Brace yourselves: the message from the top as owners weigh up prize-money worry

How low can you go? That is the question a significant number of people in racing will be asking themselves over the course of the next ten days or so when it comes to the thorny issue of prize-money.

First of all, let's make one thing clear: prize-money in Britain sucks and always has. There have been times when it is a little better than others, while incentives and schemes have come and gone in an effort to boost pools, but overall you are not well remunerated for running your horses here.

This is a fact of life for anyone who has horses in training in Britain and it is one that is counteracted by the experiences offered by the sport. It means that, often begrudgingly, owners will focus less on the limited funds that may be coming back to them for racing their horses and instead look at the positives, such as the excitement and exclusivity, that their involvement brings to them.