An extra bag of carrots made their way into Saganaki’s feed bag this week as he celebrates his 2nd birthday!
And many more bags of carrots were being shared among thoroughbreds this week, as every horse in the southern hemisphere celebrated their birthday. No matter what month a thoroughbred is born, August 1 marks the standardised birthday for every horse (northern hemisphere equines celebrating their special day on January 1).
The single date is used to standardise horse racing so age grades can be applied for races. Think of it as children at school: you have to have a single date to make it more uniform. So for example, a horse born in August will race with horses born from August through to the end of December.
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For the broader industry it marks the start of a new breeding year with foaling season starting while the covering of mares can begin from September 1. For the racing industry it signals Spring is just around the corner. The first two-year-old races begin in early October.
So where does Saganaki fit in the age bracket?
Saganaki, the first miRunners Colt, was foaled on the November 5 2015 at Glenlogan Stud in Queensland. This puts his actual age right in the middle of the age bracket, not the youngest and not the oldest. In the most recent owner report it was noted how his frame has matured along with the perfect 10kgs per week he is adding to his weight during his spell.
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miRunners is delighted with his progress and will work with the team at Emeran Park and Lees Racing to make sure Saganaki makes his racing debut at the time that is right for him.
Every member of the team is focused on making him as mentally and physically prepared as possible. Science based training methods, often used for elite human athletes, are part of the routine with Emeran Park and the individual assessment of the horse’s suitability for specific races is one factor Lees Racing has shown to do better than many in the industry.
If you want to find out more about Saganaki or the miRunners ownership experience, please click here.
Find out more about Saganaki trained by Kris Lees or purchase a share.
