Obviously it’s the owner’s decision….but not particularly tactful or not much loyalty (or decency) shown by The Listener’s owners now that they have moved the horse from Robert Alners yard particularly given the success they have had with the horse this season.
The Listener
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From the Sporting Life:
THE LISTENER SWITCHED TO MITCHELL
The Listener has left the yard of Robert and Sally Alner and will now be trained by their former assistant Nick Mitchell.
The nine-year-old, owned by Raymond Humphreys whose horses run under the banner of Old Moss Farm, has won three Grade One chases in Ireland over the last two seasons.
Mitchell has decided to set up on his own next term and will be operating out of a 17-box yard at Piddletrenthide in Dorset.
Robert Alner is still in hospital following a serious car crash in November and he is unlikely to ever walk again. Sally Alner now shares the licence but refused to get drawn into a war of words.
"Nick Mitchell used to be our assistant and he is taking over Mr Humphreys Old Moss Farm horses. There's worse things that have happened at sea," she said.
"It won't be the first horses taken away and it won't be the last. There is no ill feeling.
"It certainly hasn't come as a surprise and I've got other things to think about really."
Mitchell told the Racing Post: "I became aware of it on Monday morning. I have been over to see Sally and the feeling is that if he is going to go somewhere she is glad he is coming here.
"Basically he (Humphreys) wants continuity and I have had a close association with The Listener since he turned up at the yard as a four-year-old and I've done a lot of work with him."
THE LISTENER SWITCHED TO MITCHELL
The Listener has left the yard of Robert and Sally Alner and will now be trained by their former assistant Nick Mitchell.
The nine-year-old, owned by Raymond Humphreys whose horses run under the banner of Old Moss Farm, has won three Grade One chases in Ireland over the last two seasons.
Mitchell has decided to set up on his own next term and will be operating out of a 17-box yard at Piddletrenthide in Dorset.
Robert Alner is still in hospital following a serious car crash in November and he is unlikely to ever walk again. Sally Alner now shares the licence but refused to get drawn into a war of words.
"Nick Mitchell used to be our assistant and he is taking over Mr Humphreys Old Moss Farm horses. There's worse things that have happened at sea," she said.
"It won't be the first horses taken away and it won't be the last. There is no ill feeling.
"It certainly hasn't come as a surprise and I've got other things to think about really."
Mitchell told the Racing Post: "I became aware of it on Monday morning. I have been over to see Sally and the feeling is that if he is going to go somewhere she is glad he is coming here.
"Basically he (Humphreys) wants continuity and I have had a close association with The Listener since he turned up at the yard as a four-year-old and I've done a lot of work with him."
granger
Senior Jockey
If he thinks moving the horse to Mitchell is in the horses best interest, can you really disagree with his decision?
Merlin the Magician
At the Start
I personally think it was the right thing to have done owing to this guy actually training him[ doing all the work with him] and I would have done the same knowing what we know now..............
But aint this a sort of problem in many fields of work, were a successful person wants to break away and try their hand at being the gaffer how many times do we read that a battle royal is taking place between the ex head and the understudy that breaks away and thinks they can also be a success, so its nice to near that theres no aggro going on with this particular case........
One hears about so many cases were the new boss as taken the client el with them when they move on to try and better themselves, without a possible court case coming about???...........
But time will be of the essence in this case and can be judged by all??????????
But aint this a sort of problem in many fields of work, were a successful person wants to break away and try their hand at being the gaffer how many times do we read that a battle royal is taking place between the ex head and the understudy that breaks away and thinks they can also be a success, so its nice to near that theres no aggro going on with this particular case........
One hears about so many cases were the new boss as taken the client el with them when they move on to try and better themselves, without a possible court case coming about???...........
But time will be of the essence in this case and can be judged by all??????????
Tend to agree. I'm far from convinced my some of farmer Alners methods and it strikes me (reading between the lines) as if the lad has grown frustrated at the lack of recognition he's received and has been harbouring ambitions to strike out on his own. He's clearly indulged in a bit of self-promotion and probably spoken with the owners numerous times pointing out the trainers faults whilst pushing his own input. The owners it seems have listened and decided he's right?
Colin Phillips
At the Start
Touch of supposition there too!
If Mitchell really has done most of the work with the horse then I find the decision understandable.
The sad thing to me is that knowing as they did that Mitchell had already made plans to set up on his own this year - he was meant to go straight after Cheltenham but waited for the Alners' sakes - they didn't offer to give him the licence, given the severity of Robert Alner's injuries, and let him run the yard himself initially with their help and advice. Then ALL the horses would have stayed, and the situation could have been the best solution all round for everyone.
I doubt very much that Mitchell was setting out to pinch horses while Alner lay on his deathbed - most owners know very well what goes on in a yard and often talk to the HL or Assistant about their horse for another viewpoint, so I doubt they needed to be 'seduced'. If Mitchell has had the principal care of the horse for all the time he's been in the yard, they would know who is responsible for his success
I wouldn't be surprised if quite a few Head Lads aren't better 'horsemen' than their trainers, but lack the social skills in many cases, not to mention the capital and the self-confidence, to set up on their own. A wise trainer makes sure his key staff has full reward and recognition. In any case Mitchell was Assistant, always a step to setting up in training, and made his plans clear long before the accident
The sad thing to me is that knowing as they did that Mitchell had already made plans to set up on his own this year - he was meant to go straight after Cheltenham but waited for the Alners' sakes - they didn't offer to give him the licence, given the severity of Robert Alner's injuries, and let him run the yard himself initially with their help and advice. Then ALL the horses would have stayed, and the situation could have been the best solution all round for everyone.
