Racing Matters: Recent Episodes
Racing League
“Racing Matters” is a regular podcast brought to you by the Racing League.
Discussing industry matters with the people that make up the sport, from every different angle.
Shining a new light on the sport of horse racing.
We speak to Kitty about:
-
Competing in the Magnolia Cup - learning to ride racehorses, the challenging fitness test, and the emotion of the day
-
Her career at the Racing Post and how her interest in racing journalism developed
-
The tie between bloodstock and showing and how her interest in breeding came about
-
Following sires and their progeny and what makes it exciting
-
International bloodstock industries
-
A standout sire to follow this season
-
Advice for someone who is interested in a career in the bloodstock industry
Based in Newmarket, WC Equine specialises in pre-training, breaking & spelling. Ellie & Tegan bravely set up the business during lockdown in 2020 and are based at Bottisham Heath Stud, the site of Robert Cowell’s training operation, where they have taken 15 boxes.
We speak to the pair about:
-
Their new pre-training and breaking venture and starting a business in the height of the pandemic
-
The ins and outs of working with youngstock
-
The demand for pre-training and breaking services and building clientele
-
The day-to-day of WC Equine and what roles they both take on within the business
-
How their previous experience of working in various parts of the industry has shaped their careers
-
What’s next for the pair and how they see WC Equine progressing
Martin, who is originally from Liverpool, has now been in the saddle for 30 years after deciding at the age of 15 that he wanted to be a jockey, with no real prior experience of riding horses. Martin has an impressive list of winners on his CV which include the Epsom Derby, Dewhurst Stakes, Dubai Sheema Classic, Hong Kong Vase, Epsom Oaks and many Royal Ascot wins.
We speak to Martin about:
-
Becoming a jockey and his apprenticeship with Ian Balding
-
His career highlights - with beating Frankie Dettori to win the Epsom Derby first taking top spot
-
The challenges which come with the territory, including online abuse, injury and spending far too much time in the car
-
What has changed since he started out and what advice he would give an aspiring jockey
-
Jockey nutrition and maintaining his weight
Derek, who is the Senior Farrier for racehorse trainer Charlie Appleby at Godolphin, speaks to us from Dubai, where he works during the Winter for the duration of the Dubai World Cup Carnival.
We speak to Derek about:
· His background in Racing, which began in South Africa, took him to the US for training and eventually led him to Dubai and working for Godolphin, where he has been for 10 years, splitting his time between Dubai and Newmarket, UK
-
The physiology of a racehorse and the characteristics and complications of the racehorse’s foot
-
The history of shoeing horses with nails and how the technique and technology hasn’t hugely changed
-
His Dubai method; putting shoes on for the races and taking them off and allowing the horse to go barefoot when not racing
-
Derek’s own invention, the HoofCast, which aids racehorses’ compromised feet, and how he is using new technology and techniques for the betterment of the horse
-
The difference between shoeing racehorses in comparison to other breeds and horses in other disciplines
-
Special horses he has worked with at Godolphin, including his favourite racehorse Ghaiyyath, who was a HoofCast project horse
Jamie took up training in 2000, after a successful career as a National Hunt jockey.
We speak to Jamie about:
-
The transition from jump jockey to flat trainer and how the career move came about
-
The process of getting a training license and barriers to entry for aspiring trainers
-
What characteristics that set apart the truly great trainers and the training techniques that they have adopted
-
The standout points and defining features of Jamie Osborne’s training operation
This week, Oli & Becky are joined by the Chief Executive of Take The Reins, Deborah Hay. Take The Reins is a charity that works with young people through youth engagement programmes, personal development, transferable skills training and engagement facilitated by the racing industry at all levels.
Deborah talks to us about:
-
What Take The Reins is all about; the charity’s objectives, geographic reach and the young and diverse communities they work with
-
Engaging young people from inner city communities at various local racecourses and training yards where they can learn about the industry and the multitude of career opportunities that the sport offers
-
Offering employability programmes and traineeships within the racing industry to give young people work experience and a track record of working within the industry
-
Ongoing partnerships with racecourses, trainers, jockeys, and racing’s various entities and stakeholders
-
The racing industry as an employer and why there is a need for more young people from diverse backgrounds in the sport
-
The history, development and success of Take The Reins and seeing participants entering the industry
On this weeks episode, Oli & Becky are joined by racing social media personality and aspiring racing broadcaster, Hannah Baycroft. Hannah started her Racing content channel, Racing With Hannah, during the first UK lockdown as a way of building her presenting portfolio, where she has interviewed the likes of John Francome and Jim Crowley.
We chat to Hannah about:
-
What it takes to create a racing content channel, how it started, the challenges she faced and how racing social media users have reacted to her content
-
Her approach to social media, keeping her business and private accounts/lives separate and how she interacts with the racing community online
-
What’s next for her channel in terms of content, moving on from Zoom interviews to post-lockdown stable visits and her career aspirations as a racing broadcaster
Racing to School is a charity that aims to inspire young minds through the provision of free, interactive, and healthy outdoor educational events for schools, staged at a variety of racing venues.
