October
FebruaryOn with the shoe
A point I would like to raise is the number of horses needing to be replated behind the barriers, all over Australia.
I recall that on taking a horse to the races in the 1960s you would locate a farrier and he would remove the horse’s work shoes and replace them with racing plates. Following the horse’s race, the reverse would be done.
Are the racing plates put on too early these days with all the big stables having big numbers of starters seven days a week plus a night meeting?
I’m not saying that the problem is the big stables, but is there a shortage of farriers not tied to stables?
It would be a lot easier and quicker to remove two shoes and let the horse run barefoot than too replate a horse on the toe and ready to run.
The trainer can then either scratch his horse or run bare.
This option could be placed on the paperwork at entry time.
Kyneton (Vic)