This film follows a horse race at a country race meeting in Australia, intercutting the work of the purchase, breeding and training of racing horses, with the race itself. Two men at an auction, hold a young filly by the rein. The filly runs into the sales ring. An auctioneer at his podium, brings down the hammer. A stable lad leads the nervous filly around the ring. Close up, a man bids, raising his papers. A woman in the audience yawns. The auctioneer brings down the hammer again, "12000, thank you". A wide view of the audience seated, mostly with arms folded. The auctioneer takes a last price, offers it out again to be raised. Close up, men in suits in the crowd. The filly is led out of the arena by the new owner. A line of racehorses in their stalls. CU, a jockey sits in the locker room, he lights his cigarette, next to him another shakes talcum powder into his boots. Wider view as jockeys, dressed in their colours, chat and wait or get changed in the locker room. CU a bookie takes a bet. CU, a punter pockets the betting slip. A trainer rubs his horse down with a cloth. CU, a jockey's legs as he puts on his tights. CU, a horse's hooves paw the ground. CU, a small throng of bookies. CU, a man in the crowd at the racecourse. CU, a filly's head. CU, a young red-haired jockey in the locker room. One jockey goes out, carrying his saddle. Horses are led around the owners' enclosure. CU, a jockey in a blue shirt and white hat, walks out. CU, two bookies in shirts and ties, with sunglasses. CU, a few men watch the prices. The jockey in the blue shirt stands and chats, probably to the owner or trainer. Another jockey is helped to mount up. A view down the line of bookies standing by their boards. A short sequence of jockeys riding out to the starting point, the crowd and bookies watch, a starting official stands at his podium with a microphone. CU, a line of riders in the starting gates from behind. Wide view from the front, the horses burst out of the starting gates and gallop off, crowding in along the rail. An aerial sequence of views over a green valley, horses graze in a paddock at a small racing stables, small homesteads in a valley. The horserace continues, the leading horse by the rails is overtaken. A sequence on a horse breeding farm, stockmen ride with a small herd of horses up a hill, a closer view of same, one stockman smokes, foals run alongside the mares. A vet "drenches" a liquid down a horse's nostrils, pronounces another mare 32 days pregnant. The sequence continues with a horse breeder watching as his vet attends a breeding mare in a straw-filled stall, after the birth of a foal; the foal struggles to its feet. The mare and foal stand together in a pen in the sun. A sequence on the farm, a small group of brood mares and foals run around the pen. A stockman removes the bridle from a horse and four yearlings run off into free pasture. The stockman strides across the pen. CU, the four yearlings race across open grassland. At the racecourse, the leading horses race at the rails (slow motion). A sequence, two horse trainers rein in an unbroken horse in a purpose-built enclosure, one mounts up, whips the frightened horse until it is subdued and trots for him. A short sequence where stable boys and girls ride out and up on to a practice track. CU, a boys sits in the saddle on a racing horse, he slips on his stirrup and races off on a beach. Short sequence of trainers rowing out with their horses or swimming with them in the sea. CU, a horse's head held above the water. Wider view, a trainer guides the horse along the edge of a training pool with a pole, then up a ramp and out of the water. High view in an inside riding school, a big horse rolls then bucks and jumps. Short sequence shows jockeys and horses training at a race track, their trainer watches them through binoculars, with his stopwatch. At the race meeting, the tightly bunched groups of racing horses gallop towards camera, in slow motion, staying close to the rail. End sequence, the race nears the finish, the riders use their whips.

• published: 20 Oct 2014
• views: 2