John talks to us about:
- What Racing to School is all about; the charity’s objectives, reach and the schools, clubs and communities they work with
What a typical Racing to School event looks like and how the educational programme ties in with school learning
-
Ongoing partnerships with racecourses, trainers, and jockeys and how the Racing industry is a charitable and supportive community
-
How Covid-19 has impacted the charities work and how they have adapted to the changing circumstances in order to continue supporting, educating and entertaining children
-
The history, development and success of Racing to School and seeing participants grow up to become involved in the industry
Nathan began his career in the sport as a jockey. After retiring from the saddle, his passion for film led him to co-founding his company Equine Productions and creating the Jockey Cam.
On this week’s podcast we talk to Nathan about:
-
The process of creating the Jockey Cam; the micro-camera which attaches to a jockey’s helmet, to give the audience a view from the rider’s perspective
-
Following his passion for both film and horses, which started off with Nathan riding out wearing a snowboarding camera and led him to co-founding Equine Productions, where he creates meaningful content for the equine industry
-
What technological advancements Nathan would like to see in racing with regards to viewing experience
-
How we can attract and inspire a younger audience in racing by showcasing unique stories
On this week’s episode, Oli & Becky are joined by William Kedjanyi and Katie Clements.
Both William and Katie are familiar faces in Horse Racing social media circles, so who better to talk to about such an emotive and broad topic.
We talk with them both about:
Their social presences and how they engage with their audiences
The opinionated and cynical world of Racing Twitter and how they deal with negativity online
How women and men’s opinions on racing are perceived and how they are treated on social media
Katie talks us through her personal experience of objectification and misogynistic behaviour and Will discusses racial discrimination and the lack of diversity in racing
The highs and lows of their social media journeys and what part social media has played in the development of their careers and passions
Joining and creating friendly and supportive online communities and making lifelong friends through racing social media
Josh has been in the racing industry for almost 30 years, from kicking off his career working in the racehorse trainer Martin Pipe’s yard at age 16, to co-founding his company Rewards4Racing and now presenting on Sky Sports Racing.
On this week’s podcast we talk to Josh about:
-
Whether racing represents society at large in terms of diversity within the sport’s leadership, participants, and audience and how we can make the sport more accessible and inclusive
-
Josh’s docuseries Leading the Way on Sky Sport’s Racing, featuring figureheads from within racing such as Britain’s first classic-winning black jockey, Sean Levey, and the first female Racing Manager of Aintree Racecourse (home of the Grand National), Sulekha Varma, where they discuss and promote diversity in the sport.
-
How we measure success in terms of improving diversity in racing, from administration of the sport all the way through to who is attending the races.
-
Josh’s extensive experience in the sport through almost 30 years of experience from; working at a training yard, being a part of the early management team at Betfair, taking on the chief executive role at the Professional Jockey’s Association, founding a racing rewards business and landing a presenting role at Sky Sports Racing
Aly, a former international modern pentathlete, is best known for hosting The Winning Post on CNN, where she travels all over the world to report on international racing, travel and culture.
On this weeks podcast we talk to Aly about:
-
How she got into racing and her career highlights in racing broadcast
-
The Winning Post and the difference between hosting a racing lifestyle and culture show to presenting at the racecourse
-
The racing superfans of Japan and the different styles of training and riding adopted by South American horsemen
-
Riding in the charity race, the Magnolia Cup, and the rise of female jockeys worldwide
-
Aly’s favourite racing destinations and racing festivals across the globe
-
How the UK race day experience can improve and learn from US and Australian racing festivals
Laura is based out in Dubai and is the lead English presenter for the Dubai Racing Channel, reporting from 5 racecourses in the UAE (including the popular Dubai World Cup Carnival) as well as covering international racing from the UK, US and more.
Oli Harris is your host, partnered by Becky Mortell a.k.a ‘the Youth of Today’. Becky gathered questions for Laura from other young people, which we put to her throughout the show.
On this weeks podcast we talk to Laura about:
Living in Dubai and working in the racing industry
The Dubai World Cup Carnival and its international status
The travel of horses from overseas to Dubai
The atmosphere at Meydan racecourse
The differences between a UK and a UAE raceday and more
On the first “Racing Matters” Podcast, the team are joined by popular broadcaster Nick Luck.
“Racing Matters” is the podcast brought to you by the Racing League, and each week we aim to bring you closer to the horse racing industry by talking to people involved in the sport at all levels.
On this weeks show we welcome Nick Luck, TV presenter, Interviewer, Podcaster and one of the most respected and popular figures in Racing. Oli Harris is your host, partnered by Becky Mortell a.k.a ‘The Youth of Today’. Becky gathered questions for Nick from other youthful people, which we put to him throughout the show.
On this weeks podcast we talk to Nick about:
How he got into the World of broadcasting and racing
Working in the USA and the differences between the sport there and in the UK
Other international aspirations and ambitions
His favourite moments on Luck on Sunday
The work that goes into a daily podcast
How the media landscape and racing has changed during his career
What would he like to see added to the TV experience over the next few years
Further questions posed by the Youth of Today