`I know Kim Bailey and Paul Webber are whingeing, but I am still pleased with the letter' Neighbouring trainers take offence at mailshot to owners, but Harris insists he has broken no rules.

Byline: GRAHAM GREEN

AGGRESSIVE marketing by Milton Harris has led to strained relations with a number of

fellow trainers who claim he is attempting to `tap-up' their owners.

The Oxfordshire-based trainer admits to

having been tackled by neighbours Kim

Bailey and Paul Webber, along with Paul Nicholls, over his mailshot, that offers new

owners to the yard a 50 per cent reduction on

training fees for the first three months. But he insisted he has nothing to apologise for.

Harris's letter was approved by the BHB 

before being mailed by Weatherbys on the

trainer's behalf to more than 100 owners this month and does not breach any regulations, but trainers abide by an unwritten rule that they do not deliberately try to poach patrons from other stables.

Bailey and Webber, who potentially have more to lose than most with many of their owners living within the area targeted by Harris,

declined to comment yesterday, as they do not wish to become embroiled in a public row, but privately both have taken Harris to task.

Evidence of Bailey's annoyance could be seen by a comment the Northamptonshire-based trainer recently posted on his website about Harris in which he admits being "bloody rude about him". It has since been retracted.

Harris, who paid the BHB pounds 700 for the use of owners' addresses, opens the letter: "I am writing to you today to introduce myself and offer my services as a licensed racehorse 

trainer who is within easy commuting distance from yourselves."

After highlighting his achievements after two seasons with a licence, he goes on: "Whilst

appreciating that you may have a good

relationship with your current trainer, we would like to offer ourselves as an additional string to your bow in your quest for winners and fun in an ever-competitive field."

As an extra incentive, he promises "to offer new owners to the yard an introductory 50 per cent reduction on training fees for the first three months".

Speaking yesterday Harris, whose background is in publishing and marketing, said: "The only three people from whom I have had complaints about this are Kim Bailey, Paul

Webber and Paul Nicholls, but I haven't

broken any rules and all I have done, with the full agreement of the BHB, is send what amounts to an open letter to registered

owners within commutable distance of my yard - that is, surrounding counties to me near

Banbury, the M40 corridor, North London and Birmingham. I don't have the addresses of these people, Weatherbys did it for me.

"I am not saying `Your trainer is no good, come to me'. What I am saying is `Consider me if you are looking for an additional trainer'. All this fuss is nonsense. It's like if you have a favourite restaurant, you can't go and eat in another restaurant - it's crazy."

Harris, who has so far added two new owners sending him horses, said: "I know Kim

Bailey and Paul Webber are whingeing, but I am trying to get to the top of the training tree and I am still pleased with the letter.

"My intent was to market myself. There was no attempt to target any particular trainer and, while I accept the letter may not sit easy with some trainers, racing is a competitive

industry. I might play the game a bit hard at times, but I play it straight."

BHB spokesman Alan Delmonte said: "We saw Milton Harris's letter and approved it, but we did ensure that it stated explicity that he was not trying to get owners to leave their

current trainer. We do occasionally get

approaches from people wanting to use the BHB database for mailshots, but not all are

given approval and they are each looked at on their merits.

"Milton Harris wouldn't know the names or addresses of any of the people who received his letter."

CAPTION(S):

Milton Harris's aggressive marketing for owners has upset fellow trainers Kim Bailey (top right) and Paul Webber (bottom right)