Tim Easterby sure horses can deal with the heat as smart prospect Warby gets ready for Ripon run
Great Habton trainer Tim Easterby says the current heatwave isn’t affecting the way in which he prepares his horses for races.
The current hot and dry spell has led to firm tracks and small fields at meetings across the country with conditions underfoot remaining firm despite regular watering.
Asked if he was doing anything different during the sweltering conditions, he said: “No, not really, because if you get constant heat throughout it is like with sportspeople, you train in hot conditions and get a nice, regular heat all the time and as long as they actually sweat, it is not a problem.
"It is those that don’t sweat that you have to worry about because they get dehydrated and dry-coated.
“So if I see a horse that’s a bit sweaty, I don’t worry about that, those that don’t are the ones that blow hard and get the problems.
“So say you are in ten degrees and it goes to 22 that’s when you can get problems and touch wood they usually stay fairly health when it is a constant temperature and constant ground.
"They have to put plenty of water on the tracks, that’s our only concern at the moment that they are safe and the horses come back sound.
“They cope with the heat a lot better than you would think.”
Easterby was speaking at at the launch of the 18th annual Go Racing in Yorkshire Summer Festival, sponsored by Sky Bet, at Thirsk on Thursday.
On the track, Easterby, who was leading trainer at last year’s Festival, has a number of runners at Ripon this afternoon.
Leading the way is two-year-old filly Warby, in the opening Dobsons Gaskets EBF Novice Stakes and bidding to follow up her maiden win at Catterick earlier this month.
David Allan is due to take the ride on a horse the stable think a lot about, with Easterby saying: “She was a little bit late being started, we thought she was an Ascot-type two-year-old, but we we had to little issue with her in the spring.
"All being well, she should run well. Then we think we might go down to Goodwood for the Alice Kepple, so that’s the stepping stone with her.”
Per Contra and Allan will bid to go one better in the feature Ripon Bell-Ringer Handicap (3.15) over a mile and a half, having finished second to William Haggas’ The Reverend last year – a horse that went on to win the Old Borough Cup at Haydock.
Seven-time course and distance winner Garden Oasis, who has a bar named after him at Yorkshire’s Garden racecourse, has the blinkers back on as he bids for an eighth win in the one-mile Sky Bet For The Fans Handicap (4.25), with veterans Poets Dawn and Yermanthere go in the Sky Bet Go-Racing-In-Yorkshire Summer Festival Handicap (3.53).
Sheriff Hutton’s Mark Walford is hoping Spioradalta can get back to his best in the Bell-Ringer after a disappointing run at Windsor last time.
He said: “He seems in good form, he won five last year and he’s probably just nudged up the handicap enough. He’s won two this year as well.
"He’s back to Ripon which is a course he absolutely loves and up to a mile and a half, we’re trying something a little bit different this time, so hopefully he might get among the places.”
The David O’Meara team are hoping for a good run from called Prince Of The Seas in the feature.
"He’s been knocking on the door in his last two starts so he should hopefully go ok,” said Stephen O’Hanlon on behalf of the trainer.
The Festival continues this evening at Doncaster where there is a seven-race card starting at 5.40, with the five-furlong Go Racing In Yorkshire Summer Festival Apprentice Handicap.
Tomorrow the action heads north to Redcar with a seven-race card due off at 1.53.
Festival dates: Today: Ripon, Doncaster (evening); tomorrow: Redcar; Monday: Beverley (evening); Tuesday: Open Afternoon at Jack Berry House, Malton: Wednesday: Catterick; Thursday: Doncaster; Friday: Thirsk, York (evening); Saturday, July 25: York.