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Quite right too.
While head of power at the BHA Julie Harrington is sat on her chair stroking her white **** Bond villain style, quaffing a fine wine with her cronies on a zoom call the travelling stable staff are expected to work their day off at the behest of their masters, tonight.
Don't have access to the full article on the RP site but it's apparent that the jockeys are reaching out for the protection of the lads and lasses that already make sacrifices to look after the horses in their charge.
A gimmick that affects the employees who earn a meagre wage and very often expolited as many a recent expose has highlighted.
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While head of power at the BHA Julie Harrington is sat on her chair stroking her white **** Bond villain style, quaffing a fine wine with her cronies on a zoom call the travelling stable staff are expected to work their day off at the behest of their masters, tonight.
Don't have access to the full article on the RP site but it's apparent that the jockeys are reaching out for the protection of the lads and lasses that already make sacrifices to look after the horses in their charge.
A gimmick that affects the employees who earn a meagre wage and very often expolited as many a recent expose has highlighted.
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The first in a series of six Sunday evening all-weather meetings took place at Wolverhampton, with the trial aimed at driving and capturing additional betting revenue receiving a mixed reaction from those on course.
Prize-money had been boosted to a minimum of £15,000 per race, with most contests worth at least three times the minimum value for the grade. That led to seven of the eight races attracting maximum fields at the declaration stage but concerns remain over the impact of Sunday evening racing on participant welfare. Jockeys who were not in favour of the trial found themselves in a tricky situation with regular mounts in action and that included Robert Havlin, whose four rides included the Sean Woods-trained Savvy Brilliance who he had won on the last twice. He gained a hat-trick in the 2m½f handicap. Asked for his views on the trial, Havlin said: “I think it’s a joke to be honest. It’s all right people saying to jockeys if you don’t want to go don’t go, but there's a horse running I’ve won on the last twice and I can’t really not go. “I know the prize-money is an incentive, and it’s almost forcing the hand of owners and trainers, but you have to win it first for that to come into play. For the young jockeys who don’t have families, they might not mind it too much, but the racing programme for Flat jockeys is already jam-packed and I don’t really see a need for it. It's really tough on stable staff too." Phil Dennis became a dad last year and missed some family time with his daughter to maintain the partnership with the Michael Dods-trained Kalganov, who he won on at Newcastle last month. Dennis said: “Some people, like myself, have a family at home but I’m not in a position to give up rides. I can understand why trainers and owners have decided to run though as the prize-money is great. “We do get an extra riding fee, and stable staff receive a fee for working at the meeting, which is very important, but it’s still hard on them.” Racegoers watch the action on the track Racegoers watch the action on the track Credit: Steve Davies Stable staff are set to receive a £150 fee for working at a Sunday evening fixture – but does that outweigh having to give up some rare free time? National Association of Racing Staff chief George McGrath was on course asking stable staff to fill out a survey on the trial and Ciara Tannock, who made the trip from Epsom on a scheduled day off with Mick Attwater’s runners, had no qualms about attending. She said: “I’m quite happy to come as a horse I ride every day is running. Sunday is just another day and you’re in racing because it’s a passion. Receiving £150 is a nice bonus and I’m on overtime too.” Zoe Lewis led up in the opener for Monmouthshire trainer Deborah Faulkner and felt there were plenty of positives about the trial. She said: “I think it’s quite good as it gives more opportunities for horses and the prize-money is much higher. The bonus helps to offset losing your Sunday but I love working in racing for the horses more than anything.” Trainer James Evans attended the meeting with his wife Jane, with the pair overseeing the preparation of Masqool in the opener rather than bringing a member of staff. Evans said: “Jane and I do a lot of the work ourselves anyway, so it’s not much of a challenge from a staffing point of view, but I imagine it must have caused major headaches for bigger stables. The prize-money is an obvious attraction but most trainers would prefer that money to be spread about more." Tony Carroll had four runners on the eight-race card and admitted Sunday night fixtures will be a challenge to staff. Carroll said: “We’re here because of the prize-money but it’s difficult with staffing. It’s