Leica Falcon has Slow Return to Track

The following story by Rob Burnet.

Forgotten galloper Leica Falcon is on a long slow build-up back from injury.

Like the Mike Moroney trained Xcellent (NZ), Leica Falcon has not raced since finishing in the money in the last of Makybe Diva’s Melbourne Cup victories at Flemington in 2005.
Both Xcellent and Leica Falcon suffered tendon injuries in finishing third and fourth respectively behind the great mare.

While Xcellent is about ready to make his return, in the Group I AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 9, Leica Falcon’s trainer Richard Freyer is taking a little longer.
Freyer said Leica Falcon had an operation to repair the tendon in August last year and the trainer likes to give the injury at least 12 months to recover.

While Leica Falcon is still to have a strong gallop, the gelding has been in the stable for a month doing light work trotting and walking in preparation for the spring.

“He's doing really well,” Freyer said. “I've been deliberately conservative with him because my experience with tendons tells me you have to give them 12 months before you gallop them.”
Leica Falcon progressed through his classes in good fashion when last in work. He won the Group II Winning Edge Stakes at Caulfield over 2400 metres a week before running fifth in the 2005 Group I Caulfield Cup over 2400m, coming from well back, and then his fourth in the Melbourne Cup over 3200m, again after being well back on the turn.

Both young stayers were halled as the future, but both then went to the spelling paddock to overcome their respective tendon injuries.

Fryer said that he was not sure exectly what caused the then four-year-old Nothin Leica Dane gelding's tendon to flare, but after the Melbourne Cup there was a little lump in the tendon, but then it went away within 24 hours at the time.

VRC Announces Changes to the Melbourne Cup

The Victoria Racing Club has announced changes to the conditions for the Emirates Melbourne Cup:

Minimum Weights Formerly 48.0kg for a 4YO and 49.5kg for an older horse, these have been fixed at 50.0kg across the board, to comply with a change to the Australian Rules of Racing, relating to minimum handicap weights, which took effect on 1 January 2007. Accordingly, the minimum weight for a 3YO has increased from 46kg to 49kg.

AAMI Victoria Derby WinnerThe late entry clause for the AAMI Victoria Derby winner into the Emirates Melbourne Cup, in force since 1989, has been removed.

This decision has been taken in the interests of fairness - the 2007 Emirates Melbourne Cup, as a major international race, will now only be available to horses nominated by 1 August 2007, (with such nomination) followed by a first, second, third and final acceptance fee payment by connections.

Three-years-old horses can be still be nominated for the 2007 Emirates Melbourne Cup by 1 August 2007, and the winner of the 2007 AAMI Victoria Derby, if a 3rd acceptor for the Cup, will remain exempt from any ballot on the race.

However, such horse will now be liable to a re-handicap, if any, at the Handicapper's discretion.
Ballot Free RacesThe 2007 Caulfield Cup (along with the 2007 San Juan Capistrano (USA)) has, for the first time, been added to the list of ballot free races (winner only) into the 2007 Emirates Melbourne Cup.

Saab Quality Winner The winner of the 2007 Saab Quality will remain exempt from any ballot on the 2007 Emirates Melbourne Cup.

However, such horse will now be liable to a re-handicap, if any, at the Handicapper's discretion.
This decision means that every quality race of 2300 metres or further, regardless of where it is run or its weight conditions, will attract a potential Emirates Melbourne Cup weight penalty to the winner, at the discretion of the Handicapper.

VRC chief executive Mr. Monteith said: "The changes to the conditions for the 2007 Emirates Melbourne Cup are part of the evolution of this great race as the staying championship of the world, and they reflect the determination of the VRC Board to ensure that the race conditions continue to be both fair and relevant, year by year.

Overall, the Emirates Melbourne Cup conditions are designed to attract the best possible field from Australia and overseas, and to provide fair opportunity for each horse to secure a start, according to its race performance history, and, under handicap conditions, to win or obtain the best possible placing in the Race That Stops a Nation".

