turn of foot

noun3

1. •
   A burst of speed in a horse race.

   • A good deal of a horse's efforts at acceleration are dissipated by the surface. On grass, a turn of foot is a powerful weapon. On dirt or the All-weather it counts for very little. — 2002
2. •
   A burst of speed.

   • The final gear change is phenomenal. His turn of foot prodigious. — 2013
3. •
   The ability to accelerate quickly.

   • So myth number one is that horses who finish fast in the final furlong are horses to follow because they possess a turn of foot. — 2004