Why Scrub With Turkeys If You Can Soar With Hawkes?
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday January 11, 2002
John Hawkes a trendsetter? You bet. With the backing of Jack and Bob Ingham, John is Australia's most powerful trainer with stables in four states, and several rivals are keen to reproduce his methods.
The call has gone out at barrier trials to give mounts ``a Hawkesy". Some trainers are instructing jockeys to follow John's lead when issuing riding orders for barrier trials.
The call is becoming more and more frequent. John's way is to ensure the horse competing in barrier trials isn't knocked about. Make sure it learns something and, while educating, endeavour to not tax the galloper.
Run fourth or fifth. Leave plenty in the tank, for there is no financial reward for winning barrier trials. This, it would appear, is in stark contrast to racing's ``First Lady".
The ``Hawkesy" call from Gai Waterhouse is rare but, from my observations, the dynamo trainer sends horses to the barrier trials to work. They are put under pressure. Many a time you are left thinking the horse has had a race start. It won't be carrying too many cobwebs into its first event.
It is interesting to note how the two dominant trainers in Sydney racing Australian racing for that matter attack barrier trials, which are now more plentiful than ever.
Training a racehorse has changed. I can remember when you were lucky to find a set of barrier trials. Not that long ago trials were held once a month.
Now you've got Randwick or Warwick Farm on alternate Fridays. Rosehill every second Tuesday. Each set of trials is well patronised. It's nothing for Waterhouse to have four and five runners in a heat.
How often do we see horses having more than one trial leading into a return or debut run? Barrier trials have become a vital tool in the preparation of thoroughbreds.
You can do only so much on the training track. A horse becomes attuned to the routine. Running half a mile (800m) in 54 or 55 seconds every other day before being set alight on the odd morning isn't like a barrier trial.
Come trial time they'll be running quick times, about 48s for the 800m. The pressure is upped, the workload increased.
But the jockey has the horse's welfare in mind. Unlike in a race, where the rider's navigation is under the stewards' lamp, a trial is completely different.
You can coast to the post knowing the trainer will be happy, and so will the stewards. You can give the horse one around the tail and then put the whip away. You don't have to push them hard early to take up a possie if that's not required.
Everyone's happy. And the thoroughbred is the winner in several ways.
Hit the horse with a barrier trial and it makes for a nice wake-up call. ``Wow, it's nearly time to race," they'd think. It breaks the routine and keeps them fresh.
The trip across town, from say Randwick to Warwick Farm, in the float is also of benefit. It breaks the everyday cycle associated with stable life. The blood starts pumping. The heart rate increases. Helps with fitness, too.
It also helps the jockey. The number of heats is increasing. Sometimes there are 21 and 22 a morning. The most I've ridden in on one morning is about 15.
A jockey doesn't get a chance to rest. Straight on one, off at the completion of a hit-out and legged onto another. It sharpens the mind and the body while doing the homework, especially when it comes to juveniles. Two-year-olds stepping out at the trials for the first time are prone to doing things wrong. That's why trials are the next step on the education trail.
On the training track the bigger stables may be able to work three horses abreast, but safety is a concern. Most work tracks aren't wide enough.
If you are able to work three you can teach the horse to race inside and outside rivals. In barrier trials you have seven and eight horses. You can teach a horse to tuck in behind the speed and help build the individual's confidence.
They get used to standing in the barriers and leaving the machines. They can hit the ground running or lope out. They'll come face to face with dirt and grass being kicked up, and it is all carried out at near enough to racing speed.
Another important factor is that you can inform a trainer what the horse has done wrong. It may be better suited with a lugging bit on, blinkers, or need another barrier trial.
The Hong Kong-based John Size is probably the man most responsible for the trend of sending horses to any number of barrier trials. Some of his had three or four trials before racing.
The foundation was laid, allowing his gallopers to compete at their optimum level when the race was on with wagers being carried and prizemoney to be won.
Most trainers have a horse in work for eight weeks before heading to trials. Some horses head to the trials a little earlier but it depends on the type.
Big, gross horses need more preparation, while clean-winded thoroughbreds don't need excessive amounts of conditioning.
Some trainers don't trial their horses. That's usually because their gallopers don't have the constitution for the workload. Trainers know they may only get two, three or four raceday efforts out of the horse.
A barrier trial may be one of those race starts. Sometimes they may prefer to take the horse to the barrier trials for a day out. Some trainers even take horses to the races.
They turn up and hang around in a stall all day without racing, the outing doing them the world of good. It is interesting how things have changed. More barrier trials and some trainers keen for jockeys to do a ``Hawkesy".
Talk about a trendsetter!
As told to Craig Young
© 2002 Sydney Morning Herald