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Post by dennisg on Feb 6, 2021 11:41:21 GMT
Three bets for our man on the opening day of the Dublin Racing Festival including a 40/1 chance trained by Gordon Elliott. Racing betting tips: Saturday, February 6 1.05 Leopardstown – Cape Gentleman at 7/1 3.15 Leopardstown – Abacadabras at 8/1 3.50 Leopardstown – Eclair De Beaufeu at 40/1 (each-way) It is only three years since the Dublin Racing Festival came into being in its current guise. The races were there all right, but they were scattered across disparate weekends, three meetings spread across five or six weeks. It was only in 2018 that they were all brought together and presented in one weekend of top class National Hunt racing, and perfectly positioned at the mid-point in the run between Christmas and Cheltenham. And now look. Fifteen high-class races shoe-horned into two days, and the intensity of that. Eight Grade 1s and deep, deep quality throughout. Honeysuckle is the star among stars today, back to try to win her second Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle. She will be in good company if she pulls it off: only Istabraq and Hurricane Fly have won back-to-back renewals of the Irish Champion Hurdle since the turn of the millennium. Honeysuckle flies through the air Honeysuckle flies through the air There is nothing not to like about Honeysuckle. Henry de Bromhead’s mare has raced 10 times, once in a point-to-point and nine times over hurdles, and she has won 10 times. She has won an Irish Champion Hurdle, a David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle and two Hatton’s Grace Hurdles. She has never been beaten and, as such, we don’t really know how good she is. We don’t know where the ceiling of her ability lies. She is great for racing and, in Rachael Blackmore, she has found the perfect partner. Kenny Alexander’s mare faces the toughest test of her career today though, she will probably have to put up a career-best to win it, and she will be competing over a distance that is probably short of her optimum. It will be fantastic if she wins but, from a betting perspective, it may pay to look beyond her today. Sharjah is a top class hurdler. Winner of the Galway Hurdle in 2018 and second in last year’s Champion Hurdle, he was impressive in winning the Grade 1 Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival. Strange thing about Sharjah though. He is dynamite at Leoparstown at Christmas, but he seems to struggle to be as good in February. When he won the Matheson Hurdle this season, he was winning the race for the third time on the trot, and he would have won the Grade 1 novices’ hurdle at the Christmas Festival in 2017 had he not come down at the final flight. By contrast, he has run twice at the Dublin Racing Festival, and he has come up short on both occasions. Seventh behind Samcro in the Deloitte Hurdle in 2018, sixth behind Honeysuckle in the Irish Champion Hurdle last year. It may be down to happenstance, he may blow that notion out of the water today, but it is still a niggle in the back of your mind. Abacadabras leads over the last in the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle Abacadabras leads over the last in the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle Abacadabras has run just once at the Dublin Racing Festival. Inexplicably, he ran through the rail inside the final furlong when he was probably going to finish a close-up second behind Envoi Allen in the Grade 2 bumper there in 2019. He hasn’t repeated those exploits since, thankfully, and he has morphed from a very good bumper horse into a top class hurdler. Winner of the Grade 1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival last season, he ran a massive race to finish second to Shiskhin in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, going down by just a head with the pair of them pulling 11 lengths clear of their rivals. He was beaten by Aspire Tower at Down Royal on his debut this season, but he stepped forward from that next time in winning the Grade 1 Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown. He wasn’t overly impressive in beating Saint Roi by a neck, and Saint Roi didn’t have a good run through the race, but Gordon Elliott’s horse had to go to the front earlier than ideal that day. You have to forgive him a poor run in the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown at Christmas, but you easily can, as he scoped poorly after the race. He is probably going to have to put up a career-best if he is going to win today, but he is a second-season hurdler who still has scope for progression, and he could out-run his odds by a fair way. Trainer Gordon Elliott Trainer Gordon Elliott His stable companion Eclair De Beaufeu might be worth chancing too at a big price in the Ladbrokes Hurdle. The Gigginstown House horse won the Matheson Handicap Chase at this meeting last year off a handicap rating of 140, and he followed up by running a big race in the Grand Annual at Cheltenham to chase home his stable companion Chosen Mate. A faller at the final fence in the Grade 2 Fortria Chase at Navan on his debut this season, he returned to hurdles next time for a valuable two-mile handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse on Hatton’s Grace Hurdle day, and he was there with a real chance when he came down at the second last flight. He was a bit sticky over his obstacles through the early part of that race, but that was understandable, given that it was his first run over hurdles in over a year and a half. He warmed to his task though, and he had made nice progress to move into second place before his departure at the second last flight. He may not have beaten the winner Advanced Virgo, but he may have run him close. He meets that rival on 10lb better terms today, and he is almost four times his price. Gordon Elliott’s horse disappointed in the handicap hurdle that Master McShee won at the Christmas Festival, but a lot of the Gordon Elliott horses under-performed over Christmas and, at the price, you can allow him that. He may not be as good over hurdles as he is over fences, but his hurdles mark is 18lb lower than his chase mark, so that gives him plenty of leeway. Fourth in this race in 2019 off a 5lb lower mark, we know that he goes well at the track, and Jordan Gainford takes off a valuable 7lb. The days kicks off with a cracking contest in the Grade 1 Nathanial Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novices’ Hurdle. Willie Mullins could hold the key here – that could be a theme of the weekend – as he fields four of the 13 runners, including the two horses at the head of the market in Gaillard Du Mesnil and Stattler. It is a fascinating race, which pits seven last-time-out winners against each other, but Cape Gentleman could be the value. A winner over a mile and six furlongs on the flat in France for Nicolas Clement, the Champs Elysees gelding ran well to finish second to Mt Leinster in a qualified riders’ race at the Listowel Festival in September on his debut for Emmet Mullins, and he stepped forward from that next time when he won the Irish Cesarewitch. He was impressive in winning that day. He travelled like the most likely winner from a fair way out, and he picked up nicely when Ronan Whelan asked him to, winning with more in hand that the two-length winning margin. And the third horse, De Name Escapes Me, came out and won the November Handicap at Naas next time. He was impressive too in winning his maiden hurdle over two and a half miles on his hurdling bow at Punchestown in December. His jumping was very good for a debutant, he moved to the front on the run to the final flight, and he won easily. He is going to have to step forward again if he is going to win today, but there is every chance that he will. Rated 100 on the flat, he is a classy performer who is lightly raced, who handles soft ground well and who jumped well on his debut. As an Irish Cesarewitch winner, the step up to two miles and six furlongs over hurdles should be a positive, and he could run a big race.
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Post by dennisg on Feb 6, 2021 11:43:08 GMT
Check out the view from connections ahead of Saturday's Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown. What the trainers say: Henry de Bromhead is taking nothing for granted ahead of Honeysuckle’s defence of the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle. The seven-year-old claimed a narrow victory in the main event on the opening day of the Dublin Racing Festival last season, before beating Benie Des Dieux in a ding-dong battle for Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. Having successfully defended her crown in the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse in November, Honeysuckle is a strongly fancied to stretch her unbeaten record to 10 on her return to Leopardstown in the hands of Rachael Blackmore. De Bromhead said: “It’s an Irish Champion Hurdle and any of these Grade Ones are hard to win. Honeysuckle has become prima donna-ish. She’s not afraid to bite or kick if you go near her, but we can all suck that up.” The Waterford-based trainer expects his stable star to strip fitter for her half-length defeat of Ronald Pump at Fairyhouse. He added: “They didn’t go much of a gallop in the Hatton’s Grace and it was her first run in a long time. The previous year we’d had a prep run in Fairyhouse before the Hatton’s Grace, whereas this year she was having her first run in a Grade One. “She took a blow at the third-last, Rachael said, so she should improve plenty for it.” Willie Mullins, who saddled the great Hurricane Fly to win five successive Irish Champion Hurdles before striking gold for a sixth time with Faugheen in 2016, this year fires a three-pronged assault. A third Matheson Hurdle for Sharjah A third Matheson Hurdle for Sharjah The champion trainer’s main hope appears to be Sharjah, who disappointed when rated the biggest threat to Honeysuckle 12 months ago, but otherwise has a fine course record, having most recently claimed his third win in the Matheson Hurdle over the Christmas period. Reflecting on that latest triumph, Mullins said: “I wasn’t surprised at the turn of foot he showed. We know he has that, but I probably was surprised how well he was travelling. “My eye was thrown more to Saint Roi, and then to see Sharjah coming up and really travelling. I was happy to see that.” Saint Roi was considered the yard’s main Champion Hurdle hope at the start of the season, but was a beaten odds-on favourite in the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown and could finish only fourth behind Sharjah in December. “He performed below expectations at Christmas. I don’t know if it was tactics or if he wasn’t right on the day. We were hoping for a much better performance,” Mullins added. Nothing came to light. Some horses have their off days. “We were all disappointed with his run the last day. I just hope he can put that behind him. His work at home seems to be fine at this point, but he needs to step up a good 7lb to 10lb to be competitive.” The Mullins trio is completed by Saldier, who finished sixth in Matheson Hurdle on what was his first competitive appearance since winning the Morgiana in 2019. Mullins said: “Going back to the day he fell at the last in Naas when Espoir D’Allen won, that form puts him right in the Champion Hurdle picture, but we have to get him back to that. We’re still a good bit off that.” “We think he’s improving, but he’s going to need to improve a good bit more to win this race on Saturday. “We’re trying to keep him sound. He’s had his issues but, touch wood, he’s been good this winter and he’ll take his chance. We’ve been trying to get him ready for the spring time.” Abacadabras leads over the last in the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle Abacadabras leads over the last in the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle The field is completed by Gordon Elliott’s pair of Petit Mouchoir and Abacadabras, who placed third and fifth behind Sharjah over the Christmas period. Elliott told Betfair: “Abacadabras didn’t run anywhere near his best here at Christmas, but he had a legitimate excuse for that run as he didn’t scope well afterwards and I’m happy to draw a line through that run. “Previously he beat Saint Roi in the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown and last season he was among the best two-mile novices around. “I do believe that he can contend in top hurdle races over two miles and he seems to be in very good form at home, so if he can put his best foot forward, I would expect him to get involved at the finish. He would prefer better ground though. “Petit Mouchoir is a regular in these races and he has posted many fine efforts over this course and distance over the last few seasons. “He has got to produce a career best to win this, but I do think he can run his usual solid race and challenge for a place in the frame.”
