Trainer left with 'no choice' but to move string of 36 horses due to rapeseed oil danger

Point-to-point trainer Harley Dunne has been forced to relocate his stable of horses from Clonroche, County Wexford to a field 20 minutes away due to the effect a rapeseed oil crop has had at his original yard.

Dunne, a successful rider between the flags, has 36 horses in his care and has been making notable strides illustrated by recent graduate Dysart Enos landing the Grade 2 mares' bumper at Aintree just over a week ago. The team was also responsible for unearthing Blizzard Of Oz, runner-up in another Grade 2 bumper at Aintree for Willie Mullins.

Speaking of the difficulties facing the yard due to the crop, Dunne said: "There’s about 150 to 200 acres of rapeseed oil crop at our yard. I had problems with it last last year but thank God it was near the end of the season so we were able to just stop. I’ve ridden loads of horses for other trainers who have also had a crop near them and it’s a big problem.

"I’m not sure about the specifics but I just know that it can cause horses who are capable of winning races to stop two or three furlongs out. There would be no apparent reason post-race either, as they would scope clean and the bloods would come back perfect. 

"We had to relocate to about 20 minutes away at the start of April. I have land leased and I am boxing them to different gallops."

Dunne felt that his hand was forced due to the unpredictable nature of the effects of the crop and, after an initial period of acclimatisation, his string have appreciated the move and he will look to return to his original yard before June.

"We’ll look to move back at the end of May but the season is over then," he added. "I’ve talked to loads of trainers about the issue. It doesn’t seem to affect every horse, you could run five horses and four of them would run bad and on another day only one of them would run bad. It affects them all differently. We had no choice but to move, it was either do that or let them out in the field.

"We had a winner recently and the horses seem to be finishing out their races well. They could be readjusting now with relocating to the field from the stable with no hay and just grass and nuts. There could be a combination of things why they are running well since but they seem to be back to themselves.

"It's just a lot of hardship and inconvenience, especially for my staff but I'm very lucky with the people I have. They are all very good and dedicated. I can’t thank them enough."

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