French TBA issues open letter to France Galop regarding budget

Following France Galop's proposal last week to cut owners' and breeders' premiums, the country's equivalent of the TBA has issued an open letter calling for ten per cent of the ruling authority's overall budget to remain allocated towards breeders.

France Galop also suggested looking at reimbursements for transport and VAT payments.

The letter pleads with France Galop to keep in place extra premiums for French-bred or assimilated French-bred horses, as well as upping the age limit for Flat horses eligible for the premiums from six to seven, suggesting that it could affect smaller breeders.

Further on, the letter asks for clarification on the €300,000 limit on breeders' premiums for horses that have won any race abroad and the impact that such a change could have on the industry, with breeding mentioned as "the root of horseracing in France".

France recently welcomed a glut of top-class horses retiring to stud, the latest being champion two-year-old colt Ultra who will cover his first book of mares at Darley's Haras du Logis next year - a trend also referred to in the letter.

The open letter, available to read in French on the Paris-Turf website by clicking here, is signed at the end by committee members of the Federation des Eleveurs du Galop.

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