De La Reys Grey ???

I would disagree with superstar about our race tracks being inferior to the UK, I think the suface like Turffontein can compare with the best worldwide grass tracks, the training tracks are good, when we have moderate rainfall. Some horses can, some horses cant take a lot of racing.

The programme does not often allow for a horse to be raced over his best distance and course continuously. But nevertheless superstar you are also correct I have seen a horse here and there raced too often over a very short period of time.

Radetzky, I think a horse is often better off racing once a week for 3 weeks then given a 2 week break, mostly the programme does not fall so kindly. But if a horse is racing 3 times in 5 days and travelling it is pretty hard on the horse.

Superstar

If a horse is poor, it probably does not matter if you run it once a week or once a year it will be closer to last than first

Many of the UK tracks are like ploughed fields and horses jump over fences with 65 kilos for 3 miles twice a week, even Epsom is a horrible track for the English Derby.

The owners of Mystic must be over the moon!! A win two thirds and a second in less than a month (a win and second in seven days - Tarry a GR 1 trainer) Spanish armada second by a nostril yesterday( FLAMINGO PARK) and then today runs third(1-25 lengths behind) less than 24 hours later St Stephen 4th 2nd 2nd (dh) 1st all in one month give or take a day -

Power...agree with you fully...i prefer once a week than every 2nd 3rd week and rather giving a good break for 3 full months and then at it again...only problem is when handicapper gets hold of you one needs to be very selective...but if races come up one should take the chances...lol

Power of one u should not misquote because i did not say our race tracks are inferior to England i said our TRAINING tracks are inferior. And i speak under correction that the drainage at Turfontein is not very good that's what made Newmarket such a good track.

And in response to Scotia i do not dispute that many tracks in the UK are not good but at least there u have a choice as they have all weather tracks which research has shown they are much kinder to horses. I don't see the relevance of Ur comparison between flat racing and fence racing. in any case it is a cruel sport i would never do race jumping.

Horse is a Horse, most jumpers come from the flat.

Back to the initial post, why do SA trainers run a horse once a month and not more regular?

Maybe it has something to do with the medication the horses are receiving,Do some research on steroids and see how they are administered and abused in racing and by human athletes and then there is EPO and the diuretics and countless other substances. I agree a horse that is properly trained and sound can race 4 times a month.I still think racing a horse 2 days in a row is a act of desperation.

Superstar its seldom that horses run every 2 days,you were just unfortunate that it happened,if you follow that so called horse you will most probably never see it run again in 2 days time.

Sure maybe not 2 days in a row but what about horses that are raced on Thursdays and then on Saturdays i still think there is a air of desperation in racing.But i concede that we live in a democracy and i was just exercising my right to my opinion, just like it is trainers rights to race their horses as often as they like .My biggest lesson in racing is that it is about everything else except the horse.

I love racing but i love horses more...

scotia Wrote:

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> Horse is a Horse, most jumpers come from the
> flat.
>
> Back to the initial post, why do SA trainers run a
> horse once a month and not more regular?


To try and scrape another years training fees out of the owner.

The racing is programmed is designed in such a way that a horse should get a run every 3 weeks