Racehorse TALK

Hyland finds jumps racing a hurdle too high
Brad Waters
Tuesday, 5 May 2009

Trainer Chris Hyland’s days as a force in Victorian jumps races might be numbered if Warrnambool’s famous three-day carnival is a guide.

Hyland doesn’t have a runner over the obstacles at Warrnambool as he restructures his stable to accommodate changing attitudes to Australian jumps racing.

The winner of last year’s J J Houlahan trainer’s championship, Hyland said the uncertainty surrounding the future of jumps racing had forced a change in business practices for his stable.

“With the way things are with the sport of jumps racing, it’s in my interests to change what I do and have more flat horses in my stable for the future,” he said.

“The government and RVL could pull the pin on jumps racing at any time and I would then be left with a team of horses I couldn’t do much with.

“I’ve got room here for 22 in work, of which I only have two or three jumpers these days and I have quite a few flat horses either spelling or pre-training at other places.

“If they stopped jumps racing now, I would still have 22 in work which means no matter what they decide to do with jumps racing; my business will be in pretty good shape.”

Hyland’s hand has also been forced by the loss of his two best jumpers, Weeping Willow and Toulouse Lautrec, to injury.

“Weeping Willow pulled up sore after his first jumps run and was retired, he did a terrific job for us,” Hyland said.

“I turned Toulouse Lautrec out before he did a tendon completely and he’ll be out for this jumps season. With jumps racing in the state it is, I don’t know whether he’ll be back.”

Hyland, however, will be represented a potential new jumps star, the Group II winner Coalesce, in the City of Warrnambool Open Handicap on Tuesday.

“He’s a natural at the jumps but we are bringing him along slowly and teaching him to jump perfectly,” Hyland said.” He’ll need the run on Tuesday but he’s not that far off his jumps debut.”