J. Margaret Clarke for and on behalf of Turfcall 1.9.2004

Racing Post letters 1.9.04. Problems have long existed. J. Margaret Clarke of Turfcall calls into question the rights to governance of racing of the Jockey Club and BHB.

Bill O'Gorman says his remarks suffered a different interpretation. MARGARET CLARKE appears to have put her own interpretation on my remarks. (Letters, August 27th )

Bill O’Gorman who identified 14 problems with very serious implications in the Racing Post on 15.8.04, now states in his letter (Racing Post 29.8.04) that "It is difficult to see how the fact that untrained staff are paid a trained man’s wage can be construed as exploitation, unless as exploitation of owners !”

To attempt to make this out to be some sort of joke defies all belief.

The exploitation here will surely relate to the owners and to the thoroughbred horses they place in training, and whatever top professional skilled horsemen and horsewomen who are left battling bravely on against adversity within this industry. At present, they are all lumped together by the authorities with the student/learners, considered to be of no account and paid at the minimum wage under the title of “stable staff” .

The Jockey Club regulators and the British Horseracing Board governors between them should be looking to set and uphold all these standards, instead of totally disregarding such key issues and over such a long period of time. Surely this dangerous situation must have serious implications as to their right to governance and regulation.

The 14 desperate problems that Mr O’Gorman identified as needing fixing have ALL needed fixing for a very long time, so how much longer do the Jockey Club regulators and the British Horseracing Board governors intend to wait before they actually make a start to fix them… ?

Or, more to the point, as they have failed for so long to fix any of these problems, clearly they need removing from office fast to make way for personnel who can.