why are there not more dual-purpose trainers?

​Firstly, I have shingles. I make this announcement with some pride as it is the first time in my 69 and one-half-years I am suffering, though such a description might be over-egging the pudding a mite, with a ‘branded’ medical condition. When asked, ‘how you doing these days’, I can now reply ‘oh, I’m fine, apart from the shingles, that is.’ People will sympathise with me, offer anecdotes on the elderly members of their family who were also shingles sufferers and briefly I will become interesting and noteworthy. God bless the shingles!
In extreme cases, shingles can kill, did you know that? Like when you don’t get medical intervention and allow the shingles to colonize and take charge of your body. I’m usually very slow at seeking medical help, having all my faith in doctors eviscerated by their appalling allegiance to government dictates while all the while turning their back on the science that earned them their licence to practice their skills. Anyway, my death is avoidable if I pull my finger out and go seek medical advice. I shall speak to a pharmacist today.

Back on track.
We live in straighten times affecting all sectors of society. It is a covert, military style destruction of normal society, imposed by governments around the world to enable the undemocratic imposition of the evils of the World Economic Forum’s, guided and assisted by the Club of Rome, the Bilderberg Group, etc, ‘Great Reset’. Nevertheless, the impact of this societal readjustment is real and affects us all. It certainly is affecting racehorse trainers with a gathering storm of retirements from their ranks. I’m saddened to see any business forced to close because of outside forces, with no fault of their own to blame for the demise. I particularly find it sad to have trainers forced out of business for whatever reason.
I cannot provide any useful advice on the matter, other than to speculate as to why so many trainers stick to being just flat trainers or jumps trainers. Why the reluctance to avoid the diversity of having a go at the other code during their slow and less financially rewarding periods of the year?
Many do, of course. Tim Easterby, though primarily a flat trainer these days, still operates with a smaller string of jumpers. Brian Ellison, too, is successful under both codes. And, of course, Alan King, perhaps the most eminent dual-purpose trainer in the country.
Burke, Cox, Dascombe, Osborne, to name but four, made their name as jump jockeys, yet they are exclusively flat trainers, with hardly a runner in a hurdle race to their collective name. I realise the innovation of all-weather racing and summer jumping has lessened the need ‘for something to do in the off-season’ but there is good money to be won in the ‘other codes’. I dare say the aforementioned ‘four’ are all quite wealthy due to their achievements as flat trainers and have no need to dabble with jumpers, yet Willie Mullins outstrips them all in achievement and frequently plunders big-money races on the flat. Why isn’t the Closutton maestro a flagbearer for diversity in the training ranks?
It is on record that James Fanshawe actually took charge of the day-to-day training of Kribebsis, but when he won the Champion Hurdle, he was owned by Sheikh Mohammad and trained by Sir Michael Stoute and their involvement shone a fresh light on the National Hunt narrative. Perhaps a more adventurous way of thinking by flat trainers might keep a few of those high-rated horses in their stables and not sold abroad.
Archie Watson sees himself as a dual-purpose trainer and in a quiet way he is successful at both, as is Ian Williams and Micky Hammond. It must be a perk to stable staff who work primarily with flat horses to have runners over jumps through the winter and vice-versa National Hunt staff having pool-money coming in through the flat season.
When trainers of the stature of William Jarvis, the last, seemingly, of a heritage line of Jarvises to train in Newmarket, announce their retirement is due, in part, to the financial situation, I tend to ask why they didn’t think out of the box and suggested to their owners running horses over hurdles and then on to chasing. Or a jumps trainer and flat trainer combining to operate under both codes.
Anyway, it’s just a thought. Anything to turn the tide of so many racehorse trainers giving the game up and taking from the sport all their knowledge and expertise.

On this day in 1770: Eclipse ran his final race, a walkover as so many of his ‘races’ were. He went on to sire the winners of 862 races.
In 1970, Nijinsky suffered his first defeat, finishing a strong second to Sassafras in the Arc de Triomphe.
In 1989, Secretariat died aged 19 at Claiborne Farm, Kentucky.
Eclipse, Nijinsky, Secretariat, true legends of flat racing.