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Post by dennisg on Feb 6, 2021 11:44:51 GMT
Check out the view from connections ahead of Saturday's Virgin Bet Cotswold Chase at Sandown. What the trainers say: Nigel Twiston-Davies does not expect a switch to Sandown to inconvenience Bristol De Mai ahead of the rescheduled Virgin Bet Cotswold Chase. Following the abandonment of Cheltenham’s Trials Day fixture last weekend, the authorities moved quickly to save this Grade Two contest and recognised Gold Cup trial – and have been rewarded with what promises to be a fascinating affair. Popular grey Bristol De Mai has been branded as a Haydock specialist over the years, much to the annoyance of his trainer. And while he only gave that theory more weight in bagging his third Betfair Chase in November, he has run plenty of good races away from Merseyside – including a Grade One success at Sandown in the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at this fixture five years ago. Twiston-Davies said: “It doesn’t matter to Bristol whether he goes left-handed or right-handed, so it’s not a problem. It’s five years since he won the Scilly Isles – he’s been going a long time! “He’s in very good shape and I don’t think the track or the ground will be an issue, so we’re very happy.” Bristol De Mai is nought from six at Cheltenham, but did finish third in the 2019 Cheltenham Gold Cup and found only subsequent Gold Cup runner-up Santini too strong in last year’s Cotswold Chase. Connections hope to have a clearer idea as to whether the 10-year-old merits a fourth tilt at Gold Cup glory after this weekend, with the Grand National at Aintree also a major target for the spring. “Let’s see how we go on Saturday before thinking about anything else,” Twiston-Davies added. Santini is back to winning ways at Cheltenham Santini is back to winning ways at Cheltenham Santini proved his Gold Cup credentials with an ultimately authoritative display in last year’s renewal, before pushing Al Boum Photo all the way in the blue riband. However, he will line up at Sandown with questions to answer, having failed to recapture his best form in two starts so far this season – most recently finishing fifth in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. Henderson told Unibet: “It’s great that Sandown are able to restage this race because this has been the plan for quite some time and should put him spot on for another crack at the Gold Cup. “The track is right up his street, I don’t think a slog on heavy ground is really what he’s crying out for but he has to run so we might as well let him take his chance.” With Champ, Henderson’ other Gold Cup contender, reappearing next weekend at Newbury, Aidan Coleman has been employed. “Aidan knows Champ from his hurdling days and obviously Nico (de Boinville) knows Santini inside out so it is important that both jockeys are familiar with both horses. We are trying to keep all angles covered with a view to what may or may not happen at Cheltenham,” added Henderson. Native River under Jonjo O'Neill Jr Native River under Jonjo O'Neill Jr Colin Tizzard’s 2018 Gold Cup hero Native River proved he retains plenty of ability when a close-up third behind Nick Alexander’s Lake View Lad and Santini in the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree in December, when several fences were missed because of low sun. “Everybody keeps asking me if Sandown will suit him, but I don’t see why not,” said assistant trainer Joe Tizzard. “The seven fences down the back will really suit his jumping and a nice, stiff finish. In ground conditions like this, it’s tough around Sandown, so I think it will suit him. “He’s in lovely form and has done nothing wrong for the last two years. He ran a blinder at Aintree and this has always been the plan. It’s fantastic they’ve reorganised it from last weekend, as we certainly didn’t want to miss it.” Lake View Lad gets the opportunity to prove that triumph was no fluke, while Harry Whittington saddles King George fourth Saint Calvados. The six-strong field is completed by the Paul Nicholls-trained Yala Enki, who steps up in grade after beating If The Cap Fits in a conditions race at Taunton a fortnight ago. Nicholls said: “He’s astonishing. If you’d seen him work and school earlier this week, you wouldn’t believe it – he’s so enthusiastic. “He’s ate up everything since he ran and is very fresh. The more it rains ahead of Saturday the more it will suit him. “I’m not saying he’ll go and win, but if it’s really testing ground and gets really attritional, he’ll run really tidy.”
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Post by dennisg on Feb 8, 2021 10:17:26 GMT
Monday’s scheduled jumps meetings at Plumpton and Carlisle were both abandoned as the forecast freezing temperatures began to take hold in Britain. Both cards were subject to early-morning inspections, and neither passed – with Carlisle frozen, and the frost at Plumpton compounded by a covering of snow. In Ireland, the Monday card at Fairyhouse did pass its morning inspection – but it was announced at the same time that Wednesday’s scheduled meeting there will not take place, because the inside track set to be used then is waterlogged. The racing week is therefore set to start with Fairyhouse’s surviving jumps meeting, for which the ground is heavy – while in Britain, a jumpers bumper meeting at Newcastle and an all-weather evening Flat card at Wolverhampton remain scheduled. A raft of further inspections are already in place for the remainder of the week, and more appear inevitable, with the freezing temperatures forecast to be unrelenting. At Carlisle, a 7am Twitter update confirmed the abandonment and described the course as “frozen on the morning of racing”. Plumpton’s official account was also able to make an early announcement. It read: “We’ve had to abandon today’s fixture due to frost in the ground and snow on top, with no prospect for improvement.”
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Post by dennisg on Feb 8, 2021 10:19:02 GMT
Hollie Doyle is set for another high-profile foreign assignment after being recruited for this month’s STC International Jockeys’ Challenge in Riyadh – where she will then team up with old ally Extra Elusive the following day in the $20million Saudi Cup. Doyle enjoyed an exceptional 2020 campaign, and hot on the heels of rides at the Breeders’ Cup meeting and the Hong Kong International Jockeys’ Championship, she will now line up alongside 13 other leading jockeys in the competition at King Abdulaziz Racetrack on February 19. She said: “I’m really excited to be riding in Saudi. I’ve had a few international trips recently, including Hong Kong, America and Bahrain, and it’s great that I’m getting to go to these big meetings around the world. “Competing in the jockey challenge events is really cool, because you get to ride alongside some of the world’s top athletes. I’ve only been to some of these places for a short period of time, but I’ve learnt a lot. That’s what will hopefully make me a better jockey, and I’ll keep taking these opportunities with both hands. “Last year was unbelievable, and when you get a taste of success it makes you want it even more. I’ve now got even more drive and ambition to succeed in 2021.” Doyle – whose year included a first Group One winner and third place in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award – will be joined by the likes of William Buick, Shane Foley, Cristian Demuro and Jessica Marcialis in a challenge which will feature seven international women, two local men and five international men. Last year’s event provided a slice of history as Lisa Allpress became the first woman to ride a Flat winner in Saudi Arabia when taking the opening leg. Extra Elusive’s planned participation in the Saudi Cup on February 20 adds an extra frisson for Doyle, who could also team up with the Jane Chapple-Hyam-trained Albadri in the Saudi Derby. “It looks as though Extra Elusive has got into the Saudi Cup, so I’d be really excited about riding him in that on the Saturday,” she said. “The prize-money goes all the way down to 10th, so it would be great if he took his chance there and could get amongst it. “I’d like to think he’ll handle the dirt because he goes well on slow ground here in England. I’m not sure how similar it would ride to a slow turf track, but I’d prefer to ride him on the dirt than I would on the turf as you’d imagine it will be slower. The Saudi Cup is only nine furlongs, and we know he stays further than that. “I could have Albadri on the Saturday too, because I know Jane Chapple-Hyam is hoping to go for the Al Rajhi Bank Saudi Derby after his win at Southwell recently. He’s a lightly-raced horse that’s going the right way at the moment, but he’ll need to take another big step forward to get competitive.” Extra Elusive won two Group Threes last year in the shape of the Rose of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock and Windsor’s Winter Hill Stakes – providing a leg of Doyle’s famous five-timer at the Thamesside track in August. His trainer Roger Charlton had been looking at a turf option on the card, but the lure of the showpiece event has tempted connections. He said: “There’s been a bit of toing and froing, but he’s going to run in the Saudi Cup. “We got an invite to the Saudi Cup that we weren’t really expecting – and having discussed it with the owner (Imad Al Sagar), he’s very keen to run in it. The prize-money is so much more than the Neom Turf Cup – if you finish 10th in the Saudi Cup, it’s the same prize-money for finishing second in the turf race. “Over 1800m they’ll go very, very quick – and the kickback will be something he hasn’t experienced before. We’re hoping we can get among the money. “In the past he has inclined to be up at the front making the running – this obviously won’t be the case, so a wider draw would probably be beneficial to keep him out of the kickback.” Extra Elusive was last seen finishing a creditable sixth in the Champion Stakes at Ascot in October, two places in front of fellow Saudi Cup contender Mishriff. Charlton added: “He’s been pretty consistent and he won his two Group Threes well last year. He was placed in another, and the ground wouldn’t have suited him in the Champion Stakes – but he ran a good, consistent race again. “My concern is that he hasn’t travelled abroad yet, and he’s a fairly highly-strung individual. It’s how he takes a 16-hour journey door-to-door and how he handles the training on the track out there. “He had a break after the end of last season, and the weather hasn’t been very helpful to us – we’ve had snow here twice. He didn’t resume exercise until after Christmas, and it’s been a steady build-up. He does all his training by himself, but he seems in good form. It’s important that he’s in a consistent and steady routine every day.”
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Post by dennisg on Feb 8, 2021 10:20:54 GMT
An overnight gamble came up short as the last leg of a treble could only finish fourth in the final race at Musselburgh on Sunday. The story built through the day, as did the bookmakers' liabilities, but it was all to no, or little, avail as Gallaher Cross crossed the line in fourth in the staying handicap hurdle that brought a fine weekend of racing at the Scottish venue to a close. Bookmakers were spared losses estimated at millions of pounds and the layers were prepared for the worst after the first two horses obliged at short prices. The trio were linked together in a variety of wagers with several bookmakers when betting on Sunday’s races opened on Saturday night. All three were sent off short-priced favourites after being snapped up at double-figure odds. Paul Binfield, spokesman for Paddy Power, said: “I don’t want to reveal figures, but our liabilities would probably be on a par with others in the industry. “The trading room at Power Tower breathed a huge sigh of relief when Get The Appeal foiled the gamble and crossed the line in front.” The Musselburgh card began with a modest novices' handicap chase but the spotlight was very much on the race due to the gamble on Fire Away. The eight-year-old had been well beaten in the late summer on all three starts for Daragh Bourke when last seen in late summer but an opening show of 22/1 on Saturday didn't last long and he was backed down to even money on his debut for Laura Morgan. His supporters never had a moment's worry as he sauntered into the lead under Richie McLernon who didn't need to ask his mount for an effort en route to a 29 length success. The winner had only been with Morgan for 11 days as she told the racecourse's twitter account: "We bought him from Daragh Bourke, he had a couple of horses for sale. He was one of them. I did go to buy the other one, but we bought him instead. . Fingers crossed he'll win a few more." Blowing Dixie was a 9/1 chance on Saturday but was the 4/6 favourite by the time that the gates opened for the 12 furlong handicap that was Southwell's 2.35. Again, supporters had few moments of alarm as the Iain Jardine owned and trained five-year-old ran out a ready winner to record a fifth course and distance success under Andrew Mullen. “He’s travelled through the race really strong and I wanted something to take me further, but I was there three out, so I let him get on with it,” Mullen told Sky Sports Racing. “He’s very honest. He likes Southwell. He’s got course form round here and he came good today. “I spoke to Iain this morning and he said ‘I think I’ve got him as well as I can and if he turns up, he’ll be hard to beat’. He was right.” All eyes were then on Gallaher Cross, trained by Bourke, whose former stablemate had got the ball rolling some three hours earlier. A one-time useful bumper performer for Nicky Henderson, Gallaher Cross was having his first start in over a year and was an unconsidered 40/1 shot when betting opened having been beaten by almost a collective 150 lengths in his three preceding starts. He was returned at a remarkable 4/5 and did hit the front in the straight but the nine-year-old possibly paid the price for racing a shade keenly in the first half of the contest, weakening to finish around seven lengths behind the Paul Nicholls trained winner Get The Appeal. Not all bookmakers fell foul of the attempted coup. Simon Clare, head of PR at Ladbrokes Coral, revealed they managed to “dodge a bullet”. “Our trading team who were on duty last night spotted the path of bets quite quickly and it was clear they were connected, so they reacted quickly and turned off the multiples for those three selections,” he said. “We were aware something very organised was going on, but we managed not to face anything too scary. We saw what other people were saying and had our trader not spotted it and left it another half an hour or an hour, given the huge odds in play, you would have been facing huge liabilities. “It’s hard to know what other firms were facing. We managed to dodge a bullet. “Actually, for us, it was much more of those favourites winning was more of a nightmare for us than the attempted coup.” At the request of the British Horseracing Authority’s integrity department, the connections of all three horses were interviewed by the race day stewards before their respective races.
