Jevington trainer Mark Flower is upbeat about the new all-weather surface unveiled at Lingfield Park this week.

He has assembled a team of eight horses for the winter season on the three all-weather circuits but is particularly looking forward to the brand new Polytrack at the course on the Sussex border.

Flower said: "They've used Polytrack for some time for training at Newmarket.

"The trainers love it because the drainage is superb and there is minimal kick-back. It is like racing on good ground whatever the weather."

He takes a lorry load of four, including Jevington Grey, owned by Ringo Starr's former chaffeur Martin Lickert, to work at Lingfield tomorrow morning. The other half of the team will try the surface next week.

Flower said: "This should restore confidence in Lingfield, which is beginning to struggle and as the other two all-weather tracks, Southwell and Wolverhampton, are under the Arena Leisure banner, perhaps they will replace their surfaces with Polytrack as well."

Mike and his wife Alyson have been extra busy at their stables this week because all but one of their staff are on holiday in Tenerife.

He said: "They have been wonderfully supportive throughout a difficult year so I organised and paid for the travelling to Tenerife as a gesture, paid them their wages, of course, and they have found the very reasonable accommodation themselves."

The Flowers, with 18-month-old daughter Serena, had hoped to join the five lads and girls on holiday, but cannot spare the time.

Mark said: "I bought two from the horses in training sale last week and we have five yearlings who just joined us.

"They were bought on spec and as I am busy looking for owners for them I simply couldn't disappear for a week."

He pointed out that purchasers are enjoying the best value for years, largely due to over-production and lack of confidence in the economy.

"I shall buy a couple more yearlings in the December sales. I would rather be a buyer than a seller as things are at present."

The ever-optimistic trainer has only one grumble at the moment.

"I wish more clerks of courses would give accurate and honest going reports. Without mentioning names, I have been put away on two or three occasions lately and many trainers have had the same experience.

"If Nick Cheyne at Ascot and Seamus Buckley at Goodwood can give a penetrometer reading, why can't they all do it?"

Former jockey Ray Goldstein, who runs a successful riding school and livery yard at Lewes, acts as agent for his son Jamie, based with Nigel Triston-Davies in Gloucestershire.

Jamie hit the big time when he won the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury a year ago but suffered a bad fall shortly afterwards and was off until the start of the current jumping season.

Now Ray is seeking rides for Jamie's younger brother, Marc, 16, who was granted his amateur rider's permit by the Jockey Club just this week.

Ray said: "He will start off on the flat and won't go jumping for a few months yet.

"Jamie hopes to get experience on the all-weather tracks this winter.

"He can do eight stone ten pound and rides out on Saturdays for trainer Gerry Enright who has promised to give him rides."