A word from Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen

Mark Purdon

Well naturally Jewels day was a great one for us, and it was a great feeling after all the hard work we and the staff had done in the leadup. Those couple of weeks before are so important and our team in the north made a big contribution.

The highlight? I think overall it would be HEAVEN ROCKS. The other wins were all outstanding for one reason or another but he gave me the feel of a really good horse. So he will earn his go at the Breeders Crown now. We have Custodian, Partyon and Pacing Major going over to join My MacKenzie and Waikiki Beach.

The Jewels are being talked about. I feel that it might be time to try them at Alexandra Park and Addington for two years just to see if it can draw bigger numbers. That would mean a change in distances but I don't think that would be too much of an objection. I just feel after 10 years it might need some adjustment to help it grow because it is a great concept. Being at tracks with full facilities might be part of the answer.

It makes me smile a bit when people say we are dominating the big races and stakes and nobody else is getting a look in.  We might have won a lot of money last Saturday but we came home to a lot of bills.

In fact we recently commissioned a survey of our business over two years (2014 and 2015) and you would be surprised how narrow the margin of profit in training horses is and our rates are higher than most.

Our staff ratio is high because when you have valuable horseflesh you have to look after that investment and you don't take shortcuts.  There are all sorts of other costs like track maintenance when so many horses are being trained on it. I am not saying we are complaining given our success but it is interesting to see all your costs laid out versus income instead of just thinking you are doing better than you are.

Natalie and I leave on Wednesday for a month vacation starting in New York and we are really looking forward to a break after all that has been going on . We will be back before the Breeder's Crown heats up but we will miss the Breeders Challenge.

Natalie Rasmussen

There wasn't really any of our horses in the Jewels you could say were disappointing. Two were definitely unlucky. Dream About Me and Pacing Major were just beaten by the draws they had and there is not much that could be done about that on the day. However that does bring up one change I think should be considered for the Jewels -not having a second row.

I know it will affect the size of the field but there might be too many horses racing at Cambridge as it is.

My feeling is that the Harness Jewels are a championship and within reason should be treated as such and every horse should have its chance. Even if they started more on the front it would be better, or at least fairer. Other than that the concept seems good enough.  I think people expect it to retain the status of the Breeders Crown but the BC races can be worth over $300,000 and that makes a difference !

Yes Mark and I have had an expert survey of our business done and it was an eye opener. Basically if the horses aren't racing we are barely making anything  on training. The outlook for the industry is not that good at the moment and if our stable is not showing any margin on training costs when our rates have to be at the top of the market then how bad it must be for those whose horses aren't winning the big stakes ?

The problem is not a new one. It is all about stakes being relatively static over 10 years or so but costs of services continuing to rise.  And owners have other costs besides just training rates. Of course we have high overheads because we only want to do things one way and that is properly. That is the only way to approach running a business like ours.

But its a mistake to think, as many people do, that just because we have won a lot of money it means a huge profit. You should see some of the bills we have to deal with!  

I am not complaining because we have had a good season and are luckier than most but it helps you understand how those trying to make a living training without a topliner have to battle away just to survive. Hopefully it will improve but that is not likely in the short term.

But Mark and I can put our concerns out of the way during our trip and I am looking forward to the break.

Reprinted with permission

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