TRAINING SURFACES
Ger Lyon’s trusted woodchip six furlong oval, with oneand-a-half furlong straights
One of the most significant unique selling points a European trainer can offer to stand out from the competition is a diversity of facilities. This might range from remedial and complementary therapies – such as spa, treadmill, or vibrating plate – to the quality or visual impression of the stabling, but perhaps the single largest area of diversity is the gallops.
R
WORDS: OLLY STEVENS PHOTOS: CAROLINE NORRIS, SHUTTERSTOCK, JOCKEY CLUb ESTATES
ECENTLY, Jeremy Gask, notable for being among the most forward-thinking and technologically advanced trainers, announced his move to Danebury Hampshire in order to, for the first time, benefit from the traditional: downland grass gallops. “While the turf is beautiful, it’s not so much about what’s under their feet, but the overall environment that Danebury offers that is so attractive,” Gask says. “Having relied solely on all very consistent and level all weather gallops for so long, we had found that horses could run pretty green early on in their careers and were often caught out by undulations or different ground conditions at the races.” This statement inherently brings up the ‘perfect paradox.’ Should we train a horse in the most perfect environment, balancing safety and soundness with maximising the level of fitness achievable, or embrace some imperfections in the training surface in order to better prepare for the varied nature of European tracks? Much of this will
depend on context, and those with access to extensive facilities are in a position to cater very well to each horse’s particular needs. There are as many exceptions as there appear to be rules, with notable cases of trainers finding great success with modest facilities, and some strongly advocating the importance of hills and others level ground. Some may struggle to get to grips with new gallops after moving yards; one constantly hears the maxim, “It takes at least a year to
“
Having relied solely on all very consistent and level allweather gallops for so long, we had found that horses could run pretty green early on in their careers
Jeremy Gask
”
learn new gallops,” yet there are numerous instances of trainers moving to new gallops and getting on just fine. There seems to be no one thing that works best. Trainers tend to passionately defend what they have to work with, as to admit doubt would by no means inspire confidence in owners. In stark contrast, trainers in the USA take what they are given, with many of them stabling at tracks that allot space on the basis of providing runners. Among the significant factors influencing where trainers base their stables are prize money, level of competition, and climate. Once the racing season ends at each venue, the “travelling circus” will continue, with the horses moving on to the next track that’s open for racing. This might seem irrelevant in the discussion of gallops in Europe, but there are several pertinent parallels: adjusting training to different surfaces, and how one might plan moves, especially with two-year-olds in mind, based on track surfaces. In the European training environment there is a vast diversity of gallop surfaces available. Consequently, there is an everISSUE 53 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM
51