It is not often, in fact NEVER, that North American rules of racing and racing in general are better than Australia’s.
That’s pretty much always been the prevailing thought.
But, after a big race at Santa Anita yesterday, there just might be one teensy weenie rule that we need to look at.
In Australia in the Rules Of Racing handbook, rule AR 80 states that –
- If a horse is totally blind in one eye: (a) the horse is ineligible for; and, (b) a person must not enter or start the horse in any race, official trial, jump-out or trackwork.
- If a horse has partially impaired vision: (a) the horse is ineligible for; and (b) a person must not enter or start the horse in, any race, official trial, jump-out or trackwork unless the Stewards are satisfied based on specialist veterinary evidence that the impairment does not constitute a danger to the horse or other participants in the race, official trial, jump-out or trackwork.
There are further tweaks to the rule, but by and large if your horse needs glasses or in fact cannot see, it can’t race in Australia.
Yesterday at Santa Monica, a $400,000 yearling purchased named HARD NOT TO LOVE (Hard Spun-Loving Vindication) who boasts the legendary former champion Aussie galloper Strawberry Road back in her pedigree, won the Gr 2 Santa Monica Stakes by a huge margin which was widening every stride.
The filly is now considered among the best, if not the best in her age and sex, in all of North America.
And she is completely blind in one eye. The only thing the blindness has slowed was the bidding on her as a baby. $400k was a steal for the Canadian-bred because she is a younger half-sister to 2 x Canadian Horse Of The Year WONDER GADOT who recently sold for US$2million.
A few years back a classy 3YO named PATCH (Union Rags-Windyindy) won the admiration of the entire country when he qualified for and ran in the Kentucky Derby. He didn’t win it, but he did come out and run 3rd in the Gr 1 Belmont Stakes.
He was born with just one eye and where his left eye should have been, was a gaping hole.
Patch is a 6YO these days and the winner of US$526,000
Now, let’s look at Europe, Italy to be specific, where a massive cult following grew behind the super popular galloper LAGHAT earlier this century.
Laghat attracted a legion of fans over the years, and was dubbed in the media as the Blind Beauty, thanks to his amazing ability to win races despite being almost totally blind.
The now retired 16-year-old, who was bred and raced in Italy, caught a virus as a yearling before a fungal infection, called mycosis, attacked both of his eyes. This left him totally blind in his right eye and 95% blind in the left.
Despite his battles early on in life, Laghat proved a remarkably easy horse to break in. He went on to make a winning racecourse debut in January 2006 at San Rossore in Pisa, Italy, before triumphing by six lengths on his second start 15 days later.
“Laghat has a sixth sense, which tells him where to put his legs,” said owner Federico de Paola who used to ride him often in work.
Laghat raced in handicap contests and stakes races. He raced an impressive 123 times — from 2006 until 2015 — and won 26 of those, while being placed in 30 other races. He earned a total of US$275,000 in prize money throughout his career.
Completely blind in one eye, 95% blind in the other. But like all horses, he trusted his rider.
Sooooo, should we in Australia relax our harsh blindness rules?
Has the rest of the world shown that horses can compete and do not cause damage to other runners if blind?
After all, we put blinkers and winkers on to partially obscure vision anyway, and no-one bats any eyelid…..(yes I see the pun).
In fact horses tend to run better.
So, over to you horse lovers.
Have Your Say 🗣: Should blind horses be allowed to race in Australia? Comment below
