Conrad Allen recalls landmark winner Niklas Angel at first all-weather meeting

Conrad Allen, trainer of the first winner on the all-weather in Britain 30 years ago, hailed the impact of the surface which stages a landmark first Group 1 at Newcastle on Friday.

The Newmarket handler sent out 7-2 favourite Niklas Angel, the mount of Richard Quinn, to beat Good For The Roses by three-quarters of a length in division one of the mile claimer at Lingfield on October 30, 1989 – 30 years ago on Wednesday.

All-weather racing was introduced after a succession of bad winters when many turf fixtures were cancelled, with the inaugural meeting held on Lingfield’s Equitrack.

All-weather fixtures in 2019 account for about one-fifth of the British fixture list, and some of the sport’s biggest stars of recent years, such as Enable, Jack Hobbs and Stradivarius, have won races on the synthetic surfaces.

Lingfield, now with a Polytrack base, stages two Listed events on Thursday, while Newcastle's Tapeta hosts the rescheduled of Vertem Futurity Trophy on Friday.

The Group 1 Vertem Futurity Trophy will be run on Newcastle's straight mile on Friday

Allen said: “It might be 30 years ago but I’ve not forgotten that day. I remember speaking to Niklas Angel’s owner and saying ‘do you want to have a pioneer runner on the first day’?

“When the entries were made for the claimer it was set to be the third race, but it divided and ended up as the first race at 11am.

“We expected Niklas Angel to win. He had run well a few times before and looked a worthy favourite. We were based on the Hamilton Road in Newmarket and they had put an Equitrack out the back. The surface held no fears for us. He was a fast-ground horse on turf.

“I remember being interviewed by ITV after Niklas Angel’s win. I said that the all-weather was a good outlet for some of the lower-grade horses who were finding it hard to compete on turf.

“It was also good for us as some of the bigger owners disliked it for a while, so the opportunities were there.”

Sonnet Rose: prolific this season on the all-weather for trainer Conrad Allen

Allen added: “I pulled out the Lingfield racecard only the other day. The first prize for that race was £1,700. I put it into Google and found it would represent £4,250 in today’s money, yet we’re still racing for £2,500. In terms of prize-money, we’re 30 years on and have not really progressed at all.”

Few could have predicted in 1989 the extent to which all-weather racing would flourish over the next 30 years.

When it began it catered for essentially low-grade performers and was viewed cynically by many in the sport as “betting shop fodder”, rather like BAGS racing in greyhounds.

However, Allen is one of those not surprised at its spectacular growth. “I saw the future in it right back then,” he said. “The surface is safer than false, watered turf.

“I was never frightened to run any horse on the all-weather, particularly when the Polytracks came in. It’s the reason why many small trainers are still surviving.”

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