Newmarket trainer hits out after Chelmsford is forced to cancel stalls test due to dispute with medical staff provider

Trainer James Horton has described the late cancellation of a stalls test at Chelmsford last week due to the non-attendance of medical staff over a dispute with the racecourse as “completely unsatisfactory”.

Horton, along with fellow Newmarket trainers Michael Bell and Charlie McBride, had taken a horse to the track last week to participate in a mandatory stalls test to allow his filly to run in a race she was entered for this week.

However, the stalls test, which was scheduled to take place before racing last Thursday, was cancelled after staff working for a private medical company who were required to be in attendance failed to turn up.

A replacement test was hastily arranged to take place at Newmarket before its Sun Chariot meeting last weekend to allow the horses to be loaded and jump out of the stalls in time to be declared, although Horton was frustrated at being forced to take the test during Storm Amy.

Horton said: “It’s pretty unsatisfactory [that it was cancelled]. Instead I had to give my filly a test in a howling gale because I want to run her this week – I didn’t have a choice.

“The filly’s been off for 400 days and needed a test to run. She went to Wolverhampton and unfortunately misbehaved, so we went to Chelmsford, with all the extra cost that entailed, and wasn’t able to do it. It’s completely unsatisfactory.

James Horton: says trainers always end up payingCredit: Debbie Burt

“We sent extra staff to Chelmsford, we brought in [equine behavioural specialist] Craig Witheford to help – none of this is cheap. And who’s going to end up paying? It’s going to be us, isn’t it, because that is how racing is for trainers.”

While the stalls test was unable to take place at Chelmsford, an agreement was reached between the course and the medical provider after the cancellation which allowed for the fixture to go ahead without disruption.

A spokesman for Medicare EMS, which provides ambulance services to Chelmsford, said it had been engaged in “positive conversations” with the course since last week.

Racing is due to take place at Chelmsford on Thursday, when a nine-race card gets under way at 4pm.

Chelmsford chief executive Nathan Holmes said: “We’ve enjoyed a successful working relationship with Medicare since opening in 2015, however a debate unrelated to our horseracing operations disrupted last week’s racing.

“This has subsequently been resolved and they will continue to be our medical services provider for our future fixtures.”

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