Dubai: A veteran trainer has called for changes to the UAE racing season and recommends that the authorities open up the domestic programme and add incentives for the smaller owners.
Frenchman Erwan Charpy, who is known for his frank and outspoken nature, has championed the cause of domestic racing ever since he took out an ERA license in 1993.
With the 2013-2014 nearing it’s conclusion, Charpy found it pertinent to discuss the merits and demerits of racing in the Emirates leaving one to speculate if his proposals can herald a restructuring in the near future.
“We need to have a domestic programme which stays on through the Carnival and after,” he said. “It’s already a small season, only five months, but I think we could keep it running in April to give the small owners and trainers a little more incentive to have horses local in training.
“Its difficult if you have horses that can only run for the first two months and then have to make way for the Carnival horses. It doesn’t give people the right incentive to get into the game. And that’s the whole idea, isn’t it. To get people involved, at all levels.”
Charpy’s proposal maintains that the domestic program should ensure adequate incentives to balance out the higher-profile and increasingly more successful Dubai World Cup Carnival, which runs over an eleven-week span.
He also recommends that some races be included on the Carnival cards for lower handicapped horses.
“Years ago Carnival days also featured a couple of smaller races which allowed the smaller owners to be part of such a prominent international event,” said the Frenchman who won the UAE trainer’s title in 2000-2011.
“If smaller owners are a part of the big picture that the Carnival is, then it will encourage them to buy better horses and get involved in the sport.
“Rather than have bigger races on Thursday and lower races on Saturday, the Dubai Racing Club can have regular racing so that trainers can run their horses all the way through,” he added.
“I think it is important that the domestic season continues strongly during the Carnival with consistencies so that people can enjoy seeing their horses run, not just during the first couple of months of the season, but also for the remaining period, when the interest levels are higher.”
Charpy also noted that the program had a tendency to be cramped at times and slack on others.
“We need consistency in the programme where you don’t have races at Meydan, Jebel Ali and Abu Dhabi clashing one week and nothing the next week,” he said.
“Now that we have a new track at Al Ain, in addition to Sharjah, we must ensure that horses have regular opportunities to race at preferred distances, and not have several opportunities one week and nothing for the next four to five weeks.
“I’ve been screaming for more prep races for Purebred Arabians for years. When you have a horse like Versac PY for example, there are only limited Group races for him but no prep races,” the Frenchman added,
“Year after year we are all saying that there are no races for these calibre horses to prep for the big races, but nothing has changed.”
Charpy is set to run Versac PY in the Dubai Kahayla Classic (G1) on Dubai World Cup night.
