July, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Racing Community Takes on 24-Hr Challenge to Benefit Racing Welfare

A total of 81 cyclists took part in a 24-hour challenge–embarking on 30km loops that kicked off at Cheltenham racecourse July 16–to benefit Racing Welfare, which supports the racing community. Originally tabbed with a £60,000, the total amount raised by the event is set to top £100,000. In addition to the efforts of the cyclists, funding is also boosted by event sponsors Unibet, Racehorse Lotto, The Jockey Club and Tattersalls. Well beyond the £60,000 target, that figure will have a huge impact, and could cover the cost of employing a welfare team in one of the charity's four regions for a whole year, providing direct on-the-ground support to racing's people.

Alice Campbell, representing Team Racing Welfare, said, “I've worked in National Hunt racing for nearly 20 years and am currently working for Nigel Twiston-Davies. I entered the cycle challenge because Racing Welfare helped me get back to full fitness after breaking my leg and rupturing my PCL ligament and wanted to give something back.”

Participants hailed from all across the racing industry, and included Sir AP McCoy, trainers Ben Pauling and Harry Fry with two teams each, Magnolia Cup winner Khadija Mellah, Assistant trainer to Dan Skelton Tom Messenger, and Team Sky Sports consisting of Vanessa Ryle, Rosie Tapner, Sean Boyce and Oisin Murphy.

Collectively the cyclists amassed a total of 644 laps and a staggering 12,313km. The most laps (57) were recorded by The Menorahs–consisting of Rhys Flint, Harry Skelton, Tom Danter and Richard Johnson.

To make a donation before 5pm Friday, July 22, click here.

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What’s In A Name? Quite A Lot When It Comes To ‘Blisters’ For Racehorses

Any public relations expert knows that in many ways, everything rides on language choices.

That was one of the things that occurred to equine surgeon Dr. Larry Bramlage as he read through the safety regulations of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. Under Prohibited Practices, he noted item 2271(d), which lists “thermocautery included but no limited to pin firing and freeze firing, or application of any substance to cause vesiculation or blistering of the skin, or a counter-irritant effect.”

We've written before about the new restrictions on pin firing and freeze firing. See that article here.

But what interested Bramlage was the last part – the prohibition of substances to cause blistering or a counter-irritant effect. Bramlage is a member of the Authority's advisory council and believes that the primary goal of the language was to halt the use of severe materials that cause chemical burns on the skin. He agrees that those need to go, and that the damage to the horse is never an acceptable trade-off for an attempt to increase circulation.

But the fact that so many other substances are currently referred to by many horsemen with the catch-all phrase 'blisters' could be a problem.

“I think as the regulations mature, we should allow people to do things that improve the circulation as long as it doesn't significantly injure the skin,” he said. “That requires interpreting the wording so we understand what we're doing.”

There are “blisters” and then there are what many horsemen call “working blisters,” which Bramlage believes are poorly-named because they're not associated with blister-like bubbles of skin irritation – or any kind of surface damage. Working blisters usually reference liquids or gels that increase the circulation and create a warming sensation below the skin. In his days playing high school football back home in Kansas, Bramlage remembers his teammates applying a mixture containing the same compound of red iodide of mercury made for horses to their own legs for pulled hamstrings. The goal of these topicals is to increase the circulation to the area to aid in the healing but not to destroy the epithelial cells of the skin. When this happens, the horse loses those cells and get scarring of the skin to replace them. Mild or working blisters often “scuff” the skin (cause the shedding a thin layer of skin like a mild sunburn) but they should never destroy the epithelial cells of the skin itself. Horses' skin is actually more sensitive in this situation than people's skin.

Bramlage believes that perhaps the most useful application for a working blister is in managing osselets. Osselets (fetlock joint capsule thickening) have been described in horses for many decades and it wasn't until x-rays became reliable that veterinarians began to understand what they are. The term 'osselet' comes from the French for 'little bones' because veterinarians performing necropsies on draft horses with comparatively large ankles would find calcifications around those joints and believed that all enlarged ankles had similar features. Fortunately, we now recognize and manage “osselets” before these mineralizations occur.