tricky having the right amount of stable staff on a good day and this creates a bit of a juggle.” There had been 150 advance general admission sales according to the track’s general manager Anthony Gledhill, a higher figure than many midweek meetings but considerably lower than weekend fixtures when the overall attendance is over 1,000, while around 200 owners were on course. After taking bets for the first two races, two bookmakers described trade as “below average” and “very quiet”, while another said it was worth attending with a couple of bigger wagers placed by owners. What the racegoers said Steve Bailey, Hull “I wouldn’t normally do a lot on a Sunday evening, and I didn’t have to leave home until one o’clock, so I had no issues with coming. It’s a good, competitive card with lots of runners.” Steve Bailey: the first racegoer through the turnstiles Steve Bailey: the first racegoer through the turnstiles Credit: Steve Davies Michael and Tracey Card, Stoke “Sundays are a bit of a dead day and we come racing a lot. We’re glad we came as it’s a good card and attractive for having a bet. There’s lots of good jockeys here and the prize-money is good.” Fred Scott, Wolverhampton “It’s a good card and coming out on a Sunday night was no bother. I’m a regular here and live nearby so it made sense to come down. I’d normally stay in on a Sunday night and watch the TV so it’s nice to have this meeting on to go to.” Mike Jenkins, Devon "We live in Devon but we're on holiday in Tewkesbury and planned to go to Chepstow today, but with it being cancelled we decided to come here. I’m a regular racegoer and it’s a good card – the prize-money is lots better than it was here on Friday." |
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National Association of Racing Staff
The Racing Centre, Fred Archer Way Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 8NT Phone: 01638 663 411 Email: admin@naors.co.uk Download our mobile app to keep up-to-date! Download on Google Play Legal services for NARS Members |
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Saxon- Thanks for posting.
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NASS is the Trade Union for Stable Staff and is funded by Part 7 of the BHA Rules of Racing. NASS gives advice, guidance and representation to Stable Staff who have problems in the work place. NASS represents Stable Staff on a number of racing industry committees. NASS negotiates the minimum rates of pay and working conditions for Stable Staff with the National Trainers Federation. These minimum terms are set out in the Memorandum of Agreement and are binding on all licensed racehorse trainers.
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why are racegoer,s interested in what the prize money is ?
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Sunday evening racing: 'Every single member of staff I spoke to yesterday was working this morning'
anyone able to post the full RP article? |
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One trainer elsewhere reported he'h need to cover stable staff with them having an extra half day off midweek.
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Horseracing takes place 7-days a week, why sunday all-weather? I thought the welfare and well-being of stable staff are critical to horseracing. How can this be good for the well-being of stable staff? I think some will be more stressed as a result of the peer pressure hoisted on them - like it or not.
I understand horseracing is a recreational and leisure sport nevertheless, the people making it happening are not looked after or listened to with Sunday racing. Also, no doubt most would have families and faiths requiring get-togethers at least once a week. |
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So just stable staff required to work on Sundays? Mostly all my working life I was required to work Sundays as of course do many other working people so what is the problem with this specific industry? You work a Sunday and then have your day off in the week like tens of thousands of others.
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In 1975, many stable staff at Newmarket were members of the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU). They went on strike for better working conditions, but the strike was met with hostility from trainers, jockeys and racegoers. It was settled but many strikers were not allowed to return to their jobs despite the settlement including a no victimisation clause. Some won cases at industrial tribunals. Disillusioned with the TGWU, many broke away to form the Stable Lads Association, the idea for which was Viv Baldwin's who enlisted John Oaksey and Jimmy Hill to help set it up. Tommy Delaney, a former jockey, became its first secretary. Viv Baldwin remained involved with the association until 2010. By 2007, membership stood at 1,250. The organisation then renamed itself as the National Association of Stable Staff, and within three years increased membership to 2,000. In 2009, the union affiliated with the Trades Union Congress.
