Evening star., 1903-12-19
RACING UNsHoD HORSES.
Australian Trainer Says They Are
Lengths Faster.

from the New York Sun.
The shoeing or rather plating of race
horses Is a question widely discussed in
England Just now, especially since ].
Brewer. the Australian trainer and ex-
Jockey, has aired his views He is of the
opinion that too much attention cannot be
paid to the matter. and that in the shoeing
alone eenters the great success of the racer,
III years gone by, shoeing used to be
studied In a perfunctory manner, the sys-
tenn adopted being rather Of the happy-go-
lucky order. When the results came out all
right they were taken for granted, and no
great EFFORT was made to shape them be-
rcrehand. Almost all trainers then worked
on the same plans, and they won in turns.
Sometimes one was found to be more clever
than the other.
In recent interview in SPORTING
SEetches, Brewer unburdens himself thus:
Llgnt plates are, of course, put on race
horses before they are sent out to gallop
Tor money, their ordinary working shoes
De1ng temporarily discarded. One cannot
De too careful in this respect, or no cash
W, VIII De won. A small advantage makes q
lot OF difference at the winning end Light
ness is trumps and nothing beats the alum
mum plating. Every ounce you take off a
Eorse's feet is pounds off his back A man
ooes not run for money in heavy boots
that Is, If 1t is his own money he is strug-
Cling for.
In Australia I have often run horses
without shoes when the going was good.
not greasy after rain. They are lengths
better when they run barefooted and the
dlnerence is not likely to be fully appre-
caated except by sportsmen who test 1t
practically on their own account. And.
mlno you, this is no mere theorizing with
nothing at stake. For instance such
horses as The CRATER, Battalion-one of
the best horses that ever came to England
from Australia-and Tornado, which l
roy, yrif11 fc111
they won. Why. might beat Scepter with
good platter II that famous mare had
heavy shoes on. There was such an Illus
trat1on In the Duke of York stakes 1t was
piercing Shrek II those working shoes had
been a trif1e heavier.
"Of course, the old selling steeplechasers
wear big, heavy shoes. That Is, when they
ere not trying Such risks are certainly
not taken when the money is on, because
II the pot botls over. waste of steam
may cause blow up. Generally speaking,
race horses are not taken to the black
smiths. as are ordinary horses. to be shod,
since the blacksmith goes to them, and the
work is done in their box. Needless to say,
1t ls very skillfully and carefully performed
as a rule. Horses are not often pricked in
shoeing that may be an excuse for sort1e-
thing else In exceptional cases-hor we do
not always hear the truth about flyers In
the paddock, when we are itching to bet,
even If we go about with our ears open in.
stead of our mouths-a characteristic atti-
tude. Why we do not more frequently ex-
perience a disagreeable taste is another
OF those great sporting problems which
continue to worry us in moments of de-
spondency after backing several horses as
II to the manner born. Oh. yes. we do
know our luck.
II use very thin plates, and when pin
my faith In crack do not run him with
out them. I do not want slip-up round
The last turn when my champion is taking
mis- place and when stand to win more in
a minute than I can afford to lose in six
months"