Bosses at Down Royal today slated a report criticising ground conditions at the Northern Ireland track.
And they were backed by trainer Noel Chance who insisted that the course was not to blame for the injury that has put Looks Like Trouble on the sidelines.
In today`s Racing Post several trainers are reported as being critical of the ground for last weekend`s festival meeting.
The report claimed that one trainer refused to enter horses at the meeting while another said the surface was like cement in places.
Looks Like Trouble, the Gold Cup winner, was found to have damaged a tendon after winning the James Nicholson Champion Chase at Down Royal last Saturday and will miss the remainder of the season.
But Chance said: 'I have no complaints and the ground had nothing to do with Looks Like Trouble`s tendon injury.
'The going was good to soft and good in places and the quarter of an inch of rain which fell on Friday night before the race left it perfectly safe. I walked the track on the day of the race and was delighted with it.'
Down Royal`s clerk of the course Mike Todd said: 'I was most disappointed at what they`ve been saying.
'We put a lot of effort into ensuring everything was right and in fact I had a number of compliments that the track was in fine condition.
'It`s true that the going was variable over the two miles but you get that at a lot of courses. To my knowledge no trainer withdrew a horse because of the ground.'
