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I watched the ABC’s Catalyst programme, which looked at how whips affect racehorses, on Tuesday night.
As a horseman, you always wonder how your lifeblood will be shown by outsiders.
As usual it seemed biased against the racing industry. They had their storyline locked in and used whatever they could to justify their point-of-view.
The program was biased. They edited the program to fit their argument, using selective vision from one race provincial meeting. Basically they just sensationalised the programme.
It amazes me that the people who do not understand our sport are the ones seeking change.
Whips are part of racing around the world. Rules have been introduced to help prevent over use of the whip and the whips themselves, now padded, have been modified greatly, to reduce impact on the horse.
There’s no question that professional horsemen and women only want the best for their horses. I’ve talked before about how our horses want for nothing.
The same applies to jockeys. Horses are our lifeblood and yes jockeys ride horses to win, but they do not whip horses to hurt them.
A whip is an aid; a tool. It’s not used as punishment. If the horse doesn’t respond to it, there’s no point in using the whip on it further.
Jockeys ride 600 kilogram thoroughbreds, travelling around 60 kilometres an hour. It is a dangerous profession and the whip can often help steer a horse in the right direction, sometimes helping avoid a major accident.
If ever a whip is banned in Australian racing it would be bad for the industry.
Why remove a tool from a tradesperson? If we went and banned the whip in Australia, there’s no risk that it’d place us at a huge disadvantage internationally. Our horses will suffer.
Vancouver’s win in the 2015 Golden Slipper was a tribute to the best horse winning the race, but it was a further example of what I spoke about in the last week’s blog – horses can win sitting wide the trip, even without cover.
Tommy Berry guided Vancouver from a wide barrier and sat three deep for the run and still won easily.
If someone tells you that a horse can be given excuses because it sat wide or that you can’t sit three deep and win, they’re not being fair dinkum.
Vancouver being spelled now rather than take on the Sires and the Champagne is disappointing for racing but it makes sense – he’s a colt, a future stallion.
His value will goes through the roof if he can win a Guineas as a three-year old, let alone the weight-for-age Cox Plate!
We were excited about Rile’s win at Ipswich last Wednesday and hopefully Munce Racing can continue the good run over the weekend.
Last start winner Perplexity runs at Doomben tomorrow and should run boldly again. Specific Choice is also progressing nicely and we expect him also to run well.
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