| GELDING
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| | rattle".
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| After being castrated a male or colt
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| | Assessing the state of the going falls to
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| horse is said to have been "gelded".
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| | the Clerks of the Course, who are open to
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| There are a variety of reasons behind
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| | severe criticism when their assessment is
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| this seemingly rather harsh practice.
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| | questionable.
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| By taking a horses mind off sex it
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| | Recent advances in science have allowed
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| becomes more amenable, and calm. A horse
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| | the art of poking the ground with a stick
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| becomes less temperamental due to the
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| | to become far more scientific with the
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| shift in hormonal balance, which occurs
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| | introduction of a dubiously titled device
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| with all neutered animals, including
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| | known as the "penetrometer".
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| humans.
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| | One should always examine the weather
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| After gelding, horses are generally
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| | forecast for a meeting as an essential
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| regarded as being easier to train and
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| | adjunct to basic form study, and one
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| concentrate more readily on their racing.
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| | should know a horse's preference for a
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| Even more practical for National Hunt,
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| | particular type of going.
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| gelding can prevent the extreme
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| | For example at the time a newspaper or
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| discomfort experienced by "entire" horses
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| | formbook is printed the going for any
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| when jumping over hard fences,
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| | given race may indeed be good, but by the
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| historically made from birch.
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| | time of the race, heavy rainfall may have
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| Irish horses intended for chasing are
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| | changed it to soft or heavy.
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| gelded automatically at an early age.
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| | In many cases where the going has changed
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| Most chasers are in fact geldings.
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| | dramatically at the last minute, then a
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| For a long time, many big flat races were
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| | horse with a differing preference to the
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| not open to geldings, but this has now
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| | current going may be withdrawn.
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| changed with most of the classics now
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| | However, it may be seen that vice versa,
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| being opened up to them.
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| | a late change of going can transform
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| One obvious financial argument against
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| | certain losers into possible winners.
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| gelding is that after winning a major, a
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| | The "going" is therefore uniformly
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| colt is instantly worth millions to big
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| | accepted as essential by trainers, and
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| stables or stud syndicates.
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| | their running intentions for their
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| Whereas "The Arkle" who won the
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| | horses.
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| Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1964, 65, and 66,
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| | Timeform, the Racing Post, and the
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| was valued at the same price the day
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| | newspapers publish plenty of good
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| after the races as he was the day before.
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| | information about the going. Comments
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| National Hunt racing would not work
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| | such as "we will only run if we get
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| without geldings, who are much admired by
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| | that", or "he will only run if its soft"
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| racegoers, regardless of stud decisions
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| | and "he's only good on good ground" are
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| made by prejudiced breeders.
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| | all well worth noting.
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| GOING
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| | Finally it's important to note that some
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| Advance forecasts in newspapers and the
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| | courses hold rainwater better or worse
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| formbook advertise the state of the
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| | than others.
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| ground for a race meeting.
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| | For example at Newmarket the ground
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| - Hard
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| | rarely reaches worse than soft. Good
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| - Firm
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| | ground or good to soft are almost always
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| - Good to Firm
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| | the state of the going irrespective of
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| - Good to Soft
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| | rainfall on the Rowley mile in spring
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| - Soft
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| | through to autumn.
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| - Heavy
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| | GOOD WALKER
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| "Soft with heavy patches" in the formbook
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| | If you have access to the pre-race
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| indicates muddy patches.
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| | paddock inspection you should try to note
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| Sometimes differences are noted on
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| | whether the back or "hind" hoof coincides
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| different parts of the course I.e. Going:
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| | or overlaps with the point where the
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| Round course, soft. Straight course, good
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| | front hoof has been.
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| to soft.
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| | This feature is a sign that a horse will
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| The outcome of a race is significantly
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| | gallop well, and the horse is referred to
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| dependent on the state of the going. It
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| | as a "Good walker"
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| is arguably THE most important factor in
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| | GREYS
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| determining a race day favourite.
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| | A remarkable front running Grey, Desert
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| Comments including "likes some cut on the
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| | Orchid, was an outstanding public hero
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| ground" or "likes some give underfoot"
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| | between 1983 and 1991, dominating the
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| should be carefully noted.
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| | jumps arena with 34 wins from 70 starts.
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| Other horses prefer to race when the mud
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| | Greys account for only 3% of the entire
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| is flying and the formbook will note such
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| | horse racing population, but this ratio
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| horses as being a "confirmed mudlark".
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| | gives no indication of their overall
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| Still other horses don't like soft
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| | popularity, particularly in the National
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| conditions at all and need good going,
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| | Hunt theatre.
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| the formbook will state "needs the top of
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| | Foaled in 1704 and brought to England via
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| the ground", while some prefer really
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| | Constantinople by Sir Robert Sutton, all
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| firm going eliciting descriptive comments
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| | thoroughbred "grey" horses can be traced
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| such as "likes to hear his hooves
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| | back to the original "Alcock Arabian".
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