European Trainer - Winter 2012 - Issue 40

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European Trainer ISSUE 40 – WINTER 2012

European

ISSUE 40 – WINTER 2012 £5.95

www.europe.trainermagazine.com

THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE FOR THE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE THOROUGHBRED

JOSEPH ˇ VÁNA

RELATIVE VALUES

Francis and Lisa-Jane Graffard

Publishing Ltd

NEWMARKET EQUINE HOSPITAL Inside Europe’s largest facility

ROARERS

The latest on diagnosis and treatment

A living legend of the Velka Pardubicka

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GILES ANDERSON Legends of the Turf

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HIS year we’ve yet again been blessed to witness the wonder horse that is Frankel and share in the pleasure that he has given the racing world at large and will have undoubtedly given his brave trainer Sir Henry Cecil. It’s only right and fitting that for this issue of the magazine, we make Sir Henry our “TRM Trainer of the Quarter.”

Our cover profile is on Joseph Váña, who will forever be known as the legendary trainer and jockey associated with the Velka Pardubicka, one of the world’s most testing races. Váña has experienced success in the race on no less than nine times as a trainer. If that’s not enough, he has won the race eight times as a jockey in a riding career that has lasted for more than 25 years.

His latest Velka Pardubicka ride came this October, a week before his 60th birthday, when he finished third. Some performance!

In this issue we also look at a young trainer, Francis Graffard, who perhaps may be a legend of the future but in any instance has made a big start to his training career this year, saddling over twenty winners and banking more than €500,000 in the process for his owners.

Emma Berry has spent time this summer observing the work carried out by the vets at the Newmarket Equine Hospital where many equine legends will have been under the care and supervision of the vets and nursing team. The work carried out by the veterinary team is fascinating and so varied, and I suppose that it’s only when you can see firsthand the range of procedures that are performed that you can truly get a handle on what is achieved. Emma’s article makes for interesting reading.

In this issue we’re also taking a look at respiratory issues and writing up the latest research and work that has been carried out on roarers as well as on how mucus and airborne particles can affect horses’ performance.

We also look at high altitude training in South Africa and share tips for getting horses back racing via a technique called “Structural Integration.” We finish off with an article on bran mashes – are they simply part of the feeding tradition or a nutritional pariah?

Wherever your racing takes you this winter, good luck! Our next issue will be published for the end of February, 2013. n ISSUE 40 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com 01

Chairman’s message

CRIQUETTE HEAD Once again the year has flown by and we have seen some wonderful racing both on the Flat and over jumps

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012 will be remembered as the year of Frankel, possibly the best horse of all time. It is impossible to compare horses from different eras and over different distances, but he is the horse who has impressed me the most in my lifetime.

I was delighted to attend the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita in November, for the fist time in several years. It is always a pleasure to travel and experience international race meetings, and extremely positive to see the Americans taking a first important step towards drug-free racing with Lasix banned in all juvenile contests at this year’s Breeders’ Cup. There remains a long way to go in the fight against medication but it is encouraging to see that at least some influential members of the USA industry are willing to make a stand on this issue which is vital for the future of racing and breeding.

It is perhaps no coincidence that the sole two European winners of the meeting came in Juvenile contests!

While medication-free contests level the playing field between Europe and the USA,

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“It is worth noting that if the synthetic track had still been in place, the connections of Frankel may well have chosen the Breeders’ Cup Classic for the final outing of their champion” the return of a dirt surface at Santa Anita is a move in the opposite direction. When the racecourse last hosted the Breeders’ Cup in 2008 and 2009, the competition truly lived up to its billing as the World Thoroughbred Championships. It is never easy to please all parties, but it is worth noting that if the synthetic track had still been in place, the connections of Frankel may well have chosen the Breeders’ Cup Classic for the final outing

of their champion. That race would, or could, have been a truly historic event.

On a more worrying note, it now looks inevitable that the VAT rate for racehorse owners in France will rise from 7% to 19.6% in the new year. This represents a real blow for French racing, as it is for the other racing jurisdictions affected as European law demands conformity across the continent.

More than 80% of owners in France are not VAT registered and do not wish to become so which is perfectly within their rights.

However they will now see a significant rise in costs and this will inevitably mean that some owners will disappear. Indeed, in France one of the leading jumps owners has recently left the sport in part for this reason. It is now more important than ever to promote racing to attract new supporters across the board.

The concept of a “closed season” no longer really exists in racing but I hope that my flatracing contemporaries will be able to take some well-earned rest over the winter, and I wish the best of luck to all jumps trainers in the important rendezvous of the next few months.

I hope that 2013 will be a good year for racing. n

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Issue 40

CONTENTS...

10 TRM Trainer of the quarter Sir Henry Cecil, trainer of the world’s greatest racehorse, Frankel,

by Emma Webb.

12 Joseph Vánˇa

Petr Guth profiles the Czech Republic’s leading trainer, who has won the Velka Pardubicka a record 17 times as jockey and/or trainer.

20 Newmarket Equine Hospital Emma Berry on the inner workings of Europe’s largest equine hospital.

30 Structural integration

Structural Integration as a method of getting quicker recovery time from race horses, by Monica McKenzie.

34 High altitude traing

David Thiselton looks into the influence of altitude training in South Africa and how it could be useful in other countries.

40 Stable dust

Celia Marr examines the performance-damaging link between airborne particles and mucus in stabled horses.

46 The Graffards

The relative values of Francis and Lisa-Jane Graffard, by Isabel Mathew.

52 Roaring

The latest news in diagnosing and treating roaring, by Stacey Oke.

56 Bran mashes

Are traditional bran mashes good for our racehorses?, wonders Catherine Dunnett.

58 Product Focus 62 Stakes Schedules

Forthcoming stakes races from Europe and around the world.

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CONTRIBUTORS Publisher & Editorial Director Giles Anderson Assistant Editor Frances Karon Executive Assistant Alice Jefford Design/Production Neil Randon Advertising Sales Giles Anderson Photo Credits APRH, Emma Berry, Golden Circle, Bob Langrish, Celia Marr, Isabel Mathew, Monica McKenzie, Robin Peterson, Leo Sentaro, Frank Sorge

Cover Photograph Petr Guth

Trainer Magazine is published by Anderson & Co Publishing Ltd. This magazine is distributed for free to all ETF members. Editorial views expressed are not necessarily those of the ETF. Additional copies can be purchased for ÂŁ5.95 (ex P+P).

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any format without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Printed in the European Union For all editorial and advertising enquiries please contact Anderson & Co Publishing Ltd Tel: +44 (0)1380 816777 Fax: +44 (0)1380 816778 email: info@trainermagazine.com www.trainermagazine.com Issue 40

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Emma Berry is the Bloodstock Editor of Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder and European correspondent for Inside Racing in Austalia. She is married to trainer John Berry and lives in Newmarket with too many horses, dogs and cats.

Dr Catherine Dunnett BSc, PhD, R.Nutr. is an independent nutritionist registered with the British Nutrition Society. She has a background in equine research, in the field of nutrition and exercise physiology, with many years spent at The Animal Health Trust in Newmarket. Prior to setting up her own consultancy business, she worked in the equine feed industry on product development and technical marketing.

Petr Guth has a degree in Economics from the University of Prague. He has been a staff writer for the Czech national dailies telegraf and sport and a writer for Turf magazine and the equestrian magazine Jezdectvi.

He is the editor of Paddock Revue, a magazine he co founded in 2004. It is now the most popular racing website in central Europe.

Professor Celia Marr is an equine clinician at Rossdales, Newmarket. She is a RCVS and European Specialist in Equine Medicine and Honorary Professor at the Glasgow University Veterinary School. She has previously worked at veterinary schools in Glasgow, Pennsylvania, Cambridge and London and in racehorse practice in Lambourn. She is Chairman of the Horserace Betting Levy Board’s Thoroughbred Research & Consultation Group and Editor-in-Chief of Equine Veterinary Journal.

Isabel Mathew is a freelance journalist based in Paris. She works for several different publications covering subjects related to the French Horseracing Industry and elsewhere. After graduating from the Darley Flying Start and working in racing across many different countries, she has been in France for nearly two and a half years.

Monica McKenzie has been an Intensive Care Nurse since 1985.

For the past 22 years her main focus has been holistic health care for horses. She is an Equine Structural Integration Practitioner working with thoroughbred racehorses. She is currently practicing in Lexington, Kentucky.

Dr. Stacey Oke is a licensed veterinarian and freelance medical writer and editor. In addition to writing for various horse publications, she also contributes to scientific journals, is an editor of an internationallyrecognized, peer-reviewed journal, creates continuing education materials for both human and veterinary medicine, and conducts biomedical research studies.

David Thiselton is the chief racing writer for Gold Circle Publishing, who are contracted to produce all of the racing pages for the Independent Newspaper Group in South Africa including eight broadsheets.

EFT REPS issue 40_Jerkins feature.qxd 30/11/2012 11:08 Page 1

EUROPEAN TRAINERS’ FEDERATION AIMS and OBJECTIVES of the ETF: a) To represent the interests of all member trainers’ associations in Europe. b) To liaise with political and administrative bodies on behalf of European trainers. c) To exchange information between members for the benefit of European trainers. d) To provide a network of contacts to assist each member to develop its policy and services to member trainers.

ETF REPRESENTATIVES Chairmanship:

Criquette Head-Maarek Association des Entraineurs de Galop 18 bis Avenue du Général Leclerc 60501 Chantilly FRANCE Tel: + 33 (0)3 44 57 25 39 Fax: + 33(0)3 44 57 58 85 Email: entraineurs.de.galop@wanadoo.fr

Vice Chairmanship:

Max Hennau FEDERATION BELGE DES ENTRAINEURS Rue des Carrieres 35 5032 - Les Isnes BELGIUM Tel: Fax: +32 (0)81 56 68 46 Email: mhennau@gmail.com

GERMANY

Vice Chairmanship:

Christian von der Recke Hovener Hof 53919 Weilerswist Germany Tel: +49 (0 22 54) 84 53 14 Email: recke@t-online.de

SPAIN

Erika Mäder Jentgesallee 19 47799 Krefeld Tel: +49 (0)2151 594911 Fax: +49 (0)2151 590542 Mobile: +49 (0)173 8952675 Email: trainer-und-jockeys@netcologne.de

Mauricio Delcher Sanchez AZAFRAN, 5- 3ºM MAJADAHONDA 28022 Madrid Spain Tel: +34 (0)666 53 51 52 Email: mdelcher@hotmail.com

CZECH REPUBLIC

UNITED KINGDOM

Josef Vana CZECH JOCKEYS AND TRAINERS ASSOCIATION Starochuchelska 192/16 159 00 Praha 5 - Velka Chuchle Contact: Roman Vitek Mobile: +42 (0)606727027 Email: drvitek@email.cz

Rupert Arnold NATIONAL TRAINERS’ FEDERATION 9 High Street - Lambourn - Hungerford Berkshire RG17 8XN Tel: +44 (0)1488 71719 Fax: +44 (0)1488 73005 www.racehorsetrainers.org

ITALY

Ovidio Pessi U.N.A.G. Via Montale, 9 20151 Milano milano@unag.it paolapezzotti@libero.it tel. +39 02 48205006 mobile: +39 348 31 33 828

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Treasureship:

Jim Kavanagh IRISH RACEHORSE TRAINERS ASSOCIATION Curragh House-Dublin Road Kildare-Co.Kildare IRELAND Tel: +353 (0) 45 522981 Fax: + 353 (0) 45 522982 Mobile: + 353(0)87 2588770 Email: irishrta@eircom.net www.irta.ie

NORWAY

Sven-Erik Lilja Eventyrveien 8, 1482 Nittedal Norway Tel: +47 (0) 67 07 14 12 Mobile: +47 (0) 91 12 88 96 Email: svelija@gmail.com

SWEDEN

Fredrik Reuterskiöld Swedish Trainers Association South Notarp 3228 S-243 92 Hoor Tel: +46 (0)413 55 00 65 Fax: +46 (0)413 55 04 95 Mobile: +46 (0)70 731 26 39 Swedish Trainers Association North Karlaplan 10 115 20 Stockholm Sweden Mail: worldracing@hotmail.com Tel: +46 (0)8 662 46 79 Mobile: +46 (0)708 756 756

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Sir Henry Cecil expresses his affection for Frankel after the colt’s 11-length victory in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot

TRM Trainer of the Quarter

SIR HENRY CECIL The TRM Trainer of the Quarter award has been won by Sir Henry Cecil. Sir Henry and his team will receive a selection of products from the internationally-acclaimed range of TRM supplements worth €2,000, as well as a bottle of select Irish whiskey.

WORDS: EMMA BERRY PHOTO: FRANK SORGE

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S

IR Henry Cecil has trained the winners of 25 British Classics but only one of those horses has a section devoted to him on the trainer’s website. There are no prizes for guessing the identity of the subject.

Frankel possesses such natural ability that any one of a number of talented trainers could have helped to elevate him to the status of world champion racehorse but arguably only one could ensure that his name is already enmeshed in racing legend. Without Cecil, Frankel’s story would be lacking one vital element.

It’s too simple to suggest that it’s merely pathos. True, Cecil’s illness in recent years adds a dramatic undercurrent to events which have unfolded on the track over the last three seasons, but Cecil does not connect with racegoers because they feel sorry for him – he is simply adored. In the age of Twitter and umpteen online forums, insults and criticism are so easily bandied about and given more credence than they deserve. Cecil is among an

elite group of people within racing who are almost beyond criticism – Sir Peter O’Sullevan and The Queen spring readily to mind, but members of that set are few and far between.

Long before initiatives such as Racing For Change were deemed necessary, Cecil had unwittingly been doing his bit to transform racegoers into race fans. He has a unique charm – his upper-class credentials softened by obvious shyness and a tendency towards self-deprecation that wins over folk from all manner of social background.

On his list of Classic winners the fillies outweigh the colts, but while some master trainers have a reputation for being better with one or the other, Cecil has excelled with both. Names like Slip Anchor, Kris, Reference Point, Oh So Sharp, Bosra Sham, Indian Skimmer and Lady Carla cannot casually be tossed aside but in after days it will always be Frankel who is first and foremost in the minds of students of racing history when the name Sir Henry Cecil is mentioned.

The trainer’s dramatic slump from his

pomp of the 1980s and 90s to a string of around 40 relatively moderate animals in the early part of this century has been well documented. Plenty of people would have thrown in the towel, but for a man whose calling it is to prime the physical aspect of a thoroughbred by understanding the workings of his mind as much as overseeing daily exercise, that was clearly unthinkable.

