Aga Khan calls for change

THE Aga Khan used a speech on Saturday night to many of Ireland's leading figures in racing to call for revisions in the distribution of prize-money at the lower levels of racing, to prevent smaller enterprises from going out of business during poor periods.

The popular owner-breeder, who received the The Daily Telegraph Award of Merit at the Cartier Awards last month, has seen his famous green and red colours were carried to victory in some of the world's leading races this year.

Sinndar created history when becoming the first horse to win both the Epsom and Irish Derbies, the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and Kalinisi claimed both the Dubai Champion Stakes and Breeders' Cup Turf.

But despite his success at the highest level, he declared in last night's Moyglare speech: "I can remember times when for me, even a victory in a claiming race seemed an unachievable goal."

He went on: "The current trend appears to be a global competition as to which country can disburse the highest amounts of money to the winners of its premium Classics. Is this really good for everyone in the industry?

"Or is it only good for those bloodstock operations which have the highest probability of winning the most numerous Group races?

"Personally I would like to see a much wider distribution of prize money in racing that would significantly increase the probability that more horses in every yard could bring back at least some income every year to offset their cost."

"If creating an economic safety net for the small and medium-sized thoroughbred initiatives becomes reality, it would reduce the risk of their collapse due to recession, repeated years of under-performance or sheer misfortune, and it would increase their opportunity of maximising their performance in the better years.

"I know that there are good counter-arguments to such an idea, for example that it would simply underwrite mediocrity in the industry.

"But when all is said and done, the future of any sport is substantially conditioned by the number of people in it, and their ability to stay in it."

The Aga Khan also referred in his speech to the controversial disqualification of Aliysa, first past the post only to fail a dope test after the 1989 Oaks, that led him to withdraw from having horses trained or even racing in Britain, for the first half of the last decade.

Referring to the difficulties Alain de Royer Dupre suffered when having his licence withdrawn over the alleged doping of the Aga's Lashkari (Sinndar's broodmare sire), the winner of the inaugural Breeders' Cup Turf, and the 18-month campaign that ultimately cleared the French trainer's name, he said: "After testimony taken in four separate states had proven that the control laboratory's negative finding was correct, the New York authorities overturned their original findings.

"No trainer would have been capable of pursuing this himself.

"I took this issue formally but privately, with the racing authorities in England, France and Ireland. I explained what I had learnt.

"I made suggestions as to how they could regain effective management control over this aspect of racing.

"I underlined the severe risk that repeated mistakes would be made if proper management was not imposed.

"All this was to no avail and sadly my prediction came true in the form of the Aliysa case.

"Fortunately this is all now past. There is much more oversight today by the racing authorities of the control laboratories.

"There is better international co-ordination in drug control amongst thoroughbred racing countries. Research is better focussed and validated.

"The most important outcome is perhaps that the risk of errors is better understood, and management procedures are in place to ensure that the same errors of science, and of procedure, cannot occur again."

The Aga also spoke of his desire to see the renovation of the racecourse at the Curragh, scene of Sinndar's Irish Derby triumph.

He compared the course at legnth to Chantilly, which was facing closure two years ago before being made the subject of an ambitious improvement programme.

He said: "The Curragh racecourse... deserves to be resuscitated not by the implementation of unavoidable improvements only, but by a dramatic new grand plan.

"Irish racing should mark the beginning of this new century by honouring the Curragh with the best in environmental respect, the most forward-looking response to the needs of modern racing, and the creation of a new economic resource for the benefit of all within its catchment area."