POOR RACECOURSE MANAGEMENT AT NEWBURY

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 12 2010

RACECOURSE PREVIEW HITCH A DISASTER FOR THE WALEY-COHEN'S

The dilemma that Robert Waley – Cohen and his son Sam find themselves in before tomorrow’s race meetings (Saturday February 13th 2010) at Warwick and Newbury.

Sam Waley – Cohen set to partner leading novice chaser LONG RUN at Warwick in the 2:15 totesport.com Kingmaker Novices’ Chase (Grade 2) (Class 1) 2m

Sam Waley – Cohen set to partner STRAVINSKY DANCE in the 3:05 totesport Trophy Hurdle (Handicap) (Grade 3) (Class 1) 2m half a furlong.

But due to Newbury Racecourse moving the start time forward by 35 minutes the sheduled 3:05 totesport Trophy Hurdle (Handicap) worth £150, 000 will now take
place at 2:25.instead. Richard Killoran (3) will now take the ride on STRAVINSKY DANCE.

Richard winner of the 2006- 07 Racing Post ‘Hands and Heals Jump Series, is now to stand in for Sam at Newbury, to take the ride on STRAVINSKY DANCE at the new time of 2:25 the totesport Trophy Hurdle (Handicap). Now to be started at 2:25 instead of 3:05.

Sam’s chance to get to Newbury from Warwick in time to take the ride on STRAVINSKY DANCE with the new start time amendments have made this impossible.

Robert Waley – Cohen admitted “We are just cross that there was such poor communication that the times had been changed round, quite contrary to what was written in the Racing Calendar, without anyone being informed ...

“I only found out because I happened to ring Richard Osgood to talk to him about getting there. No one had told me, no one had told Nicky Henderson .... the trainer of both horses. You make plans of that kind based on the published information, it’s extremely irritating.

“If times are moved around to fit in with the television schedule , they need to tell people. These are not minor races. We’d been planning to do this for some time. We’ve only got two horses with Nicky Henderson and we said we could run both on the same day, get from one track to the other, and Sam could claim 5lb of STRAVINSKY DANCE . We worked out we had 20 minutes in hand and when they moved it without telling anyone we had minus 15 minutes . That was the aggravation.”

Newbury managing director Stephen Higgins said the race time was changed about a month ago. The general ongoing problem allowed to go on unabated .... taking for granted all those who work at the dangerous sharp end of British horseracing, without which the British horseracing stage would be an empty one