What I've never been able to fathom is how / why a good young horse going up in class and age all of a sudden doesn't produce the goods and succumbs to "pressure". I can understand say a good young golfer winning low grade tournaments then going to the Masters, the pressure would be enormous, but how the heck does a horse "feel" the pressure of competing against seasoned campaigners for the first time ??? I don't get it, never have, but the proof is definitely there. Anyone ???

..... bloke comes home from the pub and tells his wife that the word is that the local postie has had if off with every housewife in our street bar one. To which his wife replies ""I'll bet it's that stuck up b-i-t-c-h at number 7 !!!"

DTM

Well they have a 'will to win', at least I keep hearing about it, so maybe they are not that different to us when it comes to getting your 'behind' handed to you

Animals all have a pecking order. My cat will always sit at my legs, or lay at the end of the bed on my side. Whereas he will lie at the wife's pillow or sit along side her. Horses either lead or follow. They either want to win at all costs or they will allow another horse to win. As soon as they start growing up this separates a good leader from a also run. The followers are sent to where ever duds go.

Usally the Class Rise and Field Srength is too much for them.
The Average Race Horse MAY win 1 in 6.

dd, thanks. I couldn't "handicap" a horse / rate a race to save myself. An example of what I've always struggled with is It's A Dundeel being singled out by Tom Waterhouse as suspect in this race as it'd up against seasoned campaigners, it was $1.40 favourite and Tom Waterhouse said the stats were against It's A Dundeel, who had bolted in winning the Derby in it's previous run !! There are numerous examples of good young horses failing in races that they should win according to the odds.

DTM