It's been a bit of a quiet week this past week, but thankfully the weather has been forgiving, what more can we ask for?
We're continuing our look at the Flat racehorse today! This paticular topic seemed to grab quite a bit of interest with some of our community, so I hope you're enjoying my views just as much as I enjoy writing about the topic.
A two year old horse is physically immature. Comparable to a child in human terms. As a
three year old its maturity begins and it is like a teenager becoming a young adult. At the age of four it begins to reach its physical peak and is usually considered in its prime for flat racing. A five year old is fully mature - a colt is considered a horse and a filly is considered a mare. Further physical development is reduced and what development there is does not generally aid the horses racing ability.
Flat racing has a rapidly and constantly changing population in horses as a new crop of two year olds appear every season and replaces other and older horses. The fortunes of most flat racing yards revolves around the intake of fresh young horses from the sales and from private studs. Often, these horses arrive as unbroken yearlings and each trainer is faced with the task of attempting to turn raw recruits into efficient racing machines. There is considerable pressure on trainers to deliver the goods for owners and connections. The risks are great but the rewards, for a “good one” are enormous – not just on the track but also in terms of future breeding.
Of course, in real terms, only a few go on to achieve top flight success. Some may find that after their career on the flat that they can successfully switch codes and end up with a new career as National Hunt horses. There are always a few decent sorts that successfully move
from the flat to the jumps and do well for doing so.
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