Ray Green says horses need constant care and work and warns the industry could be looking at an extended shut down.
Ray’s urgent plea: The industry will be stuffed if we can’t keep training our horses
By Barry Lichter • 24 March 2020
Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green paints a bleak picture for the racing industry if attempts today fail to see training tracks and stables declared essential work places.
Green and his fellow trainers at Pukekohe can no longer work their horses following the Auckland Trotting Club’s decision yesterday to close down the Franklin Park training centre as part of its response to the country going into Covid-19 lockdown at midnight on Wednesday.
Cambridge Raceway remained open today as CEO David Branch awaits a decision on the three codes’ approach to the Ministry Of Primary Industries for exemption to the stay-at-home direction of coronavirus alert level 4.
Green cannot understand why Auckland officials didn’t go into bat more for the industry given the repercussions for racing.
Not only was it not safe to suddenly stop training highly charged racehorses, which need constant care and feeding, Green wonders if the downstream effect had been considered.
“If we can’t keep training our horses it won’t just be four weeks that racing is stopped, the industry will be shut down for three or four months and we’ll all be stuffed.
“They’ll be screaming out for racehorses when we go back to level 3 but you can’t line horses up in races straight out of the paddock. It would take two months minimum to get them fit again.”
Green says he’s sure trainers with their own tracks will continue to work their teams but they were in the minority.
David Branch … refunding Jewels bookings.Branch, who has a horse of his own in training at Cambridge with Arna Donnelly, says there are a myriad of considerations ahead for the industry and its participants.
“We’re prepared to leave the track open if we can - we have the staff to do it - and we run the Morrinsville track as well.”
Branch says he’s lucky his horse has been in training only for a month and needs a couple more.
If trainers are allowed to keep working their horses, owners with those up and running would be faced with the difficult decision on whether to keep paying when no one knows when racing will resume.
Harness Jewels hit
Branch is already resigned to not running the code’s blue riband event, the Harness Jewels, on May 30.
“A decision on what happens is up to Harness Racing New Zealand but we’re already refunding people who have bought tickets.
“We’re hoping that we’ll retain the hosting rights as we’re so far ahead of where we were last time in the planning. We’d be keen to run the meeting later in the year.”
* Meanwhile, Green still doesn’t know if Copy That and Platinum Stride will make it back to Pukekohe before the lockdown on Wednesday night.
“They were set to leave Christchurch but they weren’t going to be allowed on the Cook Strait ferry as the crossing was too rough. There’s still a chance they’ll get away today.”
Majestic Horse Floats announced yesterday that they would not be able to move horses after Wednesday afternoon.
Green himself has managed to get home on a flight this afternoon.
New Zealand Throughbred Racing’s latest Covid-19 advisory can be read here:
https://loveracing.nz/News/30031/LatestUpdateCOVID-19Tuesday24March.aspx
More news in Harness
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Johnny Lincoln’s big ticker will stand to him in the States and Lover’s also sold to Aussie
No Jumals to beat this time at the Park so Ray’s looking for Lincoln Wave to roll in
Lincoln Linda best of the night at Cambridge - she has the engine to cross Soul Artist
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.44pm
“She did well here last time as she had to do a bit to get to the lead and she dug in and fought on. She’s certainly a chance if she repeats that effort.”
Race 4: Lincoln Linda
7.09pm
“I thought she went super last time after doing a lot of work. She can do that because she has an engine and is tough. She’s a bit one-dimensional - you have to turn her loose early - but from the two draw she should be able to lead and that’s where she does her best work.”
Race 5: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.34pm
“I think he’s a bit stronger after his spell. It’s not a great field - most will die on that mark - and I don’t see a problem with the standing start as he’s nicely gaited. He could be marginally unfit after three months out but he’s done quite a bit of work and I can see him going a half-decent race.”
Race 6: Lincoln Maree
7.59pm
“She had every chance last time but I can’t see why she won’t go well again. She’s as honest as they come and tries like hell.”
Race 7: The Night Fox
8.29pm
“You’d think he’d lead easily from the inside. He’s had bad draws and still got the money, so I’m sure he’ll go another good race. I’m surprised they sold him so cheaply. He’s better than people think.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Lincoln Wave
5.09pm
“With the trip he got in the Harness Million I thought he’d have run on a lot better. But he was still a bit short on fitness and sometimes we can expect too much of these horses, he was racing the best, after all. It’s a big drop in grade here and he’s a pretty fair horse.”
Race 1: Leo Lincoln
5.09pm
“He’s an honest sort who’s in a good space but he won’t get a wonderful trip from the outside of the gate this time so I’m not holding my breath.”
Race 3: Sammy Lincoln
6.04pm
“He’s training down well but you never know what he’s going to do. You think you’ve got him sorted and he does something silly. But we know if the real Sammy turned up, he’d be very hard to beat as he’s got a lot of speed.”
Race 5: Prince Lincoln
7.05pm
“He’s another where you don’t know which one will turn up but we’ve gelded him since his last run, so we’ll see if that helps. He trained well the other day.”
