Crucial times as big day beckons

Having experienced the thrill of the build-up to the Dubai World Cup meeting for a number of years now, I can only assume that the final days leading up to the official thoroughbred championships taking place at Santa Anita this weekend – The Breeders’ Cup – are just as special.

With famous names, horse and human, from all corners of the globe descending on one place, the buzz when you catch a glimpse of your favourite animal or the time when you “accidentally” (on purpose!) walk past Garret Gomez or John Velazquez in between gallops is a real treat to fans of the sport of kings.

That’s the good thing about these top international race fixtures; the best jockeys trainers and horses are all in the same place at once competing for some of racing’s biggest prizes and, if like me, you appreciate racing’s elite, there is no better place to be.

Eat up!

While 99.9 per cent of the work has been done on the equine front, there are still those final, but vital, measures to be carried out before the all important race day.

Feed is a crucial factor, most trainers and grooms are aware of their horse’s eating habits and therefore will soon notice any change in their equine friend’s diet, and the last thing they want to happen is for their usual greedy galloper to suddenly take up nouvelle cuisine.

Luckily there are plenty of food supplements which help maintain the digestion prior to racing – that is of course ensuring the substance is not a prohibited one. But that’s another story.

Shock avoidance

Although each animal will be fully fit on arrival they still have to be kept “ticking over” and with the world’s media on hand to report any misdemeanours, keeping your four-legged friend calm is an art in itself.

The last thing you want to happen is for your mount to duck out at the camera lens poking up from under the rail on the turf course, or spook at a journalist’s note pad and rip a shoe off, or worse still, unship their rider.

Those are good examples of why most racecourses in the US have specialist outriders on hand to help prevent anything untoward happening; something I think members of the BHA and Jockeys’ Association in the UK could get together to discuss when they try to attract outsiders to compete in local races.

Trainers still have to ask permission to bring a “pony” to the racecourse if they want one of their charges to be accompanied on the track and get very little help from racecourse officials. In some instances I think horse racing in Britain is still very much in the dark ages.

This weekend in California many hopes will be dashed and several dreams will come to fruition and with Godolphin now hitting a purple patch, following big wins at Newmarket and Caulfield last week, Cocoa Beach could scorch the sand while Folk Opera will be hoping to hit the right notes.