 |
 |
Races in Argentina
This is a brief introduction to Thoroughbred Horse Industry in our country. We would like to point out that Argentina is the second largest country in South America with an area of almost 3 million square kilometres and the largest portion of European descent population in Latin America.
Horse racing is one of the most widespread sports that together with polo and show jumping combine the great and traditional attractions of Argentine people to horses.
For
the inhabitants of this country the passion for races arises from the Spanish
colonial era. At that time, just as it happens today in many rural villages,
any popular celebration included as an outstanding landmark: the famous races of
short run named “cuadreras”
Our
people did not need any additional motivation to become enthusiastic for the
thoroughbred horses and its races in the English way when the pacification and
the national organisation allowed them to take a look over Europe in search of
higher styles of life.
In the middle of the 19th century there was some dispersed focus of effort and even some attempt of embryonic racetrack. But the concrete birth of a horse race activity according to the established models of Europe should take place two decades later. Then Carlos Pellegrini, one of the notable politicians of those years who became President of the Republic in 1890, founded the Jockey Club of Buenos Aires.
The set up of the Jockey Club was a sort of incentive for important cattle ranch owners to dedicate part of their lands to the thoroughbred breeding. Being certain of races regularity, of their correct planning in search of excellence and honest control, the acquisition of first line horses in studs of England, Ireland and France become a steady trend.
Argentina has a remarkable genetic thoroughbred wealth due to the many quality imports, from the late 19th century, which created an important basis for a breeding of excellence. Likewise, the import of outstanding stallions in order to perform double season services by shuttle system started ten years ago. Twenty stallions were imported in the second half of 2005 using this system.
The fruitfulness of the meadowlands and the wealth of the damp “pampa” climate without any seasonal change of extreme severity contributed to breeders’ task. Unlike what happen in other latitudes the specimen established in Argentina found, consequently, a very propitious habitat to grow in a more natural way. Ninety five percent of thoroughbred breeding is carried out in the Buenos Aires Province, the central region of the country beside the Atlantic Ocean.
Argentina is the fifth worldwide producer of thoroughbred with more than 6600 foals in 2005, behind USA, Australia, Ireland and Japan. From its productions, many of our horses were outstanding for their excellent performance in highly competitive venues, such as the USA, South Africa and Brazil. The Cataloguing Standard, which in its 2005 version has given us 218 Grade and Listed Stakes (including 44 Grade I) has recognized all this history rich in world events.
In our country, this activity is fundamentally a significant generator of employment, apart from being an essential resource of the rural economy.
Creating or developing the horse races is not only to build and make a racetrack live. It is, above all, to put into operation in a much organised form a whole economic structure, which leads from breeding to betting organisation, generating specific jobs directly related to the sector, as it happens in other activities.
According to official data about 40.000 persons are involved directly in this industry. The same report estimates that indirect jobs should include about 60.000 persons, being about 100.000 the total people employed. Likewise, if we consider a type family by four members, the total of persons integrating this activity should exceed 400.000 persons.
A negative consequence of the present-day development, from a social point of view, is the fact that technology is replacing more and more the manual labour.
However, in our own activity, the contrary greatly occurs because by nature manual labour cannot be replaced.
Our industry is developed around thoroughbred horses and it involves three principal areas: breeding, training and racetracks.
¨ Breeding includes as a whole the different activities in the stud farms, including the reproduction, care and breeding from gestation until age of competitiveness.
There are almost 800 breeders in Argentina who produced 6.603 foals in 2005. Although, 95% of the production is destined to the domestic market. Exportations in expansion of good performer horses to United States of America and Arabia can be observed.
¨ Training includes the horse preparation for races to the end of their period of activity as runner. The total amount of horses in training is almost 15.000.
The three main racetracks in Argentina are located in or around the City of Buenos Aires. They are Palermo, San Isidro and La Plata and they alternate in hosting 12 to 16 races a day and represent the most important segment of business. They have performed 365 race meetings in 2005, one by day that means 4.800 races with 57.000 participators, generating betting for 400 million pesos (U.S. dollars 133 million).
§ San Isidro Racetrack (35% market share) is located on the outskirts of Buenos Aires City. It was opened in 1938 and has an excellent grass track located in a vast and beautiful private park with another sand track inside. Near the racecourse, its owner, The Jockey Club, has a training centre with four sand tracks, one of grass and enough stalls for 2000 horses.
§ Palermo Racetrack (43% market share) is located right in the middle of Buenos Aires City. Its impeccable sand track contrasts with a remarkable classic French-style building opened during the 19th century. At present, its training centre is receiving more than 1000 horses.
§ La Plata Racetrack (22% market share) situated 50 kilometres away from Buenos Aires City, established 120 years ago, and provides another sand track alternative. At the moment, its training centre is receiving almost 400 horses.
The law in force rules that racetracks must pay horse owners prizes of 9% of the total betting. Higher betting levels increase the level of prizes automatically and consequently the value of horses and improve the whole activity, including their workers.
In the betting system, the collected amounts
are distributed as follows:
| 72 % | for gamblers |
| 2 % | for taxes |
| 9 % | for race prizes to be distributed among trainers, jockeys and workers |
| 17 % | for racetrack expenses and return on investment |
| 100 % |
2005 Total prizes, amounting 75 million pesos (U.S. dollars 25 million), includes revenue of 39 million pesos (U.S. dollars 13 million) from slot machines installed inside Palermo Racetrack and subsidies, originated from Buenos Aires Province’s Bingos, in San Isidro and La Plata Racetracks.
|
|