December 2011

Smoken Up’s mindblowing performance in this year’s Len Smith Mile proved that southern hemisphere pacers are capable of running similar times to their North American counterparts.

With Lance Justice keen to make a point after a controversial Inter-Dominion campaign in New Zealand, Smoken Up scorched around the Menangle Park track in 1:48.5. It was a time that stunned the harness racing world.

The Victorian-trained star became the first horse in the southern hemisphere to break the magical 1:50 barrier. It came as no surprise that he achieved the mark at Menangle Park, clearly the fastest track in this part of the world.

As wonderful as Smoken Up’s effort was, it came 21 years after the super colt Niatross first cracked the 1:50 mark when he time trialled around Lexington’s famed Red Mile in 1:49.2, taking a full three seconds off the world record.

The world’s fastest horse is Cambest, who time trialled in 1:46.2 at Springfield, Illinois in 1993. Recently retired star Somebeachsomewhere (2008, Red Mile) shares the world race time record of 1:46.8 with Holborn Hanover (2006, Meadowlands).

There is often a perception here in the Southern Hemisphere that tracks in North America are measured differently which may account for some of the time differences. However this is not so. In the Northern Hemisphere, the measurement is taken 3ft from the inside edge of the track, while in the Southern Hemisphere the measurement is taken at 1 metre – so very little difference in fact.

There is, of course, the difference in how the times are represented in the two hemispheres. In North America times are shown with the fractions of a second in fifths, while here they are shown in tenths of a second.

All this begs the question, are southern hemisphere horses as fast as their northern colleagues? And what are the factors that contribute to the dominant position North America has on Australia and New Zealand when it comes to times. Is it tracks, sulkies, racing styles, conditioning, breeding or a combination of all? Or are American horses simply superior?

Well, in light of Smoken Up’s recent efforts and the massive strides forward in times at tracks like Menangle Park, the jury is well and truly out.

Bill Hutchison is widely regarded as one of Australia’s foremost harness racing analysts. He was a fearless bookmaker who has travelled the harness racing globe, including about dozen trips to North America.

He believes one of the major factors in the American speed edge is race patterns. “There is big difference in the way the races are run between Australia and the US,” Bill said.

“In the US, they basically go flat out for a mile. Here in Australia we tend to sit up and sprint home. This is a hangover from the past when most of our racing was on small tracks and it still pervades today.

“The Americans have bred their horses to run and they turn them loose. There are other factors which work against that style in Australia, including the fact we race over longer distances.”

North American harness racing is solely focused on mile racing. This ‘standard’ approach, Bill says, provides an advantage when posting times.

Bill rates the 1400m track at Menangle Park on par with some of the best in the northern hemisphere.

“Menangle is as good a track as you will find anywhere in the world,” Bill said.“The Meadowlands is the best track I’ve seen, and the Red Mile at Lexington is also a great track, but they are both mile tracks.“Menangle has an advantage over the mile tracks as the horses have a bit of a straight run before they hit the first turn. I’ve also noticed that in the racing at Menangle the pace is very much on all the way.”

Driving tactics, according to Bill, are a significant factor when it comes to race times.

“In the US they go hard all the way and the leaders back off if they are challenged,” he said.“They’re expected to hand up, and then come around again if they want the front. Their driving tactics really come into play.“John Campbell is the best driver I have seen. The man has a stopwatch in his head. He just knows how to rate a horse.

“In the past in Australia things were different. Drivers like Don Dove would sit up, place their horse and sprint home. But the new generation of drivers are different and we’re seeing them be more aggressive, which is resulting in faster race times.

“At Melton, if the leaders get an easy lead time they will really turn them loose at the 800 metres and make sure the speed is on.”

And how would the southern hemisphere’s best rate against the pick of the northern crop?

“Well, for a start, Cardigan Bay has already proven our best are up to the Yanks,” Bill said. “When he went to America he was the best free-for-aller there and they still rave about him today. Smoken Up is the best aged horse in the world today and would beat their best horses.“And I consider Popular Alm the best horse I’ve seen and he would have matched the American’s best.

