Racing: Trainer disputes safety concerns in hurdles

If the New Zealand Jumping Association wants a contrary opinion on 2400m hurdles races, Danny Walker can provide it.

The winning trainer with Just Jeff at Te Rapa on Saturday has some strong opinions.

Complaints by some jumps jockeys on Saturday that there could be safety issues with speed in hurdle races as short as 2400m prompted the association to ask for a review of the events' suitability.

Waikato Racing Club general manager Tony Enting echoed Walker's views on Saturday when asked for an opinion.

"I'll bet the winning rider hasn't complained."

Neither did the winning trainer. Walker believes the 2400m was appropriate for this time of year.

"Look, there have been no jumping trials in the north - the first of them are this week, so why would you make horses that might not be fit go 2800m?

"The other point is that 2400m is the perfect hurdle race in that when horses jump from the 2400m they can see the first fence and there are three of them before they have to turn a bend."

Walker believes that removing the hurdle that used to be near the 600m at Te Rapa is a bigger issue than the distance of races. Following a pile-up at that jump last year, jumps jockeys felt there was a safety problem with tiring horses having to jump an obstacle on a bend.

"It leaves too long a distance without a jump," said Walker.

"They say they're going too quickly. It's horse racing, for God's sake - horse racing is about speed. The days of old hunters plodding around a track over fences are gone. Speed is the key. They've made the jumps safer.

"Did anything fall in the race? No."

Walker said he did not have an issue with races extending out to 2800m, provided there had been opportunities to get the horses fit enough for it.

After a highly impressive jumping debut win at Te Rapa, Just Jeff was beaten over fences at Hastings in his lead-up to Saturday.

"He totally got away on me and put on more than 10kg," said Walker. "I was giving him plenty of work and he looked fit, but when I put him on the scales before Hastings I got a huge shock.

"He's always around 560kg and this time he was 572kg."

Just Jeff and Aaron Tata led and put the pressure on the opposition a long way out, eventually running their rivals ragged and winning untested by nearly five lengths.

Walker said he would look at taking Just Jeff to Australia in the late winter or early spring for a couple of steeplechase races.

Joy Greenland, who races Just Jeff with her husband, Pat, said she was against the idea of the horse becoming a hurdler.

"No, I wasn't impressed when Danny told us, but then I reasoned that horses can fall and get killed racing on the flat."

Dondinello is another who could end up jumping in Melbourne. His runaway 20-length victory in the minor hurdle race on Saturday confirmed he has a huge future in his new role.

There was a huge punt on debut jumper Princender, but it didn't shake the confidence of Dondinello's trainer, Ross Elliott.

"If he doesn't win I'll make a comeback and ride him myself next start," he said before the race.

Dondinello was always pretty safe. Shelley Houston set a pace that had everything struggling, despite riding instructions that settling behind the leaders would be the best tactic.

"He's normally very slow out of the gates, but he got out quickly this time and I ended up in front and there was no advantage in giving that away," said Houston.

Dondinello is owned by Windsor Park principal Nelson Schick. Elliott ended up with the giant-sized gelding after the horse became claustrophobic in the starting gates.

"He's been very fragile in the brain department, but he's getting better," said Elliot.

"He was bad in the gates only because of his size."

For all his height, Dondinello is impressively athletic and it reflects in his jumping.

Princender fought on solidly in his debut and looks promising.