The Gallop Out

Q: What's soft, white, and afraid of peppermints?

A: The famous white nose of Australian Horse of the Year and Group 1 King's Stand winner Scenic Blast. The photo is of John Shirreffs' assistant trainer Frank Leal trying to feed the gelding a peppermint. Leal tried to get him to eat for a good 10 minutes, but Scenic Blast was afraid of it, recoiling each time it touched his nose. He is also afraid of carrots. He's a very laid-back horse, but I guess they do things differently down under. He's still adjusting to his new life at the Shirreffs barn after arriving about three weeks ago from his native country. He came here so he would be able to race with anti-bleeder medication.

Check out Shirreffs' videos of Scenic Blast:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQBXPfWqgqg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih8T_6wILaA