Have we been victims of bad luck or is there a bigger issue with the tracks at present?
As most people know, we’ve had a terrible run of injuries recently. The worst, by far, was the broken hock for Black Farren at Crayford. No injuries are good, but this was a really bad one, a multiple fracture. Thanks to vet Stephano, who did an amazing job, Farren looked in great shape when he returned for his first check-up (yesterday).
This has been the worst spell I can remember. We have lost ten runners to potential career ending injuries since the beginning of the year. Bruisers Bullet chipped a bone at the front of the wrist in a trial at Nottingham. There is no point in operating, due to the type of injury, the operation would do more damage than any good it would achieve. We hope that the chip will fuse back and callus over in three or four months. Though we hoping, rather than expecting, Bruiser to return to the track.
We also lost Goldsmith Slick at Crayford, Droopys Wilbury at Towcester, Brinkleys Reg in a qualifying trial at Towcester, Not So Classical in a Romford trial, Bonzos Bullet at Towcester, I could go on.
Those injuries are at four different tracks where we have had runners. But going around the country and talking to other trainers, it is obvious that the problem isn’t just at those tracks. It is countrywide.
We all know that we get more injuries as the weather warms up, but these are occurring sooner than we might expect and in bigger numbers. So why is it happening?
I don’t know, though I do have a theory. It could possibly be because of the extremes in weather. Thinking back, we still had horrendous weather in March and even early April, the Beast From The East, and minor versions of it. The tracks worked very hard to make sure there was enough salt to keep them safe, but looking at a lot of the tracks now, they seem very dry. I wonder whether the salt is still playing a part in the composition of the sand – in a bad way?
Two things occur to me. The first one is controversial, and will get me hammered for saying it, but I don’t care. Why haven’t we got a track expert in place, like John Haynes, to ensure that the tracks are as good as they can be?
Nobody is suggesting that they aren’t trying. I have no doubt, that the vast majority of tracks and track staff, are doing their best. But we lack that industry expertise more than ever before. I have spoken to Mark Bird at GBGB and I know he is making it a priority.
Secondly, are the tracks talking to each other? I understand why tracks don’t want their individual injury data in the public domain, but they should be communicating. If a particular track has a problem, that information should be shared. The obvious flip to that is to know which tracks don’t have a particular problem. We might then work out what to do about it.
On this subject though, I would like to make it clear, that although these injuries are career threatening, or even career ending, it is very very, unusual for them to be fatal. We lost California with a broken front leg at Shelbourne Park in November 2016, and no others until early this year with a young dog at Towcester.
He was alone, on the straight at Towcester when he must have overstepped and lost his footing and broke his back. It was very upsetting, but he could have done that running around in a paddock at home.
I reckon those two fatalities must be from at least 15,000 runners. All the other injured dogs have been re-homed.
The retirements of brother and sister Rubys Rascal and Rubys Razzle were more about racers reaching the end of their careers, a month short of their fourth birthdays. Rascal, in particular, has been a magnificent performer for us.
He started out in P7 at Towcester and went on to contest 97 races. The highlight was his win in the St.Leger, where he broke the track record. He also won the Yorkshire St.Leger, the great North Run, ran second in a TV Trophy and broke the Towcester 686m clock.
He could still win opens now, but he’d had a bit of buffeting after a series of unlucky trap draws and was clearly beginning to feel his age. So with the agreement of the owners, we thought it was time to call it a day.
Rascal and Razzle have joined Jean Liles where both will hopefully have breeding careers before going on to become family pets. It has been a privilege to train both of them.
It is the nature of this business that you lose a bunch of star and have to start again. It doesn’t seem that long ago that Billys Bullet, Domino Storm, Evanta Evita and Adageo Bob all retired within close proximity of each other and we had to start again.
One of the first engagements is Sunderland when I expect to have Bombers Bullet, Garrglass Champ, Towstar Jess and Towstar Arry for the William Hill Grand Prix. In the Classic, I plan to enter Kilmore Diamond and All Slick Now who runs at Romford on Friday. He has devastating early pace and would probably even switch to sprinting.
Looking further ahead, we have a couple of exciting prospects in Ashakiran who looks a real Oaks prospect and Aayamza Express who has already reached an Irish Oaks Final. Look out too for Baroness Bullet. She has the potential to go all the way as a top class stayer.
Finally – I think I have found a better physio than Ron Mills – his wife Dee!!
As some of you know, I have suffered from back problems for many years and this week, I was virtually unable to move. Ron booked me in for a two hour massage with Dee, and . . . . well – words fail me.
Incredible!
I got up from the massage table and felt like going for a run.
Now I know why the dogs run so well after Ron has had his hands on them!