In the racehorse, osselets will sometimes form in response to training stress on the fetlock joint capsules. Bramlage said mild cases will often resolve with time and rest, but a so-called working blister can help. Osselets restrict the movement of the fetlock because there's swelling of the joint capsule beneath the skin which reduces the pliability of the joint capsule, stiffening it and makes it less flexible. This becomes a self-replicating cycle – more stiffness creates more swelling, which creates more stiffness. Applying a warming liniment and allowing the horse to walk or jog will speed the reduction of the swelling, make the horse comfortable more quickly and speed the healing process. It is a management tool for the stress of training and uses the same concepts are used in human sports locker rooms all the time.

Then there's the question of sweats, which Bramlage also worries could unintentionally fall under the new regulation about counter-irritants. Sweats are applied under bandages to draw out swelling as the result of an infection or direct trauma, or to reduce fluid build-up in the legs during prolonged periods of stalling. They're not a solution for major injuries like bowed tendons and are most helpful in the early stages of edema. As with working blisters, horsemen have different product combinations they use, but most sweats contain one of the aromatic oils, like oil of wintergreen, and some kind of salt. The aromatic oil warms the leg, and the salt will draw moisture out of the subcutaneous tissue and reduce swelling. Because sweats rely on some degree of warming though, they could be considered counter-irritants.

Bramlage says that both working blisters and sweats have their place in the tack rooms of good horsemen so long as they're applied properly.

“These are all steps and I think we need a middle step,” he said. “We need a term like 'warming liniment' or some kind of term, not 'working blister' to define these treatments and save the term 'blister' for compounds that actually do damage to and cause scarring of the skin. Those are the compounds we want to outlaw.”

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Unbeaten Star Baaeed ‘All Set To Go’ For Next Week’s Goodwood Festival

William Haggas, John Gosden and Roger Varian were among several Newmarket trainers to issue updates Tuesday on their leading hopes ahead of next week's Qatar Goodwood Festival.

Haggas' team is spearheaded by unbeaten superstar Baaeed, the world's top-rated turf horse, who is on course for a matchup with leading 3-year-old Coroebus in the G1 Qatar Sussex Stakes on Wednesday, July 27. The Sussex Stakes is a “Win and You're In” race for the Breeders' Cup Mile.

Successful in the G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes at last year's meeting, Baaeed has since registered four consecutive victories at G1 level, most recently dominating in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Speaking at a media event organized by Goodwood Racecourse, Haggas said: “We are all set to go with Baaeed, hopefully. He worked this morning and, provided everything is OK over the next couple of days, we are away and will see what evolves.

“Coroebus is obviously a high-class horse. Two of ours finished third and fourth [My Prospero and Maljoom] behind him in the St James's Palace Stakes, not beaten far. I was not that impressed with him – and I have to be careful because he is a very smart horse – but I don't think he was at his best that day. I think Maljoom, and I don't think this is just trainer talk, would have won in another couple of strides. At the moment, there is a fair bit of distance between Baaeed and Maljoom.

“I don't think Baaeed has much to prove but his pedigree smacks of further. He relaxes so well, he has a great mind, and I would love to see him over further at York in Juddmonte International. I remember so vividly when Frankel won that race, it was like a piece of work for him. Anyone who was there, it made your hairs stand up because he was imperious. I hope that Baaeed would be able to travel as strongly and then be able to use his turn of foot. I am very keen to have a go.

“We are just starting to say amongst ourselves in the yard that we need to prepare for life after him – which I know sounds a bit pathetic – because he won't be around for us to enjoy next year. Finding another one is the target.”

Baaeed will only be Haggas' second runner in the mile highlight after Argentinian-bred Eventuail finished eighth in 1998.

