he British Horseracing Authority and the executives at tracks such as Ascot and Goodwood Rickey Henderson Womens Jersey have – quite understandably – had little or nothing to say so far about the developing crisis in the Gulf, which places British racing’s two biggest benefactors from the region on opposite sides of a blockade. Godolphin’s Sheikh Mohammed is the defence minister of the United Arab Emirates, part of a coalition led by Saudi Arabia which has cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar. Land, sea and air links have been severed, while Qatari citizens in the UAE have been given a fortnight to leave. The Saudi-led coalition accuses Qatar of support for terrorist groups and destabilising its neighbours, claims that Qatar denies. Talking Horses: British racing to follow government’s lead over Qatar Read more Thus far, the BHA has noted the British government’s encouragement “of a strong and growing trading relationship with Qatar”, and that it is “not currently aware of any change in that regard”. Ascot, meanwhile, simply stated the obvious, pointing out the “significant contribution” that Qatar has made to British racing in recent years. Of that, there is no doubt. European racing in general – and the sport in Britain in particular – has benefited hugely from Qatari largesse. It takes colossal wealth to buy your way on to the top table in international racing, and both Sheikh Fahad al-Thani and Sheikh Joaan al-Thani, members of Qatar’s ruling family, have done so in double-quick time, not just via their bloodstock but also through long-term Rollie Fingers Womens Jersey sponsorship deals with major tracks. Goodwood has a 10-year deal for sponsorship of its summer Festival meeting which is due to run until 2024. Qipco, whose board of directors are all members of the ruling family, has a deal to support the Champions Series and Champions Day at Ascot which also expires in 2024. The new money has led to significant boosts in prize funds, and helped to keep prices buoyant at the major yearling sales. Champions Day, the BHA’s most cherished project in recent years, might have struggled to get off the ground without Qipco’s support (and disappointment at the viewing figures for Champions Day on Channel 4 was, it is rumoured, a factor in the decision to switch coverage to ITV). Any situation which threatens to disrupt or terminate the flow of Qatari money into British racing is one that the biggest beneficiaries will view with alarm, to say the least. The al-Thanis are young men in their early 30s, and apparently as enthusiastic about racing as Sheikh Mohammed and his brothers were when they caught the bug, back in the 1970s. There has been a growing, and possibly dangerous, assumption that the latest billionaires to fall in love with the turf would http://www.authenticmilwaukeebrewers.com/Orlando-Arcia-Jersey be around for decades to come. And it is still very possible that they will. But however the current crisis plays out, it is a reminder that even where billionaires with sovereign wealth are concerned, nothing can ever be taken for granted. Godolphin split goes public after John Ferguson quits as chief executive Read more It is difficult to imagine where British racing might be now without the staggering sums that have found their way into the sport since Sheikh Mohammed took a train to Brighton in 1977 to watch his first winner. But the next generation of the Maktoum family does not, as yet at least, seem to share the same zeal for the sport as the one before. Nor is there an obvious heir at present to the Juddmonte racing and breeding empire, which has seen the Saudi prince Khalid Abdullah race such brilliant horses as Dancing Brave and Frankel over the last 40 years. One side of racing’s funding equation – the income from betting – was secured for the foreseeable future earlier this year with the introduction of a new funding mechanism to capture all off-course bets. Securing the http://www.authenticmilwaukeebrewers.com/Paul-Molitor-Jersey other side – the income from owners – promises to be the greater issue over the years ahead
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