The European and Mediterranean Horseracing Federation (EMHF) has announced that the way in which prize money is to be paid by the major European racing nations of France, Great Britain and Ireland has been standardised, regardless of where the horse in question is trained. The principles which have been adopted are that:
(a) separate payments will be made to the trainer and owner (in the past, in certain cases, the trainer’s share was subsumed within the owner’s share); and
(b) prize money won by foreign-trained runners will be paid in the same way as if the horse were trained domestically.
Connections of horses trained outside these countries will receive the percentages as applied in the country staging the race. This will, of course, be consistent with the general principle that, when one races in another jurisdiction, one is subject to that jurisdiction’s Rules of Racing.
It is the EMHF’s aim that this should become the norm across the European and Mediterranean region.
Dr Paull Khan, Secretary-General of the EMHF commented: “This is a fine example of international collaboration and harmonisation of practices. We had received some complaints from trainers who had reported difficulties in securing due payment of their share from their owners. This measure should guarantee and speed up the receipt by trainers of any foreign prize money shares due to them, whilst reducing the administrative burden on owners”.