Ed Vaughan to cease training later this year with prize-money a driving factor

Group-winning trainer Ed Vaughan is to quit the profession later this year and has cited British racing's prize-money as the chief reason for his decision.

Vaughan worked for Darley and was assistant to Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer Noel Chance and Charlie Mann before linking up with Alec Stewart in Newmarket.

When Stewart died in 2004, Vaughan took out a licence and has sent out a steady stream of winners.

They included Robin Hoods Bay, who won the Group 3 Winter Derby at Lingfield in 2014 and Anthony Oppenheimer's Dame Malliot, successful at Group 2 level in the Princess of Wales's Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket's July festival last week.

However, the financial climate and reductions in prize-money, this season made worse by the coronavirus pandemic, has forced him to call time on his training career in Britain, although he raised the possibility of returning to the training ranks elsewhere.

Dame Malliot: struck at Newmarket last weekCredit: Pool

"I haven't just woken up and decided to do this," he said.

"It's been on my mind for a while and now seems the right time to finish up training in the UK. As everyone is aware, with the reductions in prize-money and the cost of running a business being so high, the economics of training in Britain are not good. I'm taking this decision now because I can see things getting worse in the next year.

"I wouldn't rule out training elsewhere, but with 25 horses, as we have here, I just don't see a future for doing that in the UK because I think things are going to get very tough when we are already in the situation where we have prize-money that hardly covers the cost of keeping a horse in training for a month."

Based at Machell Place in Newmarket, Vaughan enjoyed his best year in 2014 with 19 winners and £248,556 banked in prize-money.

He has saddled four winners this term and thanked those who have played a part in his success, notably Alan Pickering, the owner of Robin Hoods Bay.

"Alan has become a valued friend and I would like to express my gratitude to all my owners and to my staff for their continued support," Vaughan added.

"A special mention is due to Anthony Oppenheimer; we’ve shared plenty of success together, most recently with Dame Malliot. I must also thank Colin Murfitt, who has been a wonderful landlord, owner and friend over the years.

"There have been some great days, and I feel blessed to have met some wonderful people along the way. All these friendships I can take with me on the next stage of the journey, which will be somewhere in this industry that I love."

Rupert Arnold, chief executive of the National Trainers Federation, said: "To begin on a positive note, let’s acknowledge Ed Vaughan’s success as a trainer in terms of producing winners, adding value to the horses in his care, and rewarding owners with a great experience. This is evident from the many messages of support to Ed in response to today’s announcement.

"Against that background, it is all the more sad that such a trainer is being forced to relinquish his licence due to the inadequate levels of prize-money in British racing and the resulting economic pressure on his business. While a successful record of capitalising on the value of British-raced horses in the overseas market is admirable, this should not be a prerequisite for running a sustainable training business in the most highly regarded horseracing industry in the world.

"The funding model of our sport requires two reforms: an improved return on betting turnover; at 0.6 per cent this is by far the lowest of our international competitors. And a revenue sharing agreement with the media rights holders to ensure a fair distribution of the commercial revenue that is jointly created by horsemen and racecourses."

Vaughan's top three horses

Dame Malliot

Vaughan recorded the biggest success of his career earlier this month when Dame Malliot, owned and bred by Anthony Oppenheimer, won the Group 2 Princess Of Wales's Stakes at Newmarket.

The four-year-old provided Hollie Doyle with her first Group winner, having already triumphed in the Group 2 Prix de Pomone at Deauville and the Listed Aphrodite Fillies' Stakes at Newmarket.

Robin Hoods Bay

Alan Pickering was the first owner to support Vaughan when he began training in 2004 and the pair had the most joy with Robin Hoods Bay, winner of the 2014 Group 3 Winter Derby.

The son of Motivator was a regular in Group company towards the end of his career and won seven of his 22 all-weather starts. He amassed £190,342 in prize-money in 29 career runs.

Mehronissa (near): second to Shalaa in the Bengough Stakes at AscotCredit: Mark Cranham

Mehronissa

Mehronissa won six of her 15 starts and saved the best until last, with her final victory coming in the Listed Flying Fillies' Stakes at Pontefract in August 2016, when she scored under Freddy Tylicki.

She was narrowly denied a Group success when beaten a neck in the Bengough Stakes at Ascot on her next start and her final appearance on a racecourse came in a Grade 3 at Santa Anita.

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