Queensland 2007 Freshman Stallions

All Bar One (Aus) Oaklands, Toowoomba $6600

Bullmore (Aus) Noralla, Gladfield $4400

Chateau Istana (GB) Oaklands, Toowoomba $6600

Dark Lord (NZ) Rivers Hills, Cooroy $5500

Dr Green (NZ) Palmaday, Beaudesert $6600

Frightening (Aus) Malabar, Keresdale $4400

Fusaichi Ole (Jap) Willowbend, Beaudesert $4400

Get Square (Aus) Wattle Brae, Nobby $6600

Helter Skelter (Aus) River Hills, Cooroy $4400

Hotel Grand (Aus) Racetree, Innisplains $16500

Jezadane (Aus) Rivers Hills, Cooroy $5500

Longhorn (Aus) Craiglea, Kenilworth $3300

Mustaneer (US) Wattle Brae, Nobby $2750

Nothing To Lose (US) Willowbend, Beaudesert $7700

Outback Prince (Aus) Clear Mountain, Greenmount $13750

Red Dazzler (Aus) Eureka, Cambooya $16500

Set Alight (US) Willowbend, Beaudesert $5500

Australian Melbourne Cup Winner Euthanased

Cup hero Arwon, winner of the 1978 Melbourne Cup, has died at the grand-old age of 33.

Prior to being euthanased at home last week, Arwon had been the oldest-living Melbourne Cup winner.

Sydney Trainer Charged with Food Theft

Racing NSW Stewards yesterday disqualified Randwick trainer Geoff Borger for a period of six months for stealing food from another Randwick trainer David Payne.

Payne reported to stewards, that his staff had observed Borger’s presence in his horse stalls between May 11 and May 17, 2007.

Evidence at the inquiry was taken today from Borger and Payne along with Payne’s foreman Christopher O'Carrigan and stablehand Katherine Hart.

Stewards found Borger guilty of dishonest practice in connection with racing in he stole horse feed from bins of the stables of racehorses being trained by Payne situated in stable block A in the complex known as Porter Stables at Randwick.

After taking into account all the circumstances of the case and giving due weight to a prior like conviction in 1992, Borger was disqualified from racing for a period of six months.
Borger subsequently lodged an appeal and been granted a stay of proceedings.

ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzz

One wonders what happened to the Sky camera man at Bathurst (Race 6) who got left at the starting barriers after the horses had jumped?

Lucky it was a 1200m race as it gave him/her time to catch up!

Horses Do Need Physical Contact

Horses need physical contact just like we do. New research in Denmark looks at which form of physical contact horses prefer.

Looking at each other is not enough. Sniffing, nuzzling and rubbing are also needed - not least if you are a horse. Research at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences (DJF) at the University of Aarhus has revealed that horses have a clear need of physical contact. Now researchers have started studying which form of physical contact horses favour.

In the preliminary stages of the study the horses were given the chance to greet another horse on the other side of some bars or a dividing wall, or by entering a room with another horse in it. The alternative was to go back to their box where they could see but not touch the neighbouring horse.

The horses' need for contact with another horse - irrespective of how it was done - was so pronounced that it was impossible for researchers to distinguish which form of contact the horses preferred, says scientist Eva Søndergaard, who is in charge of the project.
The second stage of the experiment was therefore to investigate which form of contact horses prefer using a press-button method.

The method, which is used on other livestock such as cattle and pigs, involves giving the animals a task to find out how hard they are prepared to work to achieve a certain result. With this method it is also possible to distinguish between an actual need and something that would just be nice to have, but is not absolutely essential.

The work for the horses involves pressing a button with the nose. The reward is contact with another horse in a certain way. By counting how many times the horses press the buttons, it is possible to measure the form of contact they are prepared to work the hardest for.
Denmark has the highest number of horses per capita in Europe. It is therefore natural that it carries out research into horse behaviour. DJF has a very important role to play in providing policy advice, for example in relation to the preparation of new regulations and notifications for horse owners. This means that the research results can be directly applied.

A draft bill by the Ministry of Justice, which will be presented by the government at some point in the future, specifies that keepers of horses should have at least two horses. This means that they will recommend that horses have social contact. But so far it has not been defined what this social contact should be and there is no minimum requirement set out. "This is where our results can come in useful," says Eva Søndergaard.