In August 2017, the union renamed itself as the National Association of Racing Staff. |
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Sunday evening racing: 'Every single member of staff I spoke to yesterday was working this morning'
Stable staff union boss George McGrath says he encountered a whole gamut of reactions from his members at Wolverhampton on Sunday evening, the first of six trial fixtures in what has previously been an empty slot in the racing week. McGrath was on site to survey members of the National Association of Racing Staff (Nars) from shortly after midday on Sunday, and while plenty felt the trial-specific additional payment of £150 made giving up their Sunday either worthwhile, or at least acceptable, a minority view echoed the sentiments of jockeys Robert Havlin and Callum Shepherd, both of whom were on duty on Sunday evening but were critical of the whole concept. "I had a fairly basic ten-point questionnaire which still covered all the issues, and I got 66 staff to fill those out," said McGrath. "In terms of a survey, I think that's quite a significant response. "Of those I spoke to, there was a lot of ambivalence about it. A lot of staff said the money's good and some said it was a deciding factor." McGrath added: "Those who were opposed – and I have to be honest and say that they were in a significant minority – were very opposed." McGrath plans to attend all six meetings – the final one is at Southwell on March 10 – and said it was too early to get a true reflection of what the feeling is on the ground. And he believes that any discussion on Sunday evenings has to be tied to a wider debate surrounding working practices in racing yards. "It's one thing to ask somebody on one particular Sunday," said McGrath. "We'll get the true picture when we've run all six. "Every single member of staff I spoke to yesterday was working this morning. Nobody told me they would be having a day off in the week. That’s the work-life balance issue. Too many of my members are still working one weekend in two. Whether trainers say they can’t rota it any other way is irrelevant." |
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Only two senior jockeys felt able to speak up against it, though they have already been labelled the minority.
Bookmakers have unsurprisingly labelled it a success. Field sizes are almost guaranteed to fill if you offer 3 times the prize money. I think it’s a terrible idea, they race every other night of the week under floodlights. 9 race cards, sometimes 2 of them. What’s wrong with one night when there is no racing, or even the odd day. |
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Thank you booster.
This is from the Stable Staff Association..... Hours of work A normal full time week is 40 hours (excluding meal breaks) and includes 5 hours every Saturday morning unless contracted otherwise *Staff aged 16 and 17 should not work more than 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. Staff aged 18 and over should not exceed an average of 48 hours for each 7 days. Section 3 – Memorandum of Agreement The normal full time week is 40 hours (excluding meal breaks). There is no set pattern on how a yard should work these hours. However, unless the individual employee’s contract states otherwise the normal full time week will include 5 hours every Saturday morning. Any overtime above the basic 40 hour working week will be paid in accordance with paragraph 4. Time away racing is to be paid in accordance with paragraph 5. (3.1) In planning the working week, employers must have regard to the Working Time Regulations – further information on these is available in the BHA Health and Safety Manual (the Red Book). (3.2) Having regard to the nature and requirement of the industry, racing staff shall work during weekends subject to their right to one weekend in two free from duties on a rota basis. Variations of this arrangement can be made provided it is agreed domestically. (3.3) Working Time legislation limits the maximum working week for 16 and 17 year old workers to 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. There are certain permitted exceptions whereby the limit may be exceeded – these will rarely apply. Further guidance on the legislation and exceptions is available for NTF members in the NTF employment guide and from the NTF office. (3.4) For adult workers (those aged 18 and over) their working time should not exceed an average of 48 hours for each seven days applied over the reference period. By collective agreement between the NTF and NARS, the reference period is 52 weeks. Individual employees whose working time is likely to exceed an average of 48 hours over 52 weeks can be excluded from the weekly limit provided they sign an opt out agreement. Further information is available in the BHA Health and Safety Manual. |
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This is being run purely for the benefit of bookmakers and to further feed the habit of compulsive gamblers. Any small financial benefit to racing will go to a small handful of owners from an increase in prize money for those races but the detrimental effect to the majority in the industry will be widely felt. Just have a night off for God's sake.
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I enjoy it and I'm sure many others do. I couldn't care less about bookmakers as I do not seek to give them my business at any time not just Sundays.
