9th September 2021

Flashing Glance is fine after his run at Uttoxeter yesterday, he gained valuable experience over fences and that is what he needed. Up against a race fit horse giving him 10lbs was always going to be a big ask.  

We schooled Gold Clermont, Tea Clipper, Velasco, Lamanver Storm, Adrimel, Quick Draw and Neville’s Cross over fences.

Scipion, Hesque De L’isle, Nocte Volatus, Glory and Honour, Marty Time, Roger Rarebit, Lossiemouth, Highstakesplayer, Ginny’s Destiny, Teescomponentslass, Benito, Piaff Bubbles, Immortal Fame, King Ferdinand, Glory and Fortune, Pounding Poet, Dibble Decker, Camembert Electric, Cruz Control, Tokara and San Agustin schooled over hurdles. It all went swimmingly well as the jockeys went home in the boxer shorts, they were literally soaked to the skin. John Wills was here to see Roger Rarebit, Gordon and Su Hall were here to see Ginny’s Destiny and their other two unnamed horses.

The headline in the Racing Post of milk shaking, usually a concoction of sodium bicarbonate (in the form of bread soda), water and electrolytes that is tubed into a horse, caught my eye.

I do know that alone is illegal. Whether or not it prevents other illegal drugs testing positive is irrelevant. If a horse has tested positive for milk shaking, then it is competing having been subjected to an illegal practice whether or not it has other illegal drugs in its body or not. The positive test for milk shaking should be enough to deter anyone thinking of administering anything else that is illegal. Oh, it appears that they do not test for milk shaking in Ireland? The Racing Post clarify that milk shaking is not screened for in Ireland. We can however take some comfort in the fact that for milk shaking alone to be effective for performance it needs to happen within two hours of competition and the fact there has not been a whistle blower also boost comfort that it is not a used practice. How many hours out from competition milk shaking disguises other illegal drugs is another question?