Paul Nicholls defends Cheltenham after Rooneys decide to shun track
A vigorous defence of Cheltenham racecourse, widely regarded as the home of steeplechasing, was made by racing insiders on Tuesday after it emerged that the owners Paul and Clare Rooney will no longer run their horses here.
Cheltenham was lauded as “the theatre of dreams” by one winning owner and Paul Nicholls, the 10-times champion trainer, said the news was “like a Premier League footballer saying he doesn’t want to play at Wembley because he doesn’t like the pitch”.
“They’re within their rights to do whatever they like with their horses,” Nicholls said, “but I’ve never had a problem with Cheltenham. It’s 100% praise from me, they’re so professional, no stone is left unturned to make sure everything is right for horses and jockeys.”
Nicholls added words of support for Simon Claisse, who, as clerk of the course, is responsible for ensuring that ground and layout are both safe and suitable. “Simon works amazingly hard and I know he feels it’s a bit of a kick in the teeth because he’d had no contact from them whatsoever and then reads that in the paper. But there’s an awful lot of people behind him, who support him. I’ve never had an owner not want to run here.”
The Rooneys, who lost two horses to fatal injuries at Cheltenham last season, have offered no public comment as to the reason for their stance and their racing manager, Jason Maguire, declined to comment. Several trainers in their employ confirmed receiving instructions by email not to run Rooney horses at Cheltenham “until further notice” but did not wish to comment further.
Speculation centred on the views of Clare Rooney, said by some to have long held a preference for Flat racing, with its lower risk of injury. But there was also a suggestion that the Rooneys had found their runners at Cheltenham experienced a higher rate of injury than elsewhere.
Cheltenham officials were delighted to confirm that no horses sustained injuries during the New Year’s Day action here. However they will not comment on the Rooneys until such time as the owners clarify their position with a public statement. Safety at Cheltenham was recently the subject of a voluminous report by racing’s ruling body, yielding a series of recommendations including reduced field sizes.
It remains to be seen whether the Rooneys will still be prepared to run horses in the Grand National, for which entries will be published later this month. Their colours have been carried by The Last Samuri in five races over the famous green fences in the last three years.