Paddock Watching - Part One

Few places can rival the British racecourse as a venue for an enjoyable afternoon of people-watching. With a number of distinct “tribes” evident at tracks across the country it is possible to spend hours marvelling at the sight of public-school types of every age braying their way between the bar and bookies, gaggles of highly-spirited young women shamelessly ignoring the sporting endeavour on offer, or the pride and excitement of the new racehorse owners before the endless disappointments and increasing costs take their savage toll.

But regardless of these colourful characters, the most fascinating individuals can be found separated from the masses at the lesser visited paddock area.

Generally the paddock is encircled by occasional racecourse visitors enthralled by the sight of horses at close quarters or by those fascinated by the huddled gathering of owners and trainers in pre-race discussions. But amongst these happy crowds you will also find the serious punter. Armed with a copy of the Racing Post and a head full of notes from an evening spent studying the form in advance preparation for the day’s racing, this is their a final stop before placing a bet.

The professionals take the paddock experience very seriously and this largely misunderstood part of the betting ritual is one that all we should all incorporate into our raceday routine.

But what should those looking to place free bets be looking for?

Many are distracted by the mean-looking creatures with short legs and an eye for the fillies but we should ignore the jockeys and instead concentrate on the horses on display.

The first thing that we look for in a racehorse is the confirmation: the physical composition of the horse and how the different body parts combine together for the job in hand. Tote betting pundits are aware that this aspect of the racing can be notoriously difficult to master and it is well worth asking an expert for some general pointers.

Victoria Lister, a well-respected independent bloodstock consultant, provides us with a professional insight. “The confirmation of any horse is comparable to that of a human athlete. The first thing to consider is the overall balance of body parts and the work that the animal will be expected to do. So whilst show-jumpers, eventers and racehorses will be asked excel in very different environments, the basis of sound confirmation will have the same foundations. When looking at a thoroughbred racehorse we first focus on the balance between the neck, back and hip and consider if they are of the same length and proportions. The head is important in its own right. We are looking for big, intelligent eyes and large nostrils able to deliver the vast amounts of air needed to help fuel the body. An alert horse with ears pricked and keenly aware of their surroundings is a pre-requisite, together with an air of confidence and determination”

The muscle definition is also important. “We look to the see if the horse has the correct amount of muscle for its frame” Victoria continues, “too much muscle mass on a small frame can cause as many problems as too little on larger animals, although in younger bloodstock we often consider that the horse may well ‘grow into itself’. With sprinters we can allow for bigger bulk with perhaps a concentration toward the hind quarters whilst long-distance performers can be leaner, hardier animals in the same sense as their human counterparts.”

“More technically, we look for the muscles to work together gracefully and produce an extended ‘arc of flight’ seen during propulsion at gallop, where the neck and foreleg work in a synchronised movement. The old saying ‘no foot, no horse’ is a truism, although this is difficult to asses in a paddock setting and a smooth, long, rhythmical stride is a much better indicator in this setting.”

So taking the very basics of confirmation it is obvious that by comparing Tony McCoy to John McCririck we see that one has considerable physical advantages over the other for potential riding ability and the same is true in the equine world.

The difference between a great racehorse and an also-ran is much more subtle but we now have the building blocks that the expert trained eye will compute in an instant.

Look out for part two of this article in the coming weeks.