The sun., 1903-12-13
RACED HORSES WITHOUT SHOES.
Australian Trainer Says They Are Lengths
Faster-His Theory on Sh0einE.

Faster--His Theory on shoeing.
The shoeing or rather plating OF race
horses Is question widely discussed In Eng
land just now. especially since j. 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 centres
the great success Of the racer. In years
gone by. shoeing used to be studied In
perfunctory manner, the system 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 beforehand.
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 Sketches,
Brewer unburdens himself thus: Light
plates are, Of course, put on racehorses
before they are sent out to gallop for money
their ordinary working shoes being tenn
porarily discarded. One cannot be too
careful in this respect, or no cash will be
won A small advantage makes lot Of
difference at the winning end. Lightness
Is trumps and nothing beats the aluminium
plating. Every ounce you take OIL horses s
feet is pounds of his back. A man does not
run for money in heavy boots, that is II
it is his own money he Is struggling for
an Australia I have often run horses
without shoes when the going was good
not greasy after rain. They are lengths
difference is not likely to be fully appre-
ciated except by sportsmen who test it
practically on their own account. And,
mind you, this Is no nero theorning with
nothing at stake. For instance, such
horses as The CRATER, Battalion--cne Of the
best horses that ever came to England from
AustYaiia-and Tornado, which | trained
at EPSON, ran without shoes when they
won. Why, l might beat Sceptle with a
good platter II that famous mare had heavy
In the Duke Of York Stakes. It was a mar
row squeak and 1t might have been a piercing
shrek if those working shoes had been Z
| trifle heavier.
.of course. the old selling s'eeplechasers
| wear big, heavy shoes. That is, when they
| not taken when the money is on, because
| II the pct boilS over wi.ste ot seam may
| cause blow-up. Generally speaking,
racehorses are not :akec 20 tho b'.-es
smiths. az are orGirary horses, 90 he ahud,
| since the blacksmith goes to them, and the
work Is done In their bcx. Needless 20 say,
! II Is very GAsilfully and catefllw poriorrucd
as rule. Horses are not often prickod in
| shoeing; that may be en- excuse for sone-
| thing else in exceptions cases for We do
| not always hear the truth about flyers in
| the paddock, when We are itching To bet,
! even If We go about with cur ears open
/ inst cad Of our nOuths-a character is, 10
attitude. Why we 90 lot moro frequently
experience a disagreeable taste is ano. her
| 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.
Il use very thin plates, and when pin
my faith in a crack do not run him without
them. do not want slip-up round the
last turn when my champion is taking his
place and when I stand TO win more In a
minute than can afford to lose in six
months.''