While former New Zealand-trained galloper Werther is the punters elect to take out tomorrow's HK$20 million ($3.74m) Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m), it is the Japanese raider Neorealism that has been turning heads at trackwork at Sha Tin.
The last start winner of the group two Nakayama Kinen, has looked well in cantering work and attracted more than the usual attention as track rider Shinjiro Kaneko's goggles were adorned with what appeared to be a camera like device.
In fact, it was more than just a camera but also a monitor. Manufactured by Horsecall Japan it is sold as an aid to training and displays heart rate and speed. Adam Harrigan, consultant and interpreter for trainer Noriyuki Hori, explained.
"The monitor, which the rider can see, displays the horse's heart rate in real time and the track work times for each 200 metres split. It's new Japanese technology and while Hori is not the only trainer to use it, he's certainly been among the first," Harrigan said.
"It's valuable, obviously, for the rider to know exactly how fast he's travelling and to have an indicator of how much the horse is exerting himself and, of course, Hori is able to download and evaluate the data from home in Japan."
