Breeders Cup - World Championship?

This coming weekend sees the Breeders Cup, modestly dubbed racings “World Championships.”

World Championships – please don’t make me laugh!!!!

Although, for the first time, this years races take place on a synthetic surface instead of the usual dirt, a surface alien to most runners elsewhere in the world.

Then again our American cousins are no strangers to Hyperbole – their rounders, sorry baseball, championships are called the world series yet only North American teams enter.

Although anyone who has ever spent any time watching US news bulletins will soon realise that in American eyes the world ends once away from their shores so their concept that any American sporting event is a world event is perhaps understandable.

Nonetheless there is frequently a decent overseas challenge, notably from Europe and these forays have not been without success, although notably less so when the event is held on the west coast, as is the case this year.

At the risk of offending our US cousins why don’t the worlds racing authorities get together and do something really radical and talk to one another and organise a proper world championships.

It could go something like this.

Held annually the event would rotate between one of three racing areas each year, US / Canada, Europe and Far East / Australia.

Possible locations in each area are the current Breeders Cup venues in the US / Canada. The Curragh, Ascot, York and Longchamp in Europe, and Changi, Sha Tin, Tokyo and Flemington or Caufield for the far east / Oz..

Races would be over the range of distances from 5f through to 2m and the host authority would decide the surface to be used.

Each race would have a maximum of twelve runners, three from each “region” plus up to three “guest” runners from the “rest of the world”.

Priority would be given to the “top rated” horses from each division, which should again attract the best horses.

The event would be held over two days allowing for two courses to be used for different surfaces if need be.

OK with changing surfaces it will be difficult to compare like with like over the years but it gives horses a chance to compete in different conditions and in different environments.

Surely a true champion can act on any course?

OK there are plenty of holes to pick in my plan but it is at least a starter and certainly better than what we have now.

From a very selfish viewpoint it would also give me an excuse to visit more of the worlds great racecourses.

So come on racing authorities get talking - it would be much better than a Sovereign Series!!!