'MONEY TO MONEY', AGAIN, CORRECTION & MY HOPES AND DREAMS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD.

As quoted in the Racing Post this morning, Richard Hoiles has criticised the Training Fees Credit Scheme as 'Money to Money' and he is correct in his thoughts. When I originally read the headline to this news-story, my reaction was that at last the B.H.A. were endorsing a scheme to help owners both pay their bills and to buy new stock. Bad on me for not being more thorough. This scheme only applies to Grade 1 races and is for only an unspecified 2-month period.

As someone with expectations of his owners being in the running to take advantage of the £20,000 to winners or £10,000 to runners-up, it is no surprise to read that Paul Nicholls speaks highly of the scheme, whilst at the same time lambasting those who are critical of what they also see as 'money going to money.' I believe the B.H.A. have a long-term strategy in place that has as its goal the premierisation of the sport, with a top-tier that only involves trainers who presently are at the top echelon of the sport, both flat and National Hunt, with everyone else left in the doldrums of a tier mid-way between Hexham and Fontwell and point-to-points.

If the B.H.A.'s intention was to grow this sport, why would they target people who already have the money and ambition to either buy big at the sales or in private or have a stud of blue-bloodied broodmares. If the B.H.A.'s ambition was to have a larger number of owners in the sport than we have at present, this scheme would have targeted races around the likes of Plumpton, Hereford or Catterick. They could have easily designated a 2-month period of the core season and staged a series of races at the type of racecourse our struggling (lesser) or younger trainers have runners. These are the owners and trainers who need the benefit of a credit scheme amounting to £760,000, funded by the Levy Board.

The unfairness of this scheme crackles and snaps with the ferocity of a forest fire. The element of favouritism and short-sightedness beggars belief. Why could they not have shared the £760,000 in two halves, one half for the graded races already proposed and the second half for races at the sort of racecourse I listed above. The B.H.A. have a duty to care for all sectors of the sport, not simply those fortunate enough to have millionaire owners with a staggering amount of spare income to support their passions and hobbies.

Correction to an assumption I made when chewing on my bone of contention regarding the lack of opportunities for female jumps jockeys. I wrote that no female would be riding at the Festival this week. I am wrong as Fern O'Brien is due to ride  Tripoli Flyer in the County Hurdle (no forlorn hope) and Siog Geal in the Martin Pipe, both for her father. What a first Festival winner either would be for Fergal O'Brien. I hope the dream comes true for father and daughter.

Also, Miss Olive Nicholls has rides for both her mother, Georgina, and her father Paul.

My dream result this week would be for British-trained horses to fill all the places in the Gold Cup and for The Jukebox Man to lead home the British team. Other than that, and dreams are just, at best, fact-based fantasies, I have only hopes riding roughshot over critical thinking this week. I hope the slightly ridiculous Prestbury Cup can be won by British-based trainers. (Who is the trophy presented to and where does it live for the 12-months betweens Festivals?) I hope Golden Ace retains her Champion Hurdle crown. I hope Olly Murphy and Sean Bowen can share a first Festival victory. But most of all, and I would have all my other hopes and dreams dashed if this hope came to fruition, I hope no horse or jockey is badly injured this week. Let every horse that steps out on to the sacred turf return home fit to fight another day.