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Post by dennisg on Feb 8, 2021 10:33:49 GMT
Gordon Elliott's Quilixios won the Tattersalls Ireland Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown in straightforward fashion. Click here for FREE video replay and full results The son of Maxios - sent off the 4/6 favourite - was making it three from three over obstacles after wins at Punchestown and Down Royal during October and, having skipped a potential engagement over Christmas, resumed where he left off with a clear-cut success under Jack Kennedy. Saint Sam took them along under Danny Mullins with with Ha D'or second and Quilixios soon settled into a rhythm in third. The winner moved up to close the gap on clear leader Saint Sam two out and took over at the head of affairs on the swing into the home straight. He slowed slightly coming into the last flight but took it in his stride and was merely kept up to his work to beat the long-time leader Saint Sam by five and a half lengths. “He made a mistake at the third last and to be fair to him, he picked them up well after that,” said Kennedy. “Once I got to Danny (Mullins, on Saint Sam), I could feel him start to race, but once I got to the front, he idled. He is an idle horse but did it very well.” Elliott, registering his first winner of the Dublin Racing Festival, said: “He was probably the first horse over the weekend we felt had a real chance of winning – yesterday we needed luck to have a winner. It is a relief though. “He’s been flawless and in fairness to him, he hasn’t run since Down Royal. My plan was Chepstow over Christmas, but that was called off. “Tom Malone bought the horse for Cheveley Park and it’s their first Grade One winner since Mr Thompson passed away and they’ve been big supporters of the yard. “He’s more than a juvenile. Both of the good juveniles (stablemate Zanahiyr) are more than just juveniles. “I’d imagine they’ll both have to go to the Triumph.” Sky Bet were suitably impressed by Quilixios, making him 4/1 from 10s for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham, while Paddy Power and Betfair go 11/2 and 8/1 respectively (both from 8/1). Sky Bet's Michael Shinners said: "That was a taking performance from Quilixios who won readily. Gordon Elliott appears to hold a very strong hand for the Triumph Hurdle having both the favourite and second favourite."
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Post by dennisg on Feb 9, 2021 11:36:51 GMT
Taunton’s meeting was abandoned after an early-morning inspection on Tuesday – leaving a second successive blank day in the British jump racing calendar. As the freeze takes hold, Taunton’s card was called off before 7am. A Tweet on Taunton’s official account read: “Racing today has been abandoned. Temps overnight down to – 3C. Course frozen with no prospect/forecast of temps rising above 0C until around 1pm with a high of +1C” Market Rasen’s meeting was abandoned after an inspection the previous afternoon – but there will be a jumpers’ bumper card at Kempton on Tuesday, after that course passed a morning inspection called because of forecast overnight snow. Southwell’s all-weather evening Flat fixture is also set to go ahead. Doncaster’s meeting on Thursday will, however, not take place after the course failed inspection on Tuesday morning – with snow on the track while Wednesday’s National Hunt card at Ludlow was also abandoned following an inspection on Tuesday morning.
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Post by dennisg on Feb 9, 2021 11:39:57 GMT
Waiting Patiently will sidestep the Cheltenham Festival and instead be aimed at the Grand National meeting at Aintree. Ruth Jefferson’s stable star made a hugely encouraging return from over a year off the track when runner-up to Frodon in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. The talented 10-year-old was subsequently dropped in trip from three miles to two miles and a furlong for the Clarence House Chase at Ascot, where after being supplemented he finished third to First Flow and Politologue. Having already been taken out of the Queen Mother Champion Chase, Waiting Patiently retained the option of running in either the Ryanair Chase or the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the Cotswolds, but has now been scratched from those races, too. Jefferson said: “I took him out of the Queen Mother ages ago and I’ve now taken him out of the Ryanair and the Gold Cup. “Thinking about it, we felt the King George wasn’t the fastest run three-mile race in the world, so maybe the Gold Cup wasn’t the right option. “And after his last race, he was going to need a little bit of veterinary attention, so we thought we’d leave him for Aintree. “He’s not had an issue as such, but the longer between his Ascot run and his next run the better.” Reflecting on Waiting Patiently’s latest performance, North Yorkshire-based Jefferson added: “I just thought he was flat out, to be honest. “He came into the race and just stayed on at the same pace.”
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Post by dennisg on Feb 9, 2021 11:41:31 GMT
Viewers of this week’s Soccer Saturday programme may notice an empty chair at 3.35pm as Harry Redknapp nips off to watch his horse Shakem Up’Arry in the valuable Betfair Hurdle at Newbury. Trained by Ben Pauling, Shakem Up’Arry will arrive at Newbury with solid claims having finished second to Metier in the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown last time out. He meets the winner again, but is much better off at the weights this time and Redknapp is just hoping his TV absence while the race is being run goes unnoticed. “I’m doing Soccer Saturday this week with Jeff Stelling,” said Redknapp. “I’ve never done it before, but they asked me about six weeks ago, before I knew the horse was running and I said I would. “I’m going to have to find a way to get out for five minutes to watch the race because I’m not missing it!” Shakem Up’Arry has always been held in high regard, but has had the misfortune of bumping into some top-class prospects to date. “We love him. Ben likes him very much but he’s come up against some good horses. He came up against (Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner) Shishkin at Newbury, we were actually favourite that day,” Redknapp said, on a call hosted by Great British Racing. “He jumped the last upsides going equally as well, but he went away from us on the run. We’ve also come up against Mister Coffey, so he’s come up against some good ones. “Ben says the horse is really well. We’ll need it, but we’ve got a 13lb swing at the weights with the favourite (Metier) from Sandown, which should bring us closer together.” As for his name, Redknapp took inspiration from his days managing West Ham United. He said: “There used to be a guy who stood behind me at West Ham when I was manager and for 90 minutes he’d just shout ‘shake ’em up ‘Arry’, and it was all I could hear on a Saturday night when I got home. When I played, someone used to shout ‘wake up Harry’, so I’ve got one called that as well. “When I came to picking my colours I was just trying to keep everybody happy, as I wasn’t sure where I’d be managing at the time!” Redknapp’s interest in racing stems from his grandmother and he explained: “My nan was the bookies’ runner in our street in the east end of London, for Frankie Brown. “Cyril the Paper Boy – who would have been 60-odd but we still called him that – he would come to my nan’s because she would collect all the bets in our street. She’d take a paper off him and drop the bets in his basket. “I would come home for my school dinner and my nan would be being taken off to the police station because it was illegal. I was about six or seven, she’d be shouting ‘your dinner’s in the oven, I’ll only be an hour’. She’d get a slap on the wrist and we’d listen to the results on the radio when she got home. “The next day Cyril would be back with any winnings. Three tuppenny doubles and a tuppenny treble was the standard bet. I had no choice but to be interested. I couldn’t read or write at eight years of age, but my nan would give me a pen to pick out some horses. She was amazing, Maggie, my nan. “I remember going to Ascot and being in a box with Michael Tabor and JP (McManus) thinking, ‘what would my nan think now’.” Should Shakem Up’Arry win this weekend, his Cheltenham entries might not seem so fanciful and Redknapp, like most, would love nothing more than a winner at the Festival. “The dream would be to have a winner at Cheltenham one day, but everybody who is involved in racing has the same dream. It’s not easy, obviously. It must be amazing to have a winner there, what a great Festival it is,” he said. “Wake Up Harry is entered in the Derby and I’d love a runner in that, but we’ll wait and see how good he is. He won well the other week and could be half decent.” One thing he will not be doing, though, is joining the likes of Mick Channon and Micky Quinn, as a former footballer in the training ranks. He added: “I’ve no intentions of training, I wouldn’t know enough about it. There’s nothing worse for a trainer than some busy owner telling them what to do having never trained a horse in their life. It’s a little bit like football – I never liked being told by someone who hadn’t done it.”
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Post by dennisg on Feb 9, 2021 11:44:39 GMT
Officials at Newbury have covered the entire course in a bid to give their Betfair Super Saturday meeting every chance of beating the freezing weather. Clerk of the course Keith Ottesen was happy with the state of the track on Monday and reported the ground to be soft as they prepare for arctic conditions. “We’ve covered the track. It’s a big job. We put them down on Sunday and we’re just finishing off in a few places today,” said Ottesen. “It’s quite cold. We’re all right today, it’s soft ground. The forecast is for it to be very cold all week. We’ll just keep an eye on it and hope for the best “We will monitor it closely all week. We’ve done what we can and we’ll hope for the best.” Saturday is one of Newbury’s biggest meetings of the winter, featuring the Betfair Hurdle, the Betfair Denman Chase and the Betfair Cheltenham Free Bet Pot Builder Chase, registered as the Game Spirit. The week began on a cold note with Monday’s scheduled jumps meetings at Plumpton and Carlisle both abandoned after failing early-morning inspections. The course at Carlisle was frozen, with the frost at Plumpton compounded by a covering of snow. In Ireland, the Monday card at Fairyhouse did pass its morning inspection – but it was announced at the same time that Wednesday’s scheduled meeting there will not take place, because the inside track set to be used then is waterlogged. Tuesday’s jumps meeting at Market Rasen has been abandoned due to snow following an inspection on Monday. “Unfortunately following heavy snowfall overnight and this morning, the track is now snow-covered and unraceable. With further snow forecast and sub-zero temperatures between now and racing, there is little chance for improvement,” the Lincolnshire course announced on their Twitter feed. The UK’s other jumps meeting tomorrow is at Taunton, but that is subject to a precautionary inspection at 8am on race day. The course was frost free on Monday morning, but temperatures are set to dip to -3C overnight and are likely to struggle to get above freezing during Tuesday. The going is described as soft, heavy in places. Ludlow’s jumps fixture on Wednesday is subject to an inspection at 11am on Tuesday because of frosts in the forecast and wind chill. The course was raceable on Monday. Doncaster’s jumps meeting on Thursday is in doubt. Officials will look at the course at 8am on Tuesday as the track is currently unraceable. It is waterlogged with standing water in places and a light covering of snow. Further snow is forecast with temperatures on Tuesday not to set rise above +2C and overnight lows of -4C. Friday’s jumps meeting at Kempton has been called off following a 2pm inspection on Monday.