The trainer added: “I can't remember having many runners in the Sussex but it is a race I would love to win. I am always watching it on television thinking why haven't I got a horse good enough?”

Of his other likely runners, Haggas said: “The World Pool Lennox Stakes looks the obvious race for Sacred, as she likes seven furlongs and fast ground. We are going to leave her in the Qatar Sussex Stakes at the owner's request, just in case the race cuts up, but seven is her best trip.

“We had a similar problem with One Master, who was a seven-furlong specialist. The only Group 1 race in Europe for four-year-olds over seven is the Prix de la Foret in October, when the ground is soft. One Master loved the soft whereas Sacred doesn't, so it is difficult to know where to go.

“We will run only one in the Qatar Nassau Stakes and it will either be Lilac Road, who wants fast ground, or My Astra, who can't have it soft enough. I suspect it will be Lilac Road, because we have had this in mind since she won the Middleton. It is her part-owner Julia Aisbitt's birthday on Nassau day, so this looks a good target.

“Sea La Rosa will run in the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes. She won over a mile and five furlongs at Lingfield last year, so she will stay the trip well. She is very tough and very hardy, but I can't see anything beating Free Wind if she puts up a performance similar to Haydock.

“Montassib will go for the Coral Golden Mile. We own him, which costs money, and he is perfect for all these sort of races. I suspect he will end up in a race like the Balmoral at the end of the year.”

Hugely popular stayer Stradivarius is set to bring the curtain down on his remarkable career in the feature G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup on Tuesday, July 26. Stradivarius created history in 2020 by becoming the first four-time winner of the two-mile showpiece but the eight-year-old was forced to miss last year's race due to testing ground.

His co-trainer John Gosden said: “Stradivarius is happy. He has maintained his enthusiasm for the game throughout and enjoys his training. We couldn't really be more pleased with him for a chap at this stage of his career, so we are very much looking forward to it.

“He was at Goodwood in the stables last year, when Thady and I walked the track. The water was lying on the top of the track, and we knew that wasn't for him. It is a pity he couldn't have run because every time he has run at Goodwood, he's won a Goodwood Cup.

“You are very lucky to have a horse or a racemare like that ever come to you, and then to enjoy their longevity and their amazing consistency at that top level. That is testament to the horse, the breeder, and to have that constitution is pretty remarkable. That is probably what has been so fulfilling and the fact he is rather like Enable was. Expressive, rather outgoing, joyous.

“His first Goodwood Cup and his first Gold Cup would be the highlights – winning the Goodwood Cup as a three-year-old and then the Gold Cup as a four-year-old. He has built on that down the years. There aren't many Flat horses who stay around like him. I always remember when Rachel and I came back from America, we made a point of getting in the car and taking however long it took to get there to see Desert Orchid run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. We had a cup of tea and came back. It was something like six hours on the road for the sake of being there for half an hour, but it was very much worth it. When you have a horse like that, they are unique, and they need to be celebrated.

“It is pretty set who the key horses are in the Goodwood Cup. We're happy at two miles or two and a half miles. Stradivarius would run a big race over a mile and a half. So, to that extent I have been pleased with him all along and we're looking forward to it. He is quick on his feet and agile. That always helps around Goodwood. It is a downward turning track and he probably enjoys the twists and turns of it. He probably finds it quite entertaining, like a fairground ride.”

Team Gosden is set to run two leading fillies at the meeting, with G1 Prix de Diane winner Nashwa in the G1 Qatar Nassau Stakes on Thursday, July 28, and the prolific Free Wind in the G2 Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes on Saturday, July 30.

Thady Gosden said: “Nashwa has been very well since France. She ran in the Oaks and then backed up a few days later in France, which is a pretty serious testament to her. She had a pretty hard race at Epsom and ran an exceptional race. She didn't quite stay but still managed to come third. She has been a bit quiet since France as you would expect. She travelled all the way over to Chantilly and ran a huge race there, but she is coming back to herself now and seems in good shape for next week.