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You may not care about bookmakers , you give your business to Betfair instead so it's much the same. It's more about caring for the stable staff, driving home for 4 hours from the track, arriving back at midnight and expected to be back in at 6am to go again because horses don't feed and exercise themselves. There's hardly a glut of stable staff going free.
sparrow, I thought as an ex-union man you cared about workers rights and their physical and mental health. Forget the NRAS regulations, stable staff will no doubt be required to sign the opt out agreement if they want to keep their jobs. |
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As an ex union official of course I care about the stable staff and would expect their union and activists to do their best for the membership. However, Sunday working is something many working people are expected to do and should never result in extra hours in the agreed working week unless the member concerned wishes to work the overtime. Having spent most of my working life working a five or six day week I like tens of thousands of other working people had to work on a Sunday when required. I was supporting striking stable staff during their strike in 1975 and recall many racegoers taking an opposite view so forgive me if I am a little sceptical regarding the concern now. I don't include yourself swifty in that last remark as I'm sure you do have their interests at heart.
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With the staff shortages many will be working excesssive hours, some by choice no doubt with the cash incentive but probably a lot by obligation.
I'm just thinking of families and a day of rest, well the day itself has already gone , in fact that's possibly the slot which they should be concentrating on, as in Ireland. Higher quality racing in the afternoon should see turnover up. The bookies could get their money in 3 hours rather than drip by drip over 7 or 8 hours until they bleed the customer dry. I can't see how courses will turn a profit without the subsidies. |
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Aims of the experiment.
1. “The betting industry will make the figures available to the BHA and we have set targets. We’d like to see these meetings outperform a regular all-weather night meeting by 15-20 per cent, even if it does do that it doesn’t necessarily mean it will carry on.” Turnover was on a par with a midweek A/W evening meeting so that's a fail [so far] 2. BHA - one of the main aims of Sunday racing was to help grow interest in British racing. Crowd was around 600/700 which falls short of the 1,000/2,000 they get at Wolvehampton on a 'normal' weekend meeting - so that's anothe rfail [so far]. This would have been better served if it was taking place in the spring / Summer not in freezing conditions just after Xmas when families have done their cobs and with the children back at school. Cockeyed BHA totally out of touch with the person on the street in a cash-strapped UK |
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Can't see how it will grow interest.
Anyone who wants to watch a 0-60 race under floodlights can do so any other day of the week. It will just be the same humans and robots that turn up for any other AW meeting. It's just pure greed from the bookmakers and another step towards round the clock 24/7 racing. |
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Time will tell as to where the industry is going and not anybody's particular like or dislike. If you don't like lower grade racing then don't bother with it as I don't with the type of racing I have no interest in. People are using the stable staff in order to have their usual moan about AW racing.
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Big Narstie 800 Southwell tonight. If it wins would that be good for AW racing?
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I have nothing against low grade, or AW racing. I'm a fan.
I much prefer it when it is on in the day though. Im not a fan of the 11am starts, 830 pm finishes, particularly in the winter. I don't mind the twilight ones when they finish 630/7pm(like yesterday), though going on until 830 on any January night seems unnecessary, let alone on a Sunday. I get the argument if you don't like it, you don't have to watch it, and that you don't have to watch it all. But I prefer it when it is possible to watch it all, you can follow the sport in its entirety, and still have a few spare evenings too. When you start telling people if you don't like it, don't watch it, the trouble is they don't, then they find other things to do, then they never return. I still think there is far too much racing on, and I don't like how they are stretching it out to make sure that it is ALWAYS on. I find it overkill and off putting. But as you say, each to their own, im sure some people love the idea of wall to wall racing. Xmas eve will be next. |
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Coral spokesperson David Stevens said: “New initiatives such as this should always be given time to bed-in, and this first meeting was up against a big FA Cup match live on terrestrial TV (Arsenal versus Liverpool), which would have had an impact, but overall it was a very solid start, with turnover on a par with a typical evening meeting.”
The same two sides also clash on the 3rd fixture at Newc on 04/Feb-4.30 kick off. The 5th fixture , 03/Mar newc Fixture might collide with Man Utd v Man City [almost certain to be super sunday game @4.30 if moved from sat 02/Mar although Man City play Copenhagen on 6/Mar.] The 6th and final fixture, 10/Mar South, will probably collide with Liverpool v Man City [almost certain to be a Super Sunday game @4.30] There's also a 6 Nations game on Mar 10th [wales v france 3.00] |
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BR, that's the point, if you want to keep up to date with all the form you have to watch it (OK, you can catch it up later) but who wants it 24/7?