Reward for effort, perhaps for sheer bloodymindedness in equal measure to his undoubted talent, came his way. First through Passage Of Time, then Light Shift, Midday, Twice Over and, ultimately, Frankel. That’s not to say, of course, that Cecil won’t go on to train other top-class horses, but as he said on QIPCO British Champions’ Day, and as we’ve all known instinctively for some time now, there’s never been anything better than Frankel and it’s hard to imagine that there ever could be.

We’re delighted to award Sir Henry Cecil the title of ‘Trainer of the Quarter’ – for many, he’s the trainer of a lifetime. n

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PROFILE

ˇ JOSEPH VÁNA Living legend of the Velka Pardubicka

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ˇÁ JOSEPH VAN

Váňa in action on Tiumens (left), three-time Velka Pardubicka winner, in this year’s race in which he eventually finished third

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PROFILE

When you mention horseracing to anyone on the street in the Czech Republic, most will recognise a single name: Josef Vánˇa. There is no doubt who the face of horseracing is in this central European country. Josef Vánˇa has become a living legend through his long run of successes in the Velka Pardubicka Steeplechase, the Czech answer to the Melbourne Cup. WORDS AND PHOTOS: PETR GUTH

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OT FOR nothing is it the only annual sports event screened on the first national television channel, which is reserved for serious stuff. Neither the Olympics nor the Champions League final qualifies for such a privilege from Czech TV, not to mention Formula 1 racing or anything else.

Only the Velka holds this privileged position. And the one and only Josef Vánˇa is the most famous personality in the history of the race. The Velka has had 122 winners, and Vánˇa’s name appears on the list no less than 17 times. He has taken the race eight times as a jockey, and nine times as a trainer. Both are records. As a jockey, he had already experienced the Taxis 26 times – this famous fence is jumped only once a year, in the Velka. The last time, so far, was on October 13th, 2012. Vánˇa was just a week shy of his sixtieth birthday.

Third place in the biggest race of the season, at the age of 59, is not something most people would be upset about. He had to congratulate his rivals this year, though, and that is something Josef Vánˇa does not like to have to do. But there is no room in his nature for being upset by defeat, as defeat is the moment when he starts thinking how to succeed again in the future. This year, he had trained five horses to take part in the big race, but none of them won.

This is a situation that Vánˇa is not used to, having trained the winner of the previous six renewals. Vánˇa has already started looking for ways to get back on top next year.

However, Pardubice is far from being the

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ˇÁ JOSEPH VAN

Roches Cross wins the 2011 Czech Derby for Váňa with Jan Raja in saddle

only place that Vánˇa has in his mind. He tries to keep in touch with racing all around, and there is nowhere that he would not consider going with his horses, within a radius of 1,000 kilometres or so, if the races are interesting enough. To be successful in his exploits, he always works hard to make improvements, always looking for new paths leading to further success. So far, every defeat has motivated him to make a new effort, and this time it will probably be the same. Half an hour after he unsaddled Tiumen, three-time hero of the Velka, he congratulated this year’s winners and began pondering why his most recent effort had failed. At that moment he knew one thing: he wants to be in the Velka Pardubicka again next year. His tenth victory as a trainer: it is a big challenge. And as a 60-year-old winning rider? Who knows? He is keeping his options wide open...

Josef Vánˇa does not come from a racing background. He worked for a while at a stud for trotters in the hills of Moravia before finding work in a garage, and was also a volunteer with a mountain rescue service and had a job running ski lifts, when he spent a lot of time on skis and didn’t think about horses for months.

But he eventually came back to horses and started going to the local stables. In 1985, at the age of 33, he rode his first race. As an amateur rider he became increasingly involved in the work of the stables in Svˇetlá Hora, a small town in the hills where a race meeting is held once a year.

This is where he met Železník, a horse that could be called the Czech Red Rum. He won

“We are still able to succeed in European races. I’m convinced of it. If you train horses in the Czech Republic, you have to think of the possibility of success elsewhere” the Velka Pardubicka Steeplechase with Vá a in the saddle – not just once, twice or three times, like Red Rum at Aintree. Železník and rider Josef Vánˇa teamed up and won the Velka four times between 1987 and 1991. That is something that has not been achieved before or since. Even Vánˇa failed to emulate his own success, when his fourth successive victory slipped through his fingers in the 2012 running of the Velka.

“Horses just charmed me again. I liked my mountains and had no problem working on the ski lifts, but horses have captured my heart.

I met with my wife Pavla through horses, and as I came closer to these animals, I decided to change my life for them.” Vánˇa admits that he was very lucky to meet up with Železník’s ˇ trainer Cestmír Olehla, a few years his junior and one of the best theorists in Central European racing. But after long-term successful

cooperation, Vánˇa decided to leave Svˇetlá Hora. With horses in mind, he left not only his home but also the Czech (at that time Czechoslovak) Republic to gain experience around the world. In Germany and in France he recognised a different style, and he carefully noted everything that would be important for his work.

He spent four years as a rider in and around Baden Baden, but also learned a lot for his future career as a trainer. “It was something entirely new. For me, every experience is valuable. In Svˇetlá Hora horses were trained in hilly terrain. This is different from working at the major training centres in Western Europe.

The trainer has to face problems unknown to our colleagues abroad. But we are still able to succeed in European races. I’m convinced of it.

If you train horses in the Czech Republic, you have to think of the possibility of success elsewhere. Horseracing is not such a big deal in my country, and we can’t afford to play only in our own backyard.” ˇ Cestmír Olehla, with whom he worked in the early years, is now his great rival. Olehla worked with Železník and also trained Registana, winner of two Velka Pardubickas.

He took two Polish-bred horses, Kolorado and Masini, to win the Gran Premio in Italy. Olehla has had a runner in the Grand Steeple Chase de Paris at Auteuil and sent Registana for an illfated race at Cheltenham. Olehla’s wins in the Gran Premio, however, are his only successes that Josef Vánˇa has not yet emulated or surpassed. In several other ways, Vánˇa has overshadowed his great rival. Vánˇa and his

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PROFILE

Váňa shares a moment with Josef Nesladek, owner of the Czech Derby winner Roches Cross

horses have followed a similar route, but he also keeps looking for new challenges of his own. Vánˇa is the only Czech trainer to have sent horses to run in Belgium, and he has also experimented with hurdles at Cheltenham. He is always open to new ideas.

The idea of training horses to race abroad came from his very first owners. “In the nineties, I knew several people interested in setting up training stables for German horses in the Czech Republic. They had some confidence in me, and they also wanted to save some money, as training fees are much higher in Germany.

“We agreed, and I started looking around for a suitable place in the Czech Republic. We were looking for a place not far from German border which would let me work in accordance with my ideas about training horses. We found a farmhouse in Bohuslav-Mlynce. The place took my fancy, and looked ideal for our purposes. It satisfied every requirement I could possibly think of.

“It has enough space for galloping. There is an opportunity to work on the hillside, and also on the flat. It’s not far from the German border and not far from Prague, which is the main flat racecourse in the Czech Republic. It is also only twenty minutes from the racecourse in Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad) the facilities of which can be used for speed traning.”

Vánˇa started out as a trainer with just a few horses aimed at racing in Germany. Successful cooperation with his original owner did not last long, however, as he withdrew with substantial debts and Josef Vánˇa had to look for a new patron. His first attempts as a trainer raised

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considerable interest, and new owners came along within a matter of days. Since then, there has been no lack of owners interested in his training yard. Within a few years, Bohuslav became one of the the largest training centres in Central Europe, and Josef Vánˇa usually has more than 50 horses in training. Nowadays he is no longer a specialist only in jumps racing.

He prides himself on the special personal attention that is given to all of his horses, and each has its own training programme. He works his horses on the slopes of Vladarˇ Hill, but within a few minutes he can be back at the stables looking for suitable pathogenic zones for each individual horse.

His training centre has become a symbol in Czech racing for hard work and success.

According to official statistics, he currently has 63 horses in the training centre, owned by individuals from the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. There are no longer only jumpers in the stables. In addition to the nine winners of the Velka Pardubicka, Vánˇa’s training centre can claim three wins in the Czech Derby. Irish-bred Roches Cross was

“Although French horses are on top in Europe, we can beat them one day with what we have, if everything goes our way”

the most recent of these, in 2011.

“When we built our centre, we knew exactly what conditions we wanted for the horses, and we have gone ahead since then,” says Vánˇa.

“The important thing for me is that Vladarˇ Hill is available. I cannot imagine training in a place without a hill like that.”

Another special feature of his training centre is the various obstacles built in the vicinity.

“We’ve built almost all of the types that we can possibly encounter anywhere when we go racing. I wouldn’t like to arrive somewhere and send our horse to jump without being aware of what to expect. The times when some Czech trainers used to take horses abroad without much information on what to expect are probably gone. Whenever we travel abroad, we have to be prepared.”

Going abroad is what he really wants. The frequent trips that he used to make to Germany are a thing of the past due to the decline of steeplechasing there. Nowadays, he prefers to run his horses in the Czech Republic but he also takes a considerable number of runners to Italy and occasionally appears in France, Belgium, and Britain. In the last three years, his horses have twice taken second place the Gran Premio, Italy’s premier race over fences, at Merano, and Vánˇa’s ambitions include big steeplechases elsewhere.

“The Gran Premio has been snatched away from us twice. This year it was a narrow defeat, which was upsetting. In recent years in Italy, we have been facing tough opponents from France. Although French horses are on top in Europe, we can beat them one day with what we have, if everything goes our way. We’ll see when that happens, but I’ll be very pleased if it happens with a horse from our stables. Another step for us is to go racing in France. This is what we are considering for the near future.

French racing is at the top in continental steeplechasing, and we are now looking for suitable horses to compete on their soil, too.”

Vánˇa, of course, knows very well how popular the biggest races in the UK are. Due to differences in the racing season, though, he does not consider it realistic for the Czech cross-country specialists to run at the Cheltenham Festival in March. “For this you would need not only the right horse, but also the right owner. Most of the owners in the Czech Republic want their horses to be seen running in the Velka Pardubicka, and that raceday is usually followed by a cold winter.

March is not a suitable date for us,” he says.

This should not be taken to mean that Cheltenham and Aintree are off his list for the future. “He is a trainer who can always find solutions. Even in an almost impossible situation he will come up with something that makes sense,” says Ivo Köhler, owner of triple Velka Pardubicka winner Tiumen. And there is no doubt that his words are correct in Vánˇa’s case.

Josef Vánˇa is famous for his steeplechasing efforts, but he also plays a major role among

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PROFILE At his age, he is a great example of willpower and fitness. Every year he rides thousands of kilometres on his bike, and his training programme also includes swimming, skiing, and in-line skating. “Every comeback as a rider is somehow stressful. This year it was a matter of time,” says Vánˇa, who broke his thigh this year. “I knew I had to get in shape fairly quickly – so I had to multiply my efforts. And I succeeded.”

He placed third in the Velka this year, and the usual questions were asked. Was this your last Velka? “I know this question from recent years, and it’s still the same. So is the answer.

Nothing is sure. Health permitting, I’ll try to find the right horse and agree with its owner. If there is such a horse, it is possible you will see me riding the Velka Pardubicka again.”

Vánˇa’s health is a much discussed topic. In some Czech hospitals they will tell you about his escapes from his hospital bed. Recently, however, he has become a more disciplined patient. “When I broke my thigh this spring after a fall from a horse in training, I knew I had to listen to the doctors if I wanted to return to the saddle in time for the race. In the hospital in Pilsen, I found common ground with the specialists. They are great professionals, and I do trust them.”

Trust is something Vánˇa has respect for, not

This spring Váňa broke his thigh – five days later he was attending the races

“I’m frequently asked about the date on which I’ll have my last race, but I still feel I can compete with the others on a special day and on a special occasion”

the top Czech trainers on the flat. “Training my horses on flat ground is always a challenge,” says Vánˇa. “Winning the Velka Pardubicka is something completely different from winning the Czech Derby. However, both are fine examples of a good job done,” he believes. The glory of winning the Czech Derby is not unfamiliar to him. He has already won the race three times. He then raced his most recent Derby winner Roches Cross as a four-year-old on the Flat in Germany and in France, but without success. “We lost, but we don’t feel defeated, “says Vánˇa. “I believe that one day we will also find a flat horse that can win some glory for us abroad.”

Although he already has 15 champion trainer’s trophies over fences under his belt, the Czech public still thinks of him as a jockey.

This is despite the fact that he was on the brink of fatal injuries in 1994 after a heavy fall in a race at Baden Baden. He left the racecourse in critical condition and his future was in serious doubt. However, Josef Vánˇa is a man with a

only in matters of health. “To be successful in races, you need to have credible people behind you at work, a capable and competent vet, and also an owner who backs you up, and you trust each other.

“When you put all this together, you can hope for success. And right now I have it all,” says Vánˇa, with special thanks to the family. His wife is involved in preparing the horses and son Josef junior is currently riding in Italy, but in the next few months he will return to their headquarters.

Josef Vánˇa is a trusted figure not only among the horseracing public. He has also been elected deputy mayor of Chyše, the small city where his stables are based. “I belong here today,” says Vánˇa. “With the horses, with my family, and with plans for the future.” In October he celebrated his 60th birthday, and no one in Czech horseracing can tell how far ahead his plans for the future may lead. “One thing is for sure, I will not become a politician,” he says. n

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tremendous will. He recovered and was even stronger. Just three months after these serious injuries, he again went to the start to ride in the Velka Pardubicka.

“I am now a trainer by profession. I am back in the saddle almost on a daily basis training my horses. This is how it suits me, and that’s how I feel I can get the best from them.” In his training headquarters in Western Bohemia, he works with a competent team of people he trusts, including leading Czech jumps jockey Josef Bartos.

In past years they have covered many miles in the saddle. “Riding work is one thing, and racing is something completely different,” Vánˇa admits. “For the race riding, I only choose horses I know well and ride them only with the consent of their owners. I’m frequently asked about the date on which I’ll have my last race, but I still feel I can compete with the others on a special day and on a special occasion. To be out there for Velka gives me such a strong feeling that I just can’t call it a day,” Vánˇa explains.

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VETERINARY A filly is lowered into the recovery box after surgery

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NEWMARKET EQUINE HOSPITAL

All horses great and small

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VETERINARY

T

An anaesthetised filly being prepared for surgery

HE first thing to ensure when following vets around for the day is that you walk fast. The vets from Newmarket Equine Hospital don't hang about, which is hardly surprising when last year alone saw 3,062 admissions to Europe’s largest equine hospital – and that’s not taking into account the number of thoroughbreds, sport horses and ponies which the team of ambulatory vets visited at yards and studs around East Anglia and beyond.

