Those who are interested in stride and gait should have a gander at the video on this site:



It explains and demonstrates the important points to look for.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...d&v=OLTtTzc2HFI

Here we go Kinz Funky Monkey.
A wonderful performance to get up for third after being chopped out early and hampered at the top of the stretch. You might see her length of stride over the final 200m. She is in the purple or lilac, number 3.
She is a leader or onpacer, to be chopped out that badly early over 5 furlongs, ridden upside down and still run on for third, was amazing.

This is why some non performing very expensive horses with good breeding, are very inexpensive Sires. Great value.

The trainers of Gregers (David Hayes) and Recycle Prince (Troy Portelli) must have high opinions of these horses as well, they have been nominated for Group races in October, long before their last wins. Trainer mechanics is something that needs to be looked at a bit more by me. ;)

Interesting that you say this, CP. Have just signed up for a 'stable newsletter' to get closer to one of my favorite trainers.

LG

Octavia nominated for R7 at Caulfield Saturday.
Photon Willie nominated for R5 Rosehill Saturday.

"Roughly 80% of horses bred for the track will have some sort of problem and never make it to an elite status," Seder said. "The history of science is that innovation is met with skepticism. I'm just taking science and playing probabilities, looking for those horses that, based on our data of gait and motion analysis, have a higher chance of making it."

Seder is truely a leader in his field, and his opinions and conclusions have been proven correct countless times. To put it plainly, it's an extremely expensive excercise to race a horse and the chances of success are odds of 4/1, which means that 80% of the time, owners are shelling out big money for no return.

Many good horses are not obvious performers by breeding, some of the cheapest horses have become champions. When owners and trainers are paying outrageous sums of money for well bred but untried yearlings and 2yo's, it can only be detrimental to the industry as a whole, because many owners disappear burnt.

My personal opinion is that breeding should be the last consideration!
Controversial I know, but one would be better off looking at horse conformation, gait, stride, and then look at the breeding.

Here's a picture of my grandfather in 1930 just before going to the races for a win at The Curragh.

Good Lord.. there is some serious pedigree-bloodline in that portrait my son err friend!

If this fine fellow didn't pen something by way of memoirs, you must have something of the sort in you CP? A bridge across several generations, perhaps??

Cheers LG

PS would make for better reading than tales of Tommy / Ronnie etc?

There are some really wicked stories LG, many of them would not be believed, just like I rarely tell the story of my life anymore.
However, on the subject of breeding....

My father owned and rode horses bareback.
My fraternal grandfather owned and trained horses.
He also trained greyhounds and was so successful, someone snuck into the barn and poisoned all of them!
He won a huge purse one day picking every winner for the card on looks.
He bought a castle called Clarina Castle with his fortune (demolished in the 1960's).
My fraternal uncle volunteered with riding for the disabled in Ireland in retirement.

And then there's me....The Green Monkey :eek:

Here's the castle he bought:

http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie/L...g/orig/1426.jpg

I should add, this is only for interest sake, I'm only sharing something that might interest some people, as it's quite a story all up.
It's not about boasting :(

It's impressive Chrome, as is the bounty of life stories I see you have inherited. Would make for a decent pint session I reckon (Guinness with you I am guessing)

Next time you elect to trundle down to headquarters let me know - will get the black stuff in at the local or whatever you talk best with!

LG