National Hunt fixture list is totally inadequate
Nine days ago the Irish Racehorse Trainers’ Association gave its backing to the creation of a second all-weather track, one presumably which will attract more than a handful of bookmakers and be free from the possibility of fog, and the development of a new jumps course.
The Racing Post duly followed up the story and a week yesterday quoted the views of a number of trainers.
Not for the first time Liam Burke could be regarded as leading the way and here’s what he said. “We have an all-weather track and I see no reason for another one. Dundalk should have more meetings and that would suffice.
“Why it has taken the authorities so long to commit themselves to finding a new jumps track is beyond me. They should have done it ten years ago. The sooner we get one the better.
“I’ve often wondered why they didn’t try to buy Thurles, which has kept the winter game going for so many years.”
Tom Hogan said: “A new jumping track has to be the main priority. We’ve lost too many meetings due to bad weather and we have had too many chases cancelled at meetings due to chase tracks being unraceable.”
Willie Mullins said he had no firm views on a new all-weather track, but regarding a new National Hunt course remarked: “That has to be a priority. We badly need a big, galloping jumps track which should be able to race regularly over the winter.”
In the Racing Post on Sunday there was another interesting quote, this time from Ted Walsh. He was talking about his moderate novice chaser, Parrot Cay, who has yet to win over fences, having to run in a Grade 2 at Naas that afternoon.
Commented Walsh: “There isn’t a three-mile novice chase between now and the end of the season, so the race-planning has effectively forced me to run him in a race where he’s clearly out of his depth.”
And it is that lack of planning, that apparent inability to think outside of the box, which has many National Hunt trainers in this country literally tearing their hair out.
A business can only survive and thrive if those entrusted with running that industry can react to constantly changing circumstances. In other words, give trainers, owners, jockeys and the public what it needs.
The GAA may have its share of faults, but no sporting organisation in this country is more effective at providing facilities for its participants.
It is so far ahead in its thinking of the likes of racing, soccer and rugby as to be simply on an entirely different level.
I have heard it said that the reason we cannot race more in Ireland in the winter is because we don’t have enough available racecourses at that time of the year. Well, who’s fault is that for God’s sake?
We know that HRI is currently seeking a location for a new National Hunt track. Admirable and all as that undoubtedly is, are they also willing to allow Thurles to slip off the racing map? Does HRI have the slightest notion of what Thurles means to National Hunt followers in the south? We are constantly listening to drivel about upgrading facilities at tracks. I’ll tell you what the regular punters at Thurles think.
As long as the toilets and food are adequate, they couldn’t give a toss about anything else.
Of course it would be nice if the place was upgraded, but it is a million miles from being of any great importance.
Anyway, to my way of thinking, this has been a dreadful stop-start National Hunt campaign. Take January for instance.
Do you know how many meetings took place for the entire month?, a paltry 12. We lost four meetings, at Limerick, Naas, Cork and Fairyhouse.
February has been a bit better, clocking in at 16. But that is still nowhere near enough and you just have to ask the question, what the hell is going on? I mean, why has there been hardly any racing this week? Monday, Tuesday, horror of horrors, Thursday and Friday were all blank. Yeah, yeah Dundalk is on Friday night, with all due respect, who cares?
HRI cannot be held responsible for bad weather, obviously, but can surely see the bigger picture and slot in meetings at every available opportunity. Is there a racecourse in Ireland which couldn’t race this week? Wouldn’t you think that someone in HRI would have read what was in last week’s Racing Post, would have recognised the growing frustration of trainers and acted accordingly.
Next week there won’t be any National Hunt racing on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday. And then some of us will be off to Cheltenham and that will constitute another blank week for the vast majority of Irish trainers. When Cheltenham is over there will be just six weeks left in the season, finishing with Punchestown. Some game, or what!
