Contents

• Denis Hogan - TopSpec Trainer of the Quarter

  Breandán Ó hUallacháin talks to Denis Hogan about his sprinting sensation - Sceptical.

• Takashi Kodama 

  The Curragh-based trainer explains to Lissa Oliver how his global racing business has been affected during the coronavirus shutdown.

• Nutrition - starch v fibre intake 

  Catherine Rudenko explains how to rein in your complex carb intake for times when work drops, or when returning from injury.

• On the bridle 

  Dr. Russell Mackechnie-Guire looks at the different types of bridles at the trainers’ disposal and what works best for which type of horse.

• What we've learnt from the coronavirus shutdown

  Alysen Miller explains its impact on how trainers have been able to train. Are there any measures that they’d keep in the 'new normal' because they actually work better?

• Minimising serious fractures of the racehorse fetlock

  Celia Marr updates us on the results of a symposium of international experts, aiming to devise measures which could be used internationally to reduce the risk of catastrophic fractures associated with the fetlock joint. 

• Hay quality - sampling and testing protocols

  Alan Creighton gives an update about a completed study of hay which was being fed by many of the leading racehorse trainers in Ireland and the UK.

• News from the EMHF

  Dr. Paull Khan reports on the pandemic’s effects on Europe’s smaller racing nations and their trainers and especially looks at the experience of the smaller countries.
  

• What is radiofrequency therapy?

  Helen Walsh introduces radiofrequency therapy which is used for reducing pain, managing inflammation, aiding tissue repair and reducing muscle spasm.

• The differences between a healthy/unhealthy biome

  Carol Hughes explains how every common gastrointestinal disease can be linked back to disturbances of the gut bacteria. Currently, new gene technology is driving research at an intense rate, providing new insights into the equine microbial community and providing both trainer and the vet with a powerful and accurate analytical tool to improve health and manage disease.
  

• Thoroughbred Tales - focussing on the unsung heroes in the racing world during the coronavirus shutdown 

  Sally Ann Grassick explains how racing fans kept connected with what was going on behind the closed doors of training yards around Europe.