Speed Explosion - Track Records and outstanding times

[Richard prior]

Fairly sure that Courage under Fire might have been discarded by a few of the bigger Studs at first due to his size(14.2 hands) and then he landed in Alabar's lap. I guess it's the old story, don't overlook the little ones.

[mightymo]

Size has become less and less relevant, other than in a few peoples heads. As the breed has improved and the times and tracks have got faster, the smaller, more compact horses have come to the fore. The bigger horses simply cant bang out the miles week after week.

Baby Bling is only small and Bling it on is not much bigger

[Richard prior]

2 fine examples there Harvey, The smaller more compact horses certainly do seem to hold together more so than the bigger horses, especially with the younger brigade. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see many more track records set this season with the breed changing so quickly. I certainly think the the 1.50 at Menangle will be cracked a few more times this season but Smoken Up's 1.48.5 will be tough to crack, but not impossible in the right conditions.

[Triple V]

Size has become less and less relevant, other than in a few peoples heads. As the breed has improved and the times and tracks have got faster, the smaller, more compact horses have come to the fore. The bigger horses simply cant bang out the miles week after week.

Baby Bling is only small and Bling it on is not much bigger

[VVV] Right on the money Harvey. Unfortunately these simple facts will not stop people wanting to 'buy them by the Pound' at the Sales. How readily people forget or choose to overlook the fact that so many of the truly great Standardbred racehorses were/have been by no means big horses. Insanity.

[Texas]

Size has become less and less relevant, other than in a few peoples heads. As the breed has improved and the times and tracks have got faster, the smaller, more compact horses have come to the fore. The bigger horses simply cant bang out the miles week after week.

Baby Bling is only small and Bling it on is not much bigger

I'm NOT QUITE SURE, why, "bigger horses" would be at a disadvantage, "banging out the miles" !!??
Depending on ANATOMY (hence, length of stride, then, the strides per mile theory) would suggest, a bigger long striding horse would/should beat a smaller horse.....However, as history HAS PROVEN, smaller horses have come home first plenty of times, enough to make the breed evolve faster and faster (Chicken and egg Quandary, again), with more and more 'smaller sized' horses have come to the top...
Size of Horse, I feel, means Nothing....assuming everything structurally being relative to each other....Size/Frame/stride/bone.....one without the others is useless.
Before Bettor's Delight blew all the previous "Size Matters" protagonists out of the water, there was Cam himself, most of his sire sons, Good Time ect in USA and in Oz, who can forget Courage under Fire, Sinbad, Quinny, Koala King and so on......If Memory Serves, U.Scott and Light Brigade were only about 15h......but I stress, I am memorizing here...
Little Horses ARE just "Scarier" to drive Flat out around the smaller bends...they do create a "Buzz".....even for someone like me that has no adrenaline production!....