“She is obviously a very well-bred filly and one we have always liked. I think they even liked her at Blue Diamond on the farm when she was younger. She came to us and always had a bit about her. She took a bit of time to mature last year and has just improved with every run this year.

“Hollie [Doyle] has given her a few brilliant rides, especially in France. Getting to the front there, it's not an easy track to ride and you can always end up finding plenty of trouble. She's versatile enough in that regard and hopefully that will suit her at Goodwood. We all know Hollie is a brilliant jockey and tactically very astute.

“It is a huge achievement for an owner-breeder to have a horse of this calibre. It is a very competitive game and a real testament to Imad Al Sagar, Blue Diamond and all of the team for breeding a filly like her.

“Free Wind didn't have the smoothest trip round at Haydock last time out, but she came out of that race in great form. We are looking at the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes for her, which is a race that has gone from strength to strength over the years. She has won at Goodwood and is pretty versatile with regards to trip and running style. You can drop her in wherever you like. She doesn't want extremes, but she handles most ground.”

Roger Varian is excited by the chances of progressive sprinter Mitbaahy in the G2 King George Qatar Stakes on Friday, July 29.

Following stylish wins in a conditions race at Hamilton and the Listed Scurry Stakes at Sandown Park, the three-year-old was unlucky not to complete the three-timer when going down by a neck in the G3 Coral Charge back at Sandown Park on July 2.

Varian said: “Mitbaahy looked very unlucky in the Coral Charge. He was drawn in stall one and I hated it as soon as I saw it. He likes to come from off the pace and it is so hard to get room to run at Sandown when you are on the fence. He was locked away and, take nothing away from the winner, but we just couldn't get there in time.

“It showed us that Mitbaahy is still improving. I think he is a really smart five-furlong horse in the making. The harder they go, the stronger he will come home. I would be really excited about him heading into this race. I don't think I would swap him for anything else.”

Regarding his other entries, Varian said: “We were really pleased with Laneqash's Listed win at Chester. I think he had been on the wrong side of a photo finish in three Stakes races before then. That was his first win since his debut as a two-year-old, even though he has run some very good races subsequently.

“He has come out of Chester in very good form and the World Pool Lennox is very much the plan. He is a top-of-the-ground horse and could be well-suited to Goodwood, given that it can advantage horses like him who like to arrive on the scene late. It is usually a very strong contest and will be a hard race to win, but he ticks a lot of boxes.

“Believe In Love could well run in the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes. She is at her best over a mile and six furlongs. She is a three-time Group 3 winner and was just touched off in the Group 1 on Arc weekend last season, so she brings some good form to the table. She ran very well in the Lancashire Oaks last time out, when she was caught out off a very steady gallop. I think she is better with some ease of the ground but she is versatile. She should have a solid chance.

“Saint Lawrence would be a possibility for the Coral Stewards' Cup, although he did disappoint us in the Hackwood Stakes at the weekend. He ran a good race in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, when he came home well, and he was third in the Palace House Stakes at the start of the year. He seems to enjoy the early tempo of those five-furlong races. He gets a bit lost before coming home well and I think the hustle and bustle of a Stewards' Cup could suit.”

Derby runner-up Hoo Ya Mal has joined George Boughey ahead of a tilt at the G3 John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes. Formerly with Andrew Balding, Hoo Ya Mal was originally bound for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott in Australia after selling for £1.2 million at the Goffs London Sale before Royal Ascot.

Boughey explained: “Hoo Ya Mal has settled in well. Johnny McKeever, who bought the horse for Gai, was looking for someone to train him because he missed the first shipment to Australia.

“I thought personally going into the Derby that he would struggle to stay, but he seemed to stay very well. He was given a good hold-up ride that day and I think that is how we will look to ride him in the Gordon Stakes. William Buick rode him yesterday morning and was delighted. Gai has decided to take the hood off him and he seems very relaxed without it.”

