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Fleming confirms Starluck will miss Arkle.
Trainer Alan Fleming has late today confirmed his former top class hurdler Starluck will not line-up in the Irish Independant Arkle Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival.
It is thought connections have decided the novice chaser needs more than one preparation race at Huntingdon to face a Grade 1 at Cheltenham, and a run at either Aintree or Punchestown is still a possibility.
No dream return for Walsh.
While Paul Nicholls may have been trying to aid Ruby Walsh in his first ride back on a racecourse for over 4 months, it was not apparent, as his well fancied mount Don't Turn Bach was well beaten a long way out in the Elle Security Juvenile Hurdle at Newbury this afternoon.
Race-goers had had to wait untile the fifth race on the card to see Walsh in action, but Richard Lee's Chazer proved the dominant force in the race, while Walsh was left scrubbing his horse from a long way out, and eventually had to settle for a position at the rear of the main pack.
Following the race, a disappointed Walsh commented:
"It would have been a lot better to have been in with a chance of winning, but I am just glad to have got that first ride in the bag, and hopefully things will pick up tomorrow."
It was not a day for the punters, for in the first race on today's Newbury card, odds on Moose Moran was no match for the Renee Robeson-trained 7-1 shot Omaruru, the latter taking control from the race favourite two flightsfrom home, and then under a strong ride from Sam Jones, holding off the determined late challenge of A P McCoy on Two Kisses.
Walsh unsure about his involvement with Hurricane.
While Ruby Walsh has confirmed he is booked to ride the likes of Kauto Star, Big Bucks and Masterminded for Paul Nicholls at the Cheltenham Festival, he has also today confirmed he is not sure if he will be required to ride Hurrican Fly for Willie Mullins in the Champion Hurdle.
Hurricane Fly has been a revelation in major hurdle races in Ireland this season, but all his victories have come for Paul Townend, the latter being a more than able deputy for Ruby Walsh during his 4 month Injury generated break from racing. Walsh now admits he is not sure which jockey connections will want to accompany Hurricane Fly in this year's Champion Hurdle.
The situation is quite ironic, as Walsh was due to ride Hurricane Fly at the last two Cheltenham Festivals, but on both occasions, Hurricane Fly did not make it to Prestbury Park due to his own injury problems.
Discussing the current situation, Ruby told Racing UK:
"I will sit down and speak to Willie Mulllins later in the week, but the truth is, connections will inevitably decide who they want to ride Hurricane Fly in the Champion Hurdle, and I am happy to go along with that decision."
Johnson unhappy with weight hike for Presenting.
Howard Johnson feels the official handicapper has done his Presenting Forever no favours after raising him 15 pounds for his close-up second to Cheltenham Gold Cup hope Midnight Chase, and while 8 pounds of the rise is offset because Presenting Forever was out of the handicap in that Cheltenham race, the County Durham handler feels a current rating of 145 is a major steadier ahead of Presenting Forever's run in tomorrow's Win More With The coral.com Green Ticket Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster.
Elaborating on his views, Johnson said:
"Presenting Forever is a promising and progressive type, but he's only a seven-year-old, and still has a lot to learn. He showed his inexperience when wandering across the track in the closing stages when he just lost out to Midnight Chase at Cheltenham, but he did rally well in that race, and tomorrow's trip won't be a problem, but his current handicap mark will make it hard for him against some better treated and more experienced chasers."
Big Fella to have same warm-up routine.
Owner Harry Findlay and trainer Ferdy Murphy were very happy with the fourth place achieved by their Grand National hope Big Fella Thanks on his last outing behind Riverside Theatre, and they are hopeful he can now repeat his win in last year's Wiltshire County Show Supports Greatwood Gold Cup when he lines up at Newbury tomorrow.
The gelding won tomorrow's race on his way to fourth place in last season's John Smiths sponsored Aintree Grand National, but Ferdy Murphy has a concern over Saturday's going, commenting:
"I don't want the ground for tomorrow's race to be holding. If he can get his feet in and out without any problems, then he can cope with it being a bit soft, but he's shown before, he doesn't appreciate holding ground.
"He came out of his last race in good order, and I would say he's building up nicely for another crack at the Grand National, and even if he didn't win at Newbury, I would be satisfied if he puts in a good effort, but with suitable ground, and a bit of luck, I think he is in good enough shape to recapture the first prize he won last year."
Ferdy Murphy also confirmed he is sending a team of 8 Cheltenham Festival bound horses to Doncaster tomorrow, with all 8 due to have a racecourse gallop after Saturday's Grimthorpe Chase Meeting on the Town Moor track. Discussing the racecourse spin, Murphy said:
"I am very grateful to the Doncaster Executive for enabling me to gallop my horses after Saturday's race meeting. The octet will include Kalahari King, and when I've used this facility in previous years, it's set my horses up nicely to perform well at the Cheltenham Festival."
