Young rider says ‘racing is withering away’ after earning more for one US winner than in any month the previous year here
Racing’s new governance structure, which was unveiled in November, may or may not address the sport’s issues over prize money, field sizes and more. The government’s White Paper on gambling reform, if it ever sees the light of day, may or may not be as much of a potential disaster for racing’s revenue from betting as some predict. Tyler Heard, though, was not minded to hang around to find out.
Heard rode 56 winners from around 800 rides as an apprentice in Britain between 2020 and 2022, but his win total dropped from 27 in 2021 to just a dozen victories in 2022 as he steadily worked his way from a 7lb claim to 5lb, and then just 3lb. He decided to try his luck in the United States instead, and signed off in the UK, for the immediate future at least, in a Class 6 Classified Stakes worth £7,000 at Southwell on 29 December. It was his only ride on the card and he finished second, earning around £160 on top of his riding fee (£143), but minus his travelling and other expenses.
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