I’m only here to check out the Cup winner Gold Trip. And wow! Look at that! The horse is doing the flehmen response, or flehmening, if you like. Flehmen is a German word meaning to bare the upper teeth. The behaviour involves curling back the upper lip exposing the teeth and inhaling with the nostrils closed. This facilitates the transfer of scents, via ducts behind the teeth, to the vomeronasal organ located above the roof of the mouth. The behaviour is slightly positive (+4 in Watching More Racehorses) which has always surprised me since it is involved in the detection of horses in heat and you would think that the horse is clearly distracted.
Gold Trip flehmen
Gold Trip ran a slasher of a race first up and powered home from second last for second at $2.10 the place. I was more than happy with that – it made the long trek out to Sandown well worthwhile!
What a great catch of the flehmen! Great photo Dad. Positive response – perhaps it makes them feel excited, spirited, and ready to run.