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Ivory Land takes Grand Prix de Bordeaux.

The Roman Martin Sanchez trained Ivory Land was a comprehensive winner of today's Listed Grand Prix de Bordeaux at Bouscat.

Travelling sweetly, the eventual winner picked up the front running Dream Cafe as he entered the straight, and he powered clear to win in impressive style. The victory was a first Listed win for the son of Lando, and it represents his third win in four starts.

Coolmore make top bid at Tattersalls.

The Coolmore operation made the biggest bid of the three days of the Tattersalls Yearling Sales when they today paid 700,000 Guineas for an Oasis Dream colt who is a half brother to three time German Group 1 winner Kutub.

Jealous Again to miss Cornwallis Stakes.

It had been assumed when Godolphin purchased Royal Ascot winner Jealous Again out of Wesley Ward's US stables, the two year old filly would have had a race or two before the end of the season. But despite having an initial entry in this Saturday's Wilmott Dixon Cornwallis Stakes, Godolphin have confirmed Jealous Again will not line up at Ascot this weekend, and no firm plans have been made for her to run again during the remaining month of the british turf season.

Moore pulls top weighted Mansony.

After the weights were announced for Sunday's ladbrokes.com Munster National at Limerick, trainer Arthur Moore has decided eleven stone twelve pounds is too tall an order for Mansony, and he has decided to withdraw last season's dual Grade 2 winner from Sunday's three mile contest.

For the remaining thirty entrants, Limerick officials have confirmed the current ground is rated as good with firm patches, and they will 'water' if there is no rain before Friday afternoon.

Harty delighted with Captain Cee Bee.

Nicholls gives update on 'big guns'.

Paul Nicholls has indicated dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Kauto Star is in very fine condition ahead of the upcoming national hunt season, and the handler has confirmed the nine year old will start his 2009 2010 campaign with a run in either the jmwines.com Chase at Down Royal, or the Betfair Gold Cup at Haydock. to be specific, Nicholls added,

"Kauto Star will start his season with a run at either Down Royal or Haydock, but he will not compete at both venues. The Betfair Chase at Haydock comes too close after the James Nicholson, and we do not intend to repeat the mistake we made last year."

Going on to discuss Denman, Nicholls indicated,

"His target is the Hennessy Gold Cup, and he will probably have a racecourse gallop at Exeter on 10 November, and we will see how we go from there."

Edward Harty reports 2008 Supreme Novice Hurdle winner Captain Cee Bee is back to full fitness after missing the whole of last winter's national hunt season with injury,

"He looks great in training, and the plan is to go novice chasing this season. He has done some schoolling, but the ground is a bit firm at present, so we are taking our time." Harty added,

"I don't know where or when he will make his debut, but if we get some rain, it will be sooner rather than later."

Wincanton hit prize money target.

As they kick off their 2009 2010 season with today's first meeting, Wincanton racecourse have confirmed, despite the economic recession, they hav managed to obtain over one million pounds in prize money for this season's meetings.

The course admits it has the major advantage of having several top trainers in close proximity, including; Philip Hobbs, and national hunt's number one trainer Paul Nicholls, and this ensures they attract plenty of good horses to their race meetings, but a Wincanton spokesperson confessed it had been a 'hard job' to hit their prize money target during the current economic climate.

Tattersalls sell sole offspring of George Washington.

As many readers may remember, after an unsuccessful career at stud, champion racehorse George Washington was returned to the racing ranks, and unfortunately he suffered a fatal injury during the 2007 Breeders Cup competition at Monmouth Park in America.

However, many people will not be aware, George Washington did manage to sire a sole heir, and the resultant filly, a half sister to Group 3 winner Ombre Legere, was consigned to Wednesday's Tattersalls Sales by Glidawn Stud of Ireland. After some competitive bidding, the filly, who carries the same white markings on her head as her sire, was eventually sold to bloodstock agent Ross Doyle for 320,000 guineas. After his purchase, Doyle said,

"George Washington was a bit of a freak, and I hope for the owner this filly turns out to be such a successful freak. She seems to be more calm than her sire, and she will now go straight to Richard Hannon's yard, where I know she will be trained in a calm and professional environment. I think we are all looking forward to her first race with a mixture of anticipation and exhileration, and if she turns out to be anything like her father, we could be looking forward to some exciting times."

