A beginners guide toâ¦ - ARO Racing

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Appendix 4 Trainer’s Race Day Guide Written by Angela Colledge Trainer & member of the Race Planning Committee This guide has been written for first time owners or owner/trainers, and will explain what to do and expect at ARO racedays. Before You Set Off It is a good practice to trot your horse up on a hard surface before leaving – you don’t want to drive 4 hours only to discover your horse trod on a stone the day before and is now lame out of walk! Make sure you have everything you’ll need for the day, the following checklist includes the essentials:- Raceday Checklist Passport/s Stable Passes Colours Bridles. Planning Your Journey First of all, make sure you plan your journey and allow enough time for unforeseen eventualities, such as road works, breakdown, etc, as there is nothing more stressful for you or your horses than having to rush. I always like my horses to have 3 hours to rest after traveling longer distances; even the best travelers use themselves to some degree during transport, but this is just a guide, everyone is different. At The Racecourse Booking Your Horse into its Stable On approach to the racecourse, follow signs to the Racehorses Entrance. On arrival, go to the racecourse stables office to book in, making sure you have your stable passes with you, as you will be asked to sign in and collect a wristband. You must have this wristband on all the time when you are in the stabling area. You may also be asked for your horse’s passport; a list will be posted at the stables office, so check this. If your name is on the list then the vet will need to see your horse’s passport before they run. The vet can usually be found in the stabling area before racing. You will be told your stable number(s) by the stable manager; you may then unload your horse and take it into the stables. Having made your horse comfortable, you can now leave him to rest. Declaring Your Horse Armed with your colours, make your way to the Weighing Room (usually found near the paddock, this will be well signposted). Go to the Declarations Desk where you will find a list of runners for each race. Once you have found the race your horse is entered for, find your horse on the list, fill in and sign the declaration. This MUST be done at least 45 minutes before the race is due to be run (if in doubt ask an ARO Official who will be able to help). Also, check that all the information on the declaration sheet is correct, especially any headgear you have declared for your horse. It is also essential to check that the information on your horse appears correctly in the racecard, especially your colours. If there are any errors speak to the Declarations Clerk or any other Official who is around. Don’t forget to collect your complimentary racecard from the Declarations Clerk once you have declared. Meeting Your Jockey Now you need to find your jockey. You can either ask the ARO Official to go into the changing rooms and get him/her for you, or if you’re not faint-hearted (lots of naked/semi-naked bodies) then you can go in yourself. On finding your jockey introduce yourself, if you do not already know them, give them the colours, arrange with them whether you want them to saddle the horse or if you will collect the saddle from the Weighing Room and do it yourself. If so, agree on a time as they may be riding in the race before, and this will effect what time they weigh out. NB. If you are an owner/trainer/jockey please refer to the Jockey’s Raceday Guide at this point. Saddling and Parading Your Horse You will need your horse ready to go into the Pre-Parade Ring (this is the smaller ring with the open fronted stables) with its race bridle on 45 minutes before your race. E.g., for a 2-30 Race, be in the Pre-Parade Ring by 1-45. Always turn yourself and your horse out to a high standard for the image of the sport and out of respect for the sponsors. There is often a best turned out prize as well! You will notice that a lot of Arabian Racehorses have their manes pulled; if like me, you like to leave them un-pulled, please plait the mane, as there is nothing worse for a jockey then two feet of mane wrapped around the reins, and then having it whip you in the face for the duration of the race. Once you are ready, pick an empty saddling box and saddle your horse, having arranged with your jockey whether he is - 11 -
coming out or you are collecting the saddle from the weighing room. (I would suggest you ask the Jockey to come out if you have limited experience as they won’t mind saddling your horse for you. They would rather know it has been done safely and properly). Once your horse is saddled, proceed to the Parade Ring proper when instructed to do so by the steward or when you see other people going in. Your horse must be saddled and in the Parade Ring 15 minutes before the off time. Make sure the handler leading the horse has comfortable footwear as they could be walking for up to 40 minutes! You may now go and stand in the middle of the Parade Ring and wait for the jockeys to come out. Make sure you tell your jockey any little quirks your horse may have (like he is going to buck like a rodeo star!) and anything you do or don’t want him/her to do during the race. When the bell rings it is time for the jockeys to mount; leg your jockey up, and as you walk make sure the handler unclips the lead chain before you get out on the course. When instructed to do so by the steward lead your horse out on to the course, let go and make sure to get out of the way of other horses coming out behind you. Watching The Race Now you can go and find somewhere to watch the race from, or somewhere to hide, depending on your disposition! After The Race When the race has finished go back to where you lead the horse onto the course and collect him. If you are lucky enough to finish in the first three/four (depending on the racecourse) go to the Winners’ Enclosure; if not your jockey will unsaddle away from the Winners’ Enclosure, where hopefully he will tell you how the horse went. If he doesn’t, ask, as it will be helpful for future races your horse may run in. Always thank the jockey. If you are in the Winners’ Enclosure wait until you hear the tannoy say “Horses Away” before returning to the stables. Otherwise go back to the stables when you are ready and give your horse a well deserved shower, small amounts of water and walk him off for at least 15 minutes. It’s not a good idea to let him eat at this stage as he may choke. Once your horse has completely recovered from the race you can put him back in the stable with ad-lib water. You will need to go back to the weighing room and collect your colours from the jockey. You cannot pay the jockey for the ride as it is an amateur sport, but you may want to give him something towards his travelling expenses. Before Going Home If your horse hasn’t broken out in a sweat he can have a hay net and you can now go home; however, if he has you will need to walk him some more as it may be that you put him away to quickly. Hopefully you had a great day, win or lose, you enjoyed it and will want to come back again soon. Have a safe journey home! Just A Few Extra Points To Bear In Mind Arab racing, whilst fun, is still competitive, so make sure your horse is fit enough; riding a horse three times a week for an hour will not be enough to get you competitive and it’s unkind on the horse as well. You don’t have to own an allweather gallop, horse walker, etc. to do well; no doubt they would be of benefit but I have managed very well without, as do most people. It is also worth remembering that you have to run in two maiden races so that the handicapper can assess your horse’s ability. Being realistic, it is unlikely that you will win or be placed in a maiden as these are normally won by higher class horses, so don’t be too despondent. If you are fortunate to come across one of these, great, but if not, do not give up at this point as you will now have your rating and will be able to compete against horses of a similar ability in handicaps. This is where the fun really begins, so make sure you are there. Don’t forget… You’ve Got To Be In It To Win It! - 12 -
Page 1 and 2: The Arabian Racing Organisation You
Page 3 and 4: If you need to purchase a horse thi
Page 5 and 6: Conditions Races The weights in the
Page 7 and 8: Penalties and allowances may also p
Page 9 and 10: Appendix 2 A Guide to ARO Registrat
Page 11: Putting a Bet On Once you have had
Page 15 and 16: 3. Taking on the starter 4. Beating
Page 17: Area Representatives The following

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