News From BELGIUM

The Arabian Horse Racing Club of Belgium

NEW : a competition among thoroughbred and arab race-horses !

The thoroughbred is still the undisputed king of flat racing : the effect of more than 4 centuries of race-oriented selection within an important stock can not be equalled in a few decades. The times realised by the best arab steeds decrease constantly, and over short distances the difference between performances of arabs and thoroughbreds is still about 10%. However, thanks to the natural aptitude of the pure-bred Arabian for aerobic efforts ( metabolism taking over when the effort is longer than 2 minutes), its speed decreases mor slowly than that of the thoroughbred’s, as the distance of the race increases. During the last two runs of the Stayers Handicap during the President of the United Arab Emirates Race-day, the Arab horses covered the 3700m in very similar times, respectively 265.7 and 266 seconds. Let’s compare this timespan with those needed by the thoroughbreds to cover similar distances: the 4000m of the « Gladiateur » in Ghlin was run in 2003 and 2004 in 280 seconds. It is interesting to note that, after extrapolating the “arab” time, the difference over 4000m is only 8 seconds. This means only a difference less than 3%, which is not enormous ! Therefore, we thought that it would be exciting to organise a « mixed » race over such type of distances (the longer, the better). For a really disputed arrival, favouring the arab horse so as to neutralize these 8 seconds is actually needed The necessary weight-allowance in favour of the arab horses would be too important to be practical and not spectacular for the attendance. We thus opted for a split start, which will add the thrill of a pursuit-race to the breed-challenge. Calculations (by Mr. Deneumoustier and Nelly Philippot independantly) and the configuration of the race-track of Ghlin suggest a 100 m advantage for the start of the Arabs ( with an «elastics»-start for the arabs) added to an allowance of 2 kg over the thoroughbred. The first edition of this Stayers Breed Challenge should be considered an experiment and will, not to discourage anyone, be run as two separate coinciding races, one for each breed, with separate betting, placings and purses, to which a special « trophy » of 1000 Euro’s will be added for the overall winner. To favor easy observation, the thoroughbred horses will, for example, carry numbers from 1 to 9, whereas the Arab horses will be allotted numbers 11 to 19. For consécutive runs of the Stayers Breed Challenge, the conditions will have to be adapted according to this first experience. It is hoped that over the years the advantage needed by the Arab horses will decrease gradually according to the improvement of the breed ( an improvement which will be necessarily slow due to the small number of arab foals born with an option for racing ). Improvement can also be expected through training-techniques, as there is not yet, any set program for longer races for the arab horse. Despite the small purse for this first edition ( we are still looking for sponsors for this idea !!), the meaning of this unprecedented race is important for the breeding and future of the pure-bred race-horse. We therefore call upon the best « stayer arabs » of Europe, 4 years old and over, to come and illustrate at best the reputation of the « Drinkers of the Wind ». It is by putting emphasis on the specific capacity of the Arab horse as a stayer, that the races can be considered as one of the selection criteria for the breeding of the true arab horse: beauty, speed and endurance! The Hippodrome of Wallonia, situated in Ghlin ( near Mons), has been equipped with a new grandstand and the track was recently covered with the “hype” fibre-sand. Just like some renowned French tracks ( a.o. Cagnes sur Mer) , Ghlin offers from October 2004 onwards, the comfort of the fiber-sand track for flat racing. It is thus in the best conditions that the stayers of both breeds, thoroughbreds and arabs, will compete. The outcome of the first such competition is unpredictable, but this race might well become a reference-race in the future. Thanks to all who are willing to take part in such a challenge , scheduled on the 6th of november 2004, 2p.m. if you need more information please contact: Nelly Philippot / moirmonay@skynet.be / Fax-Phone: 0032 6161 14 21

- Nelly Philippot / Arab Horse Racing Club of Belgium , Posted on 06 November 2004