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A quote I saw today in Sporting Life, from Black Caviar’s co-owner Neil Werrett, said of future mating plans:
‘we would consider going to Frankel because he is clearly the best distance horse in the world’.What exactly is a distance horse, please?
My own little opinion is probably wrong here, as I always considered distance to be, say, over 12 furlongs. Not wanting to stir up another Frankel debate but I would never have classed him as a distance horse, middle-distance maybe?
Is it possible that anything over and above sprinting could be classed as distance?
Any clarification welcomed.I’ve no idea to be honest as without another word in front of ‘distance’ it sounds meaningless, perhaps it means something specific in Oz.
A quote I saw today in Sporting Life, from Black Caviar’s co-owner Neil Werrett, said of future mating plans:
‘we would consider going to Frankel because he is clearly the best distance horse in the world’.What exactly is a distance horse, please?
My own little opinion is probably wrong here, as I always considered distance to be, say, over 12 furlongs. Not wanting to stir up another Frankel debate but I would never have classed him as a distance horse, middle-distance maybe?
Is it possible that anything over and above sprinting could be classed as distance?
Any clarification welcomed.Australia is much like USA in that sprint racing is the major interest type and races over a mile or more are called "routes" and "distances"
To them Frankel would be a "distance" breeding horse as it has won classics of one mile and over.It depends on what country your from/in. The term a distance horse was used in the old days in the UK to decribe St Leger winners Goodwood Cup winners etc I’ve seen it often in old articles written about stayers.
In the USA Zenyatta was often referred to as a distance horse although to us she was more speed than stamina.
In Australian it’s the same I believe, anything that’s not a sprinter is referred to as a distance horse
Different countries would appear to have different ideas of what it’s supposed to mean.
Also, you can argue that what we call "sprinters" aren’t really sprinters at all.
400 or 500 metres would be my idea of a sprint distance for a horse.
Imo, 6 furlongs equates, in human terms, to around 800 metres in track and field.
So, perhaps "distance" racing
does
begin at 10 furlongs!
What we call middle-distance horses, the Australians ( just to be different, I suppose ) call them stayers.
However, the real reason, I suspect, why Black Caviar’s owner used the term best "distance horse" when describing Frankel, probably has more to do with him being unable admit that Frankel is the best racehorse in the World.
It seems to me that this neatly chosen description was the much easier option to take, rather downgrade his beloved mare.
He just couldn’t bring himself to do it.
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Did he beat BC?I must have missed something? Surely Yeats like Frankel,WAS the best horse in the world. Now BC IS the best racehorse in the world.Both Frankel and Yeats are no longer racehorses.
However, the real reason, I suspect, why Black Caviar’s owner used the term best "distance horse" when describing Frankel, probably has more to do with him being unable admit that Frankel is the best racehorse in the World.
Nail on head.
As I said Frankel is no longer a race horse.Get used to it.
Looking at the previous posts that you are passing comment on, I think that you need to get over yourself my friend.
Frankel, the greatest racehorse in living memory (in my case) has now retired.
If I’m not mistaken he has already beaten all the best horses over his distances, including Cirrus des Aigles, the second best in the world, on his preferred going.
You have constantly sniped throughout his career (despite protesting otherwise).
We all know that he would have stuffed Black Caviar over virtually all distances and conditions.
You seem to post simply to get a reaction.
Despite the futilty, here is mine .Thank you all for your replies. I think Himself is most likely correct in his interpretation of BC’s owner’s statement!
A quote I saw today in Sporting Life, from Black Caviar’s co-owner Neil Werrett, said of future mating plans:
‘we would consider going to Frankel because he is clearly the best distance horse in the world’.This raises a question for me. Would they have to fly her all the way here again for a normal covering? And then fly her back in foal? Or would she have to stay here?
Do they do AI in the bloodstock world?
This raises a question for me. Would they have to fly her all the way here again for a normal covering? And then fly her back in foal? Or would she have to stay here?
Do they do AI in the bloodstock world?
Not for thoroughbreds, they do for trotters (European and standardbreds) and quarter horses, also in the sport horse world. It doesn’t seeem to have caused any problems.
I expect it’ll come in for thoroughbreds in the next few years, the only beneficiaries of the current system are the studs where the stallions are standing.
This raises a question for me. Would they have to fly her all the way here again for a normal covering? And then fly her back in foal? Or would she have to stay here?
Do they do AI in the bloodstock world?
Not for thoroughbreds, they do for trotters (European and standardbreds) and quarter horses, also in the sport horse world.
It doesn’t seeem to have caused any problems.
I expect it’ll come in for thoroughbreds in the next few years, the only beneficiaries of the current system are the studs where the stallions are standing.
The Standardbred gene pool has narrowed DRASTICALLY since the advent of AI, especially in the USA. There are no more real outcrosses left. Similarly, the racing Quarter Horse gene pool got so small they’ve had to reintroduce Thoroughbred blood. I suspect they’ll have to do that with cutting horses, they’re getting so inbred now that many of them are pony-sized and genetic diseases like HERDA are even more of an issue.
Fair enough MW, but it doesn’t seem to done much harm to European trotters, or to standardbreds outside of North America, times still seem to be coming down.
Racing QH lines have always had regular infusions of thoroughbred blood.
Also, in other breeds where genetic variability is even more severely restricted by lack of numbers rather than by any bad effects of AI, the draught horse breeds for example, there don’t appear to be any deleterious effects. If anything, these kinds of horses are getting larger.
They use AI in arabian breds as well including at Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Stud. I’ve always thought it a good idea – both keeping down costs for mare owners, saving stallions the hassle of shuttling and also cutting down the possibility of spreading disease. However I know most European stallion masters wouldn’t agree with me.
Yes Black Caviar would have to ship up here and could get covered without doing any quarantine. However if she wanted to return home then she’d have to do the 3 weeks/2 weeks quarantine periods to return home.
It would interesting to know if they were considering covering her here to NH or SH time.
My own little opinion is probably wrong here, as I always considered distance to be, say, over 12 furlongs. Not wanting to stir up another Frankel debate but I would never have classed him as a distance horse, middle-distance maybe?
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