Racing and breeding's great safety net

Tens of thousands of thoroughbreds are foaled every year worldwide, yet only a very small percentage achieve the ultimate goal of winning a Group/Grade 1 race.
 
You may well ask what happens to those, who don't make the grade, the lesser lights, whose only flaw is not being able to run quite fast enough. The answer is: there are many options.
 
Depending on where the racehorse starts his or her career, for many there is the prospect of re-sale, whether it be to a foreign country for racing and breeding at a lower level, or to other equine disciplines such as dressage or eventing.
 
But, in the Northern Hemisphere, there is another feasible alternative -- jumping.
 
Britain and Ireland are unique in the racing world in that they boast an extra dimension to their industries through a code of racing that comes under the heading 'National Hunt,' and it is accurate to say that this code is more popular than Flat racing.
 
Jumping is thriving in these parts. This week, Cheltenham serves up its annual four-day extravaganza that is one of the great sporting events in Britain. It started on Tuesday and ends on Friday.
 
The high standard and quality of the racing and jumping sets this meeting apart from all others, and its popularity is quite incredible.
 
Cheltenham is the celebration of everything that is good about jumping. An estimated 250,000 racegoers will attend, watching 28 races (including championship races over hurdles and fences, at various distances) on a unique track nestling in the Cotswolds, a one-hour drive from Birmingham.
 
It is no surprise that Godolphin have chosen Cheltenham as one of the racecourses at which they are running a promotion to recruit new members to Club Godolphin.
 
Brand warriors will be on hand at the track to assist racegoers with the sign-up process. A free ticket to Future Champions Day at Newmarket on October 13 is an attractive incentive to sign up.
 
The Godolphin stand can be found near the parade ring on Thursday and Friday.

Visit www.clubgodolphin.com and join for free today.