A glance at trackwork times reveals that different horses do their morning exercise in different ways and at different speeds. A horse's race preparation is done according to the individual needs of the horse and it is not enough to take one look at its workout time to judge whether or not it is at peak fitness and ready to perform well on the track.

Morning work patterns can be split into three categories - gallops, canters and trots - and these different speeds or 'gaits' naturally produce different effects in terms of the fitness of a horse. If horses are athletes, trainers are coaches that take into account each horse's individual characteristics, constitution, physique, current form and consistency when arranging its work schedule and selecting the most suitable pattern for it.

When a horse clocks a fast time in the morning it could mean that its trainer is sharpening it up, suggesting that the horse is improving but not yet at the peak of its condition. Once it is at optimum fitness, hard training is no longer needed - the horse needs only be kept 'ticking over'.

However, a horse clocking a good time in a workout may also reflect that it is in good form, sharp and vigorous.

So how do we differentiate the former 'fast' workout from the latter?

Use your eyes. Compare the workout time with the way the horse did the work. Did it look like the horse was all out and under pressure from its rider to achieve that time? If that was the case, you may want to revise your opinion on the horse's current form.

The best way of corroborating good exercise with a good workout time is to spot the horse that works fast and comfortably under a tight rein or the one immediately responds with quicker, longer strides once his rider niggles him to pick up the bit and stretch.