What To Look For – Experts View

Every punter, avid enthusiast or even casual observer, needs as much help as they can get when it comes to finding winners. Knowledge is power, as they say, and Cape Racing has a wealth of experts who have come together around a table to pass on their insights.

We asked them to share their “secrets”, the things to look for when adding a horse to your shortlist before a race, or in some cases, which ones to draw a line through.

Generally, once you’ve studied the racecard and form, you’ll be ready to make your selection. However, sometimes it’s best to throw the racecard out of the window and wait until 20 minutes before a race, from when the horses enter the parade ring and then canter past the grandstand, and then decide which horse to have a bet on.

Here’s what our experts can tell you:

IN THE PARADE RING

Alistair Cohen: “I’m always looking at the way a horse walks, it needs to be fluent and natural. It mustn’t get over anxious and excited when people come into the parade ring. I don’t like sweating on the neck or nether regions. One needs to look at the coat, which must be healthy and well-maintained and check around the eyes – dark rings are a sign of well-being.”

Brandon Bailey: “I think we’ll all share a few things in common there. I agree with Alistair in terms of how a horse walks and I also don’t like sweating. You want it walking around relaxed but without looking like it’s falling asleep! The dappled coat and darkness around their eyes is certainly a positive for me.”

Vicky Minott: “It a horse catches your eye and stands out for you, that’s the one! You will be able to see its well-being from the condition of the coat, as mentioned, shiny, dappled and sleek. I like a horse to have a pep in their step, or have an energy about them. Check that it is walking in even strides. When the jockey climbs on and the horse perks up, that too is a good thing.”

Grant Knowles: “It looks as though we’re unanimous that the coat must be dappled and shiny so perhaps that’s the first thing to look for. The dark rings under the eyes are important, as mentioned. In terms of walking around, a spring in the step is good, but a horse must be well-behaved in order to conserve energy. Fit and lean is good for obvious reasons, you don’ t want it to be carrying excess weight.”

MJ Byleveld: “I mainly concentrate on three things. The first is the coat. I’m in full agreement with my colleague above in what they’ve said about this. I am also in full agreement in how they have described how the horse walks around the parade ring. What I also look for is the size of its belly. If you look really closely you can see a line in their stomach and this will tell you that they’re fit. The size of the belly tells a lot about fitness.”

THE CANTER PAST

Alistair Cohen: “I like seeing a horse with its head still and dropped down, it mustn’t be fighting or throwing its head around, The stride must be easy and not jangly and I take a look at its hooves; pointing up is ideal, although this isn’t the case with sprinters.”

Brandon Bailey: “Again, Alistair has got in ahead of me (laughs). The head into the chest is good, as is an easy and free-flowing stride. I don’t like it when a horse swishes its tail. Just being nice and relaxed, not fighting for its head. Their ears can tell us a lot as well. Ears pricked and focused is generally a good sign, because when their ears go back and forth through the canter past it can tell us there are signs of being unsure and green

Vicky Minott: “The enjoyment factor applies here. Nice and enthusiastic, filled with energy and alert, yet relaxed and not overdoing it is always a pointer to their well-being. It’s always good to see long even strides with its neck in a low or neutral position. Again, I can’t emphasise enough. If the horse catches your eye, go with it! We often overthink things, no matter what level of racegoer we are!”

Grant Knowles: “I’m always looking for a horse who moves freely – the more elastic it looks the better. If the ears are pricked it gets my attention because it’s a sign of enjoyment. The head carriage must be consistent and the horse must go down without fuss; workmanlike and composed does it for me.”

MJ Byleveld: “This is a lot trickier. All horses must have their head down, ears pricked and relaxed. But I separate them into stayers and sprinters, staying in my mind being a mile or more. Sprinters tend to go down with a shorter action, while stayers might throw their legs around a bit more. Familiarity with individual horses often pays dividends. Some horses go down to the start quite scratchy but their history shows that’s how they are and doesn’t affect their race. I use my memory of individuals quite a lot. Also, when the going is soft like it has been with the rain, sometimes those horses with big, smooth actions will struggle with the going.”