Internationals and Their Riders Catch the Eye

INTERNATIONALS AND THEIR RIDERS CATCH THE EYE
Editorial and pictures by Liesl King 
    Have suitcase, will travel. Racehorse travel has evolved to the point where hoping on a plane to compete in a foreign race is almost as easy as catching a bus. Globetrotters like Red Cadeaux (GB), Dunaden (FR), Cirrus Des Aigles(FR) andGordon Lord Byron (Ire) (Byron {GB}) have seen more of the world than most people ever will. Behind the scenes though, the logistics of moving half a ton of horseflesh, saddles, bridles, blankets, grooming kit and all the other paraphernalia that is essential to the wellbeing of a finely tune athlete, requires planning on a grand scale. And somewhere on the list of items to take with, is one workrider. 
The workriders often have a very close relationship with their charges and will remain at the horse’s side wherever it goes. That is certainly the case with Gordon Lord Byron as the lovely Kate O’Brien has been his constant companion as he racks up frequent flyer miles around the world. Not only has O’Brien accompanied Gordon Lord Byron to Dubai, Australia, England, France and Hong Kong in the last two years, but she has also completed her studies in Physiotherapy at the same time. Well, they do say we women are good at multitasking. 
    Yesterday O’Brien took Gordon Lord Byron for his final piece of fast work on the turf course and with her blond plait flying, the gelding impressed as he finished the last 400 meters in a speedy 22.9 seconds. Assistant trainer Eddie Power was well pleased with the effort, adding that they will just keep the gelding ticking over til raceday. With Craig Williams unable to take the ride due to commitments in Japan, local jockey Zac Purton has been engaged and Power confirmed that Purton will have a sit on Gordon Lord Byron on Saturday. 
    Another workrider who has caught the eye during morning workouts is Tomoharu Hirata aboard Meiner Lacrima (Jpn) (Chief Bearheart). The Japanese are renowned for their horses’ colourful gear, with two-tone bridles and matching bandages on alternate legs being quite the norm. Yet, despite Meiner Lacrima being a very imposing chestnut, it was Hirata who caught the track watchers attention when he first appeared on Monday. 
For Meiner Lacrima was sporting the latest in designer fashion, a leopard print racing saddle! And straddling that saddle was his rider, in a designer outfit of silver white chaps and matching silvery white boots. I have to admit, though that his bright orange shirt did rather clash with the overall look, it certainly made him easy to spot. Pictures of the saddle soon made their way around the internet with the consensus being that it is a ‘must have’ and pray where can it be found? Sadly, the language barrier means I have yet to solve that mystery! 
    This morning, sporting his very fetching saddle, Meiner Lacrima was the recipient of some hefty cracks on his ample rump, as he was reminded that the business end of the trip is fast approaching. Scorching down the turf track, he was encouraged to put a little more effort into his workout. In the stillness of the misty morning, the smacks reverberated around the course, causing many a raised eyebrow from the attending media. Trainer Hiroyuki Uehara explained that the 6-year-old entire can be a bit lazy and sometimes needs to be reminded of the job at hand. 
    The French entrant Mshawish (Medaglia d’Oro) has also been made to work for his lunch time feed, with a fast workout yesterday, less than 48 hours after stepping off the plane. This morning he proceeded with a warm-up lap of the all weather, before putting in another piece of fast work on the turf. Sweating up badly on both days, he appears to still be battling with Hong Kong’s humidity and high temperatures. South African raider Variety Club (SAf) (Var) made his long awaited first appearance on the turf this morning with regular jockey Anton Marcus in the saddle. Despite a change of trainer and a flight from Dubai, the entire proceeded down the turf track in a spirited trot, tail aloft, before settling down to an easy canter. Marcus reported that Variety Club travelled very well and enjoyed being able to stretch his legs. A final piece of proper work is expected tomorrow. 
    Of the local contenders, race favourite Able Friend (Aus) (Shamardal), came out for a slow canter on the all weather after overnight rain left the track very sloppy. Trainer John Moore indicated that his stable star is unlikely to do any fast work before the Champions Mile, unless the going improves and with more rain forecast that seems unlikely.