Have Racehorse, Will Travel

HAVE RACEHORSE, WILL TRAVEL 
Traveling with a racehorse is never easy, and comes with its own unique set of challenges. Yesterday's trackwork was a clear reminder of the obstacles that the international equine globetrotters and their handlers face. The American Si Sage (Fr) (Sageburg {Ire}) was first out. The well-behaved colt went for a gentle trot on the turf before grinding to a halt at the winning post. There he stood starring intently into the distance before finally obeying orders to turn around and head back at a steady canter. We tend to forget that we ask a lot of these high-strung animals, taking them out of their comfort zone, where everything is familiar and expecting them to perform at their peak on foreign shores. 
Nowhere was this more clearly illustrated than when 
Tokei Halo (Jpn) (Gold Halo {Jpn}) finally made his appearance. The entire had raced in Hong Kong and the UAE before and would be considered a seasoned traveler, yet his team had scheduled a canter on the all-weather as well as a walk around the paddock. The beautiful bay's appearance had the twenty-odd Japanese journalists and the appointed photographer in raptures. I never knew that motor drives could go that fast. There must be at least 600 photos of his 200 meter canter in front of his adoring fans in existence. 
A long walk to the parade ring followed. First Tokei Halo descended into the tunnel under the tracks, but strangely did not reappear. When he finally reappeared back in the infield, it was discovered that the gates at the exit end of the tunnel were still closed. Well, at least he is now very familiar with the long dark tunnel. A second attempt to reach the paddock followed, with Tokei Halo now going the long overland route down the turf track and entering the paddock from the back. 
This time a million photos were taken from every conceivable angle as the entire did three laps of the auditorium style paddock, before heading under the grandstand and back out to the turf. So far, the Japanese were more excited than Tokei Halo, who seemed completely unfazed by all the fuss and was quite happy to meander the long way round to the backstretch where the exit to the quarantine barn is situated. 
There was to be just one small detour from this grand plan. Seeing the barriers conveniently situated on their homeward bound route, his handlers decided that a quick spot of gate practice would be good. Now, in Japan, most foals are introduced to the barriers from the moment they are weaned, walking through them daily as they travel from barn to paddock and back. Hence, by the time they are of racing age, the barriers are as familiar to them as eating. Watch racing from Tokyo and you will see horses meekly walk into their gates, one by one, without any fuss. In a matter of minutes, the entire field is loaded without a single horse being pushed, pulled, or even blindfolded. 
This does explain why Tokei Halo's handlers did not think twice about asking the entire to do a quick unscheduled stroll through a gate. Except Tokei Halo did not stroll. He rushed through the open front gate at speed, almost flattening his groom in the process. Now they had a dilemma on their hands. Do they leave it there with a horse that has clearly shown a dislike of these unfamiliar gates, or do they continue until he settles? They chose the latter option. 
Unfortunately, Tokei Halo did not agree with their choice at all. After several more breakneck charges through the gate, he flatly refused to even approach the barriers. The Japanese displayed great patience and short of pushing him in (which probably would have worked) they tried everything under the sun. Twenty minutes later Tokei Halo had condescended to put his head into the gate, but that was as far as he was prepared to go. In the end, time ran out and he was asked to leave the barriers, as the local horses were due to start trackwork. Thus leaving his connections with a very thorny problem. 
Was he simply hungry for his overdue breakfast? Racehorses, by the way have a very precise Longines timepiece in their heads–or does he really have an intense dislike of these foreign barriers? Do they risk another schooling session in the gates on race morning or do they leave it, hoping that when in the company of the other runners, he will simply load as he has always done? Unfortunately, tomorrow is D-day, and the field for the Singapore Airlines International Cup will jump at precisely 8:40 p.m. Will Tokei Halo be amongst them? Only time will tell.