8 August 2003
Client Profile
James Bethell
There has been a lot of ill-informed press publicity of the shock-horror-outrage
variety recently on the topic of stable staff's pay and conditions.
It might well have been better directed at the effort/reward ratio
of many of our smaller trainers, of which my client James Bethell
is a good example.
He and his lovely wife Sally both work more hours than a junior
hospital doctor for less reward than a Big Issue salesman in Balham.
Any trade unionist confronted with their schedule would be screaming
for his human rights lawyer, but the Bethells remain cheerful, optimistic,
and well capable of training a good horse if ever I manage to find
one for them. They had a happy day at Newcastle yesterday (James
having already driven down to Doncaster sales in the morning) when
King Harson took his lifetime earnings to £42,170 for owner
John Burley on whose behalf I purchased him for 3,900 gns! Eboracum
Lady (one of my less inspired purchases) ran very promisingly when
a close third to an Abdullah and a Hamdan, and looks capable of
winning a race or two for Mike Dawson.
James who is better bred than most of his horses and all of his
owners would have driven about 250 miles yesterday, and most if
not all of his prizemoney percentage would have been swallowed up
in running his car. A 14-hour day, a winner and a placed horse,
and nothing to show for it. Don't talk to me about the plight of
the lads.
I am missing the delights of Saratoga and Deauville this year to
concentrate on the Keeneland September Yearling Sale which commences
on September 8th in Lexington, Kentucky, and continues until over
4000 yearlings have been through the ring. That is more than all
the yearling sales in Europe added together!
It has been a very lucky sale for me, having yielded 6 individual
Group I winners as well as many Group II, III, and listed winners,
and it always seems better value than the European sales. I honestly
believe that a dollar at Keeneland buys the same as a pound at Newmarket.
I will be there from September 2nd, and can be contacted on my U.S.
mobile no. 859-221-1435, or at the Ramada (formerly Harley) where
I have stayed since 1972 on 859-299-1261.
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