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Deauville success for Spring of Fame.
Having been given a Conditions race booster at Newmarket last month, Godolphin's Spring of Fame continued his winning sequence when seeing of Mantoro by three lengths in this afternoon's Listed Prix de Tourgeville at Deauville.
A son of Grand Slam, Spring of Fame had not lived up to his name in the early part of the season, but today's success suggests he may be a late developing type, and it may be worth keeping on the right side of him during the remainder of the turf flat season.
Ladbrokes punter stands on brink of historic win.
It has come to light today, a Ladbroke punter who had a £250 win treble is one win away from making the bookmakers maximum payout of one million pounds.
The telephone punter placed his bet on Laa Rayb - a 25/1 winner at Goodwood on 31 July, Genki - a 12/1 winner at Goodwood on 01 August, and his £84,500 current winnings are running on to Red Merlin in the Tote Ebor at the guaranteed odds of 12/1.
As David Williams of Ladbrokes said today,
"I'm not sure who will have the more sleepless nights between now and the race on 19 Augus - the punter or us!"
Stars line up for Champion Stakes.
The 65 declared entries for the Emirates Airlines Champion Stakes at Newmarket on 17 October currently reads like the who's who of the three year old 'Classic' generation. Sea The Stars, Fame and Glory and Rip Van Winkle are joined by Ghanaati and Again, while from France, Andre Fabre has entered Cavalryman, and Alain deroyer-dupre sends four, headed by Alpine Rose and Beheshtam.
However, with so many of the above also entered in the Prix de LArc de Triomphe, and with Breeders Cup races also to be considered, it will be interesting to see how many actually take up the potential engagement at Newmarket in October.
All the main players in initial Dewhurst declerations.
As one would expect, Aidan O'Brien is responsible for thirty seven of the initial entries amongst the 145 runners today declared for Europe's richest Group One two year old race - the £300,000 Darley Dewhurst Stakes, run at Newmarket on 17 October.
The Ballydoyle entrants are headed by Phoenix Stakes winner Alfred Nobel, while Richard Hannon currently has Coventry Stakes victor Canford Cliffs and Goodwood winner Dick Turpin amongst his entries. Clive Cox believes his Group 2 Goodwood winner Xtension has progressed since his defeat to Canford Cliffs at Royal Ascot, and the trainer is bullish his charge can reverse the placings in the Dewhurst.
July Stakes victor Arcarno and Superlative Stakes winner Silver Grecian are also amongst the entries in what could be one of the best two year old races seen in many a year.
Small but select field for Debutante Stakes.
Only six fillies remain in the running to win tomorrow's Group 2 Debutante Stakes at Leopardstown, but the race usually throws up a useful filly, and tomorrow's line-up looks very interesting. Aidan O'Brien has half of the declared field with; Devoted To You, Famous, and Naas Group 3 winner Lillie Langtry, while Kevin Prendergast is represented by Alshahbaa, Jim Bolger enters Gold Bubbles, and Ger Lyons is represented by Elusive Galaxy, the latter having finished second to the well regarded Long Lashes on her last outing, but the trainer has declared she has missed a lot of work due to weather interuptions at her yard, so whatever she achieves tomorrow will be a bonus.
Channon hopeful Halicarnassus can find the winning thread.
Although unsuccessful in his last nine outings, Mick Channon's Halicarnassus has put in some good performances, including a late finishing third in last week's Coutts Glorious Stakes at Goodwood.
The trainer points out his charge needs to make a long sustained run to get into top gear, and he is therefore hoping the long wide straight at Haydock may be the way to get Halicarnussus back to winning ways,
"He loves his racing, so we will give him a run in this weekend's Rose of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock, and we know he likes the course because he won the same race in 2007, and if conditions are right, we are hopeful he will get back into the winners enclosure by winning the race again."
Frankie to miss Shergar Cup.
Godolphin are expected to require Frankie Dettori to ride for them at Newmarket this Saturday, and this will mean he will not be able to take up the invitation to compete in this weekend's Shergar Cup at Ascot. As Frankie had been pencilled in to Captain the european team, it seems Ascot will now have to revert to their contingency plan.
Shimah retired to stud.
During her eleventh place run in the Stan James 1,000 Guineas, the Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum owned filly Shimah suffered jarring as a result of the firm ground at Newmarket, and after a long period of attempted convalescence and rehabilitation at Kevin Prendargast's stables, about two weeks ago the decision was made to retire her from racing, and the three year old filly will now go to the Sheikh's Derrinstown Stud, with a view to adding her to the Stud's thoroughbred breeding programme.
Topping launches into racing leadership as Hills go offshore.
As expected, William Hill yesterday confirmed they were moving their on-line sportsbook operation to a new base in Gibraltar. But far from apologising for their action, William Hill Chairman Ralph Topping launched a broadside at the leadership of British racing, declaring for far too long, the 'rabble who run racing' have expected the bookmaking fraternity to finance their lifestyle, and when the bookmaking firms do what is right for their business model and shareholders, the racing authorities ignore what is happening in the betting market and general economy, and instead accuse the bookmaking firms of reducing their prize money Levy.
Topping went on to say he was not inclined to make a voluntary contribution to the Levy from William Hill's offshore operations, and that racing would have to find some way of improving its product, and selling itself to other interests if it wanted to survive in the future.
It seems likely British racing will take another financial blow under the current Levy system, as Ladbrokes are expected to announce their intention to move their on-line betting operations to a foreign destination within the next few days.
Race meeting abandonments add to summer misery.
Yesterday''s abandonment of racing at Chepstow and Catterick in mid meeting due to adverse weather conditions added to the catalogue of summer misery faced by the British racing public in what has been a very disappointing summer so far.
Chepstow suffered a heavy downpour after which the senior jockeys declared they would not race on potentially dangerous ground, and at Catterick, two horses actually fell before a second inspection decided the ground was unfit for racing.
It does seem it is not only the general economic situation which is afflicting racing at the moment, but generally poor weather over the last four months has not helped British racecourses to encourage race-going. So, it is quite refreshing to note, the fall off in racecourse attendances at British racecourses between 01 January and 30 June 2009 was only 3%, with the average crowd at the 715 fixtures totalling 3,856 compared with 3,902 in the corresponding six months of 2008.
Based on the above figures, it would suggest the cut-price offers and greater marketing efforts being made by British racecourses is paying dividends, and it also suggests, despite the economic gloom, the British public are still keen to enjoy a day out - A factor which should be seized upon by the authorities running racing!
At The Races broadcast to Singapore.
Having completed a deal with a Singapore sports television channel, At The Races are to commence the broadcast of British racing to horseracing enthusiasts in the island state. Broadcasts will take place on Wednesdays and Fridays, and will start with this week's meetings at Newcastle and Brighton.
Stern Opinion dominates at Deauville.
Returning from an injury enforced lay-off of nine months, the Pascal Bary trained Stern Opinion landed his third Listed race when ridden to a comfortable success by Stephane Pasquier in Deauville's Prix du Cercle on Tuesday afternoon. More interestingly, the four year old was only three tenths of a second outside the 1,000 metre course record, and trainer Bary is now eyeing a crack at the Group 3 Prix du Petit Couvert at Longchamp later in the month.
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