The state-of-the-art hospital adjacent to the National Stud and within cat-swinging distance of both of the town’s racecourses and 70-odd training yards has been open for almost four years but the practice’s roots run much deeper. Started just after the First World War and known by a variety of names of partners down the years, it was until recently Greenwood, Ellis & Partners. The switch to land on the Duke of Sutherland’s Stetchworth Estate on the fringe of Newmarket in 2008 brought with it a final name change which has swiftly caught on. If you’re a horse-owner in Newmarket and its environs, you’re either with ‘NEH’ or with Rossdales, the equally

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This summer Emma Berry spent four weeks visiting Newmarket Equine Hospital as her racehorse-turned-hack recovered from colic surgery. Impressed by what she saw, she returned to Europe’s largest hospital to find out more…

WORDS AND PHOTOS: EMMA BERRY

well-regarded rival practice with a hospital in the neighbouring town of Exning.

Racehorses alone in Newmarket can number 3,000 in the height of the Flat season.

Add to that the population of broodmares and young stock on the surrounding studs, not to mention some of the world’s leading stallions, and you have an equine population whose owners demand veterinary excellence. And excellence is what they will find here.

“It doesn't matter whether you’re a human surgeon or an equine surgeon, you need to go where the biggest caseload is in order to become good and stay good at doing it,” says Ian Wright, the fastest walker of the NEH vets who is also an orthopaedic surgeon and head of the hospital’s referral service.

“Most clinical disciplines are a numbers game – the more surgeries you do, by and large the better you’re going to be at it. So Newmarket has always attracted the best for that reason.”

Within the course of a routine morning for Wright, he inserts a screw into the fractured pastern of a two-year-old filly in training, while two other young thoroughbred fillies follow her on to the table for arthroscopic surgery – in these cases removing bone chips from knees and fetlocks. Looking slightly out of place among the bluebloods but no less well attended on the list of patients for orthopaedic surgery that morning is a 16-year-old pony. In typically hardy pony fashion, he is more resistant to the general

NEWMARKET EQUINE HOSPITAL

The anaesthetist keeps a check on her patient

Orthopaedic surgeon Ian Wright inserts a screw into the filly's pastern

anaesthetic than the malleable thoroughbreds but eventually succumbs in one of the heavily padded rooms which neighbour the surgical suite for work to be undertaken on his hock.

“Our patients are roughly 70% thoroughbred,” says Wright. “The practice has grown out of the local racing and breeding community and orthopaedic cases account for the highest number within our caseload. If you look at the limiting factor on the racing thoroughbred, mostly it’s orthopaedic.”

Winching close to half-a-ton of horse onto an operating table is no mean feat and the sight of an unconscious racehorse suspended by all four feet takes a little getting used to for those unaccustomed to the procedure, but it is all very much part of the routine for the surgical team of six, which includes the surgeon, an anaesthetist, three nurses, and one of the practice’s five ‘interns’.

Wright explains: “We have an internship scheme like many human hospitals, with five interns, which are new or relatively recent graduates on two-year appointments. They rotate around the disciplines in that time – intensive care, x-ray, anaesthesia, etc., and they will become trained to a reasonable degree in

After surgery the filly is hoisted into the recovery box

each of those disciplines. Some will go on to specialist training and others will go on to private practice with those core skills.” The interns live on site and, like junior doctors, quickly learn to exist on very little sleep, particularly when the intensive care unit contains critically ill patients who are checked at hourly intervals throughout the night.

Another member of the team for whom sleep is often quite a luxury is Dr Mark

“Orthopaedic cases account for the highest number within our caseload. If you look at the limiting factor on the racing thoroughbred, mostly it’s orthopaedic” Ian Wright

Hillyer, who specialises in soft-tissue surgery and internal medicine. With colic being one of his areas of expertise, and colic attacks seemingly more prevalent in the evening, Hillyer often operates through the night. A growing area of his ‘day job,’ which lures him away from the hospital to the heath, is overground endoscopy. This process, used more and more frequently by trainers, involves a scope fitted with a tiny digital camera being inserted into a horse’s nasal passage to observe and record the action of the larynx while the horse is at exercise.

Wind operations are now commonly talked about and undertaken in racing but, with a range of different types of surgery available depending on the breathing problem, it’s important to ensure that the right path is taken.

“The key to the overground endoscopy has been giving us the correct information as to what’s wrong with a horse and allowing us to select the most appropriate surgery for that individual,” Hillyer explains.

“In the past there is no doubt we were almost guessing on occasion rather than being able to say specifically to an owner or trainer

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VETERINARY

Orthopaedic surgeon Ian Wright performs arthroscopic surgery on a two-year-old filly to remove a bone chip from her knee

A horse in training is trotted up for vet Simon Waterhouse

NEH IN NUMBERS (FOR 2011) Total hospital admissions:

BREAKDOWN IN SURGERY CASES 3,062

Arthroscopy:

245

Surgical cases:

835

Tenoscopy/bursoscopy:

95

General anaesthesia:

766

Internal fixation:

90

Mortality associated with general anaesthesia and surgery: Radiographic examinations:

Other orthopaedic: 3 2,389

Ultrasound examinations:

804

Scintigraphy:

291

MRI scans:

150

Referred radiographs:

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1,071

133

Colics:

66

Airways:

68

Obstetrics and gynaecology:

7

Other soft tissue:

62

Standing surgery:

69

Peripatetic surgeries by NEH vets:

151

what was wrong with their horse and what we needed to do to fix it, or indeed to say ‘your horse hasn't got anything wrong with it’.

“It does allow us reasonably definitively to pick out the ones who really do have something wrong with them and also pick out the ones with nothing wrong with them, who are perhaps just slow.”

Hillyer, whose overground endoscopic work is performed in tandem with his colleague Mark Tunstill, does not restrict his call-outs to Newmarket horses.

He says: “Last week we went to Chantilly – we’ve been to the south coast and to Southwell – we’ll not quite go anywhere but we’ll travel with it if appropriate.

“And now doing an overground is routine.

We don’t disrupt a yard’s morning routine at all – the horse goes out with the others and comes back with the others. That makes it easy to do and I’ve been surprised at how well tolerated it’s been by the horses.

“It gives us the confidence that we’re doing the right thing to the right horse. That’s what I want to be doing. I’m not in the game of performing throat surgery just because someone has asked me to. I have to be happy that it’s the right thing to do, which for me is why the overground endoscopy is important.”

Hillyer is one of ten hospital-based vets, while on the ‘ambulatory’ side – vets on the road visiting studs and training yards – there are another 20.

“Many years ago a trainer would only use a vet for routine vaccinations and catastrophes, whereas now the vets are an important part of the running of a modern training yard,” says David Dugdale, a partner at NEH for some 25 years and former president of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA).

“It has gone from fairly intermittent visits to certain yards to almost a daily visit to the bigger yards. The vets are looking at monitoring horses’ respiratory health, bloods, any ongoing aches and pains. On top of that

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VETERINARY

The filly (left) is wheeled out of the operating theatre after having a screw fitted in a fractured pastern. The anaesthetist (above) monitors her patient as she regains consciousness

there’s the odd severe injury which we can bring here to the hospital for further investigation or treatment.

“The number of horses in training in the town has been pretty stable and it has retained its status as a centre of excellence for training.

The breeding side is also important: studs have sprung up around the periphery of Newmarket and it’s now very much the centre of the breeding industry within the UK.” At this time of the year, the ambulatory vets also have their hands full with sales work, carrying out pre- and post-sale examinations, not just at nearby Tattersalls but at all the major European sales. With such an international influence at the yearling and breeding stock sales, NEH has a department devoted solely to work on horses waiting to be exported. Quarantine is required for many of these and also for temporary travellers, such as those heading out to Australia for the Melbourne Cup. With most European raiders required to undergo quarantine at Newmarket’s Side Hill Stud, NEH has been called in to oversee the facility.

“I’m not in the game of performing throat surgery just because someone has asked me to. I have to be happy that it’s the right thing to do, which for me is why the overground endoscopy is important” Dr Mark Hillyer 26 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 40

“Australia requires a three-week quarantine period before the horses can travel but when they continue to be exercised, which presents a major logistical problem,” says Dugdale.

“Fortunately, with the facilities in Newmarket and the heath, a section of that can be devoted to those horses so they can continue fairly normal training prior to export and hopefully arrive in Australia fresh, well, and fit and able to do their best.

“We supervise the veterinary aspects of that, including daily checks of the horses and supervision while they are out on the heath.”

Other extraneous duties for NEH this year include being appointed as the referral hospital for the Olympics for any orthopaedic injuries to the equine participants. Thankfully there were none, but Gaynor Minshall, who heads NEH’s orthopaedic diagnostic imaging department, was on duty at Greenwich throughout the games.

On a day-to-day basis, however, the core work is focused very much on the lifeblood of the town: the racehorses. Developing good working relationships with trainers is key to the success of NEH. “The Newmarket trainers are an eclectic bunch. Many very able trainers are conservative in their approach and instinctively know when their horses are right or wrong, and others like to have as much information as they possibly can to help them make decisions about when to run horses,” says Dugdale.

That different trainers have different approaches is well known to Dugdale’s fellow partner Simon Waterhouse, whose clients include Roger Varian, Peter Chapple-Hyam, James Fanshawe and Toby Coles.

With all four of these trainers on his list for rounds during evening stables, Waterhouse is another who strides about at great speed, liaising with assistant trainers and head lads over blood-tests and the trotting up of suspected lame horses. There’s plenty to get through in just a few hours, and the following

WHAT THE TRAINERS SAY Sir Mark Prescott has been training in Newmarket since 1970. He says: “The Newmarket Equine Hospital is a marvellous facility and a worthy legacy for David Ellis, who did all the planning.

“In Newmarket if we get a horse with a colic, he can be in the hospital in 20 minutes.

The horses receive a better standard of care than we do. Even on Christmas Day they will be seen within half an hour. It’s impossible to conceive of a National Health Service anywhere in the world where people are looked after better than our horses are here.

It’s second to none.”

Roger Varian, who assisted Michael Jarvis for ten years and took over his stable in Newmarket in early 2011, says: “They are on hand 24/7 and get through an enormous amount of work. We have always found the team at NEH to be the ultimate professionals in every way.”

Mark Johnston, a vet himself who trains in Middleham, North Yorkshire, regularly sends his horses to Newmarket for treatment. He says: “I saw practice there briefly so I’ve always had a vague association with them and started using them for second opinion work when I first started training. I’ve built up a relationship with the team there and they are first-class – it’s the biggest, bestequipped, best-staffed hospital in Europe, if not the world, and they offer great value.

“We send a lot of horses there, including all our third opinion work and surgical cases.

Our policy on colics is if they don’t respond to first treatment then they are on the box to NEH within the hour. They’re then in the best place if further intervention is required.”

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VETERINARY THE INTERN’S VIEW Olivia Bell, 25, is in the first half of her two-year internship at NEH after qualifying as a vet at Bristol University “I had an interest in high-end referral work and, though not from a racing background, I find the racing world interesting as the owners are willing to do so much with the horses. “It’s very sophisticated the work that is done on thoroughbreds and I was drawn to this place because of the number of surgical cases that come through.

“It’s really hard work but I wanted a challenge and I thought if I was going to do an internship I wanted to do the best, and this is one of the best, in my opinion.

The standard of work they do here is incredible.”

morning he is due to fly to Ireland for the Orby Sale to vet horses for those same clients.

It’s clear from the way Waterhouse is greeted in the respective yards that he is not just ‘the vet’ but a trusted and well-liked member of each team.

The most difficult aspect of racing is losing a horse – whether on the racecourse or at

home on the gallops. As the arbiters of mercy in such sad situations, it is not something that vets can ever take lightly.

“There can be some beautiful mornings here in Newmarket, with mist drifting across the Limekilns, but in the back of my mind there’s always the thought that usually I’m only going out to the gallops because a horse

is seriously injured,” says Waterhouse, who, along with his colleagues, is regularly called upon to be on duty for Newmarket’s race meetings.

“We spend a lot of time cutting down the risks to horses but they can never be eliminated completely. When you know the horses and have worked with them as individuals, like everyone who looks after them you feel terrible when something goes wrong.”

From being present at Epsom when Chapple-Hyam’s team won the Derby with Authorized to attending the stricken Gray Pearl at the start of this year’s 1,000 Guineas, there have been the inevitable highs and lows for Waterhouse, as there are for most people involved in the sport.

He says: “Racing is the end product – from the breeding, the sales, the training – so it’s nice to see the end result of what we’re involved in, especially when there are good Newmarket horses running.

“Last year James Fanshawe’s Royal Ascot double was a great highlight. I’m desperate for the teams I work for to do well – there’s real elation for all involved when something like that happens.

“As a vet you spend so much time giving trainers bad news but a winner is always good news.” n

Mark Hillyer (right) and Mark Tunstill oversee a horse fitted with an overground endoscope on Newmarket Heath 28 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 40

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RACING Working the fascia of the deep pectoral area, the horse enters a state of bliss and cooperation, lifting and holding her leg up for release

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STRUCTURAL INTERGRATION

FAST RECOVERY Three tips to get your horse back to racing with Structural Integration Three ways to improve recovery time Specialised equine bodywork called Structural Integration addresses these issues by reducing the cumulative physical and mental stress of intense training. The method brings about improved and efficient use of energy and drastically reduces the incidence of costly training and racing injuries.

Even experienced trainers may not be aware of the important role gravity has in balancing the horse’s body and how training stress and physical injuries can pull the horse’s body out of gravitational alignment. When a horse starts becoming even a little unbalanced, slower, or weaker, it may be wise to look at that horse’s body from a structural perspective.

Fascia, the body’s connective tissue, is the medium that surrounds each muscle, bone, and organ, holding everything in its correct position in the body. When a horse strains a muscle, the fascia tightens around the injured area like a splint to aid in healing. Over time the fascia may gradually shorten, tightening and adjusting to protect and accommodate the misalignments.

A body out of alignment creates inefficiency and imbalances resulting in stiffness, discomfort and loss of energy. These translate to slower race times. When the horse’s body is in less than optimal condition, fatigue and small injury imbalances compromise recovery time. Slower race times may often be traced to these physical inefficiencies that, over time, become locked in place.

Structural integration Structural Integration is scientifically validated bodywork that reorganises the horse’s integral structure. Unlike massage which focuses on muscles, or chiropractic which works with nerves and bones, Structural Integration works

Racehorses are elite athletes who experience the same aches, pains, mental and physical fatigue, and stress-related injuries as human athletes. Though strong, racehorses are also delicate. It’s challenging to keep them on uninterrupted training and racing schedules, free from injury, stress, and strain.

