Mark Smolenski has been breaking horses in for more years than he cares to remember and much of his business is taken up with handling the All Stars youngsters fresh from the harness racing sales and learning what to do and how to do it right.
For a number of years he has followed a traditional patten handling anything up to 30 youngsters at a time going through a set routine for six weeks or more while the fast ones learned quickly and the slower ones took longer.
But in 2015 he thinks he has found a better way.
"Under my old methods the horses were handled once a day because of the numbers."
"That was ok but not so good for the horses who needed more attention in the learning process."
"So they took longer and when Mark and Natalie came around about this time of the year many of them were not as forward" Mark said
This year Mark decided to work just 12 youngsters at a time starting mainly with those from the Melbourne sale.
"It's been much better from our point of view."
"Staff demands are not as great and staffing is always a problem in any stable."
"But the main gains are just with the horses."
"You can mouth them in the morning and gait them in the afternoon so in effect they are coming to it twice as quickly"
"So far it is working out great."
"These are our first lot and they have done well."
They were more forward than last year's group when Mark and Nat came to try them out and the trials went well" Mark said
One of the bigger interests among the first batch of youngsters was of course All About Me, a brother to Adore Me which went for $180,000 at the Auckland sale when retained by Charlie Roberts who will race him on his own account.
Both Marks realise that he will need more time yet.
"He is a lump of a horse and can be a bit anxious at times."
"This is early days but he is probably not as forward as some of the others."
"But then Adore Me never raced until she was three and look how she turned out."
"Have Faith In Me was the same."
"This one is slightly different in type but time will help him" Mark said
The "by the dozen" routine certainly seems to be working well so far.
We look forward to showing you more of the All Stars youngsters as they make their way toward-well -"Stardom"
Courtesy of All Stars Racing Stables
