'It's not safe for my horses' - trainer anger at Newcastle ground as 31 runners taken out

Some of the trainers responsible for the mass of non-runners on Newcastle's Thursday afternoon jumps card described conditions as "rough" and "unsafe" and are calling for more transparency around going descriptions, with uncertainty over how the ground changed to firm in places only on raceday morning.

The combination of a dry spell and a broken watering system meant the ground was changed from good, good to soft in places to good, good to firm in places first thing on Thursday. It led to 31 of the original 70 declared runners being taken out, with all bar three officially withdrawn due to the going.

Conditions in the home straight were reportedly quick when trainers arrived and assessed the racing surface, while a lack of grass covering – described as "threadbare" by one trainer – was also a major concern. Trainer George Bewley deemed the ground too dangerous to run his three horses after walking the track, while Newcastle clerk of the course Eloise Quayle insisted it was fit for racing.

Bewley, who travelled two hours from his yard in Colby, Cumbria, said: "It's quick and rough, and as far as I'm concerned I don't think it's safe for my horses. I walked the track and there isn't much grass on it, which makes it much worse. The ground is really hard right up the home straight.

"Everybody has their own opinion and some people will feel it's safe. I just think it's too firm. We run horses in the summer and I wouldn't run them on that ground."

Newcastle: said its inability to water, which will be fixed by Monday, had been made clear to trainersCredit: John Grossick

The trainer also questioned the accuracy of the going description of good, good to soft at the declaration stage. Newcastle said its inability to water, which will be fixed by Monday, had been made clear to trainers.

"I'm really annoyed they didn't tell us the ground might be like this – it hasn't just dried up overnight," Bewley added. "This ground would have been this way for a few days. I just wish they'd tell the truth. The weather is what it is – it's nobody's fault – but just tell people what it really is. I've driven for two hours with three horses and I've now got to go back for two hours and talk to some unhappy owners."

Cartmel-based trainer James Moffatt, who took out his three runners, was another left disappointed by conditions.

"I felt it was too quick so I pulled them out," he said. "You don't get second chances – you can only make one bad decision. I think as well, the going change at 7am could have been done an awful lot earlier. It's very disappointing. It was just too rough and quick, there's been a lot of racing there so I knew it'd be a bit threadbare, but there's a lot more good to firm than good in my opinion."

Newcastle's watering system is "out of commission temporarily"Credit: John Grossick

Newcastle's Quayle admitted the track was "not pretty" and said the temporary watering issues would be fixed in time to provide more suitable ground for next Saturday's valuable Eider Chase fixture. A strip of fresh ground has also been preserved for that card, but she disagreed with the assessment that the ground was unsafe or rough.

"It's not rough," she replied. "We've rolled it and slit it, but it's worn at the moment. We're on a line that's outside so that we've got some ground left for the Eider. It's not pretty but there's certainly nothing wrong with it.

"We've not been able to water, which was declared on the going update since the entries, so everybody was in the loop about that. The ground has just dried back – it's as simple as that really.

"It's always disappointing but we should be able to water from next week and we're hopeful that we'll be back on course and where we should be for the Eider next Saturday. Our watering system is out of commission temporarily and it'll be back in by Monday. We wouldn't usually have a problem with it in February, but it's proving to be a dry one."

'The ground is good and safe'

Adrian Keatley, whose Clear White Light landed the 2m4½f handicap hurdle on the card, had a different view on ground conditions at the track.

He said: "It was safe to race but I think everyone at the moment is aware of how little rain has fallen in the last few weeks.

"Someone called it good to soft this morning and I don't think they've done a whole lot wrong. They've probably just misjudged it, but the ground is good and safe and I didn't see any horses pulling up today or any in jeopardy of getting a serious injury.

“We had no complaints about the ground — I said that before our horse ran. Everyone at the moment seems to want to take negative points out of the racing. If people started looking at the positives and being more upbeat about the racing then we'd be in a much better place.

"Everyone is old and mature enough to know what the ground should be before they leave their yard or declare their horse.

"There's jockeys who have travelled here today and owners who have allowed their horses to come here today. The jockeys will lose out on wages because they haven't raced and owners will still have to pay travelling bills.

"The ground is safe, there's no doubt about it. If there were any horses who got injured, I don't think it was to do with the ground."

Earlier this season, Newcastle came under fire when an all-weather meeting was cancelled less than 30 minutes before the first race. The track was deemed raceable by the groundstaff but racing professionals subsequently said conditions were unraceable due to frozen ground.

Newcastle's last jumps fixture was on January 31.

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