Konan NO Conan

[Messenger]

What has happened to Konan?
This 4yo has only had 21 starts and yet he is already a shadow of his former self
He won 9 of his first 12 starts
As a 2yo having only his 3rd start he broke the Bendigo open age Tk Rec

Then after a couple of average runs for Emma Stewart he was quickly dispatched to the Stanley barn this year and now finds himself with the Gaths

Yesterday he was dismal in $4,500 race at Melton

What could have caused such a decline?

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/horse-search/?horseId=794307

[Showgrounds]

Seems to be over-represented with "VXAR" in the stewards' reports; all started after winning his first 5 starts.

Nobody other than the connections would have the slightest clue. No doubt he has been scoped and scoped. Looking back over 4 decades of wondering about horses having a similar loss of appetite for racing my firm opinion is bleeding in races is far more common than we are led to believe. And far harder to detect than just scoping. Of course, we are "drug free" so use of lasix is strictly banned. No doubt there are plenty out there advocating decriminalizing marijuana who are also strong advocates of keeping lasix on the banned list.

[Dot]

How common or not do you think bleeding in racing actually is Trevor? Scoping has been effective tool for detecting bleeding for some time, though has only very recently been introduced by HRV on some tracks at the conclusion of a race. In addition to scoping a lung wash can be routinely done to establish if a horse is bleeding or suffering from allergies or similar.

Whilst this study and figures pertain to TBs there’s no reason to expect a marked difference in racing stbs.

https://ker.com/equinews/bleeding-affects-race-day-performance-horses/

The stewards report from Melton yesterday is not yet available but it appears that on the two occasions Konan has been scoped post race he was diagnosed with grade 1 EIPH on one occasion, and more recently clear of abnormalities.

He’s certainly lost all form, and bleeding doesn’t appear to be an explanation at present.

[Showgrounds]

You're right Dot, bleeding doesn't appear to be an explanation. Otherwise, the horse would have been stood down. As to the question why a horse loses form so badly - well, we wouldn't be talking about it here if we knew, We'd probably be highly successful trainers.

It is just my opinion based on probable causes. Based on horses I have known with a pretty good memory and decades of involvement. That, and the fact that you never stop learning.

Just look at any US race field, look for familiar AUS and NZ racehorses and note how many race on lasix. Whether it is right or wrong is not my point, perhaps it is administered as a preventative.

[Messenger]

Trev, you mention the US, somebody else emailed me that over there such a crash might be considered a consequence of Early Pacing Overload :eek:

[aussiebreno]

Trev, you mention the US, somebody else emailed me that over there such a crash might be considered a consequence of Early Pacing Overload :eek:

Could just be in his bloodlines, his dam ended up racing at shit in Globe Derby after a somewhat successful career.

[Dot]

Even in the states now Trev there is a change in the direction of the tide with regard to the use of lasix, though more so amongst the gallops folk. Lasix is effective for preventing bleeding, but as that study showed only grade 3 and 4 bleeders are likely to have their performance enhanced/restored by using it and thats a far smaller percentage of horses then the percentage of horses using it. It’s problamatic for authorities because the diluted to extremely diluted urine makes testing for other substances more difficult. There is a school of though that the performance benefit from lasix, if there is one, is that it’s not it’s effect on bleeding that makes the difference but the improved power to weight ratio that the loss of body fluids via increased urination causes. Clearly more trainers in the US then have grade 3 or 4 bleeders are using it so perhaps they are using it as a preventative, or perhaps they are using it because of “FOMO” ( fear of missing out) on whatever benefits it may have in a highly competitive industry.

With horses having a contractile spleen plus the reduction of blood volume from the use of Lasixs then it would certainly be risky to add “early pacing overload”, so in the US perhaps those not racing on lasixs are the ones that should come under more scrutiny!

Not talking about Konan, or any other horse specifically, but as “legal” EPO is made for human medical purposes, and if unregistered EPO is being made it too is more likely to be being made for nefarious use in human sport, it isn’t exactly the same as a horses own EPO and can trigger an immune response in a horse that results in it becoming extremely anemic.

[Dot]

RACE 5 - BERALDO COFFEE PACE

Andy Gath, trainer of Konan, advised that a subsequent stable veterinary inspection and dynamic endoscopy revealed Konan to be displaying a respiratory condition. Mr Gath added that acting upon veterinary advice Konan will undergo respiratory surgery in an attempt to rectify this issue

[Messenger]

Scratching my head about this fella again
After Ride High blitzed them last night
I went back to check out RH's only loss
3rd to Poster Boy and Konan in the Vicbred 3yo Final
with Konan and RH's runs the equal of Poster Boy's

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=MX070718#MXM07071808

He did have 16 starts in his first season of racing (as a 3yo) while the other two only had 12 and 9 but they did not race before the New Year in 17-18.
But Konan's were pretty well spaced with some of the breaks between his races being:
7wks, 8wks, 4wks, 3wks, 3wks, 10wks, 5wks

His Bendigo Tk Rec in a C0 at his 3rd ever start where he drew 10 and had nothing much go his way early - just leaves me shaking my head as to what happened to this horse
Heavenly Shades did give him a run for his money in this race but he was a 5yo who had had over 40 starts

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=BN101117#BNC10111705

[KTQ]

lal all lalalala