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A furore has erupted over moves to restrict out-of-province trainers from running satellite stables in KwaZulu-Natal.

The measures will affect the four existing satellite yards of leading Cape trainers Joey Ramsden, Mike Bass, Dean Kannemeyer and Alec Laird.

The quartet have been sent letters informing them of the cancellation of their existing leases and are required to vacate their stables on or before January 31 next year.

They may reapply for the stables but will be allowed only a maximum of 20 boxes. They will also not be allowed any maidens older than two and they will not be allowed horses with a net merit rating of less than 76.

Gold Circle drew up the restrictions under a revised policy at the request of the KZN Trainers Association.

Glen Kotzen and Sean Tarry, due to the long period in which they have operated in KZN, are considered KZN-based trainers and won’t be affected.

Charles Laird has made KZN his home and Mike de Kock has been considered a KZN-based trainer by both Gold Circle and himself for the past three seasons.

Yogas Govender wasn’t adjudicated on as he operates from a private yard and pays a fee to use the Summerveld training facilities.

Kannemeyer is aggrieved by the restrictions.

"I haven’t seen the new terms of the lease but the whole episode has left a bitter taste in my mouth," he said.

"The Cape trainers have owners based in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban who have invested in the thoroughbred gene pool. To be told they can’t race their horses in KZN is very disappointing.

"It is promoting mediocrity and protecting KZN’s bad horses.

"Kannemeyer Racing has been supporting KZN racing since 1973 without fail and I think it’s a poor show.

"I’m not going to take it lying down. KZN is one of the best places in the world to race, I love it there, and hopefully this situation will be rectified.”

Joey Ramsden was also scathing of the ruling, confirming he had called in lawyers to challenge the rulings.

“My attorneys have contacted Gold Circle and their attorneys on numerous occasions and I wish they would reply," he said.

"I find it remarkable that they are able to deem who is suitable to have an unrestricted satellite yard and who is not.

"I will also be interested in how they are planning the movement of my staff, who have family and children in Kwazulu-Natal.

"I also find it remarkable that they are incapable of filling fields that they wish to ban trainers from running in.

"One minute they want runners, next minute they don’t. It must be the only business in the world that doesn’t want business.

"I am also amazed by how failed trainers are allowed to wag the tail of the dog rather than the dog wagging it.”

Gold Circle chairman Robert Mauvis pointed out that as far as he was concerned, the measures were a short to medium term solution of a year to 18 months in order to enable KZN trainers time to “get their houses in order.”

“The bottom line is we want KZN to be the best racing province in the country," he said.

Mike Bass hadn’t officially been informed of the new measures but said: “What I’ve heard appears to be a backward step. Why they would allow their trainers to protect mediocrity is beyond me.”

Dennis Drier, the top established yard in KZN, has a different point of view.

“It’s tough for the smaller yards. I am against doing away with satellite yards completely, but am happy with the restrictions.

"We don’t want to become a dumping province for bad horses.”

Herman Brown also supports the restrictions.

"There is an imbalance between the number of horses in the province and the number of races. If Gold Circle were able to put on more races it would be fine, but if there are over 2000 horses competing to get into the limited number of races per week, what is the point of owning a horse?

"The local owners and trainers have to be protected to a certain extent to allow their horses to race.”

Craig Eudey clarified some of the reasons behind the ruling.

“We are not against satellite yards bringing their better horses, but why do we need more maidens when there are already as many as 130 to 140 nominations for maiden races?

"The KZN yards generally have local owners who have been supporting KZN racing through good and bad times for many years and their horses were being eliminated from races by Cape horses, whose owners could even be overseas based.”

“If a KZN trainer did find a new client who offered to buy him horses, there was no place to put these horses."