It is not only humans that have to deal with bad backs.
Racehorses are susceptible to problem backs as trainer Enver Jusufovic knows only too well with his stable star Pinstriped who heads to Flemington on Saturday to run in the VJA Winter Championship Trophy (1600m).
Pinstriped, who won the Group 3 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) and finished an unlucky fifth to Hitotsu in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington last year, returned from an unsuccessful trip to Sydney last year with a back ailment.
The gelding had finished last in the Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill and Jusufovic was forced to go back to basics with Pinstriped in a bid to get him back to his best.
A course of dressage to strengthen Pinstripes back muscles worked with the gelding finding winning form again at Sandown in the VOBIS Gold Mile (1600m) on April 15.
“Due to the equestrian environment he has been in, he has kept his condition really well and his appetite has been second to none,” Jusufovic said.
“He has thrived in that environment.
“This prep has been an opportunity to get his body right and build him up.
“It’s been a really good prep and the only hiccup really has not been able to have a start in five weeks, otherwise it has been faultless.”
It will be five weeks on Saturday since Pinstriped last raced having missed a start on Anzac Day at Flemington when the meeting was called off following Dean Holland’s death in a race fall the previous day, while on May 6 he was a stewards scratching.
The time between runs is a little concerning for Jusufovic, but he believes Pinstriped is the best horse in Saturday’s race.
“I believe I’ve kept him up to the mark,” Jusufovic said.
“The horse is sound and fit, and I suppose the concern is the length of times between runs, but it looks a good race, I feel.”
Saturday’s race is part of the VRC/CRV Winter Championship that has a final at Flemington on July 3, but Jusufovic is not looking any further than Saturday’s outing.
“I’m taking it run by run,” Jusufovic said.
“So, we’ll see how he goes, and we’ll make a decision after he runs on Saturday.”