Thursday, 8 April 2010

ANALYSIS OF A 'NON-RUNNER'.

Sorry to make you all splutter over your coffee and Racing Post this morning. Yes, our big day has disappeared and TIME FOR RUPERT is a non-runner at Aintree this afternoon. You will all be aware how deeply we have deliberated over the decision to have a re-match (however one-sided) with Big Bucks and the overwhelming reason for doing so was T.F.R.'s apparent great health. 'RUPERT' has been in terrific form ever since twenty minutes after his Cheltenham race. Because of 48 hour declarations, he was 'tracheal-washed' after exercise on tuesday morning before the 10am deadline. His throat and larynx looked crystal clear, no sign of our three enemies, mucus, blood or inflamation, however the liquid extracted from his lung was very slightly cloudy, or at least 'not quite water', as we love to see. Tuesday evening revealed a total white cell count of 400, well within our contented range of 1000, but the percentage of neutrophils was 24%, higher than normal. Why, was the question that left little chance of sleep on Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning, 'RUPERT' was mad fresh and his devoted lad, Danny Hannig, who could not know this horse any better, volunteed that his horse was 'stronger and fresher than before Cheltenham'. Everthing looked set for Aintree. When our vet arrived we discussed the 'cell count' and i felt that considering the task ahead, we should not just trust our 'eye' and re-scope the horse. I promise it was a borderline decision, because we do not wish to scope horses one more time than neccessary, as it is invasive and always seems unkind to do so.
This time, instead of a crystal-clean, pink wind-pipe there are large lumps of greeny-grey mucus and porridge instead of liquid. We contact his owners and ruin their day and then announce him as a non-runner. His cell count last night had rocketed up to 3000.
There is enormous sadness around the yard at being denied a crack at the 'Big Horse' and a big prize, but also a huge sense of relief at what might have been. Imagine the disappointment of our treasured 'RUPERT' trailing in a beleaguered fifth and everybody saying that we were too greedy and had mis-judged the horse; let alone what internal damage we might have done to the horse himself? His poor run would have been put down to 'having a hard race at Cheltenham etc.....' but it would have been so much more than that.
I hope this explains how hard everybody tries to make sure that every horse CAN do its best when it goes to the races, though by no means guaranteeing that that they WILL! In this case,48 hour declarations have cost the owner all his entry money but have saved the punters all their money.
I hope the punters will have the grace to thank the owners one day!

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