I'm a big AW fan and have been from the outset. Anything to improve the prize money, quality, integrity, I'm all for but on a Sunday night, really? As for Big Narstie, a drop in grade, a pair of blinkers, can it really turn a horse around from running like a corpse a week ago? We'll see, but that's the problem with AW (and very probably racing in general if they want to get new blood interested). leif, that's race planning for you, they only really check when the FA cup final is. |
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Yes, I agree swiftynifty. If keeping up with the form becomes an impossible task, which it now more or less is, people will lose interest, not gain. And as you say, if you want to keep up with the form, you do have to watch it. Same for a jockey, if they want to keep their rides and their owners and trainers happy, then they’ve got no choice.
When I started following AW, in the winter, there was one meeting per day. No AW on a Sunday or a Thursday, no evening racing, except for the Saturday night fixture at Wolverhampton. I’m not saying we go back to that, but somewhere in between that and what we have now would make it far easier to follow imo. I can probably name more AW horses from 20+ years ago, than I could name that ran last week. There is just too much on at present and it’s very difficult to follow. |
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I can probably name more AW horses from 20+ years ago, than I could name that ran last week
Same here! You got to know the horses but now , all year round with lots of maiden races on every card, it's impossible. I'm not saying it was straighter back then, almost definitely not, but I liked it more. |
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Not got much time for Harrington, she's a one trick pony , same business model where ever she goes.
Disappointing the likes of Varian, C.Appleby - massive stables, feel the need to go racing on Sunday night, there owners don't care about winning £8k for a maiden rather than £4k..should be leaving a bight of the cherry to smaller yards. These Sunday night meetings should be limited to stables based with 50 miles of the course . |
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https://www.racingpost.com/news/opinion/comment/racings-workforce-is-stretched-to-the-limit-and-sunday-night-racing-is-a-step-too-far-a21Bj2J13Jrv/
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Julie Harrington, chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority, says a judgement on the success of Premier Racedays and Sunday evening racing should not be made overnight.
The first of 170 Premier Racedays planned for 2024 was staged at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, while Wolverhampton created a slice of history when becoming the first track to race in the UK on Sunday night. While both schemes have come in for criticism in some quarters, Harrington is keen to assess all of the relevant data relating to the six trial Sunday evening fixtures and the two-year pilot of Premier Racedays before making any snap decisions. “Premier Racedays were introduced this year to showcase the best our sport can offer to new and existing fans as part of a broader strategy to grow British racing,” she said in a statement on Tuesday. “And while this concept will see a gradual roll-out, with innovations and enhancements to the customer experience delivered throughout the year, it has been heartening to see the positive initial response to Premier racing from the public, racecourses and participants. “There were high-quality runners at Plumpton on Sunday, with races taking place in front of healthy and engaged crowds. And of course, the year began with a big crowd at Cheltenham enjoying quality racing at our first Premier fixture. “The 170 Premier Racedays planned for 2024 reflect a significant investment by the sport. These are fixtures proposed by the racecourses which meet strict criteria, including around prize-money and race quality. We should be encouraged that so many racecourses want to invest in and stage these Premier events. “We will also see more promotional work and, we hope, an HBLB-funded national campaign to support the work already being done by GBR and the racecourses. “Ultimately, the objective is to encourage more, better-quality horses to be bred, trained, owned and raced in Britain. The sport has agreed that putting on high-quality, valuable racing is the way to achieve this. “We must accept that this will not happen overnight. But we have made a start on creating and developing an attractive product to secure a long-term future for the sport by encouraging greater engagement with it. Time and experience will help us determine the optimum number of Premier Racedays with regards to racecourses and the horse population.” She added: “This is the start of a two-year pilot and so we should resist the temptation to make snap judgements on its success based on limited experience. Throughout the pilot we will learn what does and does not work, how we can best package and promote Premier Racedays and ultimately achieve growth that will benefit all levels of the sport. “Alongside Premier Racedays we also started the trial of Sunday evening racing at Wolverhampton. This saw good prize-money on offer to healthy field sizes meaning competitive racing was taking place in a window we believe affords us an opportunity to grow engagement with the sport. “Clearly there are a range of views regarding this pilot and we respect those opinions. For this reason, the financial performance of these fixtures will be far from the only measure of their viability; we will continue to seek the views of all those involved in servicing such meetings and this feedback will form a core part of the ultimate assessment of the pilot.” https://www.attheraces.com/news/2024/January/09/bha-calls-for-premier-and-sunday-evening-fixtures-to-be-given-time |
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HBLB attendance data.