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Post by dennisg on Feb 10, 2021 11:18:36 GMT
Paul Nicholls reports Hitman to be none the worse after falling in the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown on Saturday. Hugely impressive on his British debut at Ffos Las in November, the French recruit subsequently chased home Dan Skelton’s Allmankind when stepped up to Grade One level for the first time in Sandown’s Henry VIII Novices’ Chase the following month. The five-year-old returned to the Esher venue for another top-level assignment last weekend – and was still travelling strongly when coming to grief at the first of the Railway Fences. Speaking on a call hosted by Great British Racing, Nicholls said: “It was very frustrating – I don’t think I’ve seen Harry (Cobden, jockey) that frustrated after a race for a long time. “He was travelling extremely well and jumped impeccably. He was just a bit unlucky he landed a little bit steep. “He’s come out of the race fine and we’ve just got to make a plan as to what we’re going to do with him going forward.” Hitman holds entries in the Arkle Trophy and the Marsh Novices’ Chase at next month’s Cheltenham Festival, but could sidestep the showpiece meeting in the Cotswolds entirely. Nicholls added: “I wouldn’t mind saving him for Aintree. He’s a horse who doesn’t want a lot of racing this year. He’s only just turned five and he’s going to improve physically for another summer. “You wouldn’t do Cheltenham and Aintree and Cheltenham might come a bit quick off the back of a fall. “I wouldn’t mind getting a clear round in somewhere on a small track and then go to Aintree.”
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Post by dennisg on Feb 10, 2021 11:20:38 GMT
Get the latest racing weather news as Wednesday’s all-weather fixture at Newcastle was called off due to snow. The venue was due to stage a seven-race card, but overnight snow forced clerk of the course James Armstrong to take an initial look at 8am, before checking conditions again at 10am. That second inspection showed the track was not fit for action and Armstrong abandoned the fixture, with an inspection called for 10am on Thursday ahead of the planned evening card. Armstrong said: “We’ve had something like three inches of snow, but it’s powdery, dry stuff. It’s cold, the temperatures aren’t going to start rising until later this morning and there’s the possibility of more snow. “We’ve worked the track, but it’s got into the surface profile and it’s starting to ball up a bit, so it’s a fairly easy decision to make really. “We’ll inspect at 10am for tomorrow’s meeting. We’ll use the windows of sunshine today to work the track and try to help it thaw out.” Wolverhampton’s evening card was also subject to a 10am check, but the fixture got the go-ahead. There will be no jumps action in Britain on Thursday though, as Ffos Las’ meeting has been called off due to a frozen track. Officials had hoped to escape the worst of the overnight freeze and called a precautionary inspection for 8.30am on Wednesday. However, that check showed the track to be unraceable with little prospect of sufficient improvement. The course tweeted: “Despite the huge efforts of our ground staff team to cover the course, tomorrow’s race meeting has been abandoned – parts of the track are frozen and temperatures are not forecast to rise sufficiently for it to thaw.” Thursday’s Thurles card is also under threat, with a precautionary check planned for 7.30am on race day. An Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board statement said: “Due to a Status Yellow weather warning in place for snow and ice, there will be a 7.30am precautionary inspection at Thurles tomorrow (Thursday) ahead of the fixture scheduled to take place. “The track is currently fit for racing and the going is soft (chase) and soft to heavy (hurdle/bumper).”
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Post by dennisg on Feb 10, 2021 11:22:01 GMT
Altior has the chance to prove he is still a force to be reckoned with in the two-mile division in Saturday’s Betfair Cheltenham Free Pot Builder Chase at Newbury. Nicky Henderson’s superstar has won the Grade Two event, registered as the Game Spirit Chase, three times already, but he has plenty to prove this weekend. Having missed the defence of his Champion Chase crown through an 11th hour setback last term, he did not reappear until Kempton at Christmas, when he had no answer to Nube Negra in finishing a laboured three-and-a-half-length second. Henderson thinks Altior is on better terms with himself now, though, and is banking on him to regain the winning thread. “He’s good, I think. Everything has gone well and this is the next step,” he said. “He likes Newbury and his demeanour seems better to me than it was prior to Christmas – he’s more like his old self. “The one thing he loves is schooling. I’m not very good at filming and blogging and the like, but we schooled him the other morning and (my wife) Sophie filmed him. We were schooling in the fog, you couldn’t see the first fence then this thing appeared, jumping the three in the middle of the five and then he disappeared into the fog again. “You could see how incredibly quick, fast and accurate he is through the air. Nico (de Boinville) likes schooling him, but I find it terrifying to watch. There’s no point anything trying to go with him because, at home, nothing can.” Should things not go to plan this weekend, Altior does still have the option of stepping up in trip for the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham. Nicky Henderson looks on Nicky Henderson looks on “We’ve kept the option open of the Ryanair, he’s stayed in both,” Henderson said in a call hosted by Great British Racing. “We’ve said before, Champion Chase but not full stop. It does look as if he’s lost a yard of pace. Two or three years ago we didn’t have a horse in the place who could work with him – it was like Sprinter Sacre and Simonsig, they were the only two who could go with each other. “If after Newbury it looked like he did need two and a half, then he’s got the option. Nico has been desperate to run him over it ever since the fateful day at Ascot (when beaten by Cyrname last season). That wasn’t because of stamina he got beaten that day, it was ground and lack of fitness – I should never have run him.” Paul Nicholls has two possibles in Greaneteen, second in the Tingle Creek, and Magic Saint. “They’re both going to run and they’re both in good shape,” said Nicholls. “We’ve left Greaneteen off since he ran very well in the Tingle Creek. The idea was to give him a prep here and it will give us a little bit of a guide as to whether we go for the Champion Chase or we go down the Ryanair route. “Harry (Cobden) got off him at Sandown and said he might want two and a half (miles), but he goes well fresh and is in seriously good order and he’ll run well on Saturday. “He doesn’t have to go to Cheltenham. He could even go to Aintree and there’s the Celebration Chase at Sandown at the end of the season. “Magic Saint has been running very well this season and won well at Cheltenham early on. “He’s now in the grip of the handicapper, so he has to run in graded races rather than handicaps. “He goes well fresh and schooled great this morning. He’s won at Newbury before and is well capable of running very well on Saturday.” Given Altior’s defeat last time out, Nicholls believes now could be a good time to take him on having come off second best behind him so many times. “He (Altior) is probably not on the upgrade now. He’s been at this level and done very well, but obviously he got beat the last day in Kempton, which shows he is beatable,” said Nicholls. “It might be now that he possibly wants a bit further than two miles. At Kempton, it looked to me like he was flat out most of the way and he ran a mighty race considering he’s an 11-year-old. “He could be a little bit vulnerable nowadays to younger, improving horses. That’s always the case when horses have been very good and then they get to 11 or 12 and the younger horses are going to be snapping at their heels. “Altior is the one we’ve got to beat, but he is beatable. You’ve got to be positive and give it a go and I think our horses are in good shape.” Mullins' big guns give Henderson food for thought Nicky Henderson is “praying” Newbury’s meeting gets the go-ahead on Saturday so he can put the finishing touches to several of his Cheltenham team in preparation for taking on the in-form Willie Mullins squad. As well as vital prep races for the likes of Altior and Champ, having witnessed Mullins’ domination of the Dublin Racing Festival, Henderson knows nothing less than 100 per cent will do at Cheltenham. “I wish I hadn’t watched it actually – it was slightly frightening!” said Henderson of Leopardstown’s two-day fixture. “I certainly haven’t shown it to one or two horses. I don’t think Epatante needed to see Honeysuckle, or Shishkin needed to see Willie’s two-mile novice (Energumene) and Altior needed to see Chacun Por Soi. “I saw them and it gave me a mighty fright. I’ve never seen anything like it. Well done Willie – it was the most staggering weekend.” The Dublin Racing Festival also gives the Irish horses an extra week to get over their exertions before Cheltenham, and Henderson is just hoping for no hiccups at this late stage. Monkfish: One of a group of exceptional novice chasers Ben Linfoot speaks to Ireland’s senior National Hunt handicapper Sandy Shaw to reflect on the Dublin Racing Festival “The timing for them is better than this weekend for us, to be honest, to Cheltenham. From the Irish point of view, it will be perfect,” Henderson said on a call hosted by Great British Racing. “There’s always pressure. These aren’t trials, but for Champ (in the Denman Chase) it is a form of prep race as he hasn’t had one since the RSA. For Altior (in the Game Spirit), it’s more of a trial as I need to prove he’s a Champion Chase horse. “He’s already won it, but he didn’t make it last year because of a splint. “The dream is still alive with them, but by Saturday night the dream could be over and that would be blisteringly disappointing, because when you think you have a Gold Cup horse and a Champion Chaser, I need to go to bed on Saturday night still having them. “If everything went badly wrong on Saturday from our point of view, it would be like being stabbed in the back, so we go into these sorts of days with a certain amount of trepidation. “If for some reason Champ’s jumping went to pot, we’ve left him in the Stayers’ Hurdle so he could go down that route, but I know (owner) JP (McManus’) team and ourselves see that as a very reserve engagement.” While Henderson is already worrying about the competition at Cheltenham, of more concern is that this meeting beats the weather. “If this meeting was lost, we’d desperately request that both these races, and the Betfair Hurdle as that is important too, were saved. We’ve got to get runs into them,” he said. “We could do an awful lot with them at home, but having watched last weekend in Ireland, we are going to have to be pencil sharp to take on Willie and everybody. You can see how good the opposition is, so we have got to be razor sharp. “I’m praying because we are primed for it, I don’t need another week. Often you’d buy another, but I really don’t need it because it’s starting to get close to Cheltenham, so anything like a hard race and it’s getting short enough to recover. “I seriously hope and pray that if this weekend was unable to go ahead, they could reschedule the two big races, the Betfair Hurdle and I’d like the bumper as well. It would be nice to have all of them. “We need to answer back this weekend, we need to stake a claim, all of us, or we’ll get whitewashed and we don’t want that. We’ve got a strong team with Altior, Champ, Santini and the Champion Hurdle squad is strong. Honeysuckle versus Epatante will be fascinating. Buveur D’Air wants his crown back as well. “We’ve got to look forward to what is coming ahead.”