WORDS AND PHOTOS: MONICA MCKENZIE

on the protective layers of fascia to align and balance the body by lengthening and repositioning the fascia, which allows muscles to move more efficiently.

A Structural Integration practitioner applies pressure and strokes to the body in a defined and specific manner, working the entire fascial system systematically from superficial tissue layers to deeper, intrinsic tissue.

Fascia’s role A curious part of anatomy, fascia is the fabric that holds the body together, gives shape and structure, and supports the body working within the bounds of gravity (as opposed to

“When a horse starts becoming even a little unbalanced, slower, or weaker, it may be wise to look at that horse’s body from a structural perspective”

the popular belief that bones provide the body with structure). Fascia is so important that without it we would all collapse on the ground into a big pile of bones and tissue.

Fascia weaves together the various parts and pieces of the anatomy and connects them into a continuous whole that surrounds and protects the muscles and literally every cell in the body.

When connective tissue is healthy, it: l is pliable and elastic l allows muscles, tendons, and ligaments to shorten and lengthen with flexibility l lets muscles, tendons, and ligaments glide unimpeded by adhesions.

When imbalances exist within the body, the health of the connective tissue is affected.

Unhealthy connective tissue is thicker, harder, and much less resilient. It becomes dehydrated and shortens, significantly affecting how the muscles and joints function. When restricted fascia is released and lengthened, the horse’s body returns to optimal performance.

Equine athletes benefit Now that you have a basic understanding of fascia’s role, function, and behaviour, here’s how Structural Integration delivers results in three primary areas.

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RACING

Above: Monica McKenzie, Structural Integration practitioner, working with Scarlet, a four-year-old thoroughbred mare in California. Horses have a natural wisdom about what is good for them. They tend to be cooperative when what is involved is in their best interests. This horse is leaning her body weight into me, to assist with lengthening the fascia around the withers and scapula restoring freedom to the shoulder Left: Horses often participate in re-patterning their nervous systems and reconnecting distant parts of their bodies.

This mare shows how work with her shoulder helps open her neck, head and jaw

Reducing stress To fully understand how Structural Integration changes stress responses, we need to delve a little into the horse psyche. In the wild, physically compromised horses are at risk of losing their lives to predators. Their bodies will compensate any way they can to avoid appearing vulnerable. This instinct is hard-wired into their brains to keep mountain

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lions from singling them out as weak and eating them.

When fascial restrictions and sore muscles produce pain and limitations in movement, everything in the horse’s environment becomes threatening. As any experienced trainer knows, horses work hard to hide physical issues, making it hard to know how to help them get better.

When they are brought back to balance and optimal functioning, horses experience a sense of ease in their physical body that translates to a renewed confidence in the ability to deal with adverse situations. Such horses become more focused in their work, less distractible, and less likely to overreact to external stimuli; In other words, energy is not wasted.

Bob, a Belgian/thoroughbred gelding, was worried and defensive about being touched.

His owner reported him as unsure of himself in his work. After the second session I noticed his behaviour shifting. Instead of stepping away, he practically danced into my hands, especially when I worked his hind end. He nuzzled and

STRUCTURAL INTERGRATION groomed me, then stood relatively still for the work except when he exuberantly showed me where he wanted me to work next.

“He was a different horse! Bob felt more relaxed and sure of himself than he’s ever been. No more evasive, get-out-of-work tactics and he no longer reacts to every distraction,” said owner Amy Ruge.

Efficient use of energy Reducing stress automatically affects energy in a positive way. When restrictions in the fascia are resolved, muscles glide more easily and are able to work in sync for optimal locomotion. Less energy is used up in the exhausting effort to compensate for inefficiencies of movement. The burden of restriction is lifted and the body is supported by gravity rather than fighting against it. With freedom of movement and efficient use of energy, horses are less stressed from training and racing and recover faster from their physical exertion.

Mucho Grande, a thoroughbred, struggled to get his hind end underneath him and had a roached back. His hind legs tracked outside his front feet (a great feature in a racehorse) but didn’t reach very far forward. After two sessions, the roached back was gone and he had gained four inches in his stride. After rebalancing his rib cage and barrel, he gained a couple more inches in his stride and movement became effortless. Before, minimal effort made him sweat. Now, harder work doesn’t.

Another way Structural Integration contributes to increased energy and faster recovery is by resolving restrictions in the rib cage. With this issue addressed, vital capacity is increased, more oxygen is made available to the tissues, and less lactic acid builds up in the muscles. Heart and respiratory rates return to normal quicker and the soreness and stiffness that comes from extreme exertion is significantly decreased.

Preventing injuries

“Structural Integration can help resolve old injuries that could otherwise contribute to further compensations, injuries, and prolonged healing time”

“Injuries, unlike accidents, do not happen by chance. The science of injury prevention has demonstrated that injuries and the events leading up to injuries are not random. Injuries lead to death, disability, and financial loss.” (Equine Injury Database Statistics and Resources, 2010) Although the contributing factors to injuries are vast and complicated, many can be prevented. Recovery time is limited to the normal course of athletic endeavour and not to the extended time required to heal from avoidable injury. A healthy fascial system is durable and elastic. Its prime function, supporting the body’s internal structures, cannot be compromised if future injury is to be avoided. A horse working in balance with his innate potential is at much less risk.

Structural Integration can help resolve old injuries that could otherwise contribute to further compensations, injuries, and prolonged healing time. Individual potential aside, improved performance and greater success in the racing industry is the result of influencing structure in an enduring way. Structural Integration can have a profound and long-lasting effect that precludes time lost to training and racing related injuries.

What is every racehorse trainer’s goal? To win races. More power, more speed and an effortless gallop are all things that Structural Integration works to achieve. With balance, flexibility, focus, and healthy fascia, horses can reach their innate potential, use available energy constructively, suffer less from stiffness, aches and pains, prevent avoidable injury, and recover quickly from the exertions of training and racing. All this adds up to healthy horses and a financially rewarding career. n

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RACING Seal is led in after winning the Mango Gold Vase at Greyville

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HIGH ALTITUDE TRAINING

FLYING HIGH

Training horses at altitude

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T

HE consistency of Straight Set, one of Spies’ top two-year-olds, did his theory no harm. She raided the province of Kwazulu-Natal four times over a period of under three months.

Two runs at Scottsville in Pietermaritzburg, at an altitude of about 650 metres above sea level, brought a Grade 2 win and a Grade 1 second, both over 1200m, and two runs at Greyville in the coastal city of Durban brought seconds in Grade 1s over 1400m and 1600m.

His other good two-year-old, War Horse, raided Greyville twice, three weeks apart, winning a Grade 1 over 1400m and sixth in a 1600m Grade 1.

Spies is based at The Vaal training centre, about an hour from Johannesburg, which lies at 1740m above sea level. He said, “Traveling the other way (from the coast to high altitude) is a problem. But going from altitude to sea level is advantageous due to the increased oxygen content of the air. If the horses stay at the coast after their runs they tend to go flat.

It would take about six weeks or two months for them to acclimatise and they would then begin to thrive. But taking them in and out is not a problem, so I ship them up and down to keep the positive effect of high altitude training.”

A scientific study has never been done, so the impact of altitude on thoroughbred performance remains a grey area. Methods used to take advantage of or adapt to altitude are largely theoretical and have been During a three-month period Straight Set won a Grade 2 and was placed second in a Grade 1 at 2,200 feet above sea level at Scottsville before finishing second twice in Grade 1s at the coastal track in Durban

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RACING

Corné Spies, a much-traveled racehorse trainer in South Africa, had a fine run with his best two-year-olds this past season. His methods in raiding sea level venues from his high altitude base brought theories behind altitude training and acclimatisation to the fore, in the only major racing country where altitude is an issue.

WORDS: DaviD ThiSELTOn PhOTOS: GOLDEn CiRCLE, LEOn SETaRO

discovered by trial and error over decades of practice. While a lot of common ground is found, there is also a degree of argument on virtually all aspects.

Athletic performance in horses is, as in humans, interlinked with oxygen supply.

Haemoglobin, an iron-containing protein within the red blood cell, carries oxygen to the body. The more haemoglobin present, the more oxygen can be carried. However, when the number of red blood cells is too large there is a traffic jam effect and blood flow is restricted. This is termed haemoconcentrating, and it’s chiefly associated with intact males. Gelding can help solve haemoconcentration, and long, slow work is apparently another relieving influence.

Additives can provide raw material to create haemoglobin but the only thing that causes it to rise is exercise. Training

stresses the system, so bone marrow makes more haemoglobin.

Scientific studies conducted on the impact of altitude in human athletes are unlikely to be of much use in horses due to their different makeups. For one, the spleen of a thoroughbred holds approximately one-third of its total red blood cells, held in reserve until mobilised through exercise, stress, and excitement, so horses are physically more capable of adapting to high altitude than humans.

There is a debate in literature as to which component of splenic blood is more important in the development of VO2 max (the volume of oxygen that can be consumed at maximum capacity of an athlete’s body during incremental exercise), reflecting physical fitness. Some evidence suggests that the overall increase in circulating blood volume is important in determining the elevation of aerobic performance, while other evidence suggests that the increase in circulating red cells and haematocrit (the volume percentage of red blood cells in blood), independent of volume, is more important.

Horses have two types of red blood cells: rigid, and balloon-like. Horses with more

HIGH ALTITUDE TRAINING

balloon-like cells move blood into the muscles and the lungs more easily. On average, horses have 40% rigid and 60% fluid cells, so one with only 5% rigid cells would have a tremendous advantage.

Geoff Woodruff, a five-time champion South African trainer, is well qualified to speak about the impact of altitude, having trained out of the coastal city of Cape Town as well as Johannesburg, having also campaigned extensively in Kwazulu-Natal.

Looking at the production of haemoglobin from a practical point of view, Woodruff said, “You tend to have to work them harder at altitude, in order to get a horse fitter it has to reach a stage where it is in oxygen debt.

Incrementally, you will work the horse to reach this stage until it is fit enough to race, and at altitude horses need to be fitter to race because the oxygen content of the air is less.�

It stands to reason that a horse trained at

Bambina Stripes won the SA Filles Classic for trainer Dennis Drier

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RACING

“I was told by a top trainer that the flat spot starts at the 19-day mark. Personally I have found that the horses will be flat between the 19th and 21st day” Gavin Van Zyl

Ex-jockey Gavin Van Zyl trains out of Summerveld

high altitude that will start going into oxygen debt at the two-furlong mark in Johannesburg might still be debt free by the furlong mark at sea level.

Woodruff recalled that a champion he trained, Argentinian import El Picha, had a naturally low “blood count” (haemoglobin measurement). He had won seven races in Cape Town, including a Grade 3, by the time Woodruff moved to Johannesburg. Woodruff reckoned that in El Picha’s first three months in Johannesburg, his blood count improved “out of sight.”

El Picha subsequently campaigned in Durban and finished a close third in the Grade 2 Greyville 1900 before winning South Africa’s most prestigious race, the Durban July, over 2200m.

Unlike Spies’ method, Woodruff kept him in Durban, with a five-week gap between races. El Picha won Johannesburg’s most prestigious race, the Summer Cup, and ran second in the J&B Met at Cape Town before becoming the second horse in history to retain his Durban July crown.

South African trainers have no doubt that horses raiding the coast from the Highveld

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(the portion of South Africa’s inland plateau that is above 1500m but below 2000m) are at an advantage.

Rhys van Wyk, a former top jockey, recalled a period when he was riding for Johannesburg trainer Dianne Stenger. “We raided Durban 21 times and won 19 times,” he said.

It is generally accepted that horses campaigning at altitude need more long, slow

“Some horses handle altitude and others don’t. I had a horse called Saintly Lady that won a Grade 1 in Johannesburg, but couldn’t win a B division race in Durban” Alistair Gordon

work and less sharp, fast work. However, Dennis Drier, a many-times Kwazulu-Natal champion trainer, campaigned in Johannesburg with great success in the 2006/2007 season and hardly changed his training methods.

“I never sprinted them further than 500 metres,” he said. “The only thing I did change was I cantered them further.”

Drier had twelve winners during this twomonth campaign.

Another point of agreement is that coastal horses campaigning on the Highveld hit a flat spot roundabout three weeks after arriving.

Drier said, “For the first three weeks of my campaign all of them ran to the form I expected. But they hit a slight dip at the threeweek mark. Some of them weren’t finishing their work and were a bit off their feed. But two weeks later they were back to normal again.”

Gavin Van Zyl, a ex-jockey who has had tremendous success in his first few years as a trainer, is based at Summerveld in KwazuluNatal – 35km from Durban – and runs a satellite yard out of Turffontein in Johannesburg.

He said, “I was told by a top trainer that the flat spot starts at the 19-day mark. Personally I have found that the horses will be flat between the nineteenth and twenty-first day.”

Woodruff is adamant that it takes three to six months for a horse to acclimatise in Johannesburg, unless the horse is a sprinter or sprint-miler. He cited a horse called Parade Prince, who had run eight times in Cape Town as a three-year-old in the 2008/2009 season without a win before arriving at his Johannesburg yard.

He promptly won a 1450m maiden by four lengths, then took six months to find his feet before winning five races, all over a mile, in the next seven months.

Sean Tarry, second on the South African National trainer’s log last season behind Mike de Kock, is based in Johannesburg with a satellite yard in Durban. He said, “When going up to the Highveld I’ve had some disappointments after 14 days up to three

HIGH ALTITUDE TRAINING weeks, so I try and run them in the first week.”

Tarry doesn’t alter his training methods between centres. He said, “I train them according to what they need and try and work to the horse’s weight.”

Tarry said regarding horses going from altitude to sea level, “I’ve found the horse will have an advantage up until at least five days of the travel, provided it traveled well.”

Van Zyl also has his theories of going from the Highveld to the coast.

This year he raided Durban with his former SA Derby winner, Seal, and won the Grade 2 Gold Vase over 3000m at Greyville. Seal went back to the Highveld immediately after the race, returning three weeks later and running third in the country’s most prestigious staying race, the 3200m Ladbrokes Gold Cup. Summerveld-based Alistair Gordon, one of the longest standing trainers in South Africa, said, “Sprinters are better off and up to a mile you’ve got a chance. But there are no rules.

Some horses handle altitude and others don’t.

I had a horse called Saintly Lady that won a Grade 1 in Johannesburg, but couldn’t win a B division race in Durban. I’ve also won races up to two miles on the Highveld. I remember the November Handicap (a Grade 1 over a mile) once being postponed for a week due to rain. The Durban horses had to stay up there and should have had no chance according to the theories, but still filled five of the first six places.”

