Sally Ann Grassick
THOROUGHBRED TALES he recent lockdown period has been tough for people in every walk of life all around the globe; however in racing and breeding, it has largely been a case of “business as usual” as far as daily routines are concerned. Foals still have had to be born, mares have still needed to be covered and racehorses have still needed to be cared for and exercised; even if none of us have had any idea when they would actually see a racecourse again. In a bid to keep racing fans connected with what was going on behind the closed doors of training yards around Europe, ‘Thoroughbred Tales’ had some excellent guest hosts during the lockdown period from both the racing and breeding industry, including Elwick Stud, Salcey Forest Stud and Sophie Buckley of Culworth Grounds, Irish jockey Gary Halpin and our first ever equine host in the John Berry trained social media star Roy Rocket. Trainers from three different European countries also hosted during the period to show firstly how the daily care and training of the horses was continuing regardless during the initial lockdown but also, following on from that, how they were adapting as racing gradually resumed around Europe behind closed doors. Patrick Harty, who is assistant to his father Eddie on The Curragh, provided popular interviews with the staff on their yard including one where he posed to them all the same question: “Who is the best horse you ever rode?” The answers varied from Patrick’s own reply of Sprinter Sacre to Snow Fairy, Moscow Flyer, Golden Cross, Ridgewood Pearl and an obviously unbiased response of Captain Cee Bee from Eddie Harty himself. Patrick commented on his time as a guest host, “I really enjoyed my week hosting Thoroughbred Tales. I was a little apprehensive initially as there had been some very interesting and impressive weeks before me. Once I started tweeting, it became easier and the feedback from followers was very positive and encouraging. It wasn’t long before I was stopping myself overdoing it.” Another highlight from Patrick’s time hosting Thoroughbred Tales was his run through of the many training facilities available on The Curragh, many of which would be unfamiliar to racing professionals let alone to a fan of the sport.
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Newmarket based Amy Murphy provided some much watched and very informative videos during her time as a guest host where she explained all the different types of bits and headgear used in a racing yard. Young French trainers Hugo Merienne—based in Avilly Saint-Leonard near Chantilly—and Mathieu Brasme, who trains near Le Mans in the west of France, provided beautiful footage of their yards and facilities while the latter also showed firsthand how French racing was operating following its resumption behind closed doors. During an unprecedented prolonged period of no live racing around most but not all of the world, it can be hard to keep the interest of the existing fans of our sport, let alone attract much needed new ones. One of the initiatives we launched on the Thoroughbred Tales accounts was a social media campaign called #MeetYourRacingHeroes, where racing fans of all ages posted photos of their fan letters to a racehorse/jockey/trainer, etc. who originally inspired them to get involved in racing or who has had a big effect on them. We then requested written or video replies directly from the “racing hero” and posted them on our Twitter account. It went down really well with letters to and replies from Rachael Blackmore, Monbeg Dude, Politologue and the stallion Dragon Pulse. I think this is something that can be explored further as racing is one of the few sports where fans get such open access to the stars and that can really encourage an interest from the younger generation. Nick Luck’s weekly show ‘Luck On Sunday’ on Racing TV has provided entertainment for many racing fans and professionals during this period, and I was delighted when asked to talk about Thoroughbred Tales on the programme. Our number of followers is growing constantly, but publicity like that really gives our project a boost. Nick has kindly offered Thoroughbred Tales a regular slot on the show where the current guest host can talk about their experience during their week in charge of our Twitter account. We have had more generous offers from trainers and their staff to host the account recently, and we appreciate each one. We would love to hear from anyone else who would like to become a part of the growing global Thoroughbred Tales team!
To get involved, look for us on twitter: @ThoroughbrdTale, email: thoroughbredtales@gmail.com or call Sally Ann on: +353 87 7637125
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