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Post by dennisg on Feb 10, 2021 11:23:19 GMT
A review of the day's jumpers bumper action at Kempton as Balco Coastal impressed for Nicky Henderson and Ecco won for Paul Nicholls. Coastal class at Kempton With Newbury at the mercy of the weather, Nicky Henderson might be prevented from adding to his enviable tally in the Betfair Hurdle – but he kept the Seven Barrows machine ticking over courtesy of a useful-looking prospect in Balco Coastal at Kempton’s jumpers’ bumper fixture. Balco Coastal started a well-supported 5-4 shot as he launched a double for the trainer and jockey Nico de Boinville. In bitterly cold conditions the former point-to-pointer took apart his rivals to gallop home unchallenged in the first division of the vbet.co.uk Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race, passing the post 17 lengths clear of Get Sky High. Henderson, who is now in a dilemma over whether to go hurdling with his winner, said. He explained: “He’s a lovely horse, but he doesn’t do that at home! “I just got frustrated and didn’t want to run him on heavy ground. He was second in a point-to-point to Gentlemansgame, who just the other day was second in a Grade One at Leopardstown so suddenly that form looked quite smart. “We are in a bit of a dilemma now because I was about to go novice hurdling with him, but I would suggest I might put that out of the window for now as it looks to me – I haven’t talked to his owner Mark Blandford yet – but I would be thinking he ought to stay a novice for next season.” De Boinville said: “I haven’t ridden on the all-weather course here for a while and have learned as much as the horse. He’s sure to stay two and a half miles and will love good to soft on turf.” 🚀 Say hello to Balco Coastal! 🏇 @sevenbarrows has a nice team of bumper horses this season and this easy @kemptonparkrace winner is another. 🤔 Remember the name...pic.twitter.com/GnchMqtgEU — Sporting Life (@sportinglife) February 9, 2021 Hooper shows his class On 5-2 favourite Hooper in the Gamble Responsibly With Vbet ‘Jumpers Bumper’ National Hunt Flat Race, De Boinville rode his luck behind horses until straightening for home. His mount had settled beautifully and readily picked up to grab long-time leader Confirmation Bias. The jockey reported: “He was lovely there, the way he settled and I felt more comfortable on him as I knew he had plenty of gears from his Flat speed for the finish.” The combination were denied a treble in the Play 5Up For Free At Vbet Jumpers Bumper when Mengli Khan was grabbed late by Earlofthecotswolds (3-1). The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained winner had been difficult to win with, and his rider Sam Twiston-Davies said: “He’s quite pacey at home, but it’s been hard to get his head in front. I’m delighted with that.” Brick causes surprise The Emma Lavelle-trained Bricklagger had no public form and went off an unconsidered 66-1 shot, but he proved more than a match for his foes in division two of the vet.co.uk Standard Open NH Flat Race. Under Adam Wedge the chestnut stayed on resolutely to go past the green Season In The Sun and then hold fellow outsider Grosvenor Court and Phillipstown Ellen. Lavelle said: “He did it well and I’m very pleased. He’s bred to be a Flat horse, and what’s happened today has opened things up for him.” As could be expected from a mare by Presenting, Aggy With It greatly enjoyed moving on the all-weather on return from a mid-season break for Dan and Harry Skelton. A dual novice hurdle winner in October and November, the seven-year-old arrived hard on the steel approaching the final furlong of the Bet Better With Vbet Jumpers Bumper and cruised to a length-and-three-quarters triumph over the promising Timberman, who was demoted to third in favour of Fontana Ellissi following a stewards’ inquiry. “She came here to have a leg stretch,” said Harry Skelton of the 7-1 winner. “She wants a bit of nice ground when we take her back over hurdles. She’ll come on for this, as she’s been quiet through the winter.” Ecco lands a gamble Ecco, on whom Harry Cobden replaced Lorcan Williams, was a well-supported 5-2 favourite for the Follow @vbet-uk On Twitter Jumpers Bumper and cruised into contention, although in the end the Paul Nicholls-trained six-year-old had to be ridden right out to repel the game Commanche Red. Cobden admitted: “Turning into the straight I was right at home, but it took him longer to see off the other horse than I thought it would.” There have been many upsets in the jumper-bumper arena and Billy’s Angel posted another at 33-1 in the Best Odds Guaranteed At Vbet National Hunt Flat Race, reeling in long-time leader Lantiern for trainer Amy Murphy and jockey Jack Quinlan.
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Post by dennisg on Feb 10, 2021 11:24:30 GMT
Donald McCain could skip Cheltenham in preference for Aintree with Musselburgh winners Fiveandtwenty and Bareback Jack. The duo have both won three times since joining McCain and took their form to a new level at the weekend. Juvenile hurdler Fiveandtwenty, with Mark Johnston on the Flat, won a Listed event by four lengths and Grade One company now beckons on Merseyside. “It was a good weekend, very positive,” said McCain. “We were a little disappointed the last time she won, but to be fair to her, she’s now been up there three times and stayed overnight each time, the second time there wasn’t much of a gap. “She’d had more time this time and was obviously the better for it. “At the moment it’s all systems go for Aintree.” Bareback Jack beat a quality opponent in Dan Skelton’s Third Time Lucki, who eventually faded into fourth after the two were locked in battle all the way up the straight in the Scottish Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. “I suppose people can say the favourite made a mistake at the last, but we weren’t clever at it and I think we had his measure going to it,” said McCain. “He was a bit careful two out and he lacks a bit of racing experience. “We’re really positive about him because he can only improve for better ground, I think, and by the end of two days at Musselburgh it was a bit of a mess. “He’s a very neat jumper. He’s not got the physique of a chaser at the moment, but the way he jumps suggests to me he’ll be a two to two-and-a-half-mile chaser. “Tim (Leslie, owner) and myself are big fans of Aintree. He’s in at Cheltenham, but this year I don’t think we’d be in a rush to take him there. Aintree should suit him, so there’s a strong possibility he might end up there. “We might look to take him somewhere before then, but it’s not easy at the minute. The Premier Hurdle (at Kelso) is an option, but the ground is likely to be slow so we’ll see.”
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Post by dennisg on Feb 12, 2021 10:47:56 GMT
Newbury and Warwick have both abandoned their weekend cards after the frozen tracks failed Friday morning inspections. Newbury’s Betfair Hurdle fixture is therefore set to take place on Sunday February 21 – while Warwick’s meeting, featuring the Agetur UK Kingmaker Novices’ Chase, will be put back just two days to Monday. The British Horseracing Authority announced those contingency plans on Thursday. It was no surprise, after a week of freezing temperatures nationwide and snow which has wiped out the British jumps fixture list since last Sunday, that Saturday’s scheduled cards did not pass their inspections. Both courses were scheduled to check at 8.30am, but Newbury was able to announce shortly before 8am that the inspection was failed after another freezing night. Temperatures dropped to -5C and were still only -2C on Friday morning. At Warwick, it was confirmed just after 8.30am that – with some frozen areas under the covers – the meeting is to be transferred to Monday. Friday evening’s scheduled all-weather Flat meeting at Chelmsford was also abandoned after a morning inspection because of the freezing conditions and with snow still on the track. In Ireland, Naas has announced a 730am inspection because of a forecast for snow and ice before Saturday’s card.
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Post by dennisg on Feb 12, 2021 10:50:05 GMT
Charlie Appleby and William Buick took the honours with a treble at Meydan on Thursday, highlighted by Zakouski’s success in the Al Rashidiya. The five-year-old had been beaten by Lord Glitters over the course and distance three weeks ago, but turned the tables in comprehensive fashion. Buick had Zakouski well-positioned just off the pace set by Court House, before moving the Shamardal gelding off the rail early in the straight to make his move. Quickening into the lead, Zakouski (10/11 favourite) went on to win by three-quarters of a length from Court House, who just held Lord Glitters for the second spot. Appleby said: “I’m delighted. He’s definitely stepped forward for his first run. I felt that race became a bit disjointed. “Coming into this evening we felt there would be more of a sensible pace and William got a lovely ride out there. “We’ve stepped him up in trip there so we will probably look at the Jebel Hatta on Super Saturday as a semi-final for World Cup night.” Zakouski was cut to 7/1 from 10/1 for the Dubai Turf on World Cup night with Paddy Power. The red-hot combination got the meeting off to the best possible start when Star Safari (5/2 joint-favourite) took the Emirates Sky Cargo Handicap. Star Safari was produced late to score by three-quarters of a length after two of Appleby’s other runners in the mile-and-a-half contest, Saqqara King and Al Dabaran, had made the running. Secret Protector looked a bright prospect when landing the odds in cosy fashion to give the pair a quick double in the Meydan Trophy. The 4/11 favourite led a furlong and a half from home and bounded clear to win by five and a half lengths from Areen. The War Front colt had looked very promising in both his starts at Kempton and could be set for a good campaign on turf in the UK. “I think he’s going to be one of the horses that is going to be towards the forefront of our three-year-old squad,” said Appleby. “He’d have gained a lot of confidence this evening and physically he’s improving week on week. We’ll go back and look at the options. We’ve got something like the Feilden over nine furlongs at Newmarket. “William said he could come back in trip. Personally I think he could be a nice 10-furlong horse for 2021. We’ve had a good night and we’ve had a few get beat as well. It shows how strong the competition is at the Carnival.” Secret Protector was given a quote of 50/1 for the 2000 Guineas with Paddy Power. Salute The Soldier (11/2) put himself into contention for the Dubai World Cup with victory in round two of the Al Maktoum Challenge. Third in round one three weeks earlier, the Fawzi Nass-trained six-year-old was always in a good position behind the pace-setting Capezzano. Adrie De Vries kicked on a furlong and a half out, but the strong gallop started to tell and he was all out to hold Thegreatcollection by a length. De Vries said: “He hit the front soon enough. He always just does enough. He was getting very tired towards the end, but he was entitled to. We went fast and the ground is riding a bit deep. “Hopefully we can now go for the big one (Dubai World Cup) with this horse. He has to step up again, but I think he will learn from today. He’s a late maturer and there is still room for improvement.” The John Gosden-trained Dubai Warrior was awash with sweat before the race and was never at the races. Pushed along from the start, he was eased down by Frankie Dettori when well-beaten some way from home.
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Post by dennisg on Feb 12, 2021 10:51:44 GMT
Altior is far from certain to take up an opportunity at Newbury on Sunday week as connections weigh up the “pros and cons” of a race so close to Cheltenham. The ground will be a major consideration as it is well documented that testing conditions do not suit Nicky Henderson’s charge, particularly in view of the time he will have to recover prior to the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase. The Berkshire track’s Betfair Super Saturday fixture is already in serious doubt following several days of sub-zero temperatures, with an inspection called for 8.30am on Friday. Discussions have taken place about the possibility of the entire card being switched to a later date, and it was confirmed on Thursday that a Sunday slot on February 21 has been arranged. Altior has been declared for the Cheltenham Free Bet Pot Builder Chase – better known as the Game Spirit – with leading Gold Cup contender Champ in the Betfair Denman Chase. The latter has not run since last year’s victory in the RSA Chase at the Festival. Why Harry Redknapp will have to leave his Soccer Saturday chair! Henderson said: “It’s highly commendable that the card could be going to be re-run and we’re grateful the opportunity to run Champ and Altior is available. “As far as Altior is concerned, I need to discuss further with Patricia and Christopher Pugh to sum up the pros and cons of a race at this stage, particularly with a view to the going we might encounter on Sunday week, which is all important. This is relevant to the reduced time gap between the two races. “As far as Champ is concerned, he is coming off a longer lay off and it is more important that he has a race prior to the Gold Cup, which, in fairness, is only two days short of a month between the two. “Obviously we will keep all options open and everybody up to date with our plans.” Henderson added: “I must say it will be a great effort on behalf of Newbury, the British Horseracing Authority, the sponsors and ITV should it all come off. “It will be a big effort from everybody involved and we’re very grateful.”