Woodruff pointed out that Summerveld, the biggest training centre in South Africa, is at an altitude of over 700m.

“It is already more than a third of the altitude of Johannesburg and from there a horse can get away with a run over any distance,” he said. “I remember David Payne finishing first, second, and third in the IGN Gold Bowl over 3200m at Turffontein in the 1980s.

“He took his most fancied couple, White Tie Affair and Sweet Secret, up for a preparation run over 1800m and left them up there. He raided with the outsider of the party, Golden Peak, from Summerveld. Golden Peak won (at odds of 25-1) beating White Tie Affair (evens) and Sweet Secret (20-1) into second and third.” That result might also have proved Woodruff’s theories on acclimatisation in Johannesburg, which, as mentioned earlier, he figured took three to six months.

Woodruff reckoned horses could need five to six weeks to recover merely from raiding the Scottsville course in Pietermaritzburg from Durban, even though the altitude in Pietermaritzburg is only 650m. “Horses take quite a chemical shunt at altitude when raiding from the coast and need time to normalise.”

This, coupled with the arduous journey of close to 1500km and the time horses need to acclimatise, is one of the reasons that Cape Town horses seldom campaign in Johannesburg.

“Going from altitude to sea level is advantageous due to the increased oxygen content of the air.

If the horses stay at the coast after their runs they tend to go flat” Corné Spies Hypoxic training, developed by Don Carmody and Dina Alborano, uses simulated high altitude conditions. An athletic trainer for 20 years with a background in mechanical engineering, Carmody built a gym for human athletes, with a chamber that replicated the oxygen level of Mount Everest’s base camp.

Alborano – his wife and a 5km Masters runner – subsequently improved from 23rd to second in the world, cutting a minute off her time in six months.

The couple reckoned it should bring similar results for racehorses, considering the easy 1971 Kentucky Derby win of Canonero II, an outsider who had prepared for the race at relatively high altitude in Venezuela.

They built climate-controlled horse stalls, with floor-to-ceiling kickboard, rubberised walls, a pure-air monitor, a power-failure ventilation system, and generator limiters that simulate high-altitude training. Australian Noel Daley, one of the top trainers in North American harness racing, bought the first one and began using hypoxic training for Broad Bahn’s preparation six weeks before the $1.7 million trotting classic, the Hambletonian, in 2011.

The horse duly won the race. n

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VETERINARY

MUCUS AND AIRBORNE PARTICLES

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MUCUS AND AIRBORNE PARTICLES

This horse may be benefitting from fresh air but as doorways can be areas of high traffic, particulate material can accumulate in nearby stalls

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T

R MELISSA Millerck-May and colleagues have published two reports in the Equine Veterinary Journal, the most recent of which will appear in the January issue.

These researchers have at long last been able to show a direct link between airborne particulate matter and visible tracheal mucus in thoroughbred racehorses.

Mucus in the trachea (a.k.a. windpipe) and airway inflammation can be triggered by bacteria, viruses, and airborne irritants such as pollen, dust, and moulds. Many horses with mucus do not have active infection and this prompted the Michigan researchers to investigate whether airborne particulate matter in the stable environment were linked to mucus production and inflammatory cell

VETERINARY

Accumulation of mucus in the trachea is an incredibly common ailment in racehorses and it can significantly compromise their performance. Since the early 18th century respiratory health has been linked to the stable environment, but researchers based at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University have recently taken a fresh look at the problem, with funding from the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation.

WORDS AND PHOTOS: CELIA MARR

Above left: Samples of mucus are often submitted for further laboratory testing to assess the numbers of inflammatory cells and look for bacteria or viral products Above right: under the microscope, strands of mucus are interlaced with inflammatory cells Left: Mucus is generally diagnosed during endoscopic examination, or “scoping.” This horse has a large stream of mucus in the windpipe

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numbers. As most trainers know, the first sign that a horse has mucus can be a cough but in many, the problem is not evident until it is examined by endoscopy. Tracheal washes, or samples of the material within the trachea, can be submitted for laboratory investigations that usually include counting the number of inflammatory cells and culturing for bacteria.

Occasionally samples are analysed for evidence of viral or other infections.

In humans it is known that inhalation of particles of less than ten micrometres (one micrometre is one thousand of a millimetre), referred to as PM10 by the researchers, will cause inflammation of the airways and this has been related to their metal content.

PM2.5, even smaller particles that are less than 2.5 micrometres, make up a larger percentage of the airborne particulate matter, and because of their large numbers and small size, collectively they have a large surface area per unit mass, and as a result, these particles are inherently more damaging to the airways than the coarser particles.

Bacteria and their harmful by-products can stick to these small particles and add to their injurious effects on the respiratory tract. In humans, increases in PM2.5 are consistently associated with increased severity of respiratory disease while increases in PM10 tend to be linked to short-term, transient worsening of disease. Specific information on how different particle sizes influence respiratory tract of horses is not yet available but the Michigan group found that visible mucus was associated with particles between 0.7 and 2.0 micrometres in size.

Stable air quality is influenced by particles originating from both outside and inside the stable. Sources inside include the forage, bedding, and stable dust while outside, roads, car parks, and woods can all be sources of particles.

Millerck-May and her colleagues used novel methods to assess the stable environment. Traditional methods of assessing air quality used stationary sampling pump/filter devices and Millerck-May’s group was the first to use particle concentration

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MUCUS AND AIRBORNE PARTICLES

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VETERINARY

With airway inflammation, the numbers of neutrophils will rise. This inflammatory cell can be identified because its nucleus has a characteristic multilobed appearance (arrows) Above: This diagram shows how particle concentration mapping creates a plan of areas within stables that have the highest concentrations of particles. Red represents stalls with the high levels of particular material; yellow intermediate and white, low levels. Gray stalls were not examined.

Green = trainers office, blue arrows indicated doorways. Reproduced with permission from Equine Veterinary Journal, 2012, 45(1) Below: Inside stables, forage, bedding and stable dust are obvious sources of particulate matter but outside, trees, woods, roads and traffic important sources of harmful particles that can be harder to limit

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mapping. This novel approach samples the environment at multiple sites and on multiple occasions. In this way, a map of particle concentration can be created to show exactly where within the facility the highest concentrations of airborne particulate matter exist.

Millerck-May conducted particle concentration mapping in three stables based within a US thoroughbred racetrack, at three different times of day and three different times of year. Stable design, specific stalls, and time of day and month all influenced the numbers and types of particles. Morning samples were taken during the busiest times when horses were being fed and groomed and stalls and walkways were being cleaned; at midday, when the stables were at their quietest; and in the early evening, which coincided with feeding and racing. Both the particle types, PM10 and PM2.5, were at their highest in the busy morning time.

In the latest Equine Veterinary Journal study, the researchers showed that stable, stall, month, and particle concentration were all linked to the accumulation of tracheal mucus.

By scoping 107 thoroughbred racehorses, they found that those 67% had visible mucus, and this was highest in September, the warmest, driest month when 77% had mucus, and lowest in July, which was cool and damp and 54% had mucus. November, with a mucus prevalence of 69%, was cold, snowy, and wet, and trainers had closed doors and windows at that time.

Stable design is vitally important and the stable with the most modern design including openings along both long sides, high vaulted ceilings, and large sliding doors had the lowest levels of larger particles and the lowest prevalence of visible mucus, emphasising

what horsemen have long known, that ventilation is critical for respiratory health.

However, open sides and high vaulted ceilings also allowed the smallest particles, generated from roads and parking areas near the stables, to enter the building. MillerckMay reported that increased odds of visible tracheal mucus associated with stable and particle concentration and numbers are probably due to insufficient ventilation within enclosed stables resulting in continual exposure to particles, whereas ventilation in open-sided stables allows for more rapid settling of particles.

Specific details of management practices also had important influences on air quality.

These are the aspects that should be the easiest for trainers to change. The stable that had the highest particle concentrations had staff working for the longest period throughout the morning, thus creating greater opportunity for generation and dispersion of particles and at the same time reducing the length between busy times during which the particles could settle. This was also the only stable that fed hay from nets.

Millerck-May noted “the hay was taken from the bale and shaken to loosen it before it was packed into the hay nets and hung near the doorway of each stall. In order to eat from the net, horses pulled the hay-filled net into the doorway, which both released particles and probably obstructed air from entering the stall.�

One of the most fascinating aspects of this study was that by allowing individual stalls to be sampled, it was possible to show that some areas within a stable are more problematic than others. In one of the stables, stalls located at the centre of the barn had higher levels, most likely because of lack of mixing of

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Horses in a barn at the British Racing School benefit from having open windows at the back of each stall so they can take advantage of the outdoor environment

the air limiting dilution of the particles. Perhaps more surprisingly, stalls near the doors were also likely to have higher levels of particles.

The researchers proposed several reasons for this. Millerck-May noted that there was a lot of horse and human traffic through the doors and vehicles stopped and started outside throughout the day, and a manure storage building was located near the door. At some times of year, large floor fans were used but because these were placed near the high-traffic manure handling area, the fans maybe contributed to particle accumulation rather than reduced it.

In another barn, a central group of stalls had high numbers of large particles present in the afternoon, contrasting from other areas where particle levels were low in the afternoon.

The researchers observed that this area of the stable was used to cool down horses by walking them around this central group of stalls. Millerck-May commented that this observation was an excellent example of why one cannot gain a good understanding of particle concentrations in stables by simply using stationary samplers at one or two locations. There may be many factors that can cause high particle concentration in a few stalls and very specific times of day.

The important message from this study is that the generation, accumulation, and dispersal of particulate material within and nearby stables involves complex processes influenced by stable design, local geography, weather patterns, and stable management practices. Particle concentration mapping can identify problem areas that if addressed should benefit respiratory health. Reasons for these problem areas can be explored, and remedial action taken. n

“The stable with the most modern design including openings along both long sides, high vaulted ceilings, and large sliding doors had the lowest levels of larger particles and the lowest prevalence of visible mucus�

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PROFILE

RELATIVE VALUES

THE GRAFFARDS Hard graft paying off

I

T HAS been an exciting start for dynamic couple, who met on Sheikh Mohammed’s inaugural Darley Flying Start programme. “If you told me when I was younger that things would turn out like this, it would have been a dream come true,” Lisa-Jane says, who also works as Darley’s racing representative in France.

Despite both having full time jobs, albeit in the same industry, it often sees them in different parts of the country. However, it is a true team effort that has seen such results.

This includes seven full time staff, “assistant trainer” Nelson – the couple’s terrier – as well as new chocolate Labrador recruit Hardy, who in keeping with the yard’s youngsters is on a learning curve.

Both Francis and Lisa-Jane were been brought up around horses from an early age.

Francis comes from Burgundy, the mecca for the AQPS (French Chaser), a breed his grandfather bred. “He had a few mares when I was growing up, but I am the first member of my family to actually work in the industry.”

Lisa-Jane was also surrounded by thoroughbreds in Co. Tipperary where her mother Virginia still breeds. The latter is perhaps best known for raising five time Group 1 winner Vinnie Roe, who took the Irish St. Leger an outstanding four times for Dermot Weld.

During his holidays, Francis gained experience with the likes of Jehan Betran de Balanda whilst working towards a degree in Commercial Law, following in his father’s footsteps. “I think this has really helped me with my choice of career, and it has opened doors for me.”

Just one of these was the Flying Start, where his potential was spotted, along with Lisa-Jane’s, to take part in the two-year

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Four years ago, Francis Graffard took the decision to move back to his native France with his wife Lisa-Jane. In this, his first season as a trainer, he has already sent out 22 winners including Group 3 winner Pearl Flute, collecting nearly €500,000 in prize money.

WORDS: ISABEL MATHEW PHOTOS: APRH, ISABEL MATHEW

scholarship. “It was a fantastic programme that enabled me to travel and see the best of everything and make lots of contacts. It also helped me to meet my wife!”

Together they travelled and worked in the United States, Australia, Dubai, England, and Ireland during this period. Francis also spent time in Chantilly with 23-time Champion French Trainer Andre Fabre.

At the end of the course, he then became Darley’s racing representative in Britain. “I spent four seasons in the role, and again it was a fantastic way to see how different trainers work, gain a thorough knowledge of racing in the country, as well as meet a lot of people.”

Graffard knew he always wanted to return to France however, and when an opportunity

“I learnt a lot from Alain, and his method of training. He is very patient, and knows exactly how to read horses and treat them as individuals”

came up with Alain de Royer-Dupre, he didn’t hesitate to follow in the paths of Mikel Delzangles, Eric Libaud, and Stephane Wattel.

“I initially decided to spend two seasons there before setting up on my own, but I wasn’t ready, so I stayed another year.

“It put me back in a more hands on position, and enabled me to gain a thorough knowledge of Chantilly, the gallops, and make contacts with farriers, vets and so on meaning that I could choose from the best when I started.”

During his time with the Chantilly maestro, Graffard was associated with horses such as Prix du Jockey-Club winner Reliable Man, as well as Group 1 winners Reggane, Alpine Rose, and Americain.

“I learnt a lot from Alain, and his method of training. He is very patient, and knows exactly how to read horses and treat them as individuals. He gives them a steady routine, and is not scared to give them a bit of time if they need it.”

Finally the time was right for Graffard to start up on his own. “I went to the October Sales at Deauville looking for clients because I was worried about not having many horses.

Everyone said it was difficult to start in Chantilly and I should begin in the provinces, but it’s here where I have the best knowledge.”

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RELATIVE VALUES

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PROFILE

Francis Graffard with his wife Lisa-Jane and their two daughters, Victoria, aged two, and eight-month-old Scarlett

This active marketing has clearly paid off, as he reached an average of 30 horses this season. “Getting owners is one of the hardest parts of setting up, and it requires a big leap of faith to put your horses in training with an unproven trainer.

“Without the clients it is hard to get started and I was humbled that so many people had confidence in me. I owe my clients a big debt of gratitude for the start they have given me.”

Stable juvenile star Pearl Flute, winner of the Prix des Chenes

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Graffard is currently based at a yard he rents from the Artu family at Lamorlaye, just next door to Chantilly.

“I’m very lucky that I have a very good landlady, and they like having

me here. It is the perfect situation for me, close to the gallops with good facilities and turnout paddocks at the back.”

The Frenchman didn’t have to wait long for his first winner, which came on his third attempt when Star of Bombay won on a cold winter’s day in early January at Deauville. “I was lucky that I had a few older horses to start with, so that gave me a boost.

