Scroll down on this link and look at the year by year campaigns of Makybe Diva.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makybe_Diva
The last one ending November 1st, 2005. So this isn't stuff that happens in the past, it just happened less than 9 months ago.
So in her last campaign (as a 7 year old) she begins her season with a little stakes race at 7 furlongs on August 27th at Caulfield. WON
Next race is September 10th in a stakes at a mile, she gets second by a nose.
Next race is October 1st at 1 1/4 miles, she wins.
Now, 21 days later on October 22nd she wins The Cox Plate (Group I)
10 days after that win at a little over 1 1/4 miles, she wins the Melbourne Cup at 2 miles.
So in 10 weeks and three days, she won 4 races and placed in one all against top company for each division from 7 furlongs up to 2 miles.
This was her
lightest campaign of her career, 5 races in 10 weeks.
This type of schedule isn't unusual at all in Australia, no matter what class the horse is.
And the thoroughbred breed isn't any different over there than it is here as most of the sires are originally from America.
So I don't believe that horses in general regardless of class need that much time.
While Makybe Diva was a champion, she obviously wasn't "ruined" by her succession of 11 race campaigns in a shorter time than Angara from last year. And she didn't fare as well in the longer campaigns but got 5 good wins out of those 22 starts....really good wins.
How do you feel about these types of campaigns for a horse? Do you not think that the American horses could do it?
And if not, why?