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Post by dennisg on Feb 13, 2021 10:26:33 GMT
A busy afternoon in store for Betfair ambassador Gordon Elliott at Naas. Check out his thoughts on his runners. For more exclusive Gordon Elliott content visit betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/gordon-elliott/12:35 Landing Zone He is a horse we picked up quite cheaply at an online sale a few months ago and I think we could have some fun with him. He’s a grand, honest type who has schooled well over hurdles so far and I’ve been looking to start him out for the last few weeks. Hopefully he will run a solid race but I think he will prefer better ground and I’d be expecting him to progress well later in the spring. 13:05 Don Diablo Don Diablo has been ready to run again for the last number of weeks. He’s in good shape and has schooled fine over hurdles since he last ran in a bumper so hopefully he could show up well. His bumper form looks quite respectable and would suggest to me that he should be competitive in maiden hurdles so I’d put him up as having an each way chance although I do think he will improve for this run. Get FREE bets at Cheltenham Festival Get FREE bets at Cheltenham Festival 13:40 Shattered Love and Tintangle This trip is a bit on the short side for Shattered Love but I am keen to get a run into her before the new mares chase at Cheltenham and this looked a nice option for her even though she would prefer further. She’s in good form and has been ready to run again for the last few weeks so I’m looking forward to getting her out again and despite the distance not being ideal I’d expect a good run from her. Elimay will be hard to beat though. Tintangle is a disappointing mare. She has plenty of ability and would be more than good enough to play a leading role here at her best but you just don’t know what to expect from her. After a good run back over hurdles at Navan in December she was going to be well beaten when coming down at the second last in a mares handicap hurdle at Leopardstown last weekend. She did run well in this last year and hopefully she will do so again but she does have her own ideas about things. 14:15 Minella Till Dawn and Gun Digger Minella Till Dawn won a handicap chase at this trip at Cork last season and went on to be placed in a decent handicap at Navan a few months later. He hasn’t run to that level in two starts this season but maybe a return to this sort of trip will suit him and he is dropping down in grade having contested the Troytown last time so a combination of a drop in class and coming here fresh might also help him. At his best he has his chance but he’s not the easiest to predict. Gun Digger has struggled badly for form so far this season but he has dropped a few pounds in the weights which might help him and he started to come back to himself around this time last year after a string of similar efforts. He has the ability to run well in a race like this but it’s just a question of which Gun Digger turns up. 14:50 Sideshift Sideshift got a little break for the winter as I wasn’t sure he wanted really testing ground. The ground here will certainly be softer than ideal and I think he will need this run a little as it will be his first for three months but I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him run well given what he showed on his first couple of runs over hurdles. Hopefully he will run well but there will be better to come from him later in the spring. 15:25 O Connell Street He got a break after his last run and is ready to start back but I think he will need this run and he would prefer better ground too so this won’t be easy for him off top weight. I thought his first run for us at Limerick was quite encouraging and if he can get back to that sort of form I hope that he will be making his mark for us later in the season. He might be best watched today though. 16:00 Gevrey I think he is lining up with solid each way claims. He has a bit to do on ratings but he has been holding his form well all season and shouldn’t be far away. His penultimate third in a competitive rated novice at Punchestown gives him a chance and he was in contention when he exited at the second last at Clonmel last time. The winner would have been very hard to beat at Clonmel but I think Gevrey could have finished second and a similar showing here should enable him to get involved. 16:35 Blacktrenchwarrior & Eyewitness Blacktrenchwarrior wouldn’t be a certain stayer on pedigree but he shapes like a horse who could get this trip so we will see how he gets on. He has been working fine and looks ready for a run and whatever he does here he will improve on in due course. Eyewitness ran a respectable race over this course and distance last month when he was third to a very smart looking filly of Willie’s. The ground here is likely to be similarly testing which wouldn’t be absolutely ideal as I’d say he wouldn’t mind better ground but he showed enough on his debut to suggest that he could win a four-year-old bumper and the benefit of previous experience will also be a help to him.
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Post by dennisg on Feb 13, 2021 10:27:42 GMT
Runners at Naas and Punchestown this weekend for Betfair ambassador Joseph O'Brien. Check out his guide. For more exclusive content from Joseph visit betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/joseph-obrien/Saturday Naas 14:50 – Druid’s Altar Druid’s Altar made a winning debut over hurdles at Punchestown in November, but has struggled a bit in stronger company since then. He benefited from a drop in class to finish a moderate second at Fairyhouse last time and this race is probably another step down the class ladder for him. Conditions will suit and he will hopefully be Sunday Punchestown 14:00 – Fire Attack and Uhtred Fire Attack made a really promising hurdling debut when second in a Grade 3 novice at Navan in November, but hasn’t built on that in two starts since. He isn’t the easiest of rides as he can get quite strong in his races, but he has the ability to be competitive in this sort of company if er can convince him to race more efficiently. Uhtred is a promising horse that has won both his starts in bumpers and made a promising hurdling debut in between those two wins last season. We had a small setback with him earlier this season which held us up, but he is a good shape now and ready to run. This is a tough enough ask for his seasonal reappearance, but we’ll be hoping that he can show plenty of promise. Get FREE bets at Cheltenham Festival Get FREE bets at Cheltenham Festival Punchestown 16:00 Duc D’Allier and Sempo We were delighted to see Duc D’Allier make a winning chasing debut on his first start for us at Fairyhouse last month. He had been off the track for a very long time, so it was great to see him perform so well. I’d be hopeful that his jumping will sharpen up with that experience under his belt and all being well he should be competitive in this contest. Sempo has had no luck over fences so far, twice getting no further than the first fence, though the most recent occasion wasn’t his fault as he was badly hampered by a faller in front of him. He was a smart novice hurdler last season and the ability is still there, he just needs to put it all together over fences. Punchestown 16:30 – Smoking Gun, Thermistocles and High Sparrow Smoking Gun is a horse we like and has it in him to win a race like this. He ran well for a long way in the Thyetses at Gowran Park last time, but the very testing ground probably caught him out in the end. This longer trip should be ok for him and hopefully he’ll run a good race. Thermistocles is unexposed over fences and made a promising return over hurdles last time having got interfered with in the straight. He gives the impression that this longer trip will be ok for him and he is an interesting contender. High Sparrow is a rock solid in this type of contest. While the handicapper probably has a good enough hold on him, he’ll relish the test the race presents and will hopefully run another solid race.
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Post by dennisg on Feb 13, 2021 10:30:47 GMT
Racing is facing its “most critical period” since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, industry leaders have warned. Deep concerns have been aired about the potential impact from the introduction of affordability thresholds for online betting customers, with the Gambling Commission currently undergoing a consultation process on on remote customer interaction, while the continued absence of spectators from racecourses and Brexit issues are also prominent. The British Horseracing Authority has submitted a response to the Gambling Commission on behalf of the industry, and a statement issued from the sport’s tripartite members said: “The submission focuses on the economic consequences for racing and jobs in rural areas, the lack of evidence in support of the intervention and the disproportionate impact on people who bet safely and lawfully. “The BHA, the Racecourse Association and The Horsemen’s Group discussed the industry’s response at a meeting last week and believe there could be a disastrous impact on racing’s finances and its recovery from Covid-19. “Racing supports the Government’s review of the 2005 Gambling Act and its intention to address the potential for harm. It agrees that gambling laws should be fit for the digital age as well as recognise the economic contribution made by the betting industry and associated industries such as horseracing. “The BHA’s members believe this is the appropriate way to consider a significant intervention such as a new affordability threshold and that parliamentarians should examine any resulting proposals.” Racecourse Association chief executive David Armstrong said: “Racing is approaching the most critical period since the beginning of the pandemic. “With external regulatory issues facing us in the form of the Affordability Review, the Gambling Act Review and Brexit plus no immediate prospect of racegoers returning, the next six months will be the most crucial period on our recovery journey. “The support from the Members Committee at this time is very welcome – the industry must pull together in these challenging times.” On the subject of spectators and the impact of the pandemic, BHA chief executive Julie Harrington said: “A majority of our work, and of leaders across the industry, is currently focused on a range of financial issues that are vital to racing recovering from the impact of Covid. “We have to plan for a range of possibilities and are working with government and other sports on the return of spectators and owners as soon as that is possible. We thank our owners for their patience and continued support amidst the current uncertainty.” Charlie Liverton, chief executive of the Racehorse Owners Association, said: “The effect of Covid-19 continues to impact British Racing, both on and off the racecourse. The potential ramifications of Government reviews including the Gambling Act and the Affordability Review are concerning, and the support from the Members Committee in tackling these challenges is very welcome. “Owners continue to support the industry week in, week out, and we extend our sincere thanks once again for their contributions. The return of owners to the racecourse remains a key objective, working with the RCA and BHA to open up racecourses to racegoers as soon as regulations allow.”