“Alain and Mikel Delzangles really helped me at the start of the season, letting me work my horses with theirs, as otherwise it would have been impossible. I really appreciate that, and both have been very supportive.”

Star of Bombay is owned by Susie McKeever, who is one of a multitude of owners at the yard. Others include the Niarchos family, Magalen Bryant, Richard Pegum, Jaber Abdullah, and Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani, his most prolific owner, who currently counts five horses with the 35year-old.

During those few days in October, Graffard also came across a yearling that was to become his future stable star Pearl Flute. “When David Redvers bought him on behalf of Pearl Bloodstock (for €42,000), I asked him whether he had a trainer in mind.

“He said then that he thought they would probably breeze him rather than put him in training. I then saw David again at the Craven Sales, and he said that he was going very well,

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PROFILE and if he didn’t make enough money at SaintCloud they would send him to me.”

Luck was on Graffard’s side as he made the same as his yearling price, and Pearl Flute arrived at his yard in May. A month later the colt made his debut in the Listed Prix Yacowlef, which he swiftly won by two-and-ahalf lengths.

It was a perfect start for the rookie trainer’s career in what was his first runner in a stakes race. “He has been a big advertisement for me over the season, because he has been consistent right from the start.”

This wasn’t Graffard’s only promising prospect however, as two weeks later To My Valentine finished second in the Group 3 Prix du Bois, whilst Zalim Bifov’s More Than Sotka won a juvenile Listed contest at Vichy.

In September, Pearl Flute came up trumps once again when taking the Group 3 Prix des Chenes at Longchamp. It was an emotional moment for the couple, who have two young daughters, Victoria, two, and eight-month-old Scarlett.

“I don’t have a lot to do with the day-to-day training,” Lisa-Jane says, “but obviously moments like that are unforgettable.”

She helps where possible, and tries to go out to see the horses in the mornings. “LisaJane has two full-time jobs, one with Darley

“I never expected to have so many winners, and one of my main philosophies is never to be scared to run a horse if you think that he is ready” and the other looking after the children, so she doesn’t have much time in between!”

Francis says.

He adds, “One thing that she is incredibly strong on is the form of horses, as well as the race programme, so that really helps me.”

Ever modest, Lisa-Jane thinks differently: “I don’t help that much, and whilst we do discuss things, I hadn’t realised how much of a trainer’s work goes on inside their head.”

In October, Pearl Flute was third, beaten a length, in the Group 1 Gran Criterium at San Siro. “I was happy with his performance, however I think we should have won but he got bumped on the far side and had to make up ground.”

Graffard with his first winner, Star of Bombay, at Deauville

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Just a week earlier he had been bought back at Arqana’s Arc Sale for €380,000.

“Obviously I am delighted to still have him in the stable, and I hope he will progress once more over the winter. It is up to his connections, but he might go for something like the German 2,000 Guineas.

“I think he has the physique that could improve again, and is perhaps not just a twoyear-old as could have been easy to think. No one would expect a Piccolo to stay a mile, but he needs every bit of it.”

Graffard’s success hasn’t just been with juveniles however, as half of his wins have come with older horses. “It is natural that I have had a lot of two-year-olds, but I don’t want to be known only for that.

“I never expected to have so many winners, and one of my main philosophies is never to be scared to run a horse if you think that he is ready. I thought that it would be difficult to compete at the top level, but I have been very lucky to have some very nice horses that have made it easier.

“As I never had any real ambitions for my first season, I never felt any pressure from people judging me,” Graffard says, before adding, “Next year might be a different story however, as I now have to continue and do better!” n

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VETERINARY

New thoughts on thoroughbred throats

M

It’s the roar of the crowds – not the roaring of his horses, that Kiaran McLaughlin, trainer of Invasor, 2007’s Horse of the Year, likes to hear. As any experienced trainer will testify, however, throat problems like “roaring” are all too common. Roaring is one the most common causes of respiratory-related poor performance in thoroughbreds, and has therefore attracted a great deal of interest from the equine community. Although surgeries for roarers were first attempted over 150 years ago, the success rate remains less than ideal.

WORDS: Stacey Oke, DVM, MSc PHOtOS: ROBIN PeteRSON

MCLAUGHLIN admits he hasn’t had great luck with throat surgeries in the past. He lamented, “I just wish there was something else we could do.”

Veterinary researchers and surgeons agree that improvements are needed, which drives them to seek solutions to owners’ and trainers’ pleas for better results.

This article looks at the most up-to-date information on how best to diagnose and treat roaring. Novel, promising treatment options that can be used with the classic “tie-back” surgery are also discussed.

To roar or not to roar When you are standing on the rail in the morning, the sound of a roarer galloping past you is fairly distinctive. The sound is caused by the left arytenoid cartilage (see sidebars) drooping into the opening of the larynx. The underlying cause of the problem is dysfunction of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve. When that nerve fails to function properly, it stops signaling the left arytenoid cartilage to pull back during exercise. If a horse can’t move enough air to the lungs during exercise – in this case because the arytenoid cartilage is blocking

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airflow – they cannot perform their best. This is why roarers tend to fade or even stop during the latter part of a race.

In contrast, the arytenoid cartilages in normal horses abduct fully to allow a large volume of air to move unobstructed through the throat.

In the eye of the beholder As easy as an abnormal arytenoid cartilage should be to recognize, it is not always a straightforward diagnosis.

“It can be extremely challenging to diagnose the cause of the noise,” explained James C. Hunt Jr., DVM, a private practitioner at Belmont Park in New York. Over the course of Dr. Hunt’s 30-year career, he has scoped thousands of horses, including Curlin, Invasor, and Rags to Riches.

Hunt said, “For starters, the horse usually needs to work or run at least five-eighths of a mile before fatigue occurs and the roaring sound can be heard. Most people don’t breeze farther than that, so if you’re relying on your ears to detect a problem, you’re going to miss a lot of roarers.”

He went on to explain that a routine resting “scope” (examination of the horse’s throat with an endoscope) can only tell you so much.

“When vets scope, what we see is not always what is happening on the track. Even if they were making noise on the track, if we scope them right away the horse could be completely abducted. If you scope them again 30-40 minutes later then you may see the asymmetry,” said Hunt.

By “asymmetry” Hunt means that the right and left arytenoid cartilages are not opening in an either equal or symmetric manner.

“Scoping the horse on a treadmill or using a dynamic scope can give us a lot of information,” Hunt noted.

Dynamic scoping involves breezing a horse with a scope in the horse’s airway. It is a valuable tool that allows veterinarians to record exactly how the throat is functioning under race conditions. Scoping on a treadmill also remains a viable option to help diagnose upper airway disorders that could be overlooked with standing (resting) endoscopy.

In the right hands, ultrasound is another important diagnostic option. Cornell University researchers used ultrasound in 154 horses with a history of poor performance due to upper airway disease. In their report, scheduled to be published in an upcoming edition of the journal Veterinary Radiology and Ultrasound, the authors concluded, “…ultrasound offers

ROARERS

many advantages for diagnosing RLN in horses.

Ultrasound is noninvasive, depicts a real-time view of the tissues, and is widely available…

Ultrasound should not be used as a replacement for endoscopy, but to help refine case selection for dynamic endoscopic examination either by treadmill or overground testing.”

Eric Parente, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, an associate professor of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center concurred with Hunt regarding the importance of properly diagnosing the horse’s throat problem.

“The first step to success is obtaining an accurate diagnosis,” advised Parente.

Should the horse go for surgery?

One of the most common questions that owners and trainers ask veterinarians when faced with a roarer is, “Can they still race or do they need to go for surgery?”

Experts agree that just because a horse is making noise does not mean they must head straight to surgery: it depends on how asymmetric, or “lazy”, the left arytenoid cartilage is.

McLaughlin mentioned, “We don’t tend to do anything with horses with a lazy left cord [arytenoid cartilage] until it is

compromising their performance.”

Parente advised, “When performance is impacted, then it is time to consider surgery even if a resting endoscopic [“scope”] exam shows they still have a lot of movement.”

Timing of surgery is also important. Data from a recent study showed that horses that were not completely paralyzed prior to surgery returned to a higher level of performance than horses that were completely paralysed.

“There is no benefit of waiting until a horse is completely paralyzed before pursuing surgery if the horse’s performance begins to be compromised,” recommended Parente.

“There is no benefit of waiting until a horse is completely paralysed before pursuing surgery if the horse’s performance begins to be compromised” Eric Parente

Don’t call it a comeback If you have ever trained or owned a roarer then you know that not all horses make it back to a successful racing career after surgery.

“Thinking back over the years, I have had minimal success. I haven’t had that many great tie-backs,” McLaughlin relayed.

The tie-back is one of the most common surgeries for roarers that literally involves “tying back” the left arytenoid cartilage so it no longer sags into the airway.

Parente confirmed McLaughlin’s sentiment noting, “Using a traditional tie-back technique, only 25-70% of surgeries are generally considered ‘successful.’”

Due to the fact that a traditional tie-back costs approximately $3,000, the horse needs about 4-6 weeks off for recovery, and only about 50% of horses return to a successful racing career, Parente devised a modified surgical technique. His goal was to minimize some of the common complications that occur postsurgically.

In addition to tying back the arytenoid cartilage, Parente now also removes the cartilage in the cricoarytenoid joint (the connection between the cricoid and arytenoid cartilages) to help keep the arytenoid cartilage abducted.

ISSUE 40 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com 53

VETERINARY OTHER BREATHING PROBLEMS WORTH NOTING Don’t write your horse off as a roarer without being fully evaluated by your vet. Intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate (IDDSP), also frequently causes upper respiratory noise and is an important cause of poor performance. The DDSP is treated by a tie-forward, which is different than the tie-back used to treat roarers.

Other causes of upper respiratory noise and problems in the throat area include: l Epiglottic entrapment; l Arytenoid chondritis (inflammation of the arytenoid cartilages); l Pharyngeal or tracheal collapse or collapse of other structures of the throat/larynx; l Epiglottic retroversion

SUMMARY OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF THROAT SURGERIES As early as the 1850s, veterinarians have been trying to surgically achieve and maintain a large, stable, open airway during exercise. A variety of techniques were used back then that formed the basis of treatments that are still used today.

“The Hobday” Devised over 100 years ago, involves removing the ventricles (ventriculectomy) in an attempt to stabilize the arytenoid cartilage and restore some functi on. The Hobday is still performed today, but often in concert with other procedures, such as removal of the vocal cords (ventriculocordectomy).

Tie-back (Prosthetic Laryngoplasty) Developed in the 1970s, the tie-back remains the mainstay of treatment today. The tie-back uses suture material to pull back the paralyzed arytenoid cartilage out of the larynx.

Cordectomies (removal of the vocal cords) and vetr iculocordectomies can be performed in concert with tie-backs. In some cases (failed cases), repeat tie-backs can be performed.

Arytenoidectomy First reported in 1866, arytenoidectomy (removal of some of the arytenoid cartilages/flapper) is sometimes used as an initial treatment approach, although is often reserved for a second-line surgery in cases of failed tie-backs.

Laryngeal Reinnervation and Graftin g Currently, techniques to essentially “rebuild” the connection between the left recurrent laryngeal nerve and the muscles that abduct the larynx are technically difficult and have not achieve better success rates than the tie-back.

54 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 40

As Parente described in a recent study published in the journal Veterinary Surgery, “We performed our modified tie-back surgery on 70 thoroughbred racehorses. When compared to thoroughbreds that had previously beat our treated horses (and were therefore presumed to not be roarers), the treated horses had the same number of race starts and same dollars earned postsurgically.”

In addition, all horses that underwent Parente’s modified tie-back surgery raced at least once, and all treated horses ultimately competed for as long as the untreated contenders.

“While still far from perfect, our technique demonstrates a clear improvement,” noted Parente.

Norm G. Ducharme, DMV, MSc, Dipl. ACVS and colleague Jon Cheetham, VetMB, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, both surgeons at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, NY also modified the traditional tie-back surgery.

“We inject the cricoarytenoid joint of the larynx with bone cement to help hold the airway in an open position, which helps minimize loss of arytenoid abduction postoperatively in horses undergoing a tie-back," Ducharme explained.

In Ducharme’s hands, the success rate of a tie-back is 70-75%.

Reasons for failure, concerning complications Tie-backs fail for a number of reasons. One of the most common reasons is loss of the opening that was created at the time of surgery. For example, the sutures that “tie-back” the arytenoid cartilage can fail (pull out), and the horse’s airway again becomes obstructed. A second common problem with tie-backs is aspiration. If the arytenoid is tied back too far then the airway is too large and food or water

can go down the wrong pipe (i.e. down the trachea to the lungs instead of down the esophagus to the stomach). Aspiration can cause the horse to cough and develop respiratory infections including pneumonia. In fact, approximately 50% of horses cough in the postoperative period and 15% have persistent coughing.

“One problem is that we are taking what should be a dynamic functional larynx and making it into a somewhat static structure. In addition, we are working with tissues that have significant variability to their shape and stiffness, making it difficult for surgeons to construct and maintain an open airway,” explained Parente.

In an attempt to minimize the development of aspiration pneumonia in treated horses, Parente (like other surgeons) only abducts the arytenoid cartilage 80-90% of the way in his modified tie-back procedure.

Problems in the lower airways (lung) can also develop postsurgically. In a recent study published by veterinarians with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the authors warn owners and trainers to consider some of those secondary complications following a tie-back, not just “surgical success.”

In that article (scheduled to be published in the Equine Veterinary Journal), the authors reported that 22 thoroughbred racehorse roarers who underwent a standard tie-back surgery had shorter careers than the 44 control horses. They found: l 100% of the horses that underwent surgery had excessive tracheal mucus; l 36% (8/22) also had at least one episode of bleeding (epistaxis, bleeding from those nose, exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage, EIPH); l Only 32% (14/44) control horses had mucus; and l Only 6.8% (3/44) bled.

ROARERS Horses that underwent surgery had fewer starts following the surgery than racehorses which did not have surgery; however, no overall difference in the stakes money earned was found between the two groups of horses in this long-term study.

The authors concluded, “Epistaxis in particular can lead to premature retirement and shorter racing careers, especially in countries that have strict regulatory regulations for this condition.”

Breathing success into the future In lieu of lasers and scalpels, Huisheng Xie, DVM, PhD, an associate clinical professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, is using electroacupuncture to treat roarers. Electroacupuncture involves passing an electric current through needles inserted in specific pairs of acupuncture points. The electrical current presumably stimulates a larger area than ‘dry needling.’

In his report, the only study published to date on the use of any form of acupuncture for roarers, Xie described performing electroacupuncture on 18 thoroughbreds once weekly for between three and seven sessions, depending on severity of the disease.

