Training horses here ‘harder and harder’

By Simon Tostevin

Ruth Bougourd aboard Glenree, Guernsey’s last locally trained race horse. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 0573263)

GUERNSEY’S only locally-trained horse goes in race three at L’Ancresse later today.

Glenree, which is trained by Tom and Ruth Bougourd, has not raced for more than a year since injuring itself the first time it went over hurdles at Wincanton.

Ruth said it was becoming harder and harder to train horses locally. ‘It’s why Jim Jamouneau sends them to Jersey. We just struggle to find people to ride them. We’re all getting older and there’s not the youngsters coming through like in the past. People are also working a lot more than they used to.’

She said restrictions on the use of beaches was also making it more difficult for training, with horses having to be off the sand by 10am in the morning and 7pm at night.

‘If the tides are wrong it’s almost impossible.

‘We would certainly like to carry on training horses here but it’s getting harder and harder all the time.

‘Jackie does all the training on Glenree but there are not many people left. There’s people who can do it but there’s not the interest locally.’

In the 3.40 feature race, the Cenkos (CI) Handicap over two miles one furlong, Glenree comes up against five other horses, but Ruth would not be drawn on how the seven-year-old might fare in his first one back.

‘It’s a very competitive race and I’m not sure how he will do but I imagine it will be one of the favourites who wins.

‘He’s been injured and not raced for a year, while some of the Jersey and English horses have had some already this year.’

Roy Hodges’ Royal Prodigy will be up against Glenree and be looking for a third win on Guernsey soil since the annual event returned in 2005.

A challenge will also come from Jersey horses Koka Fast and Snow Lark.

But Ruth is just happy to see horse racing back in Guernsey.

‘We are just hoping for sunshine and a good crowd. There’s all the facilities up there that you need and hopefully it will capture people’s imagination and more people will come forward to ride the horses.’

The first race today, the Sure Handicap over one mile, is off at 2.30.

Car parking is provided near the course and racegoers are advised to arrive early.