I doubt very much that Mitchell was setting out to pinch horses while Alner lay on his deathbed - most owners know very well what goes on in a yard and often talk to the HL or Assistant about their horse for another viewpoint, so I doubt they needed to be 'seduced'. If Mitchell has had the principal care of the horse for all the time he's been in the yard, they would know who is responsible for his success
I wouldn't be surprised if quite a few Head Lads aren't better 'horsemen' than their trainers, but lack the social skills in many cases, not to mention the capital and the self-confidence, to set up on their own. A wise trainer makes sure his key staff has full reward and recognition. In any case Mitchell was Assistant, always a step to setting up in training, and made his plans clear long before the accident
Shadow Leader
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The article Alastair Down wrote on this subject in today's Racing Post was nothing short of a disgrace. What, or who, gave him the right to be acting judge, jury and condemner? As well as being downright rude about Humphreys, in a daily publication!
Mind you I also didn't like the comment in Graham Green's report on the horse moving yards where he said "....but since Robert Alner suffered serious spinal and neck injuries in a car crash last November that have left him unlikely to walk again, the grey [The Listener] has become a firm favourite with racing followers". What a load of crap - the horse didn't become popular down to Alner's accident! He was a decent horse in his own right well before that and as such had accrued his followers.
I am sure that Humphreys has every sympathy with the fate that has befallen Robert Alner, but that is no reason to feel you have to keep a horse in a yard. Nick Mitchell has apparently done most of the work with The Listener so it is entirely understandable that the owner would want the horse to go with Mitchell.
Mind you I also didn't like the comment in Graham Green's report on the horse moving yards where he said "....but since Robert Alner suffered serious spinal and neck injuries in a car crash last November that have left him unlikely to walk again, the grey [The Listener] has become a firm favourite with racing followers". What a load of crap - the horse didn't become popular down to Alner's accident! He was a decent horse in his own right well before that and as such had accrued his followers.
I am sure that Humphreys has every sympathy with the fate that has befallen Robert Alner, but that is no reason to feel you have to keep a horse in a yard. Nick Mitchell has apparently done most of the work with The Listener so it is entirely understandable that the owner would want the horse to go with Mitchell.
Totally agree with HS & SL ( 
). While it's entirely understandable Sally might want to hold on to way things were and retain the licence as an incentive for Robert, doing so has consequences and one of them is that Mitchell wants his own yard, presumably!
Also, neither of the Alners are exactly spring chickens and if the situation was reversed and they wanted to retire, no one would be trying to stir up a media feeding frenzy by saying how unfair to THE LISTENER and his connections!!
Very disappointing for the Alners on top of everything else but accidents are just that and there are always repercussions to cope with. The most important thing right now is that Robert Alner gets to be as well as he can.
). While it's entirely understandable Sally might want to hold on to way things were and retain the licence as an incentive for Robert, doing so has consequences and one of them is that Mitchell wants his own yard, presumably!Also, neither of the Alners are exactly spring chickens and if the situation was reversed and they wanted to retire, no one would be trying to stir up a media feeding frenzy by saying how unfair to THE LISTENER and his connections!!
Very disappointing for the Alners on top of everything else but accidents are just that and there are always repercussions to cope with. The most important thing right now is that Robert Alner gets to be as well as he can.
granger
Senior Jockey
That puts everything into perspective
As I reported in the previous Alner thread, and again earlier today, Mitchell had all his plans laid to start training immediately after Cheltenham, before the accident happened; and he's only stayed on this long to help the Alners out.
The sensible thing imo woudl have been to give him the licence and let him train form the yard, but there you are - I suppose that woudl have been too hard for the Alners ot come to terms with, though at their age and given the circumstances I think they may in the end regret not doing it
The owner has always been totally pragmatic and unsentimental about arrangements for his horse/s as was shown when he jocked Thornton off!
trackside528
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Looks a sensible decision to me. If Nick Mitchell has worked that closely with the horse (and IIR it was always him who travelled with The Listener when he came to Ireland), then it's totally logical.
Glad to hear there doesn't seem to have been much agro over the whole situation either.
Glad to hear there doesn't seem to have been much agro over the whole situation either.
K
Kathy
Guest
It seems to me like the Press wanting to try and make a "story" out of something that most people can see as a totally logical move.
I agree totally with Songsheet that the most important thing here is Robert Alner's health and I am sure that has always been Sally's priority. No trainer likes losing a high profile horse from their yard, but put in context of her husbands ill health, it surely doesn't figure that highly on her current list of priorities.
I agree totally with Songsheet that the most important thing here is Robert Alner's health and I am sure that has always been Sally's priority. No trainer likes losing a high profile horse from their yard, but put in context of her husbands ill health, it surely doesn't figure that highly on her current list of priorities.
Shadow Leader
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Interesting to see that the RP printed an apology/retraction for the Down article today - that article was printed over two months ago! Can I smell some sort of legal action??
Isinglass
At the Start
Sometimes the press can be much to quick to try to make a sensational angle to things. This was a disgrace, cannot blame them for wanting it retracted.
rorydelargy
At the Start
There's no shortage of news on how Robert Alner is; there has been a blog with regular updates here:
http://newsonrobertalner.blogspot.com/