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Post by dennisg on Feb 13, 2021 10:32:19 GMT
Ben Linfoot chats to in-form trainer David Loughnane who has several big chances at Lingfield and Wolverhampton on Saturday. With all the jumps racing frozen off on Saturday the ITV cameras turn to the all-weather, so the chance is there for the spotlight to shine on some different personalities in the racing game. Viewers will likely recognise Shropshire trainer David Loughnane following his emotional interview on ITV in the July of last year, after he had achieved the biggest win of his training career with Santosha, who had just landed the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot. Since then his yard has gone from strength to strength and he had a terrific time of things in December and January, winning 17 races on the all-weather at a strike-rate of 22%. His horses continue to run well and he has several chances on Saturday, both at Lingfield in the afternoon and at Wolverhampton in the evening. Here he talks us through their assignments while nominating his best chance of a winner… BEST CHANCE – LAMMAS 12.20 Lingfield 3 10 Horse silk Lammas31 Age: 4| Weight: 9-5| J: L Morris| T: D Loughnane| OR: - 5/4 Form: 2 Live betting powered by “I quite fancy LAMMAS in the novice race at Lingfield. He was second first time out at Kempton and I think he could be a nice horse going forward. “A mile at Lingfield may well be a bit short for him, but I think he’ll put in a big performance. “The horses have been flying. We had a great end to last year and a great start to this year so far. Long may it last!” OTHER LINGFIELD RUNNERS APEX KING – 2.35 Lingfield 4 6 Horse silk Apex King32 Age: 7| Weight: 9-4| J: L Morris| T: D Loughnane| OR: 75| CD 7/1 Form: 97304-5 Live betting powered by “We trained Apex King a couple of years ago, he went to a couple of different yards and a new owner for us ended up buying him back. “He had a good first run back, the race just wasn’t run to suit him last time out but he’s very effective over a mile around Lingfield, he’s off a very winnable mark and I just hope there’s some pace in the race. “The better the race the better he runs. I’d have probably been more comfortable if it was a better class race on Saturday as you know they go that little bit quicker.” INEVITABLE OUTCOME - 3.45 Lingfield 3 5 Horse silk Inevitable Outcome22 Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: L Morris| T: D Loughnane| OR: 75| D 4/1 Form: 4941-22 Live betting powered by “She’s not done anything wrong for us, she’s obviously run over six previously and this trip around Lingfield is probably as short as she’d want to go. “She’s in good order and I’d be very hopeful of a big run from her.” WOLVERHAMPTON RUNNERS Jockey Rossa Ryan has struck up a fantastic partnership with Loughnane at Wolverhampton in recent months, winning six times from 16 runners for the handler since September 21, a win strike-rate of 38% and a £1 level-stake profit of +£50.25. Ryan rides three for Loughnane on Saturday night, including the former Dermot Weld-trained Dark Pine, and all are well-fancied… CRITICAL THINKING – 5.45 Wolverhampton 6 9 Horse silk Critical Thinkingp12 Age: 7| Weight: 9-2| J: Rossa Ryan| T: D Loughnane| OR: 70| CD 7/2 Form: 14-3222 Live betting powered by “He’s as consistent as they come and his form speaks for itself. This is his time of year, through the winter on the all-weather, this is when he comes to the fore. It’s a step up again, he’s gone up to a mark of 70 now but he’s every right to be competitive in the race. “He likes Wolverhampton and he’s very effective over seven furlongs. I have no doubt he’ll be seriously involved at the business end of things.” DARK PINE – 7.45 Wolverhampton 5 7 Horse silk Dark Pineb30 Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: Rossa Ryan| T: D Loughnane| OR: 84 7/4 Form: 22627-1 Live betting powered by “He won impressively on debut, he came off a strong pace and hit the line very strongly. We like him and hopefully he can work his way up the handicap mark from where he is. “He’s up 6lb but that’s not too much of a worry, I think there’s plenty more to come and he should be just as effective over a mile and a half in time. "We’re happy over a mile and a quarter for now, he just needs a strong pace to aim at which we should be getting with Arij, who he beat last time, in the field again.” MONSARAZ – 8.15 Wolverhampton 5 8 Horse silk Monsarazt8 Age: 4| Weight: 9-3| J: Rossa Ryan| T: D Loughnane| OR: 63| BF| C| D 9/4 Form: 0589-14 Live betting powered by “I don’t think stepping up in trip to a mile and a half will be a problem to him. It’s a stiff finish at Newcastle and it just didn’t play to his strengths last time, he’s more effective on a flatter galloping track. “He obviously won for us first time out around Wolves and it wasn’t a bad run last time at Newcastle, but the tight turning track at Wolverhampton will suit him better, I’m sure.” Loughnane has one more runner at Wolverhampton on Saturday evening, ridden by P J McDonald…. LOMU – 7.15 Wolverhampton 6 5 Horse silk Lomu11 Age: 7| Weight: 8-6| J: P J McDonald| T: D Loughnane| OR: 88| CD 9/1 Form: 2513-55 Live betting powered by “He’s off a very workable mark and still holds the track record over five furlongs around Wolverhampton. He’s been running very consistently for us and just didn’t handle Southwell last time. “The time before that he was in a conditions stakes, but he’s more effective in a handicap than he is off level weights. “He’ll be a lot more comfortable on Saturday. The draw hasn’t been too kind to him, as it hasn’t been for most of our runners, but he’s got a nice lightweight on his back and we’d be hopeful he can hold his own.” Like what you've read?
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Post by dennisg on Feb 15, 2021 9:57:26 GMT
AFFORDABILITY CHECKS THE LEAST OF RACING’S CONCERNS I wrote last week that there had been an overreaction to the talked about affordability checks being mooted by the Gambling Commission in its efforts to oversee and restrict those with a gambling problem. It’s not simply just because of the bureaucratic issues involved as well as the threats to personal freedom but because the figures being bandied around of limiting losses to £100 a month would make no sense to the government. I stressed that the treasury makes too much from racing and betting for it to be so compromised by such a suggestion. Any potential massive reduction in turnover could not be tolerated by a sport already facing financial hardship, with the additional risk of the loss of thousands of jobs in already difficult economic times. That said, there is a big problem behind all this and racing does need to get pro-active and quickly. With the explosion of on-line betting over the past few years, the Gambling Commission has hardly been ahead of the curve. In fact, their talk of affordability checks across the board over the huge range of products available to bet on, is naïve in the extreme. This is what racing’s rulers should be picking up on. With gambling’s image tainted at best, racing – and indeed other sports – must find a way quickly to convince both the GC and the anti-gambling lobby that sports betting is a world away from betting on on-line slots, casinos and bingo, etc, which have been largely responsible for the addiction issues. Most of the time sports betting is a test of knowledge, feel and skill, not merely of pure chance with the odds deliberately stacked against you. I say this with the obvious irony that it was on the back of the real-life slot machines, the FOBT’s in the betting shops, that were largely responsible for the rocketing of bookmaker profits from which racing happily took its share. It was significant that Flutter’s executive chairman, Ian Proctor, weighed in with his views this week about the affordability levels being set too low. I suppose he would say that, wouldn’t he? But if racing and betting can come together and present a united front to both the GC and a government already busy with a gambling review, that would be no bad thing. The sooner, the better. BHA DESERVES CREDIT The weather has played havoc with not just the jumping programme this week but the all-weather too. I heard some mocking the description of “all-weather” after the loss of Newcastle and Chelmsford but nobody can do anything when the track is covered in snow and the record freezing temperatures don’t allow any chance of thawing. The east of the country has had it the worst and in spite of working on the track after 4cm of snow fell at Chelmsford, the wind chill meant temperatures were down to -12C and there was no way the surface would be free of ice. Meanwhile, with superb cards being abandoned and saved at both Newbury and Warwick, you have to give full credit to the BHA for being so light on its feet with the rearranging of both fixtures. Newbury’s outstanding Betfair Hurdle card will be run in front of the ITV cameras next Sunday while Warwick, weather permitting, can have another go on Monday. Newbury - frost threat to Tuesday card Newbury in the frost ROBERT ARMSTRONG The racing community has been shaken by the loss of yet another big name this week. Just days after both Sam Vestey and Pat Buckley had passed away, we heard that former trainer Robert Armstrong had also left us, at the age of 77. Robert, whose sister Susan married Lester Piggott, retired from training in 2000 and settled in Jersey for a quieter life with his wife Jane. By then, he had certainly made his mark, thanks to the likes of Sparkler, Moorestyle, Be My Native, Never So Bold, Shady Heights and Maroof. I had got to know him in my days as agent to Willie Carson when Robert was training a decent number for Sheikh Hamdan, Willie’s boss, so contact with him was quite frequent. (Actually, Robert’s connection with Willie went back a long way as his father, Sam, had mentored the young Scot as an apprentice). Mind you, our relationship did not get off to the best of starts. In my first year, very much with my “L plates” on, I was perhaps a little too keen to make an impact. One morning, Robert’s response to yet another call from me was: “Mike, you and I are going to get along perfectly well if you don’t keep shoving Willie Carson down my bloody throat!” I certainly got the message! After that, we never had a problem and I grew to know him and was fond of him. I discovered that Robert was a proper 'petrolhead', being into his racing cars in a big way and I got the feeling he would have preferred to have raced them, not horses, for a living. That said, he will always be remembered as a top trainer, especially in the 1980s when both Moorestyle and Never So Bold were the best in Europe. Moorestyle, usually ridden by Lester, was a personal favourite, being equally brilliant between 5f and 7f. I know Robert was very satisfied about Maroof’s shock 66/1 victory against a star-studded field in the 1994 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. He knew the colt’s family well as he had trained the dam Dish Dash to win the Ribblesdale and his father had trained some of the ancestors too. He afforded himself a wry smile that day as Willie had preferred to ride Sheikh Hamdan’s unplaced filly Mehthaaf, leaving Richard Hills to make all the running for one of the biggest upsets in Group 1 history. Robert never considered it a fluke and indeed, there were too many good horses like Barathea, Bigstone and Distant View behind Maroof for it to be anything than won on merit. Thinking back, the best horse that Willie rode for Robert and Sheikh Hamdan was probably Mujtahid who looked an exceptional two-year-old until his shock defeat behind Generous when odds-on for the Dewhurst of 1990. He didn’t race again. Years later, I enjoyed catching up with Robert and Jane over dinner in Jersey and I was genuinely sorry not to repeat that. My sympathies go to his family. LEON SPINKS Maroof was something but the man who created one of the biggest upsets in sport, Leon Spinks, also died this week after a long illness. He was 67. In just his eighth professional fight, Spinks defeated Muhammad Ali to win the undisputed world heavyweight title in Las Vegas in February, 1978. I will never forget the shock of listening to it live on BBC radio as I lay in bed in the early hours with my adrenaline on full flow. I just couldn't believe it. That moment has never left me and I can tell you with certainty that after the boxing broadcast had finished, the first song played was Abba’s “Take A Chance on Me”. It’s strange what sticks with you and whenever I hear that song again now, I go right back there. Muhammad Ali vs Leon Spinks (I) 1978-02-15 When I saw the fight the following evening, Ali was clearly not in the best shape and had given himself too much to do with his by now familiar “rope-a-dope” tactics. To his credit, the gap-toothed Spinks claimed that “Ali was the greatest, I am the latest.” Ali of course won the rematch the following September to become the first three-time champion but that was more down to Spinks not training seriously for the bout. Although Ali was fitter physically, his skills had deteriorated further even in those few months (little did we know he was already ill and, notably, his speech had long been getting slurred) but was still able to eke out a workmanlike points win. Spinks, who had come from the humblest of backgrounds, never reached those heights again and it was sad to hear that ill health had plagued him in his later years when life was again not easy. Still, he had proved his father, who had abused him both physically and mentally, very wrong as he made his mark on the world. We certainly won’t forget him. Like what you've read? Share Tweet Email Link
