schooling days, anzadam & correct decision.

​Although I believe trainers are behaving like spoilt brats in wanting to be paid for t.v. interviews, I also believe the sport should provide as much help as is necessary in order to give the owners who employ them as much enjoyment and interest as can be allowed.
Writing in the Racing Post today, Sandy Thompson makes a plea for racecourses to put on schooling days so that trainers can give young horses experience of the racecourse without the stress and exertion of an actual race. I do not think this is too big an ask.
The tired cliché ‘we must do it for the children’ could be applied in this instance. The future of our sport lies with the quality of the young horses coming through the ranks; it is why we have bumpers, of course. In Ireland, a country we should aspire to be equal to, they go further than just having a bumper at the majority of their National Hunt fixtures, they also have a regular supply of ‘schooling days’, where trainers can pay for the privilege of running horses in non-competitive races, a boon, I should imagine, when their gallops are under water.
Though I would not advocate ‘schooling races’ as it would take horses away from actual races and further limit numbers and competitiveness, I do think racecourse clerks might think about staging schooling sessions before or after racing. Or if, for example, a trainer was keen to work one of the equine stars, for example Sir Gino or Constitution Hill, a session might be organised mid-meeting, a highlight for what might otherwise be a very ordinary day’s racing.
Of course, clerks cry, ‘we cannot allow the course to be poached on a day when we are racing’. Good point, yet my answer is simple. A six-race card with five hurdle races and a bumper, would allow trainers to school over fences. Or a six-race card featuring five chases and a bumper, would allow trainers to school over hurdles. Or when a racecourse has wide fences, a portion of the fences could be dolled-off to prevent the racing line being galloped on.
Schooling sessions before racing would allow owners to see far more of their horses than when they attend a stable to see their horses school or gallop, and such days would be a fillip of interest to racegoers. Extra bang for their buck, as it were. Also, trainers would pay the racecourse for using their facilities. And, as Nicky Henderson has reiterated, taking Jonbon to Newbury for a trip in the lorry and a walk around the paddock is always beneficial to his mental well-being. If it works for Jonbon, it should also be beneficial for the mentality of any young horse.
Ireland is bettering us in most departments at the moment. We just need to be a bit more savvy about admitting doing things differently is not aiding our revival.

How anyone could get excited about Anzadam as a threat to Constitution Hill on the back of two wins in races a leap year away from being competitive is beyond me and I was pleased to hear Willie Mullins having second thoughts about taking the horse to the Champion Hurdle. He is undoubtedly a nice prospect and Willie, being the clever man he is, is considering the future for the horse, with novice chasing next season more likely than staying over hurdles.
Dancing City, on the other hand, is a horse to look forward to. Never flashy, just does enough to win and no more. You would never know if he has more ability and stamina than Ballyburn. Indeed, a would not be a bit surprised if Willie persuades the owners of Ballyburn to stay their hand this year and skip Cheltenham for races over a lesser distance at Aintree and Punchestown.

Also pleased to see that Dan Skelton has seen the light and backed away from running Grey Dawning in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The horse is not Gold Cup class, though he might beat Gold Cup horses after they have run in a Gold Cup and when Grey Dawning is fresher through having a quiet March. That means we are down to 4 British trained entries, though Grey Dawning will be left in the Gold Cup for now – just in case, I should imagine, Galopin Des Champs suffers a setback prior to Cheltenham. If only Paul Nicholls would consider supplementing Stage Star as he certainly was not stopping up the hill at Cheltenham last weekend and anywhere L’Homme Presse finishes in the Gold Cup, Stage Star should be close on his tail.