Of his other leading hopes, Boughey said: “Koy Koy is in at Ascot this weekend, but I am favouring the Coral Golden Mile. I have only had him a short period of time and he was able to win at Newmarket over the weekend, despite running loose for a mile beforehand. He clearly has a level of ability.

“Inver Park has been a well-plotted horse by Sam Haggas, who bought him in December last year. He said this horse is going to win the Buckingham Palace and I looked at him like he had two heads – and then he won the Buckingham Palace! Sam said his next race is the Coral Stewards' Cup, so I'm doing as I'm told. In fairness, I always thought he was a six-furlong horse and he surprised me over seven at Royal Ascot.

“California Gem will go for the Jaeger-LeCoultre Nursery Handicap. She has won two novices, including at Beverley, which should stand her in good stead at Goodwood. I hope she might be up to running in some Black Type races at some point.”

George Scott is looking forward to saddling leading juvenile Rocket Rodney in the G3 Markel Molecomb Stakes on Wednesday, July 27. After an impressive novice race success at Goodwood, the Dandy Man colt was beaten a neck by Little Big Bear at Royal Ascot, before comfortably going one better in the Listed Dragon Stakes at Sandown Park on July 1.

Scott said: “We thought Rocket Rodney would show up well at Royal Ascot because he posted some good numbers before then, although I was surprised to see him so competitive. Little Big Bear was a pretty comfortable winner and has since taken a big step forward but so has our horse. He did it well at Sandown and, from a trainer's point of view, the Molecomb Stakes cannot come soon enough.

“It will be a big help that he has already been to Goodwood, and he handled it great that day. I suppose he will go into the race top rated and I am just praying that we don't pick up a knock in the meantime.

“We do a lot of data work with things like heart-rate monitors and cadence. It is very helpful to see how he is progressing between runs because you can compare the data from his work. His data was very good this morning and it is clear that he has taken another little step forwards. I am as confident as I can be that he is still improving.

“It is really nice to be sat here talking about a good horse again. It has been a while between drinks for us and James Garfield is a bit of a distant memory now. He was a very good two-year-old, but this horse looks faster than him.

“We are also looking forward to Coco Jack in the Jaeger-LeCoultre Nursery and, provided Mr Gosden doesn't have a runner, Benoit De La Sayette will ride him. He has not done much wrong this season and won easily under a double penalty at Brighton. He is a beautiful horse and Middleham Park Racing has just bought half of him. He should progress because he is by Wings Of Eagles.”

Alice Haynes is expecting to have several runners across the meeting, including Mr Professor in the Coral Kincsem Handicap on Thursday, July 28.

Mr Professor took the notable scalp of Irish Derby victor Westover in a Listed race at Pontefract in the autumn and acquitted himself well in Dubai at the start of this year, including when second in the Listed Jumierah Classic.

Haynes said: “Mr Professor had a busy time in Dubai and did not run so well in France or at Chelmsford afterwards. He has had a break since and I can't wait to see him over 10 furlongs. The track will suit as we have worked out that he doesn't like straight tracks.

“Remarkable Force is pencilled in for the Coral Nursery Handicap. His form from earlier in the season with Chateau and Eddie's Boy is there for all to see. Six furlongs is a massive question mark. I think he is a pure five-furlong horse but all the jockeys say he wants further.

“We will also run Mother India in a fillies' maiden. She ran well at Doncaster last week on debut. They went no gallop and she got caught out before staying on well to be third. I would expect her to come on a lot from that.

“Playupskyblues will run in the seven-furlong maiden on Saturday. He is by Kodiac and closely related to Sovereign Debt. I bought him at the sales last year and he is ready to run. I think seven furlongs around a bend should be a good starting point.”

The Qatar Sussex Stakes, Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup and Qatar Nassau Stakes are part of the British Champions Series.