O'Regan happy to renew Killyglen relationship.
The last time jockey Denis O'Regan rode Killyglen, it was when both were connected to the Howard Johnson yard, and on that occasion, O'Regan was happy to partner Killyglen to victory in the 2009 Melling Novices Chase at the Aintree Grand National Festival.
Since then, O'Regan has gone freelance, and Killyglen has switched to Stuart Crawford's yard in Ireland, but O'Regan is very hopeful he will re-unite with the nine-year-old for a victory in Saturday's Win More With The coral.com Green Ticket Grimthorpe Chase, with O'Regan adding:
"From what I understand, Killyglen retains a lot of his old ability, but he hasn't had suitable good ground to show what he can do, but the ground at Doncaster tomorrow is supposed to be in his favour, and I'm really looking forward to riding him again, particularly on a galloping course which should also sut his style of running."
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Ustedes could have Coral Cup spin.
Although not having been seen in racing action since last April, Cheltenham Festival regular Voy Por Ustedes could head back to Prestbury Park this year as part of his preparation for the Melling Chase at Aintree.
Formerly with Alan King, Voy Por Ustedes has been a regular at the Cheltenham Festival since 2006, and in that time he has won an Arkle Trophy, a Queen Mother Champion Chase, and has also finished second in another Champion Chase and a Ryanair Chase.
However, after losing his form last season, owner Sir Robert Ogden decided to move his ten-year-old to Nicky Henderson's Sevenbarrows yard for a change of scene, and at the same time, the multiple Grade 1 winner has undergone a barrage of test to try to find any underlying medical reason as to why his racing prowess had tailed off during the 2009 - 2010 season.
Connections now seem inclined to give Voy Por Ustedes his first run for his new yard, with Sir Robert Ogden's racing manager Barry Simpson, commenting:
"Having won the Melling Chase at Aintree in 2008 and 2009, the plan is to get Voy Por Ustedes racing fit for the same race this year, and while he has had a couple of racecourse gallops and seems fine, we are seriously considering the possibility of giving hime an outing over hurdles at Cheltenham. He has an entry in the Coral Cup and the Grand Annual Chase, but if we are looking at the hurdles option, then I suppose it will have to be the Coral Cup."
Free Entry to British Racecourses repeated in April.
Starting with the flat racing fixture at Musselburgh on 01 April, nearly half of all the British Racecourses will provide race goers free entry as part of a month long initiative involving 25 British Racecourses.
Admission fees have been waived for the Friday April 1 meeting at Musselburgh under the promotion by Racing for Change and lovetheraces.com in a bid to increase the public’s awareness of horseracing.
The venture follows a similar programme last year which brought in an additional 40,000 visitors to the races. This time 28 fixtures, spread throughout April, will offer free entry at some of the UK’s leading courses including, Musselburgh and Perth (first 500) in Scotland, and Ascot, Epsom Downs, Newbury, Newmarket and Sandown Park.
Seventeen fixtures are entirely free while a total of 5500 free tickets are available in advance at a further 11 meetings, but they are expected to be snapped up quickly.
Rod Street, chief executive of Racing for Change, said:
“This ground breaking move in April is being organised in a bid to attract record numbers of new customers to the fun and exciting sport of horse racing. It’s also a great way to reward existing fans of the sport.
“The aim of the month is to appeal to people who have been infrequent visitors to horse racing in the past or who have never been to a racecourse. At many of the meetings, there will be staff, literature and displays to explain more about the sport.”
Twice Over boosts his World Cup credentials.
Despite being drawn wide in stall 13, Henry Cecil's multiple Group 1 winner Twice Over put in an excellent late kick to take victory in last night's Group 2 Round Three of the Al Maktoum Challenge on the tapeta artificial surface at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai.
John Gosden's Debussy set the early pace, but Tom Queally had eased Twice Over into the main pack from his outside draw, and in the home straightt, he moved his six-year-old mount into the centre of the course before making his telling challenge. Having got his head in front a furlong out, Twice Over then dominated, going clear for a two and three quarter length win over Musir, with Marco Botti's Gitano Hernando a further head back in third.
Following the race, Tom Queally commented:
"We thought he was in great shape, but we thought that last year, and he disappointed, so we decided to be a bit less bullish until he had had his first outing this season. He should come on for this run, and we would be hopeful he will put in a big show in the Dubai World Cup."
In the Jebel Hatta, Michael Bell's Wigmore Hall continued his progress with a narrow win over Godolphin's Poet's Voice, with favourite Presvis back in third. But things may have been different if Frankie Dettori had not dropped his whip a long way out on the runer up, for although Frankie gave Poet's Voice a vigourous hands and heels ride in the closing stages, the loss of the whip may have cost him the race.
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