WARRNAMBOOL trainer Peter Lafferty is seething he has been blocked from having a runner on a day his late, great father Kevin is to be honoured with a $100,000 jumps race at his home course.
Lafferty yesterday called for changes to rules governing the entry of horses in country jumps races after his jumper Ballysteen was ruled out of Sunday's $100,000 Crisp Steeplechase (3800m) at Warrnambool.
The steeplechase and a $100,000 Kevin Lafferty Hurdle (4150m) are the feature races of Warrnambool's Super Sunday jumps meeting.
Lafferty said Ballysteen, which had run second in the 2005 Brierly Steeplechase, had been refused a run because the nine-year-old gelding did not have a high enough rating to gain a start.
But Lafferty said the conditions of entry for Sunday's race published by Racing Victoria Limited did not include any mention of the race being open for horses with a rating of at least 115.
"This rule is a farce," he said.
"Frankoo Very Much who won both the Grand Annual and Brierly steeplechases (2005) was a maiden steeplechaser and would not have been able to race in either race (under this rule)."
He said some of the sport's biggest names, dual Grand Annual winners Thackeray (1979-80), Hoki (1995-96), 1989 Grand Annual winner Dunroe and 2000 champ Miracle's Star would not have been able to start under the same conditions.
"That's seven horses under this rule who would not have been allowed to run who won, there's a couple more I think too, so it is possibility nine."
RVL communications manager Shaun Kelly said the 115 rating limit had been introduced from June 1 last year in line with a recommendation from the Jones review into the sport. He said Ballysteen had a rating of 113 and would not run on Sunday.
"It was primarily put in because it was deemed to be a safety mechanism to have horses of sufficient quality competing in feature jumps races," he said.
"It was important horses had met a certain quality."
He said RVL had no plans to review the rule.
"At the end of each season, in particular with jumps racing, all elements of the jumps racing program are considered. If there was something put forward by the jumps racing community or the AJRA it might be considered."
He said a "clerical error" was responsible for the minimum rating not being listed in the conditions of entry and after RVL was made aware of the omission, an email and text message was sent to each jumps trainer in the state on Monday before nominations closed yesterday.
Lafferty said he had lengthy discussions with RVL officials on Monday.
"I'm disappointed, I'm not here to create waves but I want that fixed," he said.
"I don't have to like the decision but I will accept it. Next year, should we have jumps racing, that ratings rule should go in country Victoria."
Lafferty's frustration is compounded by the fact that Ballysteen, on the comeback from five years out of racing, had been working into good form.
"You wait five years and the horse has done three tendons and you get him back and competitive and then you come up against this, it is a farce.
"We will pay the price this year but going forward it shouldn't be there.
"If he got into the race, he would be ultra competitive, I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't run a place."
Ballysteen, a maiden over jumps, has eight placings from 16 starts.
"The horse is a 20-length better horse at Warrnambool, he's not in the same league as Galleywood and Thackeray, but he is a sound jumper and his record proves he is 20 lengths better here."
Lafferty said he was now facing the prospect of taking Ballysteen to Adelaide on Saturday week for the SA Grand National which involved 15-hours on the road for the round-trip in a race he was unlikely to have as good a chance.
Ballysteen was one of 14 horses nominated for the Crisp Steeplechase by yesterday's deadline.
This year's Grand Annual Steeplechase winner Al Garhood, trained by Winslow's Ciaron Maher, and last year's Grand Annual winner, the Robbie Laing-trained Sir Pentire, are among the nominations.
The Kevin Lafferty Hurdle attracted 15 nominations, including the Robert Smerdon-trained Some Are Bent and Robbie Laing's Mazzacano, both previous winners of the jumper of the year award.
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