Prince Charles’ brilliant idea will reassure racing
The heir to the throne’s training initiative for veterans shows that the sport is on his radar
For some time now in the horse racing world there has been an elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about; because it represents a change in the order of things that people do not want to contemplate. So here goes.
This is the unmentionable conundrum hanging like Damocles’ sword over the sport. Which member – if any – of the Royal family will take over the Queen’s horse racing interests in the event that she should ever vacate her seat in the first carriage of the Royal Procession at Ascot?
This is both an emotional and commercial worry as far as horse racing is concerned. On the one hand, one will rarely witness more genuine fondness for our monarch than on a racecourse. And her knowledge of the sport is acknowledged worldwide.
On the other, make no mistake; ongoing Royal patronage of the sport stands British racing head and shoulders above competitors around the world, where they have small men with big titles as their figureheads. The loss of such Royal kudos would have a significantly diminishing effect on the national and international appeal of the sport.
So a gathering at Clarence House last week, where Prince Charles unveiled his initiative that Dumfries House will be used to introduce job opportunities within horse racing to veterans of the armed forces, represents something much bigger than a logical win-win idea.
Racing has a massive staff shortage. And the Government wants British industries in general to train home-grown talent rather than just demanding everincreasing immigration.
Then consider that the armed forces produce a constant flow of disciplined, capable personnel. But, because of injury or natural progression, their veterans need better opportunities to move on to other professions.
So Prince Charles is proposing that Dumfries House in Scotland could become a hub for blending that armed forces talent into racing, whilst formalising and leveraging a link between them.
Obviously, there will be a limit as to how many ex-service men and women can find new careers through the Dumfries House project; but there is no reason why it cannot become a blueprint that is rolled out in conjunction with barracks around the country.
Injured veteran Guy Disney, a successful amateur jockey, summed up Prince Charles’ brainchild perfectly. “It’s exciting to hear Help for Heroes, British racing and The Prince’s Foundation are looking to work together to provide such fantastic opportunities for members of the wounded, injured and sick community to explore careers in the racing industry.”
The individuals who gathered to hear the plan says much for the work that British Horseracing Authority chairman Steve Harman does behind the scenes.
Prince Charles has always had a healthy disregard for the political establishment, and yet the Minister of State for the National Health Service, Matt Hancock, thought it was good use of his time to attend. As did Mark Carleton-smith, the Chief of General Staff of the British Army, who said: “This pilot has great potential as a pathfinder for similar projects.”
But why does it matter that these people turn up? That is because of the Government view of racing as a whole. And in the past when racing was perceived to be run by a non -diverse bunch of white male toffs, those who populate the corridors of power had no interest in helping the sport.
Harman understands how to read the political runes and has changed that perception. The blocking of the offshore Levy leak is proof of that pudding. But there is much more that he can do for racing in his future role in Government liaison once he has stood down as the BHA chairman.
For example, another review of the way the Levy is collected from online bookmakers, who choose to minimise their profits from racing, is a priority. They are using horse racing as a cheap marketing tool
and that is unjust. But the big picture for British horse racing here is that Prince Charles’ brilliant concept may signify that the sport is on his radar. So let us thank the Lord that he is married to an expert on that subject! After all they will be our next King and Queen.