Kirsten Rausing: 'We are losing good horses - this is detrimental to the breed'

Leading owner-breeder Kirsten Rausing has labelled prize-money in Britain as an "enormous, overshadowing problem" that is harming the breeding and racing industries.

Rausing, 70, spoke to Maddy Playle for the latest video in her series Maddy Meets, which is available to watch exclusively on the Racing Post YouTube channel from 8pm on Tuesday.

The owner, whose white and green silks will be carried by Alpinista in Thursday's Yorkshire Oaks (3.35), said: "We have an enormous, overshadowing problem in this country, which is the paucity of prize-money.

"If it could be solved to a greater, or even lesser degree it would have such beneficial trickle-down effects it would solve a lot of other associated problems at the same time."

Rausing believes the stratification of racing ownership has completely changed the face of the sport, with smaller owner-breeders on the decline since she arrived in Newmarket 40 years ago.

"We are now seeing the loss of some very good horses being purchased to race abroad who would have otherwise remained in this country and continued and strengthened the breed," she said.

"We are losing them and this could be extremely detrimental for our breeding operations and thus racing operations."

Also in the interview, Rausing reveals how farm animals introduced her to pedigrees, her views on the safety of purchasing horses in the modern age and reflects on breeding for speed.

Watch more from this series:

Maddy Meets: Lydia Hislop

Maddy Meets: Fergal O'Brien

Maddy Meets: John Francome

Maddy Meets: Tom Segal

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