The Belle Vue racing strength has started to ebb away with Diane Cross, Paul Webster and Pat Rosney all joining Perry Barr.
Doncaster have put up the ‘house full’ sign with Sheffield’s Richard Munton due to hold some interviews early next week.
Rosney said: “We are desperately hoping that Belle Vue will open again, but realistically it looks odds against. Even twenty years ago we probably had 20 tracks – NGRC and independent – within an hour’s drive. Now there is nothing in the North West.”
For the Preston based handler, the trip down the M6 is not his worst option, he has previously been a graded trainer at Perry Barr.
He said: “It is about 90 miles altogether but we are within a mile or so of the M6 and Perry Barr is a couple of miles from it, so it is 95% motorway, and at this stage the motorways are a lot less busy than they were.
“I have always liked Perry Barr and have been a regular visitor with my open race runners. We only left previously because we were primarily an open race kennel with a need to bring a litter through and Perry Barr were very good to us.
“I have always liked Nottingham too, but they have just taken on some Peterborough trainers, and lost a meeting so it might have been tight to get enough runs. Perry Barr is closer too.
“I will be taking around 20 graders, plus we have four or five open race runners.”
