by Laura Valdesi
SIENA
“Uncle Frac is at the disposal of the Municipality, they will let me know how they want to proceed.” So Bellocchio, just before 8am yesterday at Ceppo, referring to the slip inside the carousel which cost the twice victorious barber “a few stitches to compensate for the abrasion as soon as possible, followed by anti-inflammatory and antibiotic therapies”. The veterinary commission’s recommendation was not long in coming: at 3pm Zio Frac had to ‘visit’. He was called to Ceppo where the vets checked him like all the other horses. With the exception of the rod to perhaps avoid consequences for the stitches, he was also subjected to x-rays and blood tests. It is almost certain that Zio Frac will remain in the box waiting for the Assumption, however the official announcement will only arrive on June 26th, around 12pm, when after the meeting in the Municipality with the captains of the public palace the list of those promoted will be released: those who gallop at dawn and those who go directly to the Route.
“A small unexpected event that can happen in the world of horses, anyone in the sector knows it. A stupid thing, if it happened 15 days ago it would have been solvable”, underlined Bellocchio who is full of expectations: “With the rival in Piazza or without, we need to get to the goal which is to win”, he reiterates. Yesterday he took Akida and Buran to the clinic. The first chat as a possible new entry from Provenzano, which will be observed at night on the tuff. “We are like Saint Thomas, we have to see Uncle Frac”, explained Carlo Alberto Minniti, head of the veterinary team, yesterday. “The rules say that only if the horse is not transportable do we move”, clarified the colonel without anticipating any decision, although it is clear that with stitches the Palio is not run for the well-being of the animal. “How is he like this? I found him well – replies Minniti –, in general they are all well prepared and looked after. As for the old man Remorex, if he passes the selection he can get to the choice because up to 14 years of age he can run in the Piazza” , the head of the vets continues. Highlighting that if the night tests were reduced to just one day due to bad weather (yesterday it rained the whole morning so much so that the scheduled visits continued without interruption until after 3pm) “the 4 years would be penalized a bit but we’ll see if it will be possible to get everyone to run”, he explains, referring to the 5-6 years that could be included in August. 101 horses were seen at the clinic, all except Bombers and Bide tue. Epidemic, missed on the first day, was presented yesterday.
