Behind the Romantic Thrill of a Horse Race
Horse racing has long captured the fascination of people worldwide. Betting on race outcomes has long been part of this sport’s appeal for casual spectators and hardcore daily bettors alike; yet behind its glamorous facade lies an unsettling reality of injuries, drug abuse and an industry which puts human profit ahead of horses well-being.
One of the most famous horse races ever held was Phar Lap’s 1930 Melbourne Cup victory that brought Australia and New Zealand together in celebration. While modern day horse races may not generate as much money or support thousands of jobs within their industry, they still generate significant sums of cash while supporting thousands of jobs throughout.
Horse racing has an illustrious and longstanding history, yet now animal welfare has become a top concern in this sport. Aside from fatal accidents occurring frequently within this realm, horses subjected to racing at speeds exceeding 100 mph are subjected to immense physical stress which often results in lacerations injuries as well as hemorrhaging within their lungs – potentially life threatening injuries for both animal and rider.
An increasingly contentious issue within Australian racing industry is the amount of medication given to horses before races. Many workers in this sector have expressed concerns that horses may be given too many medications – often steroids and anabolic agents which may reduce athleticism in horses – in preparation for track work. This has raised serious health risks to both horses and riders.
Racing horses is an elaborate process requiring months of preparation. Before each race begins, jockeys (as they’re commonly known) must weigh in and report to the paddock where instructions from their trainer will be issued before being led out onto the track and permitted to begin running.
Early days of horse racing featured competition between two or at most three horses; due to public pressure, more eventful races with larger fields of runners eventually followed. As dash racing (one-heat racing) became standard practice, the importance of making up even small yards became paramount; making a rider’s skill and judgment paramount in winning each race.
An entry into a claiming race entitles its owner to claim it away for an agreed-upon price, often as much as 40 percent of what their horse is valued at ($100k). When claimed, that horse becomes the property of its new owner immediately upon race starting; their previous owner retains any purse money won by them however. Claim races provide owners an opportunity to compete against each other with one goal in mind: getting as much money out of it for their horses. In general terms, 40 percent of what their runner is valued is considered maximum prize award (maximum prize of $100k).