Owners have a right to pick and choose where and when their horses run but this decision looks founded on very limited data
Four days after it emerged that Paul and Clare Rooney, who have one of the largest strings of jumping horses in the UK, have instructed their trainers to boycott Cheltenham until further notice, both the track and the wider racing public are still waiting for further details about the “safety concerns” that apparently prompted the owners’ decision.
All that is clear thus far is that the Rooneys feel that their runners face an increased risk of injury when racing at Cheltenham, and believe that they have statistical evidence to back them up. Paul Rooney seemed to suggest this week that their data will be published in due course but as yet the actual numbers have yet to see the light of day.
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Lingfield 12.30 Arkyn 1.00 Geordie B 1.30 Hint Of Grey 2.00 The Game Is A Foot 2.35 Bastien 3.05 Bonza Girl 3.40 Bonds Conquest
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