THE Jockey Club now face a united front from racehorse trainers in the controversial issue of more expatriate licences in Hong Kong racing. Overseas trainers verbally agreed at a Trainers' Association meeting, held after trackwork yesterday, to support their local colleagues in seeking at least a two-year moratorium on the licensing of any more overseas trainers. Local trainers have already told the Club their views on the curtailment of licences for expatriate trainers. And the meeting yesterday is understood to have substantially supported the position already adopted by local trainers and made clear to the Club's chief executive Major-General Guy Watkins and director of racing Philip Johnston at a meeting on Monday. ''Basically, we are in agreement with the Chinese trainers, we don't think it would be advisable to license any more overseas trainers in the foreseeable future,'' said one expatriate trainer after the meeting. And another said: ''I don't think it would help at all. If you have more trainers and more horses then the first thing they have to do is have more race-days and a lot more races. ''Otherwise, we just have more people and horses chasing the same number of races and prizes.'' A delegation from the Trainers' Association is expected to seek a meeting with Gen Watkins over several issues. Another major topic yesterday centred on a superannuation scheme for trainers - a novel idea in Hong Kong racing. The trainers are prepared to set aside a certain amount of earnings, to be matched by the Club, with a lump sum to be due on retirement from Hong Kong racing. However, the meeting was blasted by leading trainer Patrick Biancone who described it as ''a joke from start to finish''. The French trainer said: ''It is a joke that at 6 am a meeting was called for 8.30 am. I have never seen or been in an association that calls a meeting like that and, frankly, I don't think that they respect the word 'association'. I left early because I really did feel it was a joke.'' Meanwhile, top sprinter Concert King worked on the grass at Sha Tin yesterday morning - but the gallop has landed trainer Derek Cruz in trouble. His appearance on the grass track along with stablemate Filipachi left Club officials unamused. And Cruz is now likely to appear before the Stipendiary Stewards tonight following the unauthorised workouts. The grass track was opened yesterday for Class One horses involved in the Hornell Hall Divided Handicap at Sha Tin on Saturday night but neither Concert King nor Filipachi is entered for the event. Chief stipendiary steward Bernard Hargreaves said: ''It's a fairly straightforward matter. Only horses which are entered for the first division of the Class One race on Saturday are permitted to use the grass track. ''Two horses from the Derek Cruz stable worked on the grass and were not entitled to do so. We will be seeing him tomorrow night.'' Hargreaves was at Sha Tin while the stipendiary steward on duty was South African Andrew Erasmus, who brought the matter to the attention of clerk of the course John Jeffs. Trainer Cruz had been under the impression that Class One horses in general could use the grass track. yesterday.