“However, where we may have four or five really good horses, in American they have 30 of them!”

Luke McCarthy shares Bill’s confidence about the capacity for Australia’s best to match it with the best US horses.

The young trainer-driver is the rising star of Australian harness racing and is on track to posting his first Sydney metropolitan trainer’s premiership after going close last season.

While he and his father John have dominated Queensland harness racing in recent years, Luke has also experienced racing in North America first hand. His brother Andrew is a leading US-based driver, and Luke had the good fortune to partner champion trotting colt Muscle Hill in his 2009 World Trotting Derby at Du Quoin, Illinois, so he knows what it’s like to drive a seriously fast horse.“Smoken Up’s win in the Len Smith Mile when he broke the 1:50 barrier was outstanding,” Luke said.

“I’ve got no doubt that he would be capable of running in the high 1:46s or low 1:47s at a track like the Meadowlands.

“But in saying that, we don’t get to see the American’s best horses race as older horses. Their top colts are retired to stud after their three-year-old season. “Who knows how fast horses like Somebeachsomewhere and Rock N Roll Heaven could have gone if they raced on.”

“We are catching up with the Americans when it comes to breeding,” Luke said. “We can now breed to the best stallions in the world, like Art Major and Bettors Delight.”

Luke has based his stable on the doorstep of Sydney’s Menangle Park. He is a huge fan of the 1400 metre track and believes it will be the venue that brings times between the two hemispheres closer together.“On a nice night Menangle is as good as any track in the world,” Luke said.“If we get some warm weather I think we will see some great times there over the summer months.”

The young horseman believes North American race times have the edge because of three main factors.“There are a number of reasons why the race times in America are faster then here in Australia,” Luke said.

“The main reason, in my opinion, is medication. Horses in the US are allowed to race on lasix and bute. When the horses have no pain and no bleeding, they are able to go faster.“The race sulkies in the US also give them advantage, however we are starting to see the better sulkies used more often in Australia.“And the way they race in America also has a big impact. They come out of the gate in 27 seconds and just keep going, there is no backing off.” Luke believes a trainer’s expertise does contribute and he says southern hemisphere exports are among the best.“A lot of the better horsemen in the US have been expat Aussies and Kiwis – people like Ross Croghan, Brett Pelling and Noel Daley,” he said.

There is also no doubt that the track on which the horses run will largely determine the extent to how fast they pace. Menangle Park’s designer Dan Coon, a renowned North American track builder, says the race oval is a very important factor.

“We believe that a properly designed and built track will encourage competitive racing in the straights, transitions, and the curves,” Dan said. He says that North American tracks are not generally better designed than Australian tracks, but that they are bigger and feature larger radii curves and longer straights.

“The Meadowlands, Indiana Downs, the Red Mile, Balmoral Park, Hawthorne, Woodbine and Mohawk are good examples of big tracks, and I think that gives them a bit of an advantage,” he said.Dan is a proponent of good track preparation equating to fast race times.“Some people believe that hard means fast,” he said.“We believe that a horse will perform better on a track with the right depth of cushion. This means less stress, less pain, better performance and a healthier horse.

“In some cases North American tracks are better prepared for racing than Australian tracks, but in some cases they are not. I have seen an influx of casino operators come to some North American tracks and they have a very limited focus on live harness racing. But the other US tracks remain committed to the well being of the horse, trainer, and driver.”

Menangle Park, according to Dan, is a super track with a great future. “Menangle is purpose built exclusively for harness horses,” he said.“We paid strict attention to the start locations, straight lengths, curve radii, material selection, track width, maintenance equipment and practices.

“It is a rare treat for me to go to a site with a ‘clean slate’. I had unlimited flexibility in terms of track design. I believe that fact, the world class horses, the talented drivers and trainers, and the prize money has contributed to the stunning success of Menangle.”

He also believes that Australia’s best, such as Smoken Up, would compete equally with the best horses in North America.

By Tony Linnane