Cape Town - About 18 thoroughbred horses are set to compete for a stake of R2.5-million in the J&B Met on January 30.
And, like top human athletes, horses must consistently train in order to be at their competitive peak when it’s time to perform, says Candice Robinson, the only woman horse trainer for the event.
Preparing a horse for racing must be done carefully because overtraining will tire the horse, while under-training may lead to injuries, the daughter of legendary Cape trainer Mike Bass explains.
I met Robinson at the Mike Bass stable in Milnerton, which has been home to a number of champions, including horseracing legend Pocket Power. The thoroughbred broke the J&B Met record by winning the race for three consecutive years. He then went on to break his own record by winning the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate four times in a row.
Robinson’s job involves formulating a training schedule that ensures each horse performs at their best on race day, she says.
Having grown up surrounded by horses and riding them from a young age, her knowledge of these animals is extensive.
“Basically, I was born into racing and my father has been a trainer for 30-odd years now. I grew up in this game and I have always ridden horses and been involved in horses… This is what I have known from a young age,” she says.
“I am passionate about horses. We have about 130 horses in training, purchased from the Cape Premier Yearling Sale… We have quite a large base of clients who purchase and then send them here to be trained to race.
“My job is to train them and to get them ready to run in races… To perform as best as they can,” says Robinson.
The stable is a hub of activity on my arrival, with the horses engaged in various aspects of morning exercise, such as walking and galloping.
Robinson says some of the horses arrive at the stable around September as two-years-old and start racing around April the next year.
“You get different types of horses – horses that are speed horses that will run for shorter distances and those that run for much longer distances. These horses take more time before they are ready to race.
“Each horse is different and they will tell you when they are ready to race. Some race when they are three as they take a longer time to strengthen. Their racing careers also differ, some retire at three or four years old while others manage to race until they’re six years old or even seven,” she says.
A sprinter horse competes in races between 1 000 m and 1 200m. A middle-distance horse can run from 1 400m to 1 600m, and classic distance horses run over a distance of 2 000m to 3 000m, explains Robinson.
On retiring, the better fillies (a female horse younger than four years) go to stud farms for breeding purposes, while others end up as riding horses or compete in dressage or polo.
“The jockeys play a big role in racing. Although we have in-house jockeys, we sometimes get jockeys who will fly in on the day of the race. We can only prepare the horses to a certain point and on race day it’s all up to the rider to get the horse to perform,” says Robinson.
On race day a number of factors, other than the pace of the horse, can influence the chances of winning a race – such as post position or the positioning on the field. A horse nearer the inside of a race track will have a shorter distance to run than a horse on the outside of the track.
“The Met is not an easy race to run. The closer you are drawn to the fence, the better your chances. No one wants to be drawn wide and everyone would like to run five or six lengths off the pace,” she says.
“During the race, the jockeys have to try to get to a position that they are not racing wide, not too far back, and not too close to the front. Everyone wants to be in the middle of the field, but not everyone can be there. You can do all the preparations before a race but on the day it can go wrong or you can get sandwiched out.
“It’s not as easy as saying, ‘I have the best horse in the race and therefore I will win’.”
Does Robinson have any advice for aspiring horse trainers?
“It’s not an easy industry, most of the younger, up-and-coming trainers either had fathers as trainers or they were assistant trainers for a good number of years. You can’t go to college to study to be a horse trainer, but you have to have an understanding and feel for it,” she says.
Robinson’s top three favourites for the J&B Met are Futura, Legal Eagle and Paterfamilias. Other horses competing include Legislate, French Navy, Smart Call, Captain America, Master Sabina, Deo Juvente, Mac De Lago, Same Jurisdiction and Power King.
* The J&B Met will take place on January 30 at the Kenilworth Racecourse. The theme for this year is “A Rare Blend”. General entry tickets to the J&B Met Public Village are R125 and available through www.jbscotch.co.za, Computicket, at designated tote outlets throughout the country or call Kenilworth Racecourse on 021 700 1600.
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Cape Argus