“The grade of laryngeal disease improved in all the horses after electroacupuncture therapy, and no side effects were observed,” wrote the authors. “The results of this study suggest that electroacupuncture may serve as an effective non-surgical method for the control of laryngeal hemiplegia.”

Cornell University researchers are approaching the roaring problem from yet another angle with a technique called, “functional electrical stimulation.”

The rationale is to externally stimulate the muscles that open the throat.

When tested on six adult horses, FES significantly improved abduction of the arytenoid during Eric Parente exercise.

“Essentially, this is like a laryngeal pacemaker. This type of technique can answer trainers’ wishes for new treatment options. Although not clinically available yet, a number of studies support FES, indicating that FES is promising strategy for roarers,” said Ducharme.

“I believe the modified technique gives horses a better chance at getting back to racing than the traditional tie-back, but I don’t think I’ll find it ‘acceptable’ until the success rate is 100%”

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Concluding thoughts “Because of the advancements in diagnostics, we [veterinarians] are both further ahead and at a bit of a disadvantage. We can now detect even slight deviations from normal but remain limited in our knowledge of how to treat them,” noted Hunt.

Parente concurred, recognizing his modified surgery remains a less than perfect solution for roarers.

“I believe the modified technique gives horses a better chance at getting back to racing than the traditional tie-back, but I don’t think I’ll find it ‘acceptable’ until the success rate is 100%,” said Parente. “For now, the modified technique is the best we can do while we continue to strive to find ways to further modify the technique and find other ways to minimize complications.”

He added, “Owners and trainers need to appreciate and remember that athletic competition is never about one factor. We can’t just fix the throat to make the horse great. Some horses can compete successfully with less than perfect throats because everything else is so good. Putting a realistic face on the current condition of treatment is prudent.

Understanding that we [surgeons] can usually provide significant benefit but can’t make the horse ‘normal’ is probably a good place to start.” n

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ISSUE 40 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com 55

BRAN MASH ISSUE 40_Jerkins feature.qxd 30/11/2012 15:44 Page 1

NUTRITION

BRAN MASHES Useful tradition or nutritional pariah?

I f

N ITS most common form a bran mash consists of a warm sloppy mixture of wheat bran, with other minor ingredients such as rolled barley, linseed, vegetable oil, honey, molasses or date syrup often being added. The exact recipe for a particular yard’s bran mash is often a closely guarded secret, being regarded as part of a winning formula, and it could have been handed down through the generations of trainers. Traditionally a warm ‘mash’ has been offered to horses following hard exercise, or sometimes just once a week on the day of no or limited exercise, which is commonly a Sunday.

Some of the oldest horsemanship texts give us insight into the rationale for a bran mash as part of a racing diet. Bran mashes were seen as having a purgative or laxative effect and so were used in the belief that they would help to cleanse the digestive tract and maintain the normal movement of the gut, thus preventing impactions following hard exercise and during days of rest. Bran mashes have also been used to encourage normal eating and water intake during periods where appetite may be suppressed such as in sick horses, following surgery, or simply after racing or hard days of work. They have also been used as a method for introducing medications or other additives given on a periodic basis. In clinical settings, wheat bran is also combined with paraffin oil in an attempt to soften faeces and help resolve early stage impactions within the digestive tract, although in this application the wheat bran really only serves as the carrier for the paraffin oil, which can of course be introduced by the veterinarian via nasogastric tube.

When evaluating the usefulness of wheat bran mashes, we need to consider the main nutritional characteristics of this ingredient

56 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 40

Bran mashes are perhaps one of the most traditional elements of a feeding regime for a horse in race training.

The attraction of this equine equivalent of a warm bowl of ‘Ready Breck’ or cup of hot chocolate has endured despite the many other changes in feeding practices over the years.

WORDS: CatheRine Dunnett BSC, PhD, R.nutR PhOtOS: BOB LanGRiSh

and evaluate whether it’s suitable for the job.

Wheat bran, as the name suggests, is a by-product of the production of flour from wheat, made from the high fibre outer layers of wheat, whereas wheat feed or wheat middlings, which are widely used in horse feed pellets, contain much more of the inner layers of wheat including some germ and endosperm. From a negative viewpoint the

fibrous outer layer of cereals including wheat bran can harbour undesirable mycotoxins.

Nutritionally wheat bran is high in fibre, which has a relatively low digestibility. It is also comparatively high in protein, but the starch content is relatively low, as most of the starch would be located in the grain portion of the wheat itself. Wheat bran provides a low level of digestible energy and also has a low

NUTRITIONAL CHARACTERISTICS 1 Nutritional Characteristic

Unit

Wheat bran

Wheat feed

Protein

%

15.5

16.5

Oil

%

3.5

4.5

Crude Fibre

%

11.0

7.5

NDF Fibre

%

45.4

32.0

ADF Fibre

%

13.4

9.9

Ash

%

6.0

4.5

Starch

%

16.0

23.0

MJ/kg)

9.5

11.0

Calcium (Ca)

%

0.12

0.1

Phosphorus (P)

%

1.15

0.95

0.1:1

0.1:1

Energy (DE)

Ca/P ratio

BRAN MASH ISSUE 40_Jerkins feature.qxd 30/11/2012 15:44 Page 2

BRAN MASHES

bulk density, and so it is able to absorb large amounts of water or other liquid. As with most cereals and their by-products, wheat bran is very low in calcium and comparatively high in phosphorus giving a most unsuitable calcium-to-phosphorus ratio.

The perceived laxative effect of wheat bran in horses probably reflects its use in human nutrition. Our digestive tract does not have the well-developed fibre fermenting capacity of a horse’s. In people, the insoluble fibre from wheat bran travels through our digestive tract largely unchanged and so adds bulk to the faeces giving rise to its reputation for ‘keeping you regular.’

Horses have a superior fibre fermenting capacity and studies to date have not confirmed a similar laxative effect. In fact some research at Cornell University in the US failed to show any change in faecal moisture when the concentrate feed was replaced by 50% wheat bran fed alongside hay.

Additionally, in terms of fibre intake, wheat bran is not that spectacular and certainly many other ingredients – such as hay, alfalfa, and oats – would offer a higher fibre content.

The strengths of the traditional bran mash probably lies in its palatability and therefore its use to encourage eating, where appetite is suppressed. Improvement of water intake, when voluntary drinking is reduced, is another potential benefit.

However, there are two big negatives to

bran mashes that have demonised their use with nutritionists worldwide, the first being the appalling calcium-to-phosphorus delivery.

Being pragmatic, bran mashes are rarely given in isolation and are usually fed as part of a well-balanced ration. Equally, it is a relatively simple task to add a little limestone to the historical bran mash recipe in order to rectify this calcium-to-phosphorus situation, although the high level of phosphorus in the form of phytate may reduce the absorption of other minerals in the diet.

Nutritionists also get very excited about the potential negative impact of the periodically fed bran mash on the microbial balance of the hindgut. A disruption to the normal balance of microflora in the hindgut is vey undesirable and may increase the risk of digestive disturbance. However, hindgut microbes generally respond badly to abrupt changes to what is being fed and so in some ways regular daily use of a bran mash may be more appropriate.

It is possible to produce a bran mash recipe that has a balanced calcium-to-phosphorus ratio and which introduces other desirable ingredients such as Omega-3 rich full-fat linseed. When fed daily as part of the normal diet, a mash of this type is unlikely to upset the microbial balance and may offer some benefits in terms of feed and water intake in fussy feeders, although is unlikely to have any significant effect on faecal bulk or regularity. n

BRAN MASH RECIPE EXAMPLE Wheat bran

300g

Micronised full fat linseed 150g Oats

50g

Honey

25g

Limestone

25g

Total per day

550g *

*Add warm water to provide a warm sloppy feed

NUTRITIONAL CHARACTERISTICS 2 Nutritional Characteristic

IEN Unit bran mash

Protein

%

15.5

Oil

%

10.5

Crude Fibre

%

8.2

Ash

%

9.5

Starch

%

14.0

MJ/kg)

12.0

Calcium (Ca)

%

1.9

Phosphorus (P)

%

0.8

Energy (DE)

Ca/P ratio

2.2:1

ISSUE 40 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com 57

ADVERTORIAL

The Fast Break Extra Sound shoe Correctly fitted, the new Fast Break Extra Sound front shoe can improve break-over on a long toed thoroughbred hoof capsule, without having to overdress the hoof wall which can leave the hoof weaker and prone to over expansion.

The Fast Break Extra Sound follows the shape of the Extra Sound plate but has a flatter / shorter toe to improve break over.

This innovative shoe also has an improved design bevel around the toe and right back to the heel quarters which allows the hoof to break over more quickly, reducing the strain on the flexor tendons and ligaments down the back of the leg. This shoe will also reduce pressure to the back of the hoof capsule which can result in corns.

As well as the improved features at the toe of the shoe, this plate also includes many of the designs you find in the popular Extra Sound plate. Strong Radius quarter clips which are easy to fit and allow the plate to be fitted under the toe. The wide webbed section helps to distribute energy across a larger area of the hoof, while the new concaved section provides better grip and sole relief to reduce pressure while the hoof is weight bearing.

The heel design has been improved to increase the width of the bearing surface, while a slight elevation at the heels helps those horses with low heels. It is common for horses to have a combination of long toes and low heels.

The New Fast Break Extra Sound is the perfect solution.

The nail hole position ensures the nails enter the hoof at the strongest point reducing splits in the hoof wall, while keeping the nail tight in the shoe. The heels of the shoe are designed for close fitting to reduce the shoe being pulled off while offering the maximum amount of support to the hoof.

European Trainer Suppliers’ Guide The only website dedicated to office & professional vacancies within the Equine Industry, Racing Secretaries, Sales Executives, Racecourse Management, Customer Service, Admin & more. As used by Trainer Magazine Also seeking self employed Sales Agents in any location to sell related products directly into the Racing Industry

58 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 40

KEY FEATURES: l Flatter

and shorter toe for maximum break-over for horses with a long toe/low heel conformation l The bevels on the toe and quarters allow the horse to follow its own roll over direction l The special toe design & subtle elevation of the heels reduce strain on flexor tendons & ligaments l Wider heels for perfect balance and support l Same section like Kings Plate Super sound l Perfect

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- Check out new horseshoes, nails, tools, etc. l Keep up-to-date with the latest results in horse racing & equine events l Experience the latest horseshoeing techniques l Follow us on a wide variety of social media l Subscribe to our newsletter to provide you with the latest news l Download product catalogs, flyers, logo’s, etc.

So, if you would like to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in the world of farriery and at Kerckhaert, JOIN THE ELITE – TODAY! – www.kerckhaert.com

ADVERTORIAL

Finding the science behind the best bedding It has been a summer that has put a premium on the quality of bedding for all equestrian professionals. Waterlogged fields have brought a sharp rise in the normal hoof problems and an even sharper rise in the incidence of serious diseases such as onychomycosis; mangled paddocks have meant more time for more horses in the stable.

In these testing circumstances, BEDMAX has stepped up our research into the key areas of equine health and welfare that can be significantly affected by bedding, looking for scientific proof to support the evidence of experience that persuades so many trainers, equine vets and clinics, farriers, event organisers, competitors and owners to use our shavings.

Dust and spores Eliminating dust and spores in the stable remains the biggest factor for trainers and vets in the UK, and for our growing customer base in Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong. Scientific proof of the damage that dust from bedding can do to a stabled horse’s respiratory system go back to the 1980’s, but leaders in this area such as the Royal (Dick) Veterinary School and Equine Hospital in Edinburgh are still adding to our knowledge of just how important it is to choose a dust free bedding – and the fact that they have been using BEDMAX for the past 10 years is still the best proof that the words ‘DUST FREE’ on our bags actually mean what they say.

Hoofcare and Hocks Eliminating dust is also the absolute priority for the trainers and the world class veterinary and farriery services operating in the demanding environment of Hong Kong. But for an increasing number of trainers there, hoofcare and joint protection are almost as important, and a growing driver in the use of BEDMAX shavings.

Larger shavings provide a more even bed, more support under the hoof and cushioning for vulnerable hocks, they drain moisture from the surface, and their controlled moisture levels help to prevent hooves drying out.

Pine power Now we’re looking into the possibility that the pine timber we use to make BEDMAX may even help suppress the development of ammonia from urea, and reduce the damage this can do to the hoof structure. Science has proved that pine kills many harmful bacteria and fungi including E.Coli, and sheep farmers who use BEDMAX pine shavings at lambing time find they lose far fewer lambs to this killer. Our next scientific goal is to find out if pine may also kill or repress the micrococcus ureae bacterium that converts urea to ammonia in bedding.

Testing VALUE This rain-drenched summer has also been a perfect season for us to test the value of our bedding against some of the most popular competitors. So we commissioned three independent professional yards to use BEDMAX, by-product shavings and wood fibre bedding over an eight-week period. The combined results showed that these stables needed up to 20% less BEDMAX to make and maintain a top quality bed over the two months. Eliminating dust, safeguarding hooves and protecting hocks are essential, but achieving that at a lower cost is clearly a bonus for trainers – and their owners.

For stockists and further details visit www.bedmaxshavings.com or +44 (0)1668 213467

European Trainer Suppliers’ Guide

ISSUE 40 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com 59

PRODUCT FOCUS

Is feeding straights to racehorses a good option?

A trainer with a yard of 40 horses in full work could expect to spend approximately £3,500-£4,500 (€4,400-€5,600) monthly on a racehorse mix (excluding forage and supplements). So, unsurprisingly many are now considering the option of feeding straights, typically oats, rather than premixed (compound) feeds. Fed correctly oats can be a nutritionally sound, economical alternative. However, trainers should also be aware of the potential ‘pit-falls’ with this type of feeding regime.

Oats can seem a cheaper option, but they leave the trainer responsible for ensuring the horse gets all the correct nutrients. Although oats contain about 1213% protein, the quality of the protein is poor and feeding oats alone will not meet the protein needs of horses in training. In addition, oats are very low in calcium but high in phosphorous, the opposite of what is required for bone health. Another concern is that oats have a low dietary cation anion balance (DCAB) and this can negatively affect bone health.

In order to balance oats the horse must receive additional sources of dietary protein, vitamins and minerals. The simplest way to achieve this is by feeding a specific oat balancer (e.g. Dodson & Horrell Racing Balancer). Oat balancers may appear to be expensive (£12-15 (€15-19)/20kg bag), however this is offset by the lower cost of the oats and the low amount of oat balancer fed daily. Alternatively, oats can be balanced by feeding alfalfa (e.g. Dodson & Horrell Alfalfa Oil Plus) and a high specification vitamin and mineral supplement (e.g. Dodson & Horrell Performance Vitamins & Minerals). Alfalfa is a good source of protein and calcium, and has the added advantage of having a high DCAB value.

