Go from country to country and there will be stark differences in the way that racing is operated and presented: the terminology, the rules, the nuances. Sometimes, one can wonder if we are all following the same sport.
These differences were humorously pointed out by a sign at Epsom on Derby Day which read, “Hey America, it’s pronounced D-ar-b-y, not D-er-b-y!”
Of all of the differences between jurisdictions, stable size may not be the most glamorous. However, it is one which shocks casual fans right around the world, depending on where they are based.
For instance, those in much of the western world are surprised to learn that trainers in leading racing centres in Asia are restricted in terms of the number of horses they are allowed to train.
In Hong Kong, trainers are restricted to 60 horses – 70 if they are also using the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s mainland base at Conghua, which these days is all bar Jimmy Ting, Michael Chang and Me Tsui. Only Francis Lui, last season’s champion trainer, has a stable at full capacity; David Hayes and Pierre Ng are on 69 and five trainers are on 68.
That means that Hong Kong’s 1300-horse population is generally spread evenly among trainers. Only five of the 22 trainers have less than 50 horses and only Tsui, who has 25 horses, sits below a stable of 35.
In Japan, trainers are granted a limited number of boxes – no more than 30 and determined on performance – at either Miho or Ritto training centres. They are generally allowed no more than three times that number on their books – although some trainers are currently in excess of that figure, most notably Haruki Sugiyama (91), due to a special provision regarding two-year-olds which have not entered their stables yet. Horses are usually kept at pre-training farms before entering Miho or Ritto shortly before their next start.
Yoshito Yahagi has one of the largest stables in Japan – among them the current leader in the world rankings, Forever Young – but even he only has 75 horses to his name. His main base at Ritto only has 28 boxes.
Racing fans in those jurisdictions are just as surprised to learn of the mega-stables that exist abroad, where the only real limit is imagination and innovation – and perhaps financial backing too.
Australia’s biggest trainer Ciaron Maher has 528 on his books according to Racing Australia, although there are horses on that list – like ATC Derby and Sydney Cup winner Explosive Jack – who have been retired. That said, there are also two-year-olds and yearlings who are in training but are not yet named.
His big rival Chris Waller has 458 horses listed, while David Hayes’ sons Ben, Will and JD have 382. And such is the size of Australian stables that the 10th largest operation, the father-son partnership of Anthony and Sam Freedman, has more than 200 horses registered with Racing Australia.
In Britain, the largest is Andrew Balding with 247 horses while across the English Channel, it is Francis-Henri Graffard who leads the way with 228 horses. Both would be the only trainers from their respective jurisdictions to crack the top 10 in Australia.
Finding accurate figures for Ireland and the United States is more challenging. Despite his prominence, Aidan O’Brien only has just over 200 horses at any one time. Dual purpose maestro Willie Mullins and leading jumps trainer Gordon Elliott are near that 200 figure, although a comprehensive breakdown is not available from Horse Racing Ireland.
Most of the big American trainers, like Steve Asmussen, Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown, also have about 200 horses each. However, there is no single database which shows the number of horses registered to each barn.
Whatever the stable size, though, the role of the trainer – and their position as the single point of accountability – remains the same across every jurisdiction. The thrill of victory, the sting of defeat, the love for the horse – the heart of the sport is a common denominator no matter how big a stable is. ∎
