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I watched a two yearold race from pontefract, the field could run in a straight line, load into the gate properly or break, one horse reared in the stalls.
The horses behavori and ;lack of schooling by the trainers concerned made the whole race a complete farce. If horses cannot get the schooling needed at home from their trainers then what the heck are they playing at and charging their cleints for? While i apreicate horses often need a run or two we need too get the penny too drop, i would like too stewards being given powers too ban horses from running in handicap races of they feel the horse was not schooled or ridden properly in a maiden race.
When can we have system like the aussies do with proper barrier trials so when horses do race for real they know what too do and have too do it.
It’s not quite as easy as you might think…….young horses can do everything you want of them at home but stick them into a horse box drive them 200 miles up the motorway to a strange enviroment and panic can set in……….they are after all just like young children attending their first day at school………if one starts playing up they can all start playing up.and you get havoc..coming up with a remedy is easier said than done.
We seem to be very casual in our approach to schooling racehorses in this country, whether it’s 2-y-os on the flat, or jumpers.
The standard of preparation varies hugely from trainer to trainer.
It’s true that some of the young horses appear on the racetrack when they’re not ready
It is difficult however for trainers to recreate that "race" situation for young horses on the gallops.
A lot of trainers will take an unraced horse to the track for a gallop round just to get them used to the environment but even that doesnt prepare a horse properly for the hurly burly of their first competetive race
A system whereby an unraced horse had to particpate in a trial event in company with 7 or 8 other horses on the racecourse (with a stalls test included) would be perfect in an ideal world but i cant see the trainers or owners going for it. There would be mass opposition.
The cost would just be too prohibitive for a lot of owners leaving aside the practicalities of organising such a system.
Economically, it’s hard enough for owners to get a horse to the racetrack when prize money (such as it is) is on offer let alone making them take their horses to the track for nothing in a trial situation.
Leaving that aside, even a top trainer can think that a horse is ready but then be as green as grass for no apparent reason on their debut.
A few years ago, Mick Channon had an early type called Puskas who he thought a bit about.
He ran so green on debut it was unbelievable and Channon was totally astonished because the horse had given him all the right signals at home. If people like Channon (who knows what time of day it is) can get it hopelessly wrong then you can see it’s not an exact science.
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