Another factor to consider when feeding straights is quality control. Natalie Fallon, Laboratory Manager

at Dodson & Horrell explains, ‘We test all our raw materials and finished feed rigorously, not only for their nutritional content, but also for the absence of harmful substances such as mycotoxins and naturally occurring prohibited substances (NOPS) such as morphine’.

Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced when grains become mouldy and they are a particular concern this year because of the wet weather during harvest. Mycotoxins can only be detected by laboratory tests and so trainers buying cereals straight from the field may unknowingly be exposing their horses to them. Experts warn that even low

European Trainer Suppliers’ Guide

60 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 40

level mycotoxicosis can impact on the racehorse’s health and performance, leading to problems such as respiratory disease, poor appetite and increased incidences of infections. Trainers should also be concerned about the risk of NOPS, particularly as contaminated feed has been the cause of horses failing drug-tests in the past.

Trainers buying straights, especially those sourced direct from farmers are well advised to test for the presence of a full range of mycotoxins and NOPS. However, these tests are expensive, around £500680 (€625-850)/sample and this can quickly swallow up the savings made by feeding straight oats rather than a fully tested compound feed.

In conclusion, switching from a racehorse mix to an oat-based feeding regime can save around £5 (€6.25)/horse weekly. But remember that feeding straights does mean that more time needs to be spent preparing the feed and this additional labour cost, and margin for error, should not be overlooked.

More importantly there is also an increased risk of exposure to mycotoxins and NOPS. Taking all things into account generally the safest, most economical way to feed horses in training is to choose a complete cubed feed from a NOPS approved feed manufacturer.

Cost/ day/horse* Oats, Alfalfa & Vitamin & Mineral Supplement £2.82 Racehorse Cube £2.94 Oats & Oat Balancer £3.07 Racehorse Mix £3.58 *figures are a guide only and will vary according to supplier, quantity ordered etc.

For more information visit - www.dodsonhorrell.com

STAKES SCHEDULES

STAKES SCHEDULES RACES

Races are divided by distance and the relevant surface is indicated as follows: AWT - All Weather Track D - Dirt T - Turf European counties covered in this issue are: Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Sweden and United Kingdom. The indexes also include Grade 1 races from North America as well major races from Australia and Japan.

CLOSING DATES

Closing dates for all Irish races are set for international entry dates. For certain races, Irish trained horses, may be able to enter after the published dates. Please check dates with the relevant issue of The Racing Calendar.

All main French races have been given an eight day closing date with provincial races set to a ten day closing

date. The Italian authority (UNIRE) do not publish closing dates for Listed races but we have been advised to set each race closing date ten days in advance of the race.

COPYRIGHT

Under Copyright law, no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means. This includes but not limited to; photocopying for commercial redistribution and or facsimile recording without the prior permission of the copyright holder, application for which should be addressed to the publisher.

DISCLAIMER

Whilst every effort has been made to publish correct information, the publishers will not be held liable for any omission, mistake or change to the races listed in all published indexes.

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San Gabriel St Robert J. Frankel St Santa Anita Derby La Canada St XXXII Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup

Race Date 02-Feb-13 09-Mar-13 08-Mar-13 30-Mar-13

Value “$75,000” “$17,000” “AED 500,000” “$1,000,000”

5f (1000m)

Age Surface 4+ T NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ T 3+ D NH 3yo+ SH 3yo+ T

Metres 1000 1000 1000 1000

Visit www.trainermagazine.com/europe Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 3 Gr 1 L

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“$150,000” “$200,000” “$200,000” “$2,000,000” “€ 41,800”

21-Jan-13 06-Apr-13

D AWT AWT AWT T

1200 1200 1200 1200 1200

3F 4+

D D

1300 1300

3YO F 3YO 4+ FM 3 4+ 3 4+ 4+ F&M

D D D D D D D D

1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400

3+ 2

AWT T

1500 1500

“$150,000” 3 T “$250,000” NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ AWT “AED 700,000” SH 3 + NH 4+ D “$200,000” NH F&M 4yo+ SH F&M 3yo+ T “$150,000” 4+ T “$250,000” NH 3yo+ SH 3yo+ T “$250,000” NH 3F SH 3F AWT “$150,000” 4+ FM T “$200,000” SH-bred 3+ & NH-bred 4+AWT “$250,000” NH 3yo SH 3yo AWT “$250,000” 3F D “$300,000” 4+ T “$250,000” NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ T “$300,000” 4+ D “$150,000” NH 3yo+ SH 3yo+ T “$200,000” NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ AWT “$1,000,000” NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ AWT “€ 41,800” 2 T

1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600

“$150,000” “$150,000”

26-Dec-12 26-Dec-12 26-Jan-13 02-Feb-13 09-Feb-13 17-Feb-13 23-Feb-13 17-Mar-13

“$300,000” “$300,000” “$300,000” “$150,000” “$150,000” “$150,000” “$200,000” “$150,000”

14-Dec-12 09-Dec-12

“€ 52,000” “€ 41,800”

26-Dec-12 10-Jan-13 25-Jan-13 24-Jan-13 02-Feb-13 02-Mar-13 07-Feb-13 18-Feb-13 14-Feb-13 14-Feb-13 02-Mar-13 02-Mar-13 21-Feb-13 09-Mar-13 28-Feb-13 09-Mar-13 30-Mar-13 08-Dec-12

05-Jan-13 12-Jan-13 02-Feb-13 09-Feb-13 16-Feb-13 23-Feb-13 23-Feb-13 09-Mar-13 09-Mar-13 30-Mar-13 06-Apr-13 08-Dec-12 15-Dec-12 16-Mar-13 10-Apr-13

“$150,000” “$150,000” “$200,000” “$500,000” “$200,000” “$400,000” “$250,000” “$350,000” “$300,000” “$500,000” “$300,000” “$500,000” “$750,000” “$600,000” “$400,000”

62 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 40

13-Jan-13 30-Dec-12 06-Apr-13 20-Jan-13 02-Mar-13

“$150,000” “$150,000” “$7,500,000” “$150,000” “$102,500”

7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7

13-Dec-12 13-Dec-12 17-Jan-13 19-Jan-13 26-Jan-13 07-Feb-13 14-Feb-13 02-Mar-13

7.5 7.5

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

13-Dec-12 07-Jan-13 20-Jan-13 21-Jan-13 24-Jan-13 25-Jan-13 04-Feb-13 07-Feb-13 11-Feb-13 11-Feb-13 16-Feb-13 16-Feb-13 18-Feb-13 23-Feb-13 25-Feb-13 04-Mar-13 25-Mar-13

8.5f (1700m)

4+ 4 3 4+ 4+ FM 3 3F 3 3 3F 3F 2F 2 3 3F

D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D

1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700

4+ 3+ F&M 3 4F 3+

T T D D T

1800 1800 1800 1800 1800

Visit www.trainermagazine.com/europe Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 1

10-Jan-13 28-Mar-13

8f (1600m)

Call us on +44 (0)1380 816 777 to subscribe from £18 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 2

6.5 6.5

7.5f (1500m)

Now available for iPhone/iPad via Appstore Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 2 L Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 3 Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 2 L Gr 3 Gr 2 L

10-Jan-13 11-Feb-13 04-Mar-13 25-Mar-13

7f (1400m)

Visit www.trainermagazine.com/europe L L

6 6 6 6 6

6.5f (1300m)

Call us on +44 (0)1380 816 777 to subscribe from £18 Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 2

Closing 19-Jan-13 04-Feb-13 03-Mar-13 25-Mar-13

6f (1200m) 4+ NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ NH 3yo+ SH 3yo+ NH 3yo+ SH 3yo+ 2F

Now available for iPhone/iPad via Appstore Gr 2 Gr 2

Furlongs 5 5 5 5

8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5

28-Dec-12 04-Jan-13 24-Jan-13 26-Jan-13 07-Feb-13 09-Feb-13 09-Feb-13 23-Feb-13 28-Feb-13 16-Mar-13 28-Mar-13 CLOSED CLOSED

9f (1800m) 9 9 9 9 9

04-Jan-13 20-Dec-12 22-Dec-12 10-Jan-13 11-Jan-13

TRAINER APP NA FULL PAGE HOUSE AD_Layout 1 30/11/2012 12:53 Page 1

Always available in print and all digital formats www.america.trainermagazine.com Tel: +44 (0)1380 816777

STAKES SCHEDULES Now available for iPhone/iPad via Appstore Country USA USA USA USA UAE USA UAE UAE USA USA USA USA USA USA UAE USA USA

Track Gulfstream Park Santa Anita Santa Anita Gulfstream Park Meydan Gulfstream Park Meydan Meydan Santa Anita Santa Anita Fair Grounds Fair Grounds Fair Grounds Gulfstream Park Meydan Oaklawn Park Oaklawn Park

Race Name & (Sponsor) Florida Derby Strub St San Antonio St Gulfstream Park Turf H Al Rashidiya Fountain Of Youth St Balanchine Jebel Hatta Santa Margarita St Santa Anita St Louisiana Derby Mervin H Muniz Jr Memorial New Orleans H The Gulfstream Oaks Dubai Duty Free Arkansas Derby Oaklawn H

UAE UAE UAE UAE FR

Meydan Meydan Meydan Meydan Deauville

Al Maktoum Challenge Rd 2 UAE Oaks Al Bastakiya UAE Derby Petite Etoile

UAE

Jebel Ali

Jebel Ali Stakes

Class Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 2

Race Date 30-Mar-13 02-Feb-13 03-Feb-13 09-Feb-13 31-Jan-13 23-Feb-13 21-Feb-13 09-Mar-13 07-Mar-13 24-Mar-13 30-Mar-13 30-Mar-13 30-Mar-13 30-Mar-13 30-Mar-13 13-Apr-13 13-Apr-13

9f (1800m)

Value Age Surface “$1,000,000” 3 D “$200,000” 4 D “$200,000” 4+ D “$300,000” 4+ T “$200,000” NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ T “$400,000” 3 D “$200,000” NH F&M 4yo+ SH F&M 3yo+ T “$300,000” NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ T “$300,000” 4+ FM D “$150,000” 4+ F&M T “$1,000,000” 3 D “$400,000” 4+ T “$400,000” 4+ D “$300,000” 3F D “$5,000,000” NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ T “$1,000,000” 3 D “$500,000” 4+ D

Metres 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800

Call us on +44 (0)1380 816 777 to subscribe from £18 Gr 3 Gr 3 L Gr 2 L

07-Feb-13 28-Feb-13 09-Mar-13 30-Mar-13 05-Dec-12

“$250,000” “$250,000” “$250,000” “$2,000,000” “€ 55,000”

11-Jan-13

“AED 500,000”

AWT AWT AWT AWT AWT

1900 1900 1900 1900 1900

SH 3 + NH 4+

D

1950

Lingfield Park Meydan Santa Anita Meydan Santa Anita Santa Anita

Quebec St Dubai World Cup San Marcos St Al Maktoum Challenge Rd 3 Santa Anita H’cap Santa Barbara H’cap

USA ITY

Gulfstream Park Pisa

Mac Diarmida Andred (ex Regione Toscana)

ITY

Naples

Unire

L Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 2

22-Dec-12 30-Mar-13 09-Feb-13 09-Mar-13 03-Mar-13 20-Apr-13

“£33,000” “$10,000,000” “$150,000” “$400,000” “$750,000” “$150,000”

16-Feb-13 09-Dec-12

“$150,000” “€ 41,800”

3+ NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ 4+ NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ 4+ 4+ FM

AWT AWT T AWT D T

2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000

4+ 3+ F&M

T T

2200 2200

23-Dec-12

“€ 41,800”

3+

T

2250

Siracusa

Francesco Faraci

L

01-Dec-12

“€ 41,800”

Hollywood Park Gulfstream Park Santa Anita Meydan Meydan Toulouse

Hollywood Turf Cup Pan American San Luis Rey St Dubai Sheema Classic Dubai City of Gold Max Sicard

UAE USA

Meydan Santa Anita

Nad Al Sheba Trophy San Juan Capistrano H’cap

UAE

Meydan

DRC Gold Cup

Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 1 Gr 2 L

15-Dec-12 23-Mar-13 16-Mar-13 30-Mar-13 09-Mar-13 09-Dec-12

“$250,000” “$150,000” “$150,000” “$5,000,000” “$250,000” “€ 60,000”

3+

T

2300

02-Mar-13 21-Apr-13

3+ 4+ 4+ NH 4yo+ SH 4yo+ NH 4yo+ SH 4yo+ 3+

T T T T T T

2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400

“$200,000” SH-bred 3+ & NH-bred 4+ T “$150,000” 4+ T

2800 2800

30-Mar-13

“$1,000,000”

11 11

02-Feb-13

11.25

11.5

12 12 12 12 12 12

06-Dec-12 09-Mar-13 17-Mar-13 25-Mar-13 25-Mar-13

14f (2800m)

Now available for iPhone/iPad via Appstore Gr 3

17-Dec-12 18-Jan-13 31-Jan-13 04-Feb-13 16-Feb-13 11-Mar-13

12f (2400m)

Visit www.trainermagazine.com/europe L Gr 2

10 10 10 10 10 10

11.5f (2300m)

Call us on +44 (0)1380 816 777 to subscribe from £18 USA USA USA UAE UAE FR

06-Jan-13

11.25f (2250m)

Now available for iPhone/iPad via Appstore ITY

9.75

11f (2200m)

Visit www.trainermagazine.com/europe L

04-Feb-13 25-Feb-13 04-Mar-13 25-Mar-13

10f (2000m)

Call us on +44 (0)1380 816 777 to subscribe from £18 Gr 2 L

9.5 9.5 9.5 9.5 9.5

9.75f (1490m)

Now available for iPhone/iPad via Appstore GB UAE USA UAE USA USA

Closing 12-Jan-13 24-Jan-13 24-Jan-13 26-Jan-13 28-Jan-13 09-Feb-13 18-Feb-13 04-Mar-13 07-Mar-13 14-Mar-13 16-Mar-13 16-Mar-13 16-Mar-13 16-Mar-13 25-Mar-13

9.5f (1950m)

NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ NH 3F SH 3F NH 3yo SH 3yo NH 3 SH 3 3F

Visit www.trainermagazine.com/europe L

Furlongs 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9

14 14

25-Mar-13 11-Apr-13

16f (3200m) 4+

T

3200

16

25-Mar-13

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