The Racing Men: Clifton & Walsh

NEW faces, fresh perspectives on an annual process: the driving forces behind the RCA’s Race Planning division, Racing Director Andy Clifton and Racing Executive Kevin Walsh, have completed their first full sessions working on the 2020 fixture list, which was published by the BHA a couple of weeks ago.

Creating Racing’s fixture list is a complex science and combined effort

Clifton, who joined the RCA in September 2017, when work on compiling the 2019 programme had already begun, says: “This year’s process was more challenging because of the talk about reducing the size of the fixture list, which for 2020 represents the final year of a three-year agreed arrangement on prize-money that included paying appearance money and allocating more into the lower tiers.”

Clifton had been involved in fixture arrangements for a single racecourse in his previous role as Head of Communications at Newbury and also many years ago in the race planning department, but for Walsh, who arrived at the RCA from the Racing Post, where he was Senior Social Media Executive, in February 2018, this was the first time he had experienced a full body of work in preparing the details.

Andy Clifton joined the RCA in 2017 with a deep understanding of the sport’s fixture list

Walsh reflects: “Looking back over the process, the main thing that strikes me is that I gained a real appreciation for how much time and effort goes into it as the process developed.

“I probably existed in a bit of a bubble at the Racing Post and had never come across the detailed discussions and negotiations that lead into the final fixture list. I had no appreciation of the different mechanics that go into its compilation through communication and consultation, the different versions it involves, and the considerations there are involving 59 racecourses with varying business models.”

Delving more deeply into the process, he adds: “Then there are the details – the difference between a racecourse fixture and a BHA fixture, for instance – about which I probably had an awareness but no deep knowledge. That’s been a great learning experience.

“Seeing how fixtures are allocated, what the BHA’s considerations are, and fixture criteria: they are all areas which I hadn’t been exposed to previously, but they go together to make up the level of detail that goes into part of my role at the RCA.

“Then there are the number of people involved in the process, including the work done by the Levy Board. Prior to coming to the RCA, I wouldn’t have considered exactly how important the Levy Board is in compiling the fixture list. I had a vague awareness but not a full appreciation of the level of detail and data it feeds into the process.

From journalist to analyst, Kevin Walsh’s career change saw a wealth of new skills added to his arsenal

“I have had experience with data analysis in previous roles, mainly on the social media side, so I had a bit of a background in that area, but I’ve had to upskill myself on that front, which I’ve been able to do on the job.”

Switching tack from media to race planning has given Walsh a role involving huge variety.

“I’m probably 30 per cent data analyst, 40 per cent race planner, and the rest involves communicating regularly with the racecourses, the BHA and the Levy Board, gaining contacts with as many people as possible,” he says.

“Being able to influence the race programme itself, in conjunction with racecourses, is another satisfying aspect of the job. It has proved challenging on occasions, but there have been times when racecourses have approached us directly on race planning, and that’s when we can consolidate racecourse views and discuss them with the BHA.

“We can pick up a suggestion, build on it and take an idea or concept to the BHA, whether it’s a new race series or a tweak within the programme to suit the horse population.

“The independent racecourses are the ones most likely to approach us, but I would hope that as I grow into the role, I will increasingly come up with my own ideas about changes we can propose. The more experience I have, the more effectively I can build a case, using data to underpin everything.”

The fixture list is required to serve all parts of the industry to deliver a diverse and rounded programme

With the 2020 programme virtually set in stone, attention will swiftly turn to 2021, and Andy Clifton is ready for fresh challenges.

“We need to start thinking about not just the composition of the 2021 fixture list, which will be the subject of an economic study led by the RCA Chief Executive David Armstrong, but also how and where the sport wants prize-money to be spent, against a backdrop of falling media rights’ payments, due to betting-shop closures, and uncertainty about the level of levy income,” he says.

“Naturally there will be different views among 59 racecourses, even if half belong to two groups, but the broad cross section of courses helps to inform our views, which can then be taken forward to the various industry group meetings.

“We will work towards another three-year arrangement, because if you change things every year, you don’t have proper evidence to assess what is working. That will be done through the fixtures and funding group chaired by Richard Wayman of the BHA, which comprises members from the BHA, the Horsemen’s Group and the RCA.

“With a season and a half behind me, I feel I’m in a good position to co-ordinate the views of racecourses ahead of the 2021 fixture list.”