CLERK of the Course John Ridley has faced a barrage of complaints from trainers over the state of the Sha Tin equitrack racing surface. Former champion trainer David Hill, the tracks liaison officer of the Trainers' Association, has informed Ridley of the feeling of many members of the officially-recognised body after lightning times were recorded last Wednesday night. Jockeys, too, have voiced their displeasure over the synthetic surface.
Said Hill: 'A number of trainers, both expat and local, gave me their views on the track in no uncertain manner and I have talked it over with John Ridley. The ground was very firm. 'It was not consistent, either, and some trainers were very concerned about their horses on the really firm surface.' Officially, only the Wong Tang-ping galloper Hawky pulled up lame but other horses may have also ended up sore. 'If a horse is not that bad, not everyone will report it.
You don't want horses on the sidelines for two months or something,' said another trainer. Ridley said: 'I have been asked by some trainers to make the track exactly as it is for the trials on a Tuesday or Friday but I don't think that would be fair to the punters. 'What we are after is a track that will be the same for all equitrack meetings.
I understand the trainers' concern and we are certainly not sitting back and twiddling our thumbs. 'I am confident that the track will be acceptable to all parties when we have the three meetings in the middle of the month.' Trainers are also concerned about the lack of trial opportunities on the grass with the Jockey Club placing restrictions on the number of horses that can trial on Tuesday - the first set of barrier trials this season after early sessions were aborted by the weather.
A trainer with more than 45 horses can enter five for the trials while a smaller trainer with less than 25 horses can put in only two. The restrictions reflect the Jockey Club's deep concern about the current state of the grass track at Sha Tin.
