19 March 2024 , 11:30
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A Grand National-winning trainer has voiced his fears for the future of jumps racing in Britain, claiming Ireland’s domination is “killing” the sport.
Dr Richard Newland trained Pineau De Re to capture the Grand National at Aintree in 2014 but last year expanded into the Flat sphere to keep his business viable. But he says the domination of Irish stables at the Cheltenham Festival and Willie Mullins, who trained nine winners, in particular has magnified the decline of the sport.
He has aired his views in an interview with and produced figures to back them up, urging the BHA to act quickly before it is too late.
“National Hunt racing in Britain is in crisis,” he said “The BHA are recognising the rapid decline in British Jumps racing and the Irish dominance that is exacerbating this.
“Last season, there were almost 1,000 Irish jumps runners in the UK that won 128 races and took home over £6.5m of UK prize-money. In the same time, UK trained horses managed only one win in Ireland and landed a total of €121,000 in prize-money.
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“There seems to be an advantage in horses being trained in Ireland. It is not clear what the cause of this advantage is but the knock-on effect on the British jump racing industry is huge,
“This season already, there have been 110 Irish wins in UK Jump races with over 80 Irish trainers competing in the UK and they are on course for well over 1,000 runners this season.”
Newland said Ireland’s success had led to an exodus of leading UK owners to trainers like Mullins.
Willie Mullins: took his Cheltenham Festival score to 100 with nine wins at the meeting (BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)He said 13 of of the 16 graded races at Cheltenham went to Ireland and 12 of them produced an Irish one-two
“The last time the UK won the Prestbury Cup was nine years ago and it is 12 years since a UK trainer was the top trainer at the festival. For the second time in three years, Willie Mullins had the same number of winners as the whole of the UK combined.
“There has been a staggering 45 percent drop in Cheltenham entries by UK trainers over the past four years. That is damning. This year, for the first time Irish Cheltenham entries outnumbered British ones.
“I am sure all the UK Jump trainers share the same frustrations as me. We do need action. I just hope the BHA are brave enough to take decisive action to make the changes required.”
He added: “British racing can’t hide from this. We have a problem and we have got to do something about it.
“This Irish ‘advantage’ is killing National Hunt racing in the UK and must be addressed and I am delighted that Julie Harrington has made clear the BHA’s intentions to tackle this.”