Att Bookmakers Runners Tue 02/01/2024 WOLVERHAMPTON 241 7 67 Flat Awt Fri 05/01/2024 WOLVERHAMPTON 402 5 82 Flat Awt Sun 07/01/2024 WOLVERHAMPTON 405 7 88 Flat Aw |
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SO reports of a 600/700 crowd was premature, or did they include the owners that turned up.
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Yet again they wait until something has commenced to voice their concern.
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https://www.racingpost.com/news/opinion/comment/if-theres-money-in-sunday-evening-racing-then-the-sport-would-be-foolish-not-to-follow-it-avGwY8F5SKfI/
If there's money in Sunday evening racing then the sport would be foolish not to follow it Peter Thomas Senior features writer anyone able to kindly post the article plz |
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Zzzzzz
Don’t like or agree don’t watch,it’s easy ! Ffs |
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The article referred to above:
When you move to a country village you get used to the reality that certain 'old ways' persist. There are shops that have moved with the times, but others, for example, that still close for lunch, take a half-day every Wednesday, certainly don't open on a Sunday and shut for random weeks throughout the summer. It induces flashbacks to the dark ages, when, if you worked in an office and needed to pay a bill (not online, obviously), you would find that the places you needed to go to were all closed for lunch, to coincide neatly with your lunch break, which was the only free time you had. It was a question of tail wagging dog; the wishes of a business and its employees being placed above the needs of the customer. Of course, if it hadn't made commercial sense, there would have been no point in adapting, but increased competition for business meant the world changed. Racing increasingly finds itself in the same situation. Its work patterns have already adjusted to such alien concepts as Good Friday racing and now it faces another imposition in the shape of Sunday evenings – only six for the time being, but rest assured, if those six work, there will be more. The demands on stable staff have understandably been put forward by colleagues this week as the main stumbling block, but my early quizzing of trainers suggested that if the money were there, the will to embrace the project would follow. If the new meetings engage the betting public sufficiently then surely it's not unfeasible that bonuses for staff will prove an irresistible carrot and extra prize-money will enable trainers to adjust staffing levels or rotas accordingly. The bottom line is that we can't go on grumbling about parlous finances and then refuse to go along with schemes that threaten to improve the situation, no matter how many feathers they ruffle along the way. Other sports have bitten the bullet, and although people playing cricket in their pyjamas has never appealed to me in the least, I'm told that such bizarre contemporary shifts as the Big Bash have been a boon. In short, we can't turn down opportunities to make quantum leaps in a sport that is reportedly becoming more anachronistic and unappealing (to the potential workforce and customers) by the season. If they can be made to work financially, we have to find ways to embrace them, no matter how much persuading it takes. |
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When I think back to my Sunday days off in the past with no football and no racing it makes you laugh to hear all this nonsense about Sunday Evening racing. As for caring about working people I spent 36 years having to work Sunday shifts as did thousands of others and nobody worried about us. Just reminds me of The Lords Day Observance Society preaching to us back in those days.
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There is zero parallel to one day cricket, as Sunday night racing is online better fodder, nothing else. One day cricket, T20 in particular has been a rip roaring success as it has mass audience appeal, both at the grounds and the tv audience. Lucrative for bookies too, but that's not why it is put on.
And yes relatively recent societal changes, good and bad, can almost all be traced back to the internet. A lot of the arguments around this are misplaced I feel. It's not really about whether people should be working on Sunday evening, that can be mitigated for as it is already in many different industries. It's whether racing should be put on, purely for online betting fodder. |
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That is your opinion cider regarding "betting fodder". Many of us enjoy the lower grade racing as do the owners who spend a vast amount of money in racing keeping thousands employed in the industry. If people don't like it then don't worry yourselves about it and leave it alone.
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