HORSE MADE OF IRON

NZ Truth, Issue 1146, 17 November 1927, Page 11

HORSE MADE OF IRON

The old-time trainer is a hard man on his horses—they have to stand up to their work or make way for spmething that will.

Footfall

Was Given Strenuous Week's Work

THE die-hard, -who can see nothing good m the present generation, "Will always be with us and x so there is found m the racing world a few trainers who- cannot get the old methods out of their heads.

One that can come under this category is the Riccarton trainer, George Murray-Aynsley. He has had many good horses through his hands and that they have paid for their oati — and a little 'more — may be an argument ,m favor of the methods 'he adopts

But even -with his successes to his favor, it la very much open to doubt if the horses would not have done better still with a little less of the hard gruel they had to take. There is the oase of Footfall, whloh raced every day at the New Zealand Cup meeting Not having the necessary racing to flt him for the New Zealand Cup, his trainer started to give him the work on the track and he galloped him over distances that would make the average trainer shudder.

Footfall showed m the New Zealand Cup that it was racing, not track work, he lacked.

So he got some more racing. He was a runner on the Monday m the Metropolitan, on the Wednesday he was given the task of chasing Limerick home m the Canterbury Cup, while on the last day !he was once again saddled vp — this time for the Steady Memorial. Tha.t week's -nrogramme is as heavy as a horse oould possibly get m New Zealand. Limeriok, at Randwiok, was asked to oover six miles three furlon gs m four days, but Footfall went five furlongs more at Riccarton. m all, he, encompassed seven miles m four races. And m each race m which he started he ran with credit to himself. Hard work is all right m its place but there were many who contended that Footfall had been asked too much at Riccarton. Be that as it may, the fact remains that the gelding stands up to it m a remarkable manner and he looked better the last day than he did on the first. There is no doubt at all about it— he is made of iron. But then his mother, Warstep, was also made of granite.