Cash and harassed

8:20am Friday 18th April 2008

WITH a host of winners and big ambitions, the Viking Racing Club seemed to have a bright future.

But while the reductions in prize money in racing this year have hit tracks hard, they are also proving a put-off to those involved in the ownership side of the sport.

While the big tracks like York, Ascot and Newmarket can continue to offer big purses - Knavesmire's richest race this year will be £550,000 - it's getting harder for the smaller outfits to compete.

And that means for smaller owners like the Pocklington-based Viking Racing Club, the desire to keep plugging away for ever diminishing returns is falling.

The club was launched back in October 2005 and quickly became popular with York and North Yorkshire punters - membership topped 1,000.

With horses of the calibre of Bailieborough, Owed and Loulou Nivernais, it gained a fast reputation for winners, with the club's most memorable victory being Turn of Phrase's triumph at York last July.

That fulfilled a long-held dream for Carl Harris, the brains behind the Viking Racing Club concept, who optimistically looked forward and stabled many of his star animals with Flaxton-based trainer Noel Wilson.

But Harris says poor prize money at some of the country's racetracks, along with the everyday expenses that come with owning a string of thoroughbreds, has meant the Viking Racing Club has had to be subsidised by his other businesses.

Harris said he had come to the conclusion that, in that environment, there is little incentive to carry on the club - and he has decided to focus on his other projects.

"Basically we have focused on the betting side rather than the club.

"Naughty Diesel (the company running the Viking Racing Club) will keep a couple of horses in training, but our Telewin and Layform business has taken over," Harris said.

"Prize money is a joke, and the costs of training, insurance, vets, transport and staff racing expenses coupled with the jockey fees and prize money deductions mean it's just not worth it. If you have horses running at Catterick and Redcar it's just not worth the money.

"There is also an ill-wind blowing in racing on the Flat, and though the authorities have done some good work, there is still an under-current. So we have just let the club come to an end and will keep a couple of horses and will entertain our clients on racedays."

Last September, Harris was looking to set up a purpose-built stable for the club after selling star jumper Loulou Nivernais, who won four times for the club, for a five-fold profit at the Doncaster sales.

Members enjoyed more than 25 wins in both codes but Harris says he has become "very disillusioned with the game" and has made the decision to get out.

"This is a conscious decision. We don't have to call it a day, but our other activities were subsidising the club. We still have six horses, and will have two or three in training. We have some nice un-raced horses. The company will still keep them in training," he said.

"You see us at York, we love it there. But have you been to Catterick on a wet Wednesday? It's no pleasure, and to be honest our other business is so successful that we decided to focus. We have not renewed anyone's membership for the Flat season and no one has lost out.

"The current state of racing means that owning horses is not a profitable venture, the prize money is being continually cut and the training costs, vets' costs and transport costs keep rising. I have become very disillusioned with the game, and, as a business, frankly the enjoyment has gone."

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