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
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Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.40pm
“She’s going as good as she can. She’s got a bit of speed but isn’t that strong. But she should get a nice trip here and be right in the frame. She’ll win one soon.”
Race 1: Jessie Lincoln
5.40pm
“She’s a big filly who has taken time to mature but she has plenty of ability. She’s a good pacer and I expect her to improve on her resuming run and go well.”
Race 1: Lincoln Dealer
5.40pm
“He’s a bit of a handful, too keen for his own good sometimes, so I’ll be happy to see him just get round and do most things right. He’s no superstar but he’s coming to it slowly but surely. We’re throwing him in the deep end here and he has a terrible draw but we have to start somewhere.”
Race 4: Lincoln Maree
7.04pm
“She’s as tough as old boots and tries like hell and you can’t ask for much more than that. She just lacks a bit of speed but has a good attitude. She usually finds one or two better than her but will make them work for it anyway.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Prince Lincoln
4.56pm
“He’ll be improved for the last run, has trialled and is working well, and has a better draw (the ace) this time. You just have to be a bit wary because he’s let us down a couple of times.”
Race 3: Angelic Copy
5.56pm
“She had a tie-up issue but seems much better now. It’s her first run for a while so she’ll definitely need the run. I’m just hoping she gets around all right and pulls up OK.”
Race 3: Colonel Lincoln
5.56pm
“He’s a very capable horse, if injury prone, and he’s been back in work for three or four months. You never say never but, realistically, he’s just starting off so you can’t expect him to be at his peak.”
Race 5: Sammy Lincoln
6.55pm
“I know I said it two starts back but if there’s such a thing as a certainty, he’s it. Even from seven on the gate, everything says he’s the one to beat. If he hadn’t gone a bit goofy up the home straight last time in the Sires’ Stakes Semi at Cambridge, he’d have easily run third. This is a huge drop in class.”
Race 7: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.58pm
“I expect he’ll be a bit sharper this time. He’s looking well and feeling good but I still think another run under his belt will be beneficial for him. He’s not one to leap out of the ground but he is capable of taking the race.”
