Kelinni has a short turnaround following his Lexus Stakes triumph. Source: Getty Images
WINNING the Lexus Stakes with Kelinni and securing the last ticket in to the Melbourne Cup has left Chris Waller battling the clock to have his horse in prime condition for the race.
In the past two days, Sydney's leading trainer has had the delicate task of ensuring that not only has the imported stayer sufficiently recovered from the run last Saturday but is in good enough condition to perform over the testing 3200m journey today.
While Waller, like any trainer, would look to aid recovery with legal substances such as anti-inflammatories after a horse runs, the seven-day detection period of such treatments has left him with no option but to resort to continual icing.
"We can't give them anything," he said. "They have to be completely free of any substance. Not even the equivalent of a Panadol can be used to help them get over the run.
"It makes racing on the quick back-up very difficult, especially with staying horses that can feel the ground a bit. We've just had to keep his legs on ice. It is labour intensive but it works."
Waller also booked in an equine masseuse to help.
"It is just about helping the horse's blood flow and keeping the muscles active without the stress of a full gallop," he said.
"It is just like a footballer jumping in an ice bath after a tough game and then getting a massage. Horses aren't too dissimilar to humans and we have to treat their recovery with as much importance, especially when you have such a short turnaround leading in to a big race."
Knowing that Kelinni could possibly have two runs within the space of four days, Waller held back from giving his imported stayer another run after the Metropolitan Handicap.
"It was all part of the plan," Waller said of his $21 Cup chance.
Will it be lucky 13 for Bart?
Ray Thomas MOST trainers believe Bart Cummings has forgotten more than they will ever know about preparing racehorses.
No comments:
Post a Comment