John Durkan & Hilly Way Chase Cards

  • Thread starter Thread starter SlimChance
  • Start date Start date
Is that acceptable though?

Who beside the racecourse benefited by the meeting going ahead. Any prize-money gained is put in the shade by what it has done to the horses.

A time-buff on TRF reports a record (by some way) going correction - and suggests a going description as a “quagmire”.
 
I would say that it's not acceptable to elevate commercial considerations, ahead of the welfare of the horses.

However, the welfare of the horses is really the domain of the trainer rather than the racecourse, imo. If trainers are prepared to run their horses in what was effectively a swamp, then they probably have to be given the benefit of the doubt, that doing so is not overtly detrimental to their well-being.

It's a tough one, because it didn't look pretty.......but has it really damaged the welfare of any of the runners, more than those at any other racecourse hosting a meeting over the weekend?
 
I don't even trust some owners with their horses welfare, let alone trainers who'll consider the prize money easy pickings with lesser runners. Racecourses should be responsible for horses welfare as the event is held its on their turf.
 
I appreciate that I would definitely be described as a “tree-hugger” by many “racing people” but there is no way I would let my horse run in such attritional ground. And I certainly do not enjoy watching horses wobble their way to the winning-post on their last legs.

I’m also not convinced that horses are less likely to injure themselves on very soft/heavy ground.
 
Colin Phillips said:
I appreciate that I would definitely be described as a “tree-hugger” by many “racing people” but there is no way I would let my horse run in such attritional ground. And I certainly do not enjoy watching horses wobble their way to the winning-post on their last legs.

I’m also not convinced that horses are less likely to injure themselves on very soft/heavy ground.
Click to expand...

IF the horse handles that ground then 100% its safer than firmer ground. But its a big IF that they handle the ground and have the stamina to jump safely.
 
Heavy going, slower pace, softer falls, gentler jockey, earlier pulling up.

I would far sooner allow a good chaser go in this than a cavalry charge at Gailleamh on hard summer ground.
 
The ground at Cork was so bottomless they weren't leaving a print in it, only ripples. Nobody likes conditions as extreme as this but most of the good horses were coping ok with it.
 
If you ask 10 trainers about the same horse, 5 will run 5 won't. It shouldn't be left to the trainers or owners, the racecourse should be responsible for having a racing surface not a `swamp`, is this organized racing or are we 200 years ago.
 
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