Inside The Merc’s unusual race-day warm-up
If you spotted The Merc warming up at the races lately, you might have noticed something a little different.
Instead of a driver sitting behind him in a sulky, he’s had co-trainer Jo Ferguson sitting on his back.
For a Standardbred racehorse, it might look slightly out of place. But for The Merc, swapping the sulky for a saddle has become an important part of getting him back to enjoying his job.
The Group One-placed trotter showed plenty of talent as a two-year-old, but now five, he hasn't always been the easiest horse to figure out.
Since joining Jo and Dylan Ferguson's stable a few months ago, he has had his share of frustrating runs. One of his biggest problems has been his tendency to get too keen, pulling hard and wasting valuable energy before the real work has even begun.
So Jo decided to try something different.
“With The Merc, the biggest thing was probably that he needed a mental refresh. He’s been racing for a long time now and sometimes those older horses just appreciate doing something different. He absolutely loves his ridden days.”
Ferguson has spent around 20 years as a professional rider and came into harness racing with a thoroughbred background, so using ridden work with her Standardbreds is nothing new.
For The Merc, it's not just about giving him a change of scenery. Ferguson has been using structured ridden sessions to help him strengthen his body, find a better rhythm and, importantly, learn to relax.
“It’s definitely not just a case of getting on them and going for a little walk. I do quite a structured programme with them, lots of arena work and trot poles, which really encourages them to use their bodies correctly and strengthens them through their backs.”
The trot poles encourage The Merc to stretch and use his body differently, something Ferguson believes is particularly valuable for horses accustomed to working in overchecks, which help control their head carriage while racing.
“A lot of Standardbreds have raced in overchecks for much of their careers, so their muscles can almost develop ‘upside down’, so to speak. Ridden work allows you to encourage them to stretch and use themselves in a completely different way and build strength in areas they may not have been using as much.”
But while the physical benefits are a bonus, it's The Merc's attitude that Ferguson has been particularly keen to improve.
“When you’re on their back, you can really feel what they’re doing underneath you. You can work on getting their body in the right position and using themselves properly, and once you establish that rhythm they tend to relax and stop fighting you so much.”
And for a horse who has made a habit of wasting energy before his races have even begun, that ability to relax could make all the difference.
“He could pull quite hard on the boys warming up and I felt sometimes he’d almost run his race before the actual race had started.”
So Ferguson took another slightly unconventional approach. For his last couple of starts, she has ridden The Merc during his pre-race warm-up before handing him over to his driver for the race itself.
“He loves being ridden, he’s happy and relaxed doing it, and he can head out onto the track without having already wasted that energy. Happy horses generally give you their best.”
The change doesn't mean The Merc has completely traded his sulky for a saddle. His faster training is still done in the sulky, while Ferguson rides him on his easier jogging days.
“He absolutely loves it, and at the moment it seems to be a really good balance for him.”
His recent form suggests they may be onto something, although Ferguson isn't quite ready to declare that they have finally cracked The Merc's code.
“He’s probably earned being favourite on his last couple of runs, but anyone who knows The Merc knows he’s also been known to let everyone down before,” she laughed.
“We’d like to think we might have worked the oracle with him, but we’re certainly not holding our breath just yet.
“At this point, we’re just happy that he’s enjoying himself and racing well.”