York hit back over ground concerns

MARK Johnston’s criticism of York’s ground conditions for the Ebor festival have been rebuffed by the racecourse and the venue’s leading trainer.

Middleham-based Johnston used his website’s blog to label the softened going as “atrocious” after each of his 13 runners failed to finish in the first four places at last week’s prestigious meeting.

He claims tracks are being overwatered in the build-up to major meetings and suggests that this was the reason for jockeys searching for the better ground rather than racing the shortest route home up the far rail.

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“It is surely wrong, on a ‘Grade One’ track, in August, rain or no rain, to have horses running all over the track in search of the better ground,” said Johnston who believes this may be the cause of some of last week’s more surprising results.

“It is not just York that has a problem, although it is particularly bad there, and it seems to stem from the time when BHA instructions were changed to allow clerks of courses to aim for good-to-firm ground rather than, under the old instructions, to water to promote grass growth but not to alter the going.

“They are setting out to avoid firm ground at all costs and they are clearly happy to risk a change to good-to-soft, or even soft, rather than take that chance.

“They never let the ground get firm and the result is that the grass roots never have to travel far from the surface in search of water with the consequence that, even on the best of tracks, the turf is shallow and, with the least drop of rain, becomes loose.”

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Johnston added: “The only answer is to prevent clerks of courses from watering in the run-up to meetings.

“There will probably be an outcry if we suggest this and I know they will say that they cannot cope with the festival, and longer meetings in summer without watering, but it would force them to manage the turf to establish a good root base and some sort of ‘cushion’.”

However, York chief executive William Derby denied that any watering had taken place – and pointed out that his ground staff had had to contend with above average levels of rainfall prior to the festival.

“The ground was not watered,” said Derby. “We got very positive feedback from jockeys and people who walked the course. Quite naturally they said it was ‘dead’ or ‘a bit sticky’, but that is what you get when it rains and then dries out.

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“One needs to remember there was a lot of rainfall; we had 40mm up to August 17. If we had not invested £2.5m in the drainage system, that would have meant the ground would have been considerably easier than it was.

“Our judgment was the ground was consistent from rail to rail and across the straight. I think that you will find, looking at the tapes, that horses won on all sides of the track and up the centre, so I’m not aware that there was any bias.”

Richard Fahey, York’s leading trainer in recent seasons, reported all his runners returned with a clean bill of health.

Malton-based Fahey, who ended the meeting with one winner and four seconds, said: “Nearly all mine ran well at York and every single one of them returned perfectly sound.

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“That certainly wasn’t the case at Royal Ascot. I don’t know what all the fuss has been about, I honestly don’t. I have no problem whatsoever in running my horses at York, it’s one of the fairest tracks in the country and last week the ground was just about perfect.”

Doncaster Rover could turn out again this weekend following his well-deserved success at York on Saturday.

The five-year-old entire got his head in front for the first time in 12 months when seeing off Majestic Myles in the Listed City of York Stakes.

Trainer David Brown has given the horse entries in the Hopeful Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday, which he won last year, and the Supreme Stakes at Goodwood on Sunday.

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Champion Hurdle runner-up Peddlers Cross could start his career over fences at Bangor in the autumn, says trainer Donald McCain, who also intends to send Overturn chasing.

Overturn is currently the best dual-purpose horse since Sea Pigeon; his versatility leading to victories in the Chester Cup and then carrying to weight to victory over hurdles at Perth at the weekend.

With David Pipe’s World Hurdle runner-up Grands Crus also to be raced over larger obstacles this season, it promises to be a vintage year for novice chasers.

But McCain is particularly bullish about Peddlers Cross adapting to the bigger fences rather than renewing his rivalry with the likes of Hurricane Fly and Binocular.

“He’s good and cantering away. He looks great, He’s grown over the summer and looks a million dollars,” said McCain. “I’ve always liked to start them off at places like Bangor.”