DESPITE no fatalities on Saturday, one of jumps racing's main players still doubts that the sport will last much longer in Victoria, reports The Age.It says: Brian Johnston, who trains in partnership with Fran Houlahan, said on Saturday after his jumper Tarawera won the Australian Steeple, that the key performance indicators set down for jumping were always ''unachievable''.''I blame the Jumps Racing Association for signing off on a deal that saw KPIs that were beyond the reach of jumps racing i
DESPITE no fatalities on Saturday, one of jumps racing's main players still doubts that the sport will last much longer in Victoria, reports The Age.
It says: Brian Johnston, who trains in partnership with Fran Houlahan, said on Saturday after his jumper Tarawera won the Australian Steeple, that the key performance indicators set down for jumping were always ''unachievable''.
''I blame the Jumps Racing Association for signing off on a deal that saw KPIs that were beyond the reach of jumps racing in Victoria,'' he said. ''Fran and I were committee members of that association and we fought and fought not to agree to sign up to such steep undertakings.
''We were defeated and we both left the committee because of that ruling and I understand that it's a democracy but Fran and I could not stand by and let the ruling go through.''
Johnston said Racing Victoria chief executive Rob Hines had recently warned that the KPIs were beyond the industry. ''Hines is telling us where we stand, it's the jumps racing association that should never have let such an agreement be ratified. I know I'm not going to be popular for what I say - let them sue me - but you can't be found guilty if you're telling the truth,'' he said.
Johnston announced on Saturday that they would take Tarawera to race over jumps in England next year.
Australian Hurdle winner Black And Bent is also likely to head overseas for the steeplechasing events in Japan.