Trots without sulky

[The Sultan]

Pretty sure I was reasonable sober when I saw this, it was awhile ago but I swear on sky channel one arvo I saw a trot/harness race where the jockies/driver rode on the back, at a trot pace, of the horse rather than behind in a sulky/cart.

Was I seeing things? If not what's the story?

 

[balmainforever]

"Monte Racing" is quite big in Europe.

It was used for about an 8 week trial during summer in Victoria. Not sure that it will really be big. Even less of a betting proposition than what the squaregaters with sulkies are.

 

[davesnothere]

Have seen it a couple of times...I think an exhibition race at Globe Derby Park was the last one in the eighties...pretty sure Ross Sugars rode the winner....and before that on the last night of racing at the Wayville Showgrounds Chris Lewis rode Sunny Side Up to a win under saddle in a race....but there are many wins to Dick Webster riding standard breds to win races though the 30s and 40s of the last century when it was common place

 

[The Sultan]

It was this year maybe march, late feb ...

 

[balmainforever]

http://www.melbourneracing.com.au/article.php?current_article=4928

 

[Duritz]

Saw it, liked it, thought it shit on the corrupt "I can't get out I'm 3 back the fence on a $1.10 pop" sulky version.

 

[The Sultan]

http://www.melbourneracing.com.au/article.php?current_article=4928

cheers glad i'm not going crazy.... agree with Duritz much better than the "Cheats on Seats"

 

[Lensen]

Going to show my ignorance here, but...

What is the difference between this and the thoroughbreds? WHy wouldn't they gallop rather than trot? And if trotting is faster, why don't thoroughbreds trot rather than gallop?

 

[Stockdale]

Going to show my ignorance here, but...

What is the difference between this and the thoroughbreds? WHy wouldn't they gallop rather than trot? And if trotting is faster, why don't thoroughbreds trot rather than gallop?

If they gallop they either have to be eased back into a trot or are DQed i think

Trotting is not faster than galloping. Trot > Canter > Gallop

 

[Lensen]

If they gallop they either have to be eased back into a trot or are DQed i think

Trotting is not faster than galloping. Trot > Canter > Gallop

Gotcha.

Yeah, didn't think trotting was faster than galloping - obviously if a trotter gallops it slows the sulky, so that's the disincentive - just wasn't sure what it was without a sulky behind. Cheers

 

[Duritz]

And if they're not encumbered by a sulky, the rider is able to maneuver them out of pockets, etc.

Is there anything more crooked than one of those dodgy old trot drivers sitting midfield the rail on a fave, and never getting out? It's such a blight on the industry, that throwback of a code.

 

[GeeUUess]

Gotcha.

Yeah, didn't think trotting was faster than galloping - obviously if a trotter gallops it slows the sulky, so that's the disincentive - just wasn't sure what it was without a sulky behind. Cheers

No, the sulky doesn't slow a galloping horse down at all (or a noticeable amount). You can still gallop at a fair pace and still much faster than a trotting horse. In time trials (a rare occurence these days) or in trackwork a galloping pacemaker is made to keep up with a faster trotter/pacer. I've driven trackwork with a galloping pacemaker and we were in 2nd gear while the pacer was whacking away at full pace. The horse was used as a galloping pacemaker because it knocked its knees bad when pacing, so I had to do another 800m to give it a real blow out after the pacer stopped its trackwork.
If you gallop (or pace or whatever) in a normal trot race, driver must get it back in a trot and ensure no advantage was gained. If an advantage is gained you get DQed or drop positions in the field.
As for the Montes, its a good idea to match the pacers version of the Claimers. Can give a few trotters a 2nd chance. That and it seems to be something different that might get a few more dollars in the TAB pool than the ordinary trot race.

 

[Lensen]

Learning something here, thanks.

If galloping doesn't slow the horse down, then why do they tend to go backward through fields when the horse gallops? Is that because the driver has to pull back on the horse and that's what causes it to slow down?

 

[GeeUUess]

Yeah spot on, the driver is restraining rather than asking for an effort. Also, the horse is a bit unbalanced because a)they've just changed strides and b) something probably caused them to be unbalanced in the first place to break stride. So when a horse is unbalanced it won't be going break neck speed. Often a gallop isn't a proper gallop, rather just a break of proper stride and is more of a 'hop and a skip'. When they are hopping and skipping they don't go very fast at all. That's when they can really lose some ground.
The above also applies for pacers, but in addition they are wearing hopples so they cant actually go into a fully fledged gallop (but they can go into a fully fledged hop and skip and it isn't a nice time for the driver).

 

[GeeUUess]

Just as a matter of interest here is a video to watch from the drivers point of view.
!

I'd love a race drive but don't have the time to commit properly to the industry. (That and if I stuffed up I'd no longer be able to be an armchair driver saying I could have won that race lol) I've driven a bit of fastwork though and it's great fun. If you ever get the chance to even jog one I'd recommend doing it. With a quiet horse it is pretty easy to pick up.

 

[Duritz]

Just as a matter of interest here is a video to watch from the drivers point of view.
!

I'd love a race drive but don't have the time to commit properly to the industry. (That and if I stuffed up I'd no longer be able to be an armchair driver saying I could have won that race lol) I've driven a bit of fastwork though and it's great fun. If you ever get the chance to even jog one I'd recommend doing it. With a quiet horse it is pretty easy to pick up.

Poor drive, I'd have won on it.