A FAVOURITE'S DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 260, 2 November 1935, Page 5 (Supplement)

A FAVOURITE'S DAY.

Job of Having Horse and Rider Right for the Win. A bustling of stable lads in the semigloom. The unlocking of stables; tli3 preparation for track work. A brown head is poked out of a door—and the day's work has- commenced for the Ep'som favourite, Barak (writes A. W. Dexter, in the Sydney "Telegraph"). On the surface, Barak's day might be very little different from that of the horse who has tried, and failed, to win even a small race. He gets the same feed. He gets the same grooming attention. He is often given, the same track tasks. But below the surface a difference exist 3. Perhaps a little closer attention, a little extra precaution against the ?ninor accidents which might easily develop into serious trouble. But even an Epsom favourite's day Is no-sinecure. It starts . with the first streak of daylight. It ends about halfpast seven at night. Barak leaves the stables of his veteran trainer, I. Foulsham, about 5.30, and ; s walked to Randwick Racecourse. He rests in a stall possibly for half an hour, and then is given a gallop—fast or slow, as his trainer decides. . . Sometimes a hose, sometimes a sand roll, and then a nibble of grass are rewards of early morning exercise, ar.d at 7.30 he is taken back to Foulsham's stables. The horse is fed and watered half an hour later, and given his wisps of hay about half-past nine. From then until mid-day, when he is fed again, Barak is shut up in his box. He rests after his mid-day feed, and then is taken to Randwick Racecourse for walking exercise about three o'clock. He is groomed when he returns about an hour later, is fed again at 5, and given more hay at 7. Then his bed is put down, and at 7.30 he is left to himself for thcj. night. But the close care of the horse is not lifted with his retirement. In ease of- accident, a hand is close handy -throughout the night—a safeguard which has often protected a prominent spring horse from injury. Eacli horse has its peculiarity. Each horse demands a special study, and its temperament and constitution are the guiding factors in planning a spring campaign. . "When Black-adder won the Epsom Handicap for me. in 1925, I could do considerably -more with him on the tracks than I can with Barak." declarfc'i Foulsham. "He was an older horse, more seasoned, and differently tempered from Barak. « "Barak does not need half the work my Metropolitan horse, Curator. I Tike to* gallop him alone as much as possible. .Barak is rather delicate. He is, still growihg,«and he has to be treated very carefully. "But he in a good horse' all the same, f.rid when he tackles the Epsom I think lie wili be better than ever." An alarm at five o'clock, and, whether the. conditions are rainy or fine, or whether the temperature has dropped close to freezing point, the day ha* started for,Barak's rider, Bob Maxwell. Every morning, except Sunday, when there is no track work. Maxwell attends cither Randwick or Rosebery, and often both courses. His morning's task may be the riding, of a dozen horses in training spins. Back to breakfast, and then his day is spent either golfing, both morning and afternoon, or a round of golf in the morning, and a visit to the Turkish baths in the afterno.vn. To ride Barak at 7.10 Maxwell has to pay careful attention to his weight. Ordinarily he rides a little heavier, but tiie task of reducing demands no diet and no monotonous road work. Maxwell eats anything he wishes, and lie finds that the walking exercise around the links serves better than spasmodic dashes around the streets, with his body heaped with sweaters. Maxwell's real responsibilities commence when those of the trainer have finished, when Barak leaves the niountf ir.fr enlcosiire to run his Epsom Handicap race. One stroke of ill luck, one momentary iiipse of judgment by the rider, and the months of work and anxiety may have gone for nothing.