There are debates that occur in the racing world to discuss who was the best horse of all time.
Some may say Phar Lap, others may say Makybe Diva. The thing is, different eras of racing
bring about different results in the different horse races. As racing evolves, so does the
technology and know how around it. We discuss the impact of technology on horseracing.
The coaching process.
A racehorse coach needs to be able to train the horse to run faster times and produce winning
performances at a time when it matters. A good coach will understand the performance
capability of the horse, the recovery time and processes, the jockey requirements to guide the
horse to victory and a coaching program that will allow the horse to peak its performance at the
competitions that matter. There have been a series of strong racehorse coaches that have
provided stellar results, however the late Bart Cummings is one of the top coaches to have
graced the sport as he successfully coached horses to 12 Melbourne Cup victories. Some of the
credits he noted towards his success included:
?Following the successful patterns of successful coaches before him. He was referring to
his father who won the Melbourne Cup in 1950 and prioritised learning and listening and
copying the tactics and training methodologies that provided his father with success.
?Investing in the right horse will give the coach the advantage. When the right horse is
coached well, the horse is likely to win the race.
?The growth of the stable is also dependant on the backing and loyalty of the owners.
Without the financial commitment, the trainer would struggle to keep and maintain the
horses, as well as to furnish them with the requirements to turn them into championship
winning racehorses.
?The trainers should use common sense when it comes to training racehorses. And while
it is a simple concept, it is something that is often overlooked by trainers in the racing
community.
You can see footage of Bart Cummings chatting about coaching in the video below.
The racetrack.
The racetracks vary depending on the racecourse. Dirt and synthetic are becoming more popular as a study showed that fatal racehorse injuries had dropped by 37% on these tracks. The horses will have different strengths on different tracks.
The health and nutrition.
According to legendary trainer Bart Cummings, health and nutrition is important, but it is the factor that comes last when training a racehorse. Provided the horse has the right lineage and biological prospects, the horse will be fed well to fuel the muscles to train more on the track. It ends up being a two-way cycle.
The mating process.
Breeding new racehorses is pretty much down to a science rather than the ‘guestimate assumptions’ made in yesteryear. Rather than take the chance on a racing horse lottery, thoroughbred horses should be traced back in their lineage, but the likelihood and timing of creating and raising a championship-winning racehorse is what horserace owners are after. Check the family history of both the mare and the stallion to see if they have had any ancestry that has led to producing championship winning racehorses. This will increase the probability, however there are racehorses that that have become champions without any clear indication from their family lineage. Also check their performances on the track if they were racehorses. Did they have a history of producing fast times when it mattered? Did they struggle with illness or work ethic?
In regards to timing, it was found that horses that were born earlier in the year had an advantage of maturity against other horses in the same age bracket. To prepare the mare for breeding, a mask had been developed by Irish company Equilume to trigger earlier breeding times by shining a blue light into the mare’s eye. The light tricks the mare into thinking that it is summer and she prepares for breeding by producing less melatonin.
Betting and digital distribution deals.
The digital era has opened up opportunities for the sport to get a greater influx of money. Bart Cummings noticed it with the introduction of the TAB. Online bookies have provided a similar influence from the growth of the Internet. The distribution of the races and booking odds are now accessible from devices that can easily connect to web services. Punters can chance their odds at winning by visiting Sportsbet’s Caulfield Cup page and become more informed about previous winners and horse contestant facts.
The horse racing industry will continue to evolve with the emergence of new technological advances. These will be implemented in the different facets of the racing community, from training through to punting. Keep an eye out for any potential trends and technological advances that could be used as an advantage.