Oxx to make Sea The Stars decision next week.

While pushing aside rumours insurance costs would exclude Sea The Stars's participation in the Breeders Cup competition, John Oxx has given a very downbeat assessment of the chances his wonder horse will take part in this year's Breeders Cup in California,

"He has come out of Sunday's race in great condition, and although he looks like he could cope with another race, I have to ask myself what would we be proving? He has been on the go since May, and it is asking a lot of any three year old to maintain his form for six months." Oxx then added,

"As things stand, we will assess our options over the next few days, and I expect to have a definitive answer as to whether he will run in the Breeders Cup by the end of next week."

Smullen keeping Murtagh at bay.

A quick-fire treble at yesterday's Navan meeting had put Pat Smullen ahead by four victories in his battle with Johnnie Murtagh for the Irish Flat Jockeys Championship, but Murtagh snatched a win in the last race on the card and reduced the deficit to three.

Like last year, the competition between the two protagonists is turning into a 'battle royal' which will almost certainly go down to the last week of the current Irish flat season.

Bolger ready to unleash Cuis Ghaire.

Having finished as runner up to Ghanaati in the Newmarket 1,000 Guineas, the Jim Bolger trained Cuis Ghaire was then seen finishing second last on heavy going in the Irish 1,000 Guineas. Since that time, the handler has not been entirely happy with the filly's condition, and therefore, she has not been seen on a race track for over four months.

However, Bolger now thinks Cuis Ghaire is ready to return to action, and she is due to run in the Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket on Saturday week.

Providing the filly suffers no setbacks from the Newmarket race, Bolger then intends to set her a few international challenges prior to a full four year old campaign.

Based on comments made by Edward Lynam, Cuis Ghaire may have to take on his in form Duff in the Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes, for in a recent interview Lynam said,

"I know he has been unplaced in the last two runnings of the Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes, but his two recent pattern race wins tell me he is in the best form of his life, and we really owe it to him to put the record straight at Newmarket."

Three Lucky horses amongst British and Irish entrants.

With its huge banksand solid fences, the Velka Pardubicka is regarded as one of the toughest cross country races in the world, and this weekend's contest in the Czech Republic has attracted five runners from Britain and Ireland, three of whom have the distinction of being called 'lucky' - Lucky Lord (Graham Smith yard), Lucky Luk (Kim Bailey yard), Lucky Nellerie (Ferdy Murphy yard), and the 'luckless' runners are; Mr Big (Charlie Mann yard), and Il En Reve (Oliver McKiernan's yard in Ireland).

France also have a representative in the form of Juful Tennis, but for punters seeking any sort of form guide on this year's western european entrants, it is worth noting, Charlie Mann has already trained the winner of the race, albeit back in 1995 with It's A Snip.

Winter break for Arctic.

Despite finishing last of five in the Middle Park Stakes, trainer Tracy Collins has not lost faith with the previously unbeaten Arctic, and while confirming her juvenile would now be put away for the winter, the handler commented,

"I have to admit he did not handle the fast ground at Newmarket, but he still finished within four and three quarter lengths of the winner in a hot Group 1, and I still think he will, God willing, turn out to be a 'classic horse' in 2010."

Slow development plan for Sweeps Hill.

The J P McManus owned Sweeps Hill may have been cut into 16/1 for the Supreme Novices Hurdle following his initial win over hurdles at Tipperary earlier in the week, but connections are not getting carried away with pretencious notions for the former top class bumper horse. Speaking on behalf of J P McManus, Frank Berry said,

"Although he showed technical abilitty, it was a workmanlike win at Tipperary, and we think Sweeps Hill will benefit most from a steady progression through the ranks, and with that in mind, we will probably next go for a previous winners novice hurdle in about a fortnight's time."

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