November 16, 2010 in News by fmc-design
Champion trainer Blockley puts his faith in Fibresand
Champion All-Weather trainer Paul Blockley has attributed much of his success to Fibresand.
Blockley, who trains a string of about 70 horses on the Fibresand surface at Southwell, scooped two awards in the annual All-Weather Championships.
Not only was he leading trainer at his ‘home’ course, but he also scooped the national award for his overall achievements at Lingfield, Southwell and Wolverhampton during the winter Flat season from November to March.
“Fibresand has played a big part in my success,” says Blockley, who operates from one of the two training barns at Southwell racecourse. “Training horses on the circuit they race on has proven to be a big advantage.
“Over the winter, I had about 50 horses in full training on the Fibresand track, and never had any serious injury problems or hold ups due to the weather. My horses worked well on it and, as a result, performed to their best in races.”
Blockley wrestled the Southwell trainers’ title from David Barron, who had won the award in the previous two seasons. “To beat David in my first full season was a great thrill,” he added. “He has been a top trainer on Fibresand since All-Weather racing began 15 years ago.”
Wax coated tracks such as Polytrack are today enjoying immense popularity, but Blockley believes that Fibresand – installed at Southwell in 1989 and at Wolverhampton in 1993 – has an important role to play in the future of All-Weather racing.
“Fibresand suits certain horses, such as those who need cut in the ground. For that reason, it has been an ideal training surface for the calibre of horse that I have,” he adds.
“A lot of my horses won’t act on the faster Polytrack, but back on the Fibresand they can race regularly without incurring any major problems.”
During the 2003/4 All-Weather season the Fibresand tracks at Southwell and Wolverhampton hosted in the region of 80 fixtures – that’s about 500 individual races, including the valuable Lincoln Trial at Wolverhampton in March – one of the established highlights of the winter season.
