The Current State of the UK Horse Racing Industry. An Interview with John Best.

John Best trains over 50 racehorses from his racing yard in the beautiful setting of Hucking, on the North Downs of Kent. John has been training racehorses in the county for over ten years. Presently he trains over 40 horses including the Group winner and Classic-placed filly Rising Cross.

John provides top-class facilities for training racehorses to run, jump and break from the starting gates. Just as important are his spacious, comfortable stables and the belief in the value of regular paddock time for all his equine athletes. "We give our racehorses as much paddock time as possible and we have many acres of paddocks available for turn-out. The opportunity to get out in the sunshine, graze and stretch their legs keeps them fresh and happy, both after they've raced and during their longer breaks".

John's half-mile uphill gallop provides his racehorses with a safe, level, even surface to train on. It's made up of a sand and rubber mix called Softrack which creates an almost perfect surface for racehorses to exercise on, all year round.

The string on the gallops

Having begun his career riding and training point-to-point and hunter chasers, John Best was granted his first professional license in 1997, and won his first race with Hever Golf Diamond in May of that year. He then took out his flat racing license in 1999 and once again his first victory came soon after when Santiburi Girl turned over an odds-on favourite at Salisbury.

John's success rapidly built momentum and in 2004 he recorded two notable achievements – his first century of winners and recognition as the leading Timeform up-and-coming trainer. These milestones also marked him out as the most successful trainer in Kent for many years.

Hurricane Spirit put through his paces

In 2005, John Best trained one of the leading two-year-old fillies of the season in Rising Cross. She became John's first Group-placed horse, coming second to Nannina at Goodwood. The following year proved to be John's most successful so far, with a 250/1 treble in January, first and third places in the Spring Cup and a Listed winner – all at Lingfield Park. John won a further Listed race at Newbury with Kingsgate Prince, who went on to place in a Group Three at Royal Ascot. Rising Cross won a Listed race, was placed in two Classics – the English and Irish Oaks – and won a Group Two at York before being sold for £325,000. Towards the end of the year, John's exciting two-year-old colt Hurricane Spirit scored a Lingfield three-timer before scoring in a Conditions race at Kempton.  Recently the stable has enjoyed success with Kingsgate Native, winner of the Nunthorpe at two and  winner of the golden jubilee this year as well as Flashmans Papers ,winner of  the Windsor Castle Stakes at this year's Roayl Ascot meeting.
John continues to improve and expand his racehorse training facilities. His current string of two-year-olds and older racehorses promises plenty more success for the yard in the future.

Q1: Do you feel there are currently too many Horse Racing meetings?

Yes.

Q2: Are the current meetings fairly and sensibly spread over the country?

No.

Q3: What kind of races would you like to see more of and which less of?

More low grade Sellers / Claimers with restricted handicap marks therefore less low grade handicaps. Make those in to Sellers and Claimers.

Q4: Do you feel the various grades of races receive the correct proportion of prize money?

Yes.

Q5: Is the current level of prize money on offer sufficient to both encourage new owners and retain existing ones?

No.

Q6: Should there be more major races staged on a Sunday?

Yes.

Q7: Do you think the sex and age allowances in this country set at a fair level?

No.

Q8: Is “All Weather Racing” good for the long term future of the sport?

Yes.

Q9: Should Racing only operate on six days a week?

Yes.

Q10. How can we make Racing more attractive to the Sporting public?

?

Q11: Do you agree with artificially watering racecourses?

Yes.

Q12: Are there enough new owners entering racing?

No.

Q13: How can the BHB be improved?

Better co-ordination.

Q14: What changes if any, would you like to see in the way Stewards Enquiries are held?

Professional stewards at Shaftesbury Avenue..

Q15: Do the Bookmakers hold too much power?

No.

Q16: Are Bookmakers contributing enough to Horse Racing?

Don't know.

Q17: Do you agree that Betting Exchanges are a “cheat's charter”?

No.

Q18: Who should own the Tote?

Racing if possible. .

Q19: Can the average trainer survive on prize money won and fees alone?

No.

Q20: Is it harder to hire and retain staff now than it was ten years ago?

Yes.

Q21: What ratio of staff to horses do you operate?

2:1

Q22: In % terms, how much have costs risen in the last year and what single item has increased the most?

Fuel & feed.

Q23: How much has rising costs affected your business?

A lot.

Q24: Are you able to pass any of your increased costs on?

No.

Q25: How has the Foxhunting ban affected you?

It Hasn't.

Q26: In your view, how corrupt is Horse Racing?

Slightly.

Q27: Do you feel the Racehorse is as robust as it used to be?

Yes.

Q28: Will we ever see a woman champion jockey (Flat or National Hunt)?

Yes.

Anyone interested in finding out more about this stable can look on John's website johnbestracing