forecasts are predictions, and we all know the closer you get, the more reliable they are, but the more significant, unspoken issue is the real problem. Forty-eight-hour declarations work for the better horses but not for the rest from a trainer’s point of view.

Good horses have exact targets that rarely change in the days before a race. The better the horse, the easier it is to target a specific race, but that is only a tiny percentage of the whole horse population on this island.

The majority are harder to win with, and this is where I feel the trainers should be listened to for the benefit of their owners. Average horses have more options than the good ones, and part of the art of training consists of placing your horse in the right race. For a trainer to do that, they need as much information as possible.

Any average handicapper could have three races open to them on any given week, some maidens likewise, but declaring on Monday by 10am before entries are even compiled for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday is no benefit for owners and trainers.

Perhaps all entries and balloting sequences should be made and provided precisely seven days before each race meeting, but that won’t determine the ground. As I ramble on, you see the complexity of this topic.

The HRI board will debate it on Monday, and whatever they decide, it won’t have the massive implications on the sport that some would lead you to believe it will.