The number of signatories to the National Trainers Federation online petition calling for a halt to Arena Racing Company’s plans to replace Newcastle’s Flat turf course with an all-weather surface was surging towards the 250 a day ago, 24 hours after its launch.
Northern trainers with their names on a list signed by dozens of colleagues from around Britain include Mark Johnston, Michael Dods, Tom Tate, Ann Duffield, Ruth Carr, Richard Whitaker, Tom Dascombe and Donald McCain, a two-time Northumberland Plate winner.
And as momentum gathered pace behind the campaign to urge Arc either to abandon its plans or at least put them on hold, more specific details about Catterick’s all-weather ambitions emerged, with the track understood to want around 50 all-weather meetings a year should it receive planning permission to enter the fixture process come January 2016.
Trainer Mark Johnston – ‘never been in favour’
Johnston said of the Newcastle all-weather proposal: “While I appreciate there is a need for an all-weather track in the north, I’ve never been in favour of closing the turf track at Newcastle and I’d rather do without the all-weather track than see that happen.
“Newcastle is, topographically, one of the best tracks in Britain, if not the best, and it would be a travesty to lose it. Sadly, under Arc management, the quality of racing has already declined but so long as the turf track exists we can hope that trend might be reversed.”
He continued: “Furthermore, I have no desire to see any expansion of all-weather racing in Britain, at Newcastle or anywhere else. We are boring our customers and doing untold damage to the sport with drab, uninteresting, poor-quality racing. We don’t want any more of it.”
Arc’s £10 million project to turn Newcastle into an all-weather venue would mean Tapeta replacing turf, but its capacity to host winter floodlit meetings depends on securing an exemption from the BHA from rules that require Flat cards to include two races over a mile or further that aggregate two and a half miles, because there is floodlighting only for the straight mile.
The Horsemen’s Group objects to the exemption being granted and, with a large number of trainers opposed to the plans, Durham-based Dods suggested delaying a verdict.
“The north does need an all-weather track, but maybe we should not rush and give Newcastle the go-ahead until all other options have been looked at,” he suggested. “Newcastle is one of the best tracks in Britain.”
“Don’t destroy best track in the country”, says Hugo Palmer
Newmarket trainer Hugo Palmer, who went to university in Newcastle and whose family home is 80 miles north of the city, has a 45 per cent strike-rate at the track.
“Don’t destroy the best turf track in the country,” he pleaded in his blog. “And when you’ve got people like Sir Michael Stoute speaking out against it – and we all know that Stoutey is quite reticent when it comes to speaking out – they need to be listened to.”
The strength of feeling over Newcastle could benefit Catterick’s efforts to carry out its own all-weather conversion.
John Sanderson
John Sanderson, chief executive of International Management Ltd, which runs the course, said yesterday: “We have English Heritage onside, which is essential because of the Roman remains that exist in areas of the site. We’re talking to the local authority and formulating a formal planning submission, which is quite complicated because it involves floodlights, traffic management and the A1, which is being widened and upgraded alongside.
“That could take another four to six months, assuming it all goes well.”
Sanderson stressed the fate of Newcastle has “nothing to do with us, we’re working along our path” – which suggests the north could end up with two all-weather tracks by 2017.
A BHA spokesman said: “We produce guidelines each year for the development of new racetracks, which also cover the conversion of existing tracks, and they are made available to all interested parties.
“We remain in contact with Catterick regarding their proposals, and they would have to apply under the existing process, which typically concludes each January for the following year’s fixture list.”
The BHA board is due to make a decision shortly on the issues surrounding Newcastle.
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