If you are wondering “which horses are running today after having wind surgery?”, we have you covered.
Many racehorses undergo a ‘wind operation’, but it’s not something punters should be too worried about, quite the opposite, as usually racehorses improve in form after having wind surgery.
Our statistics for horses running today are updated regularly and pull in all the racehorses who are having their first run since a wind surgery operation.
In this guide to horse running after wind surgery, we highlight all the declared runners who have undergone wind surgery and explain why this can lead to significant improvements in form.
Find the horses running after wind surgery today:
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Today’s Horses Running After Wind Surgery
Here is the complete list of racehorses who are running today after a wind surgery operation.
An error occurred: Headers should be an arrayThe list of wind-surgery horses running today is based on data and statistics that the most successful horse tipsters use as part of their analysis.
Horses that have undergone wind operations seem to benefit from improved breathing, and bettors use this data to inform race outcome predictions.
What is a Wind Operation?
A wind operation is a collection of surgical procedures that aim to improve the function of the horse’s upper airway, making breathing easier and more effective.
A horse, when racing at full gallop, may struggle to breathe properly and suffer from the lack of oxygen it needs to run correctly, which means too much carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs, and this can impact performance.
Wind surgery aims to tie back the left vocal cord and sack behind it, or remove them altogether from the horse.
Wind operations (or wind surgeries) improve airflow in racehorses.
Racehorses competing require a lot of oxygen, and medical procedures often allow increased airflow to facilitate greater oxygen intake.
Wind surgeries are procedures done for the benefit of the racehorse, which can now breathe more easily when running.
How Do You Know if a Horse is Running After Wind Surgery?
Daily racecards now supply the information of a horse running after wind surgery with “WS” shown beside the weight.
The “WS” published on racecards show that a horse has had “new wind surgery since last performance”.
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has today announced that, as of 19 January 2018, racecards will be able to carry information that confirms when a horse is having its first run after having undergone a wind surgery.
The enhanced data is excellent for providing transparency to betting customers and for generating data for equine health and welfare research.
Racecards will highlight “WS” but will not display the specific type of wind surgery.
Here is an example of a horse racing racecard that shows “WS” beside the racehorse’s weight to highlight that the horse is running after a wind operation for the first time.
The WS symbol indicates wind surgery, and the number one indicates it is the first time running since a wind operation.
Types of Wind Surgeries
Here are the different kinds of wind surgeries available for racehorses:
- Tie back (prosthetic laryngoplasty)
- Hobday (ventriculectomy / cordectomy)
- Epiglottic surgery
- Tie forward (dorsal displacement soft palate surgery)
- Soft palate cautery
Hobday Wind Surgery
The holiday wind operation is a simple wind procedure, and you could see improvement in them the first or second time out after this surgery. It is common to see an immediate improvement in the first run after the holiday, whereas others might take a few runs.
In the Hobday horse racing wind operation procedure, the laryngeal ventricles and vocal cords are removed surgically to encourage scarring.
The scar tissue acts to stabilise the area and prevents vibrations in the larynx, hence reducing or removing the noise.
Soft Palate Cautery Wind Surgery
The soft palate cautery wind operation is a simple wind procedure, and you are likely to see improvement after a few runs.
It may take a few runs before you see improvement in the soft palate cautery wind surgery. As a horse’s silky palate is unstable, they essentially choke in a race and lose their confidence. Hence, they may need a few runs to regain confidence after soft palate cautery.
Tie Back or Tie Forward Wind Surgeries
Tie-back or tie-forward wind surgeries are the most complicated wind surgeries. They are required for laryngeal hemiplegia (one side of the larynx becomes paralysed and doesn’t function properly, effectively limiting air intake by up to 50%).
Tie back and tie forward are complicated, and sometimes they work, while at other times, they don’t.
It would usually take a run or two to build confidence back in the racehorse before you might see improvement.
Does Wind Surgery Affect the Betting Odds?
Horses running after wind surgery can affect the betting odds if sports bettors feel the horse will massively improve after the wind operation procedure.
Having the operation could hugely improve their chances of winning a race, and savvy punters will be backing the horse if they feel this is the case.
As racehorses after wind surgery are less likely to endure a blockage of their airflow when galloping, this can get high-stakes bettors to wager large bets on the horse, and that will directly affect the betting odds.
Do Horses Win after Wind Surgery?
The statistics indicate that horses win regularly after undergoing wind surgery.
The post-wind-op performances usually improve on the most recent form before wind-op runs.
The top-rated horse racing tipsters see wind surgery as a help to some horses who are struggling to get the proper amounts of oxygen, and feel wind operations bolster the chances of the horse winning.
Not only do horses win after wind surgery, but data shows a horse has more chances of winning after wind operation procedures.
Popular Questions
Do horses run better after wind op?
Horses run better after a wind op because of the breathing operation which allows racehorses to inhale more oxygen.
The data and statistics show the most improvement in post-wind-op performance is the second run back after wind surgery.
The horse’s improvement is very significant and is why many horse racing pundits and shrewd punters bang on about this all the time when tipping selections.
How long does it take a horse to recover from a wind op?
It takes 4-5 weeks for a racehorse to recover after a wind operation.
After wind surgery, the horses require a period of rest to allow healing before being returned to training.
Why Does a Wind Op Improve Performance of a Racehorse?
A wind operation is carried out on horses who struggle to breathe properly and do not take in the required oxygen it needs to race, nor can it expel the carbon dioxide building up in the lungs.
The wind op improves horse racing post performance as it opens the windpipe to inhale more oxygen and exhale more carbon dioxide.
The wind surgery usually aims to either tie back the left vocal cord and sack behind it or remove them altogether.
Why Do Horses Improve Second Run After a Wind Op?
Horses improve having the second run since a wind op because the first run back from wind surgery the horse gradually gains confidence from finding out that it can breathe more easily.
Gaining confidence is so important for horses and when the breathing problems are eliminated on the 2nd run back it goes for it more.
Punters research on the horse racing cards for W2 (Horse having second run since wind surgery) because find great value in the betting odds for improvers who have the 2nd run after a wind op.
All of these procedures require a period of rest to allow for healing, typically 4-5 weeks, after which we recommend horses be gradually returned to work.
Summary of Horses Having Wind Ops
Horses running for the first time after wind surgery is a statistic many search for as an angle to find value in the betting markets.
A comparison of RPR before and after wind operations shows that, in some horses, it improves by up to 15lb for both NH and Flat codes.
Not all horses improve for the operational procedures, and the statistical data show that about one in four horses do post a performance improvement, as measured by a comparison of maximum RPR before and after.
Other essential factors shrewd punters look for, which could seek improvements, are:
- Wearing blinkers for the 1st time
- Wearing a visor for the 1st time
- Wearing a hood for the 1st time
- Wearing tongue straps for the 1st time
- Wearing cheekpieces for the 1st time
- Previous course and distance winners
- Horse racing trainers in good form
- Horse racing jockeys in good form
- Horses who have travelled the furthest
Professional gamblers are always trying to find an angle to get value on a price or look for opportunities to seek improvement in a horse’s form.
We aim to list all the runners and riders who are experimenting with something new, providing essential information for wagering on horse racing in the UK and Ireland.
We know many trainers spend good money on wind surgery operations, and they would not carry out these procedures if they did not feel it would improve the racehorse’s chances of winning future races.
