Dubious Affair to strike again
DUBIOUS AFFAIR made quite a splash on her debut for Charlie Fellowes - and she can keep up the good work in the attheraces.com Handicap at Doncaster.
Previously trained by Sir Michael Stoute, the four-year-old had mustered one win in nine starts over two seasons with the master of Freemason Lodge, being campaigned up to a mile and a half.
However, Fellowes took the bold decision to hike her up in trip to 14 furlongs for her yard debut at Yarmouth, and the decision paid dividends in style as she ran out a cosy length-and-a-half winner.
She took a while to get going that day, but when she did hit her stride she was really quite impressive and seemed to relish stepping up to a staying trip.
Fellowes had entered her for the Northumberland Plate - but given she was unlikely to make the cut for the main event, it makes sense to have a crack at this prize instead.
Kaloor is an intriguing runner as he moves back up to 10 furlongs in the Sky Sports Racing HD Virgin 535 Handicap.
He was thought good enough to have a crack at a Classic trial when
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trained by Brian Meehan, but he fell a bit short of that calibre and struggled to really find his groove last term.
Transferred to David Menuisier for the start of the current campaign, Kaloor was pitched in over a mile on his return at Haydock earlier this month - and wearing a first-time tongue tie, it was a respectable return over what was probably an inadequate trip.
Kaloor is back up in distance here and on his lowest mark of 90, Menuisier might have a bit to work with.
Caspian Queen has hit the bar twice since racing resumed - but she can make it third time lucky in Newmarket’s Betway Fillies’ Handicap.
Now back with Richard Hughes after a brief spell with Mohamed Moubarak, Caspian Queen has shown up well in two competitive heats, chasing home Jovial at Lingfield before going down by just a short head at Goodwood last time.
She was back over five furlongs on that second occasion and after finding a bit of trouble in running, she just could not make up the lost ground in time to peg back the winner.
WELSH rugby has been urged to take a reality check and drastically reduce the amount of money spent on the wages of leading players.
That’s the stark message from a major figure within the club game, Merthyr’s multi-millionaire backer Sir Stan Thomas.
He believes Welsh rugby was already living beyond its means before the coronavirus pandemic, arguing it now has to take radical action with a £20m-plus shortfall looming.
“We are facing an unprecedented financial crisis,” he said.
“The reality is striking home now. “We were living beyond our means before this. Now we are facing a big black hole and we have got to take action.
“If there is anybody out there that can’t understand that, I am sorry, but there is something wrong.
“It is a watershed moment. “This crisis is forcing us to look again at our financial model.
“We just don’t have the people coming through the gates at the regions to be able to pay players £300,000 a year. We can’t afford it.
“Secondary players are getting £150,000. It is ridiculous.
“I hear of one player having in excess of £400,000 a year.
“Why do we need to pay a man that money? Is he a Gareth Edwards?
“It is just ludicrous. We just can’t afford to pay it.
“It’s not the players’ fault that they have had this money thrown at them over the years, I don’t blame them.
“It’s the fault of the structure that has allowed this to happen.
“We have to use this situation to have a reality check.
“I have every sympathy for the players. But they have got to face reality now, the money just isn’t there.
“The average gates of the regions are probably about 6,500 to 7,000.
“It just doesn’t pay its way, not with the wage bill as it is. I think existing contracts should be honoured. The WRU will have to borrow against its assets to fulfil those.
“But, after that, for all new deals, there must be a limit then, where the maximum you can get is hypothetically £150,000 plus international fees.
“We can’t afford any more than that per player at the regions. “We need a new financial reality. “I feel sorry for the boys earning £300,000-plus who would have to take big pay cuts, but they have got to understand the money just isn’t coming in to pay that.”
Thomas continued: “Many of the original major sponsors have dropped out.
“My brother, Peter, has been extremely generous down at Cardiff, but now he has moved aside. It’s for someone else to take the reins, but I don’t think there’s anyone else with his kind of money that can do that.
“I read that Cardiff Blues are facing a shortfall of between £4m and £6m because of the pandemic. Where are they going to get that money from?
“The regions simply have to cut their cloth to fit the new financial reality.
“The WRU have got to cut their cloth as well, by reducing the number of people working there.
“There are far too many people at head office and they are getting too heavily paid.
“We have to look at that. I am sorry that jobs must go, but if we are to sustain rugby in Wales we have got to have some reality there.”
Thomas says his own club’s tier the Indigo Group Premiership - will also be impacted.
“The Premiership clubs will feel the effects of this as well,” he said.
“We can’t afford to be paying the salaries that are being paid. There will have to be a pay band.
“We must all be together and agree it. Salaries will have to come down at semi-pro level too, without any shadow of a doubt.
“There must be an agreement that everybody sticks to it and, if they don’t, kick them out of the Premiership for three to five years.”
While there’s no rugby at the moment, these are still exciting times at Merthyr, with the new clubhouse at The Wern nearing completion.
“It’s something that has been needed for a long time,” said benefactor Thomas. “It’s both for the club and the community.
“We have laid the carpet in the main lounge, we have done the floor in the main hall, the kitchen is in, with two bars under construction.
“It should all be completed by the end of August. It’s going to be something special for the people of Merthyr.
“Having seen this, players who haven’t been here for years have been in touch asking if they can form a second team or a veterans side.
“We have also got so many children wanting to be part of the minis, youth and juniors.
“This is what I set out to do in the beginning. A good community spirit and good rugby.
“We have new floodlights being put in next week. That’s on the back of a new pitch, a new gymnasium and improved spectator facilities to meet the A licence.
“We are proud of what we’ve done here.”