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Post by dennisg on Feb 15, 2021 9:58:49 GMT
Allmankind bids to give his Cheltenham Festival claims a timely boost in the Grade Two Agetur UK Kingmaker Novices’ Chase at Warwick on Monday. Clear-cut victories on this track and in the Grade One Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown have made Dan Skelton’s exciting prospect a leading fancy for the Sporting Life Arkle Trophy. The five-year-old is third favourite at around 10/1 for the two-mile novice championship behind Shishkin and Energumene. Allmankind needs to maintain his unbeaten record over fences, but he is likely to be tested despite having only three rivals. “I’m very happy with him. He looks fantastic. I couldn’t be more pleased with him,” said Skelton. “I think it’s going to be a decent race with Cheddleton and Sky Pirate in there getting weight. It’s a strong race. No excuses, he’s ready to go.” What's your say on today's topic? What's your say on Sunday's topic? Sky Pirate is rated just 2lb below Allmankind, who has a 5lb penalty for his Grade One success meaning the former receives 3lb. Cheddleton, trained by Jenny Candlish, is not out of it on ratings either after winning his last two starts at Carlisle and Haydock. Charlie Mann’s French import Sacre Coeur completes the quartet, with the meeting having been given the go-ahead following a precautionary inspection on Sunday afternoon. French raider out to book Cheltenham spot French raider Paul’s Saga aims to book her place in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham with victory in the St Marys Land Warwick Mares’ Hurdle. The seven-year-old grey, trained by David Cottin, drops in trip after racing mainly at three miles including when she landed the French Champion Hurdle at Auteuil in October. She has not run since being beaten there in November. Cottin’s representative Jason Kiely has brought the mare over from France and has been in charge of her preparation. Speaking on Racing TV’s Luck On Sunday programme, Kiely said: “I’ve been over here with her for a week now and things have been going well. “From what we have in France, she’s very, very good. She won the rescheduled French Champion Hurdle (in October), which is over three miles. She’s put it up to the boys and beaten everything we have to offer in France and is very consistent. “She loves the heavy ground. If it was soft in Cheltenham, she’d have a huge chance. A win is our main objective. If she doesn’t win, it’s going to be very disappointing. “No disrespect to the field, but we’ve found quite a nice race for her here. It should be an ideal prep run (for Cheltenham) – she can get a look at the English hurdles and Brian (Hughes, jockey) can get a feel for her. “There’s been a great history in the Stayers’ Hurdle for French runners. David (Cottin) mentioned before Christmas that maybe we’d have a look at Cheltenham with her and he’s kind of left it up to me to find a preparation race and make that goal achievable. “There’s not much racing in France for us at the moment, so we’ve had to look further afield.” Skelton believes this is the right race to give Molly Ollys Wishes her first taste of Listed company. The seven-year-old goes into stronger company on the back of two handicap hurdle wins. “It’s her first dip into the graded races, but I think this is a nice race to try that in,” said the Alcester trainer. “Paul’s Saga and Eglantine Du Seuil have slightly higher marks than her, but she has only got to go up the road to do it and she won at the track last year. She is a little better right-handed, but what can we do? “If Paul’s Saga runs like she does in France, she’ll be very hard to beat.” The field of six includes Paul Nicholls’ Eglantine Du Seuil, who was third to Roksana at Ascot on her latest start, and the Harry Fry-trained Whitehotchillifili, winner of a Listed heat at Sandown last month. Oldgrangewood and Spiritofthegames give the Skelton stable a decent hand in a competitive-looking Paddy Power Warwick Castle Handicap Chase and the handler is keen to get both horses back on the track. “I just feel Spiritofthegames might improve a bit for the run,” said Skelton. “He got a little cut at Wetherby last time, but this has been Oldgrangewood’s target since Cheltenham got called off twice. “He’s dressed up twice to go there and it’s been off, so I’m keen to get stuck in tomorrow. It seems a long time since we ran him, but he’s in great form.” The weights are headed by Venetia Williams’ Aso while the Mick Channon-trained Mister Whitaker and Kim Bailey’s Two For Gold, a Grade Two winner over three miles on this course last season, are among other old favourites in the line-up.
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Post by dennisg on Feb 15, 2021 10:00:22 GMT
The Big Dog opened his account over fences after coming out on top in a thrilling climax to the Punchestown Grand National Trial. Peter Fahey’s charge had been placed in his first three completed starts in novice company over the larger obstacles, most recently finishing third when a hot favourite at Navan last month. Entering handicap company for the first time since his hurdling days, The Big Dog was the 5/2 market leader for Punchestown’s 80,000 euro feature, with top amateur Jamie Codd in the saddle. The eight-year-old travelled with more zest than many of his rivals for much of the three-and-a-half-mile journey and looked likely to win comfortably after kicking clear rounding the home turn. However, Screaming Colours finished to good effect in the testing conditions and made The Big Dog pull out all the stops to claim victory by half a length. Fahey said: “His runs in all his beginners’ (chases) were good after coming back from a year off. I’m delighted for the Kellys (owners), as they are huge racing supporters and its great for them to win a good pot. “He’ll tip away in good handicaps and see how it goes. He’s lairy and you have to make plenty of use of him, which is tricky in beginners’ chases as when you force it in front, he’s losing ground jumping. “His jumping was brilliant today until he took it up and he just looks around.” Considering future targets, the trainer added: “If the ground was heavy we might think about the Irish Grand National, but he’ll probably need to go up a bit in the weights to get into it. We’ll see when the time comes.”
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Post by dennisg on Feb 15, 2021 10:01:38 GMT
Thedevilscoachman continued his progression with a fourth win from five career starts at Punchestown on Sunday. Successful on his racecourse debut in a bumper at Naas last season, Noel Meade’s charge made a victorious start over hurdles at Cork in November, before finishing fifth behind Appreciate It in Grade One company at Leopardstown over the Christmas period. Having since bounced back to winning ways at Navan, the JP McManus-owned five-year-old was the 15/8 favourite as he stepped back up in class for the Listed I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Novice Hurdle. And after travelling strongly for much of the two-mile contest under Mark Walsh, there was a lot to like about the way he knuckled down after the final flight to see off American challenger French Light by two lengths. Click on the image below to watch the FREE video replay Watch free racing replays on Sporting Life for FREE Watch free racing replays on Sporting Life for FREE The sponsors clipped Thedevilscoachman to 14/1 from 16/1 for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at next month’s Cheltenham Festival. Meade said: “It was a nice race for him. He’s so laidback – he just does whatever you want him to do. “I’ll have to talk to JP and Frank (Berry, owner’s racing manager) about plans and see what they are thinking. We’ll see where the handicapper puts him in. “He’s a nice horse to have. When you pick him up he has a great turn of foot, which is what you want in a real racehorse.” Shady Operator also emerged as a potential Cheltenham contender for McManus after justifying even-money favouritism in the opening P.P. Hogan Memorial Cross Country Chase. Making his cross-country debut for trainer Enda Bolger, the eight-year-old took to it like a duck to water in the hands of Derek O’Connor to leave connections contemplating whether to have a crack at the Glenfarclas Chase in the Cotswolds. “He did it well. He’s an experienced handicapper, but it was his first time over the course. He’d taken well to the banks at home and Derek said he was very professional,” said Bolger. “We’ll see now how he is after this. I don’t know whether he’d be good enough to go to Cheltenham or not. He could be a horse to come back here in the spring, but we’ll see when we get him home and talk to the boss man. “It’s Derek’s first winner over the banks.”
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Post by dennisg on Feb 16, 2021 10:52:56 GMT
Dan Skelton is likely to make a late call as to which race Roksana will contest at the Cheltenham Festival. The Alcester trainer will keep a close eye on the weather as the meeting approaches before making his decision. Should conditions be soft or worse for the start of the four-day fixture, Skelton would be tempted by the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle on the Tuesday – which Roksana won in 2019. However, if the ground is good to soft then Roksana could wait for the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle two days later. The nine-year-old has leading claims for both races, and showed her well-being with a convincing victory over Magic Of Light at Ascot last month. Betfair - Build Your Free Pot For Cheltenham offer Betfair - Build Your Free Pot For Cheltenham offer “I’m really happy with her,” said Skelton. “She’s come out of Ascot well and she will either run in the Mares’ or the Stayers’. It will depend a little on the ground. “If the ground was just good to soft, then I think she’d have to go three miles. If it was a very wet forecast in the build-up, and we were going to get very wet ground on the Tuesday, she could go to the Mares’. “It’s a hard thing just to say ‘yes, definitely’ we’ll go for one or the other, at this point.”
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Post by dennisg on Feb 16, 2021 10:54:14 GMT
Today's fixture at Carlisle goes ahead as planned following a morning inspection but Clonmel will inspect for their Thursday meeting. Officials will hold a 7.30am precautionary inspection on race day. While the venue is currently raceable, the prospect of heavy rain before the meeting has seen officials call a morning check. An Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board statement said: “The ground at Clonmel is currently heavy and fit for racing following 3mm of rain overnight. The forecast is for further heavy rain with the possibility of 15mm of rain on Wednesday night.”
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Post by dennisg on Feb 16, 2021 10:55:23 GMT
Ramses De Teillee tops the weights as Lord Du Mesnil remains on course to try to go one better than last year in Haydock’s William Hill Grand National Trial Handicap Chase. Richard Hobson’s Randox Grand National entry, just outdone by shock winner Smooth Stepper here 12 months ago, is among 15 confirmations for Saturday’s Grade Three handicap over an extended three and a half miles. Lord Du Mesnil, last seen when only ninth in the rescheduled Welsh Grand National at Chepstow six weeks ago, is joined among the Haydock possibles by several old rivals. Nicky Martin’s The Two Amigos was in front of him as runner-up at Chepstow, but could manage only a distant fourth in this race last year. David Pipe’s Ramses De Teillee, winner of the Albert Bartlett Prestige Novices’ Hurdle on this card 12 months ago, was a long way behind both Lord Du Mesnil and The Two Amigos at Chepstow. Also still in the reckoning this time are the lightly-raced Sojourn, runner-up here in December for Anthony Honeyball, Fergal O’Brien’s veteran Perfect Candidate, Alan King’s Warwick Classic Handicap Chase hero Notachance and ex-French Ascot winner Enqarde, for Dr Richard Newland. Enqarde also has the option of heading back to Ascot for another three-mile handicap on Saturday, but his trainer is favouring both the left-handed track and move up in distance. “It will probably be Haydock,” said Newland. “He did jump slightly left (at Ascot), and I just think also the extra trip will probably suit him. “Obviously, three miles (and) four furlongs on very heavy ground at Haydock is going to be hard work for any horse. “But yes, he’s in good form, so I can’t see why we wouldn’t have a go at it.” There are 13 in the mix for the Prestige, with Jeremy Scott’s dual Wincanton winner Sizable Sam and Young Buck, for Paul Nicholls, catching the eye. Jennie Candlish’s Mint Condition, a narrow runner-up at Warwick last time, also has an alternative entry in the other Grade Two on the card – the William Hill Rendlesham Hurdle. In potential opposition there, among 13 entries, are last year’s winner Emitom – for Warren Greatrex – shock 2020 Stayers Hurdle winner Lisnagar Oscar, for Rebecca Curtis, and Pipe’s course-and-distance winner Main Fact.
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