Rab McNair sent out the fastest two semi final winners of the William Hill Classic and four winners in all. Although one of the fiercest critics of bad racing surfaces, the assistant trainer found no issue at Sunderland on Wednesday night despite three broken hocks between trials and races.
Rab said: “I walked the track with Pat Rosney and we agreed that it looked in good order. It was wet enough and felt good underfoot and I had no hesitation running my dogs. I understand and have plenty of sympathy for Kevin Boon, but it just wasn’t how I saw it.
“I do feel that in general tracks are being dug up too often. Or put another way, they aren’t being packed properly after they have been dug up. If there isn’t the time to do the job properly, don’t do it so often, particularly in the summer. Whatever the cause, I have never known so many injuries, either on the flaps or in my early days of NGRC racing.
“I remember talking to Darren at Wimbledon and he said that they harrowed the track up twice a year, about a month before the Derby and a month before the Leger.
“If I was looking to find fault at Sunderland, I am not sure that the plate was heavy enough, and I wonder why they didn’t go around after every race. But I can only be honest at what I saw. It all looked okay to me.”
King Turbo clocked the fastest of the Classic semi finals with a 26.71 victory over Bubbly Bluebird. King Elvis was six spots slower when defeating Azzuri Genesis. The other semi went to Allowdale Bruno in 27.14
The draw sees King Turbo drawn in trap one and King Elvis in three. So what is the verdict?
McNair said: “Three is Elvis’ box, not that he ran too bad from six. I think he has won from every trap he has been put in and the draw doesn’t affect him in any way. I’m not so sure about Turbo or trap one at Sunderland, though you could say ‘he is bombing away from two, why won’t he bomb away from one?’
“At the end of the day, we will take what we are given and hope for the best. We’ve been beaten in the finals with Shaneboy Alley and Shaneboy Spencer, so any win would be good. In fact we will have five there so all fingers and toes are crossed.”
