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HRA and trainer cross swords over non-runners
by Lee Mottershead
THE Horseracing Regulatory Authority on Friday issued a thinly veiled threat to trainers following the controversial withdrawal of four badly drawn runners at Chester and expressed deep scepticism about the official reasons given for the scratchings.
But trainer Gerard Butler, responsible for two of the non-runners at Saturday's meeting, responded by blaming 48-hour declarations.
Four horses were on Friday declared non-runners from Saturday’s meeting at Chester, a track famed for its bias against high-drawn horses. The quartet removed - all of whom were issued with veterinary certificates - were berthed 14 of 14, 13 of 13, 12 of 12 and nine of nine in their respective races.
The development comes just weeks after three horses drawn one, two and three were withdrawn with veterinary certificates from a sprint handicap over the 5f course at Beverley, home of arguably the biggest draw bias in British racing.
Reacting to the Chester scratchings, racing's regulatory body made clear it believes horses have been withdrawn because of draws deemed by trainers to be unfavourable.
HRA spokesman Owen Byrne said: "If people think that we view it as pure coincidence that runners drawn high at Chester and low at Beverley are in good health before declaration time but then suddenly take a turn for the worse after declaration time when the draw is revealed, they need to think again."
Byrne explained that a certificate can be issued not only because a vet has inspected a horse, but also if a trainer reports to a vet that a horse is not fit to race on account of "for example, coughing after exercise or not eating up". He added: "All the vet certificates received are checked and logged here, and it would become apparent very quickly whether trainers are abusing the system.
"Trainers who have an abnormally high rate of reporting things to the vet will be flagged up to the licensing committee prior to the trainer's next licence application."
Of the four Chester non runners, one is trained by Ed Dunlop, one by Lady Herries and two by Gerard Butler,who blamed the introduction of 48-hour declarations for the defections and insisted poor draws were not a factor.
"The HRA may be sceptical about the Chester non-runners but they can't be half as sceptical as trainers were about 48-hour declarations and we have been proved right," said Butler, who now has one runner apiece today at Goodwood and York.
"Under the old 24-hour declaration system, my two horses would not have been declared. My horses haven't been running to form, so I can't make decisions about them at the 48-hour declaration stage.
"These horses were scoped this morning and weren't right to run. I'm not going to send them off in a horsebox if they aren't right. It is not up to the BHB, the HRA or the public to determine health reasons for horses not running.
"As for the outside draw at Chester, that's been there forever. When they had chariot racing there, the guy in the chariot drawn widest was in the same boat as trainers today. You just have to get on with it."
it seems not only DD thats having some problems....lol
Paul
HRA and trainer cross swords over non-runners
by Lee Mottershead
THE Horseracing Regulatory Authority on Friday issued a thinly veiled threat to trainers following the controversial withdrawal of four badly drawn runners at Chester and expressed deep scepticism about the official reasons given for the scratchings.
But trainer Gerard Butler, responsible for two of the non-runners at Saturday's meeting, responded by blaming 48-hour declarations.
Four horses were on Friday declared non-runners from Saturday’s meeting at Chester, a track famed for its bias against high-drawn horses. The quartet removed - all of whom were issued with veterinary certificates - were berthed 14 of 14, 13 of 13, 12 of 12 and nine of nine in their respective races.
The development comes just weeks after three horses drawn one, two and three were withdrawn with veterinary certificates from a sprint handicap over the 5f course at Beverley, home of arguably the biggest draw bias in British racing.
Reacting to the Chester scratchings, racing's regulatory body made clear it believes horses have been withdrawn because of draws deemed by trainers to be unfavourable.
HRA spokesman Owen Byrne said: "If people think that we view it as pure coincidence that runners drawn high at Chester and low at Beverley are in good health before declaration time but then suddenly take a turn for the worse after declaration time when the draw is revealed, they need to think again."
Byrne explained that a certificate can be issued not only because a vet has inspected a horse, but also if a trainer reports to a vet that a horse is not fit to race on account of "for example, coughing after exercise or not eating up". He added: "All the vet certificates received are checked and logged here, and it would become apparent very quickly whether trainers are abusing the system.
"Trainers who have an abnormally high rate of reporting things to the vet will be flagged up to the licensing committee prior to the trainer's next licence application."
Of the four Chester non runners, one is trained by Ed Dunlop, one by Lady Herries and two by Gerard Butler,who blamed the introduction of 48-hour declarations for the defections and insisted poor draws were not a factor.
"The HRA may be sceptical about the Chester non-runners but they can't be half as sceptical as trainers were about 48-hour declarations and we have been proved right," said Butler, who now has one runner apiece today at Goodwood and York.
"Under the old 24-hour declaration system, my two horses would not have been declared. My horses haven't been running to form, so I can't make decisions about them at the 48-hour declaration stage.
"These horses were scoped this morning and weren't right to run. I'm not going to send them off in a horsebox if they aren't right. It is not up to the BHB, the HRA or the public to determine health reasons for horses not running.
"As for the outside draw at Chester, that's been there forever. When they had chariot racing there, the guy in the chariot drawn widest was in the same boat as trainers today. You just have to get on with it."
it seems not only DD thats having some problems....lol
Paul
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