Trainer slams 'shocking' northern race planning despite feature success with Mudamer

Geoff Harker: trainer disappointed with the lack of local options for his horsesCredit: David Carr

Mudamer’s success in the feature 7½f handicap did little to ease the frustrations of his trainer Geoff Harker, who bemoaned the restrictive nature of the northern fixture list.

Mudamer scored by a length and a quarter under Sam James on his sixth start since being purchased for 42,000gns by Harker out of Kevin Prendergast's stable.

“I thought he would have won before now – he’s very talented,” said Harker. “I think the cheekpieces have helped him a lot because he hit the front at York and then just shut down. It’s just made him focus.

“He’s made hard work of it on what he does at home. I have a horse, Scottish Summit, rated 91 and this fella will kick him into touch without even coming off the bridle.”

Scottish Summit is Harker’s highest earning horse this season and the trainer, based in Thirkleby in North Yorkshire, criticised the lack of local opportunities for his veteran.

“I think the race planning is shocking,” he said. "There’s been nothing for Scottish Summit this last month – absolutely nothing up north. The next race for him is at Ripon, it’s a 0-100. He’s a ten-year-old, he’s not a 100 horse anymore. There’s no 0-95s, no seven-furlong races.

“Whoever plans it ought to be ashamed of themselves because it is bad. How do you tell owners there’s no races when there’s three or four meetings every day, but there isn’t a 0-95. I could run him in a 100 but he’s out of his class – what’s the point? The owners want winners.”

Harker’s other runner at Beverley, Rum Runner, was fifth in the Class 6 7½f handicap won by Liam Bailey’s How Bizarre.

Magnificent Magsood

Magsood holds a Group 2 entry in Doncaster’s Champagne Stakes next month, and Ben Curtis helped the Roger Varian-trained son of Too Darn Hot get off the mark at the third attempt when justifying 6-4 favouritism in the 7½f maiden.

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