The Need For Seed

Lots of pearl-clutching is going on in racing at any prospect of a future Sinn Fein led government. This seems primarily due to a statement issued in 2017 where the party called for an end to state support of the Horse & Greyhound Fund until reform of governance and regulation was implemented within the two sectors. Perhaps inevitably over the last week that's been racing's specific focus rather more than broader questions as to how a quarter of voters in this state voted to put apologists for killers into power.

Of course it can be legitimately argued that if racing isn't prepared to fight its own corner it can hardly expect anyone else to.

That seems to be the approach of Dermot Cantillon, the current chairman of Naas racecourse and former Horse Racing Ireland board member, who is running for Seanad Eireann after being nominated by the Thoroughbred Breeders Association. The last high-profile senator from racing was John Magnier who was appointed to the upper house by Charlie Haughey in 1987 and made one speech.

Since then the industry's political influence hasn't been as overt but still been rewarded with almost two decades of the Horse & Greyhound Fund.

That state funding has been the 'seed grain' which has resulted in an unprecedented level of international success. The sector is now worth nearly a couple of billion Euro to the Irish economy as well as contributing thousands of jobs to some rural areas. Not surprisingly other sports such as football are starting to look for a similar slice of government benevolence, maybe even doing so from a position of arguing that racing should have passed the point of any need for seed by now.

It would seem in terms of political optics if nothing else that football seems more likely to secure a left-wing party's favour than the sport of Kings. When the then Sinn Fein agriculture spokesman Martin Kenny pointed out in 2017 that much of the state money ends up as prizemoney, which mostly goes to an already well off and elite sector of society, he was hardly saying the unsayable. Anyone able to indulge in racehorse ownership can hardly plead the Beal Bocht.

Racing might vehemently disagree with Sinn Fein but it's hardly the party's constituency and is never going to be.

But rather than flapping about barbarians at the gates threatening to turn off the money-hose, it might be advisable to examine the second part of that Sinn Fein statement - "until sufficient reform is implemented." No doubt some in racing will maintain a line about everything in the garden being rosy when it comes to governance and regulation but many more might counter that that's the sort of double-speak familiar to any Sinn Fein politician.

Can it seriously be argued that the effective governance, administration and regulation of Irish racing isn't open to improvement?

There's little point reciting a book of evidence in support of such a statement because it would take too long. Anyone paying even the slightest attention over the last decade can fill in the blanks themselves, much of it accompanied by occasional outbursts of arrogant insularity that suggests a tone of give us all that public money and in return you can keep your nose out of our private business.

Dermot Cantillon has argued that Sinn Fein is a pragmatic party and that if racing presents a logical case for public funding only spite would prevent them from doing the same as every other government for the last 19 years. The Seanad candidate says the sector is a net contributor to the Irish economy and tampering with the model risks being a self-inflicted financial injury.

Possibly implicit in that argument is a suspicion that power could tame Sinn Fein. But judged on their own words the party's view on racing suggests a trade off that theoretically at least is hard to argue with - money in exchange for reform.

It could be argued that Michael O'Leary wound up exchanging his convictions for a shot at Grand National history and Tiger Roll's encouraging return to action at Navan on Sunday suggests it could ultimately prove be to his benefit.

The way Tiger Roll travelled throughout much of the Boyne Hurdle was hugely impressive. If he faded from two out it's hardly surprising considering he only returned to work in the New Year after a minor operation. The road looks open to a remarkable fifth Cheltenham festival success next month with of course a potential crowning glory at Aintree in April.

As for the months of speculation about how much Tiger Roll's National weight would be compressed - if any - the consensus seems to be that the Ryanair boss's eventual decision to allow the horse be targeted at Aintree indicates he was simply throwing shapes to try and get the BHA handicapper to give him as good a deal as possible.

There's a logic to that which nevertheless ignores just how resolute O'Leary can be. Any decision to prevent Tiger Roll from lining up at Liverpool, and providing racing with its potentially biggest story in decades, would have been a massive own-goal. But presuming on that basis that the threat wasn't real, or the motive behind it heartfelt, might be presuming a lot.

In more general terms the compression furore suggests the policy has served its function and should be scrapped. The famous Aintree factor is a red-herring by now. The fence modifications, necessary as they've been, have turned the National into another staying handicap chase. That, and the spectacular prizemoney, means top horses don't need an incentive to run anymore. A lot of unnecessary heartache could be saved by just having runners compete off their handicap marks.

Finally amidst the general feel-good factor that greeted Tiger Roll's comeback on Sunday there was probably relief among the stewards too.

It was widely reported beforehand how the plan with Tiger Roll was to ride him out the back and hopefully pass a few of his rivals. How such a plan tallied with the rules requiring every horse to achieve its best possible placing - and be seen to do so - was a puzzle that provoked speculation as to what an appropriate official response might be in certain circumstances.

Happily racing's most popular star made such speculation moot. Instead, after an eventful and turbulent week, the sport can look forward to its biggest story in years continuing towards a potentially seismic conclusion at Aintree in April. So, for the moment, all's well that ends well.