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The suspension of reigning champion Southern Districts trainer Trevor Sutherland has left a massive hole in racing at Narrandera and Leeton.
Sutherland will face a steward’s inquiry on a date to be set after racehorses he sent for rehoming were allegedly slaughtered.
Sutherland had 62 horses in his stable, including Run Hoff Run owned by Narrandera Race Club vice president Graham Mathieson.
He had not fared well at the last Narrandera meeting, picking up eighth and ninth placings on the heavy track.
Last year, Sutherland won the two-year-old of the year with Come Get Me, three-year-old of the year with Blazing Zone, Wagga horse and stayer of the year with Jungle Book and trainer of the year.
Mr Sutherland said 2020 had had its challenges with the bush res and pandemic resulting in many meetings, especially picnics, being abandoned.
“This was a huge blow as we love supporting our local tracks and communities,” he said.
In a letter to his stable owners, Sutherland said he had successfully rehomed hundreds of horses in his more than 20 years as a licensed trainer.
Narrandera racing manager Michael Bailey described the trainer’s suspension as a massive blow for the club’s September 26 meeting.
“Obviously this has to go before the tribunal but it is certainly not going to help racing in our area as he would have between five and 10 horses at most Narrandera, Leeton and Griffith meetings,” Mr Bailey said.
“They have been transferred to other trainers if outside clients but he also has quite a number of his own ones.
“It’s going to have a big effect and is compounded with (Jerilderie trainer) Phil Sweeney having four horses running at Morphetville (SA) and these were assigned to run at Narrandera and Leeton.
“This is due to Hay, Deniliquin, Berrigan and Jerilderie being abandoned, the horses have gone elsewhere.
“It’s going to put the pressure on doing fields – I hope I’m wrong but I know how much work there was to ll our Cup day fields.
“There are certainly a lot of unknowns.
Between those two trainers, they ll 15-20 per cent of the fields.”
Mr Bailey said some Sutherland horses had been transferred to Wayne Carroll’s stable at Wagga.
Meanwhile, Murrumbidgee Turf Club will be upcycling its barrier stalls to Narrandera Race Club, with Narrandera’s barriers moving to a new home at Jerilderie Race Club.
“The barrier set we have now is the third set in my 30 odd years with the club,” Mr Bailey said.
“The top clubs receive new barriers and the other sets are moved down to the TAB clubs followed by the community clubs.
“Our barriers have been done up so Jerilderie will get a real good set of barriers with the latest safety padding.
“It won’t happen for the next meeting – the funds came out of the NSW Racecourse Development Fund, which has a pool of money for infrastructure including running rails and barriers.
Mr Bailey said the week of warm weather would help the Narrandera track, already in perfect condition for the September meeting.
“Whatever happens now with spring coming on, it will only get better,” he said.
