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Irish National hotting up into a keen contest.
Two bits of news today have ensured the two hundred and fifty thousand euro Powers Irish Grand National is hotting up into a strong contest.
Jonjo O'Neill has confirmed Wichita Lineman will run, and he has endorsed the effort by saying,
"He has come out of his Cheltenham race in fine form, and he will be really fit when he runs on Monday at Fairyhouse".
In a second bit of news, the master of the handicap plot, Tony Martin, has decided to keep four horses amongst the current entries for Monday's race. Recent winner Royal County Star is joined in the declared list of runners by stable mates; Drumconvis, New Bay Prop, and Hold The Pin.
If all the remaining runners line up on Monday, it could represent one of the strongest Irish National's in the last few years, and should therefore form a major draw for bank Holiday crowds.
Newbury announce increase in prize money for major races.
Irrespective of the current conditions in the general economy, during the upcoming flat season, Newbury are to offer owners much improved prize funds for two of the course's major races.
The Group One Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes is celebrating it's twenty fith anniversary in 2009, and to safeguard the race's importance in the flat seasoncalendar, this year's contest on 16 May will have prize money increased from two hundred thousand pounds to two hundred and fifty thousand pounds.
To strenghthen its mid summer highlight, the Weatherby's Super Sprint on 18 July will also see its prize fund increase from one hundred and forty thousand pounds up to two hundred thousand pounds.
Newbury officials are confident the move will not only be popular with owners, it should help to attract top horses to the Berkshire track, and this should help in securing extra paying customers for the respective race meetings.
Channon bullish over Thousand Guineas prospects.
Mick Channon is reported to be delighted with the form being shown by his three 1,000 Guineas prospects as they go through the current training schedules.
Dunes Queen, Please Sing and Lahaleeb are all due to make racecourse appearances in the next fortnight, and Channon is confident they will show enough in their trial races to make them genuine prospects for a victory in the Fillies Classic at Newmarket.
Henderson to take stars to Punchestown.
Sevenbarrows handler Nicky Henderson makes no excuses for the fact he loves the less formal atmosphere of the Punchestown Festival, and it seems this year he is to back up this feeling with a strong entry in the various major races of the five day meeting.
Cheltenham Champion Hurdler Punjabi will try to regain the Rabobank Champion Hurdle title which he won for the first time last year, while Cheltenham World Hurdle runner up Punchestowns will make his first trip to the County Kildare course, but in anticipation of a run, he has already been installed as even money favourite for the World Series Hurdle at his namesake track.
Another interesting runner could be the Queen's Barber Shop. In a way, this is a curious move, for immediately after his seventh placing in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, it was suggested he would be put away for the summer, but it now seems the Queen has given Henderson permission to run Barber Shop in the Guinness Gold Cup, with the proviso there is cut in the ground.
Golden Flight could return to France.
It would be fair to say Nicky Henderson was less than happy with Golden Flight's first fence fall in Saturday's Grand National, and the Lambourn handler is keen to give his french import another run in an important race before the end of the current season. Speaking about Golden Flight in a Tuesday interview, Henderson commented, "We could run him in the Scottish Grand National, but he has to have cut in the ground, so a return to France and the Grand Steeplechase de Paris could be our preferred option".
Schofield to ride for Turnell.
While maintaining his links with the Ditcheat operations of Paul Nicholls, jockey Nick Scholfield will from next season, also act as major jockey to trainer Andy Turnell.
Mullins has targets for two Aintree runners.
Tom Mullins was very satisfied with Made in Taipan's third position in Saturday's Maghull Novices Chase, and he is convinced his charge is going the right way.
With that fact in mind, the trainer is to give Made in Taipan a final opportunity to win a Grade 1 race during the current season, so he has given him an entry in the Swordlestown Novices Chase at the Punchestown Festival on 30 April.
Meanwhile, Chelsea Harbour, who fell at the third fence in Saturday's Grand National, is to be given a quick opportunity to redeem himself in Monday's Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse.
Aura could boost Quevega form-line.
We all witnessed Quevega turning the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle into a procession during the Cheltenham Festival, and the quality of the form was boosted on Saturday when runner up United finished third in the Aintree Hurdle.
The David Nicholson's third placed Aura About You will now get the opportunity to further enhance the Cheltenham form when she competes in Sunday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Novice Hurdle at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival. If Paul Nolan's six year old can land this event, it will suggest Quevega is an outstanding mare who could challenge for major honours in the 2009 2010 national hunt season.
Expresso Star gets Group entries.
Following his win in the Lincoln Heritage Handicap, as expected, Expresso Star is being moved up to Group company for his next outing. Connections have confirmed an entry in the Moorsbridge Stakes at the Curragh on 04 May, a race in which John Gosden's charge is likely to meet the returning Casual Conquest.
A good run in May could also see Expresso Star take up a currently speculative entry in the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown in September.
Beverley understandably unrepentant aftter Gold Award is withdrawn.
The East Yorkshire racecourse of Beverley has become the first to lose its Racehorse Owners Association Gold Award, and the withdrawal has been instigated because the course have stopped providing free food for attending owners.
The racecourse have explained their actions were necessitated by the prevailing harsh economic conditions, along with there need to cut costs if they are to remain profitable during the current recession.
This is a problem which will arise at many smaller racecourses as the current downturn continues, and it is likely Beverley will be joined by other courses in losing Gold Award status from the ROA.
At Racingsight, we sympathize with both sides, but we understand Beverley's position, as Great Leighs has recently highlighted the fate which awaits racecourses who do not keep their financial house in order.
Sitting Tenant up for sale.
The unexpected sixty six to one winner of Saturday's Bumper finale at Aintree, Sitting Tenant, is reported to be up for sale. Making the announcement yesterday, trainer Kate Walton indicated connections had already received overtures from several sources, and a sale could be completed in the very near future.
Another suprise announcement from Leighton.
When thirty year old jockey Leighton Aspell announced his retirement from riding at a Stratford Upon Avon race meeting in 2007, it took everyone by suprise. Now, in another suprise announcement, the thirty two year old has confirmed he has renewed his riding license, and is due to start competitive racing at this coming Sunday's Plumpton meeting.
Knowing the riding talent of the man, it would come as no suprise, if on Sunday, we were reporting in this News section, Leighton Aspell returns with a winner.
Irish racing breathes a sigh of relief.
It was relatively good news for Irish Racing in the Irish government's emergency budget, for there will be no extra cuts in subsidies to the racing industry, nor will there be any increases in the current rates of betting taxes.
However, the austerity measures introduced yesterday will obviously effect the general population of Ireland, so there is bound to be a negative 'knock-on' effect on the racing industry in the republic over the coming months.
Celebrate your winnings, or commiserate with others with fine wines & champagne’s:
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