I am still seething over the decision to stage the GTA Trainers Championship meeting at Sittingbourne.
I haven’t been to the track since Grand National night two years ago when I took four dogs and they all came off lame. One of them, a brilliant prospect called Newinn Rock, was later retired as a result of that injury. The other three have never been the same.
There are probably five or six tracks where I won’t run dogs, and a few more, where I would only run a specific type of dog.
What really irritates me though, is that the six trainers participating were not consulted by the GTA Chairman Ricky Holloway about the venue.
Had he done so, then myself, the McNairs and Charlie Lister would have vetoed the track.
I was at Newcastle on the Thursday when I found out it was a ‘fait accompi’. Two days earlier, I had been left a message on my answer phone saying it would probably be Wimbledon.
I would have been happy about Wimbledon, or Towcester, which was the other option. In fact, Wimbledon would have been great because it would have given some of my runners experience of the track.
I have heard it suggested that it was the location, in terms of the distance away from me, that was the problem. Absolute rubbish! I will travel anywhere.
In the past I have made the 560 mile around trip to Hove for a trial with one dog.
The official line is that a sponsor could not be found for anywhere but Sittingbourne.
Really? Prior to the GTA elections, we were told that there were plenty of new sponsors out there.
I even had a phone call from John Turner offering to sponsor the meeting if it was at Towcester and asking if I would then take part. But it was too late by then. It had all been agreed.
Why did it take so long to make a decision about the original venue, and then I was being pestered to decide within 24 hours whether I would take part or not?
I could have taken the money, which would certainly have been welcome, and sent out some of my ‘second stream’ runners. But that wouldn’t be right.
The dogs and the owners are my first priority, not my personal gain and I have no regrets. I feel particularly sad for Rab and Liz McNair because it was the first time they had qualified.
The saddest thing was letting down sponsor Len Ponder, who is a great supporter of racing and deserved better. I told him my issues on the phone and he said he understood.
I also question why the betting industry couldn’t come up with the money. We hear about £800,000 jackpots and all the money Betfair make from the industry. Why weren’t they putting their money in their pockets?
Don’t anybody fool themselves about Betfair dropping out due to the previous trainers’ boycott a couple of years ago.
The year prior to that, I attended the Trainers Championship lunch and after the meal we went to the pub.
I remember Betfair’s man Tony Calvin offering to pay the bar bill and saying, “Might as well, we won’t be sponsoring this again next year.’ The boycott just gave them a ‘get out of jail card’.
It was disappoint to be beaten in the Pinpoint Maiden Derby at Newcastle.
There is no doubt that the track was favouring wide runners, particularly early in the meeting, and I just happened to have railers.
But after the horrendous weather in the previous 24 hours, I think the track achieved a tremendous feat in being able to race at all. It could easily have been cancelled
The track was safe and all seven dogs came off sound which is the main priority.
Newcastle spent a fortune on a new racing surface a couple of years ago and in my opinion, is now the best racing circuit in the country. It isn’t enough just to spend the money, you have to maintain it too – and they do that brilliantly.
Tracks need to realise that the condition of the track plays a major part in where trainers like to run their dogs.
I trialled Newinn Yolo on the Thursday morning there and the surface was superb. He did a 17.02 for the sprint which was as much as I could hope for.
Vatican Balotelli clocked 28.82 for the 480 metres after tying up off the last bend. Considering it was his first four-bender since the Jones Memorial meeting at Monmore last year, that was more than pleasing. Both dogs are due to trial again this Thursday.
I am also sending a couple down to Crayford for trials. Although I don’t have anything for the Golden Jacket, Gainstown Beaver and Musical Storm will hopefully be running in the 540 event there.
We are also due to trial a few at Monmore with the Puppy Derby coming up there shortly. I hope to have at least eight runners.