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Ask Your Veterinarian Presented By Kentucky Performance Products: When To Call For Backup With A Horse’s Laceration

Veterinarians at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital answer your questions about sales and healthcare of Thoroughbred auction yearlings, weanlings, 2-year-olds and breeding stock. Email us at info@paulickreport.com if you have a question for a veterinarian.

Question: How do you know when to call a veterinarian for a laceration versus treating/patching it up yourself?

Dr. Daniel Devis, Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital: Cuts, punctures, flesh wounds, slashes, etc. they have many nicknames, but in veterinary medicine, we know them as “lacerations.”

And what exactly is a laceration? Well, the dictionary defines it as a tear or cut of the skin, unlike an abrasion that does not penetrate the surface of the skin. A laceration usually involves a sharp object that can penetrate deeply into the soft tissue, even into the bone, but it can also be caused by blunt trauma (i.e., running through a fence).

Lacerations are a very common type of injury that can happen at any time or place – mostly when you least expect it, during a busy time of the year, or just when you thought the horses were safe and sound in their stalls. All it needs is a nail to be out of place, a fallen fence, or even a bite from another animal to cause an emergency call to your veterinarian.

Lacerations come in all sizes and shapes, from very bloody and unpleasant looking to simple insignificant scratches. But how do you know when to call a veterinarian for a laceration repair? Well, first of all, having good communication with your personal veterinarian is key. Regardless of the situation, if in doubt, always ask.

Blood can be very dramatic to the inexperienced eye but it can be a good indicator as to how urgent the situation is. If you find your horse with a bloodstain on it but you cannot pinpoint the origin and it is no longer actively bleeding, then you can probably take a breath. If there is a continual drip of blood or even a stream, then you must take immediate action. (We call this triage.) Having a plan in these situations is crucial. Again, if in doubt, always call your veterinarian.

Having a first aid kit that includes (at least) rubbing alcohol, chlohrexidine soap or similar, clean gauze, and plenty of bandage material is extremely important. Talk to your veterinarian and together build a kit that could be used in case of emergency. Most veterinarians will encourage you to try to stop the bleeding with some sort of gauze or a clean towel. The horse will probably be in distress, so caution is advised.

Photographs can go a long way when consulting with your veterinarian initially. Make sure to take photos from different angles so your veterinarian can advise you further. Usually, having your own hand or a common object in the picture next to the wound is helpful for your veterinarian to determine the dimension and gravity of the laceration.

Cleaning the wound, or at least keeping it from getting more contaminated, is very important. Communicate with your veterinarian, he or she should be able to guide you until help comes.

We do not recommend you attempt to try and suture a laceration on your own! There is a reason why we go to veterinary school for so long, so please call us. The risk of infection is high when dealing with any type of skin wound. Complications can affect future soundness and quality of life for your horse.

Complicated lacerations include but are not limited to: wounds affecting the abdomen and or thorax (especially if any important organs are exposed), injuries that involve a joint compartment, lacerations that involve the eye or close to it, any tendon or ligament exposure as well as any tendon sheath or bursa penetrations, even if there is no lameness noted at the time.

If you find your horse with a laceration, please catch the animal and examine the situation, if there is active bleeding, then call your veterinarian, take pictures from different angles and try to keep it clean, bandage the area if possible until help comes.

Unfortunately there is no “one size fits all” on this subject, which is why having a plan of action and a first aid kit at your barn could de-escalate the situation.

Dr. Daniel Devis was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia. He acquired an interest in horses at a young age at his parents' farm, where his dad taught him everything about the traditional Colombian cowboy style riding, herding cattle and roping.

He attended San Martin University in Bogotá, and received his veterinary medicine and animal husbandry degree in 2012. Daniel completed a year-and-a-half rotating internship in surgery and anesthesia, followed by a two-year fellowship in equine lameness and diagnostic imaging, both at Lexington Equine Surgery & Sports Medicine. Devis obtained his American veterinary license in 2017. His areas of interest are show horses, pre-purchase exams, and basic ambulatory work.

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