Trainers look for light at end of the tunnel

MIDDLEHAM trainers Karl Burke and Micky Hammond agree it is the uncertainty caused in horse racing by the coronavirus which is the hardest facet to comprehend, writes Nick Robson.

While Hammond is a dualpurpose handler with only a small string of Flat horses to care for, Burke looks after one of the biggest Flat yards in the north and has been left in limbo.

Just when he should be looking forward to unleashing his new team of juveniles, Burke’s season has been put on hold at the worst possible time.

“We’re following the protocols at the minute, and it’s working well,” said Burke from his base in the North Yorkshire village, below. “About 95 per cent of staff have been in full time – we’ve had a couple with coughs that have self-isolated.

“You’ve still got to exercise the horses – you can’t just leave them. It’s a dreadful time of year for it to happen, and it’s very frustrating.

“Like most trainers, selfishly we’re thinking about what we’re missing. But everybody is the same – it’s not as if Middleham is closed down and everywhere else is open or vice versa – (so) you’ve just got to get on with it.

“Hopefully there’s improvement in the next couple of weeks and there’s a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. Whether that be May 1 or June 1, we’d just like a date to aim to.

“Race planning for the Flat season must be a nightmare. The latest race calendar has come through, and the first day on that was May 1, so I suppose at the moment they are gearing up for that. The next two weeks are going to be vitally important, not from a racing perspective, but the whole country.”

Hammond, who celebrated his first Grade One success this season when Cornerstone Lad won the Fighting Fifth Hurdle, feels for those like Burke – who have had their season brought to a halt before it even began.

“I think we’re just ticking over up here,” he said. “We’re in the process of finishing nearly all of our jumpers – most of them have had a good season.

“You feel for the Flat lads, you really do. Nobody knows what is going to happen moving forward, we really don’t.

“We’ve got to see what happens up and down the country, and see how bad this gets.”