‘Like togging out beside Messi and Ronaldo.’ Horse Racing Ireland chief accepts it’s hard for small trainers to compete
Adrian Maguire, one of many trainers fighting that battle, recently explained how taxing life has become for trainers shy of the financial backing from owners that others in his profession enjoy.
Kavanagh, speaking on Irish Examiner’s PaperTalk podcast, explained how the intensity of competition in Ireland is inadvertently creating such a chasm.
“Ours is an incredibly competitive environment, first and foremost,” Kavanagh said. “To operate in the Irish racing scene, at the moment, is very, very hard.
“You’re coming up against the best in the world, and I’m not saying that lightly.
“Every day, whether it’s in jump racing with Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott, or on the Flat with the Aidan O’Briens, Coolmores, Dermot Welds, they’re very competitive environments.
“It’s like a footballer togging out every day against Messi and Ronaldo. That is difficult.
“What we try to do is balance the programme across the board so that there is something in it for everybody.”
Kavanagh believes the economic downturn played havoc with the numbers of prospective owners, impacting on those trying to make their way in the training game.
“I think the reality is owning horses is a luxury, something people use their disposal income for.
“The fact is that when the economy crashed a few years ago people cut back on owning horses. And, for a long time, during that slump, it was the bigger owners, the overseas owners, that kept that going.
“We, though, for the last 18 months to two years, have seen a chink of light. People are now more prepared to get into horse ownership, be it as a syndicate or partnership.
“That’s the area in which we can offer the most help to trainers that are struggling.
“The key thing for trainers is to get owners prepared to buy horses and have them training with them.
“We can help with that. If the economy is lifting we can offer competitive prize money and try to offer a race programme with opportunities for horses across all levels. I think, though, it would be wrong to compromise equality in that respect.
“Secondly, trainers in the past have had some difficulties collecting training fees and monies from owners.
“That is an area we are looking at with the Irish Racehorse Trainers’ Association, to see if HRI can help with trainers’ cashflows.
“At the end of the day, though, it’s highly competitive.
“If the likes of Adrian Maguire, who you used as an example, a wonderful rider and trainer, had the right horses, the Adrian Maguires are well able to train them.
“Creating that environment where they have access to owners who will put good quality horses in training with them is key.
“We have opened a new ownership department in HRI in the last two years which we hope will help trainers in that regard,” he added.
