Willie Mullins' Low Sun won the 2018 Cesarewitch© Photo Healy Racing
Fence omissions due to the low sun continues to cause problems and while Champion Trainer Willie Mullins this morning called for a “debate between trainers, jockeys, clerks of the course and the stewards”, an IHRB spokesman confirmed a conversation was held in November.
Mullins, in his sportinglife.com racing blog, stated “I thought racing at Naas on Monday, where they took out all the jumps, was a little bit of a farce. Did they need to be taken out? The sun wasn’t’ coming out over the top of them.
“This issue has been causing problem too often this season. Jumping is what the sport is about, jumping in sunlight is what the horses have done for hundreds of year. I can see why it happens at some tracks, where the sun does come over the fences or hurdles, but it definitely wasn’t the case at Naas.
“It’s a debate that should be had between trainers, jockeys, clerks of the course and the stewards. It’s a huge disadvantage for good jumpers when obstacles are taken out, it’s not ideal, and we need to find a better solution.”
An IHRB spokesman this afternoon replied “the low sun was a big consideration in a recent Zoom call but a conversation was had.
“Our annual safety review takes place every year and while it was held later this year, it was held via a Zoom call at the end of last month with all stakeholders — jockeys, trainers, clerks of the courses and more being involved.
“IHRB is open to listening to all suggestions from all stakeholders to bring about a resolution to the problem. While it was agreed the issue of the low sun is a problem, nobody has come up with a solution in the UK or Ireland or anywhere else to the problem yet but we are exploring all avenues.
“If jockeys feel there is an issue with the sun, then the Clerks of the Courses need to look at the problem and have to take on board those concerns. Sometimes there can be a glare from the sun or other times it can be the shadow cast so we may need to get creative if we are to solve the problem.
“We are open to all suggestions.”
Mullins' Monday frustrations are understandable as his built-for-fences Lord Royal, a beaten odds-on favourite on Monday, contested the 2m3f beginners chase and jumped just nine fences, having raced on the flat for the final half-mile.
Just six fences were jumped in the half-hour later two miles handicap chase.
