Trainer David Pruhs is unhappy over the GBGB Coronavirus policy for the return to racing, specifically over the insistence that every dog should be required to trial twice.
DAVID PRUHS – Pic Steve Nash
He said: “How can that be justified? My dogs are free galloped every second day and, like most people’s I expect, are absolutely gleaming. Peterborough stage a lot of sprints and I have 15 sprinters ready to return to racing. They will only need one trial, in my opinion. Obviously that is subject to me checking them over after they have trialled, but I would expect to have them ready to race.
“I have other dogs who would definitely need two, and a couple who would probably benefit from three, before I would want them on the card again.
“The point is, it should be my decision. I am 70 years old and have had greyhounds for 50 years. Do I really need GBGB to tell me when it is safe to race my dogs? If the stewards don’t think trainers are competent, they shouldn’t give them a licence. It strikes me that this is a case of people in authority trying to cover their backs, and rely on veterinary guidance. In my time in greyhounds, I haven’t come across so many vets whose opinion I would rate.
“I would be much more concerned about the condition of the tracks. Has anybody been maintaining them for the last six weeks? Does GBGB have anyone inspecting them to check that they are up to standard and safe for the dogs?
“As for the procedure at the pick-up, I was chatting to Charlie (Lister) this week and we can both see there being all kinds of problems if staff are being called one at a time to collect their dogs. That doesn’t work for me.”
