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Towcester becomes the latest weather casualty.

The weather may be showing some signs of a thaw in certain parts of the British Isles, but it would appear Northamptonshire is still in the grip of snow and ice, for Thursday's scheduled national hunt meeting at Towcester has failed its Monday inspection, and the card has now joined a very long list of turf national hunt meetings which have been cancelled since the start of the current cold snap in mid December 2009.

Ffoslas confirm loss of Welsh Champion Hurdle for this year.

When last Saturday's meeting at Ffoslas was cancelled due to snow and ice, racecourse officials at the South Wales venue had hoped they could re-arrange the first running of the Welsh Champion Hurdle to the meeting due to be held this coming Sunday 17 January, but the race's lack of Pattern status means prize money would not be available from central funds for a revised date, and therefore, Clerk of the Course Tim Long confirmed today,

"Unfortunately, we have lost this year's running of the Welsh Champion Hurdle, but we will maintain it as a feature of our future racing programmes, and we just hope we have better luck with the weather in years to come". Discussing Sunday's forthcoming meeting, Long said,

"There is snow forecast for the next 24 hours, but then it is supposed to become warmer. I think we will take a look on Wednesday, and work out where we go from there".

Leopardstown hurdling debut for Rights of passage.

Third to Dunguib when favourite for last season's Cheltenham Champion Bumper, Dermot Weld has had to wait on Rights of Passage after he suffered a set-back following his win in the November Handicap on the flat at Leopardstown.

However, the trainer now reports his gelding is back in top condition, and he is very hopeful his charge will make his long awaited hurdling debut at Leopardstown's two day meeting on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 January.

A strong debut could yet see Rights of Passage contest favouritism with Dunguib for the Cheltenham Supreme Novices Hurdle, but anything less than a comprehensive win will almost certainly see Dunguib contract even further in price in the Cheltenham anti post market.

Beck admits he was wrong!

During the summer, owner Paul Beck decided to remove his horses from the Venetia Williams yard and transfer them to the South Wales stabele sof Tim Vaughn.

However, Atouchbetweenacara, Flintoff and Stan have all failed to trouble the judge this season - with Atouchbetweenacara finishing only eleventh in the Boylesports Gold Cup when well fancied, Flintoff pulling up in his only start in the Welsh Grand National, and Stan being well behind in his two handicap outings at his favoured track of Cheltenham.

It appears this lack of form from his runners has persuaded Beck to admit he made a mistake in moving his horses, and after a Christmas holiday meeting with Venetia Williams, the well known owner has confirmed he is moving all three horses back to the Hereford yard of Venetia Williams with immediate effect.

Catterick to hold further inspection.

Although admitting Catterick's planned meeting on Thursday is still very unlikely to go ahead, Clerk of the Course Fiona Needham got enough hope from today's inspection to defer final judgement to a further inspection on Wednesday morning.

"There are definite signs of a thaw on the course, but it is still covered in a lot of snow and ice, and it will take temperatures to stay above freezing for the next couple of days if we are to have any chance of staging the Thursday meeting. But there was some definite improvement when we checked today, and it is certainly worth deferring a final decision until Wednesday".

Murphy suggests Cheltenham may be the wrong course for Starluck.

In an interview today with ATR, jockey Timmy Murphy suggested Christmas Hurdle second Starluck may find the Champion Hurdle beyond him due to the Cheltenham hill. Explaining his comments, Murphy said,

"Starluck was going very well in last year's Supreme Novices Hurdle, but he found very little up the Cheltenham hill and could only finish fourth. His run in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton shows he gets two miles in top grade company on a flat track, but with its undulations and finishing hill, Cheltenham is completely different". Murphy added,

"The flattish tracks for the Aintree or Punchestown Festivals could provide him with good opportunities to score in Grade One company, and while it is ultimately up to his connections, I would personally not recommend Starluck for the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle".

Pipe happy with Well Chief ahead of Ascot run.

In an interview earlier today, trainer David Pipe confirmed his recent Desert Orchid Chase runner up Well Chief is in good health ahead of his proposed run in Ascot's Victor Chandler Chase on Saturday week.

"He has come out of the Kempton run with no ill effects, and as the Victor Chandler tends to end up as a relatively small field, it could provide Well Chief with an opportunity to add to his Connaught Cup victory earlier in the season. I certainly think the undulating course and tough fences at Ascot will suit him, and with a bit of luck in running, I believe he has every chance of winning".

George making plans for stable stars.

Tom George has decided his unbeaten novice hurdler Tell Massini will not have another run prior to the Cheltenham Festival, as the trainer believes he will benefit from going to Prestbury Park as a fresh horse.

Having already beaten subsequent Newbury Grade 1 winner Reve de Sivola in good style at Prestbury Park, George has no worries about the Cheltenham course, and it would seem his only concern will be to decide which race will bes suit Tell Massini's hurdling talents.

Going on to discuss his young chaser Tartak, George said,

"He jumped atrociously in the Peterborough Chase, but still had the engine to finish second, and he did well to come seventh behind Kauto Star in the King George VI Chase, particularly as it was a quick re-appearance after his tough run at Huntingdon". George added,

"On balance, I think three miles is probably too far for him at present, so the Ryanair Chase over two miles five furlongs at the Cheltenham Festival would seem ideal. As he showed last season when still a novice, he tends to perform better in the Spring, and if he can get it all together, I think this would give him a good each way chance in the Ryanair Chase".

Slow thaw makes turf racing look likely by weekend.

If for once the weather forecasters have got it right, a gradual but definite thaw is due to set in over the British Isles during the coming week, and as if to emphasise the more optimistic mood some bookmaking firms are now only offering even money that a turf national hunt race meeting will take place in the British Isles this coming weekend.

Correction to Irish re-arranged fixtures story.

Last week we indicated with Leopardstown's 10 January MCR Hurdle meeting moving to 23 January, a re-arranged fixture would take place at Leopardstown on 27 January. This was incorrect!

Leopardstown will now stage a two day meeting on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 January, and the Navan meeting scheduled to take place on Saturday 23 January has now been moved to Wednesday 27 January - We apologise for any inconvenience our original story may have caused.

Dubai’s new Meydan course to stage its own version of Shergar Cup.

The Dubai Carnival is to stage its own variation on Ascot's Shergar Cup after it was announced that 12 of the world's leading riders will compete in a jockeys' competition on March 5 at the new state of the art Meydan racecourse.

The ‘Meydan Masters’, which will be based around four races on the last day of the Carnival, will bring together the winners of some of the sport's biggest races including Ryan Moore, Johnny Murtagh and Zenyatta's rider Mike Smith.
In total, 11 jockeys - Moore, Murtagh, Smith, Aaron Gryder, Ahmed Ajtebi, Calvin Borel,Norihiro Yokoyama, Corey Brown, Olivier Peslier, Ted Durcan and Christophe Lemaire -have earned their ticket due to specific showpiece victories.

Michael Kinane had obviously secured his right to participate with his multiple Group 1 successes on Sea The Stars, but with his retirement, the organisers have given themselves the option to ensure Dubai favourite Frankie Dettori participates by reserving the right to invite a twelth rider at their own discretion.

Frank Gabriel, CEO of the Dubai Racing Club, said:

"The opening of Meydan will be history in the making and what better way to show that than by having 12 of the world's best riders, who have excelled this year, all competing against one another at the Meydan racetrack. The Meydan Masters will be unique because of its group of cosmopolitan jockeys."