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Hannon gets a pre Supersprint boost.
As Richard Hannon prepares his horses in an attempt to land his seventh Whetherbys Supersprint since its inception in 1991, he obtained a great boost as to the form of his horses when Duplicity landed this afternoon's Listed Rosebowl Stakes at Newbury.
Favourite Walking on the Moon led until the two furlong pole, but then unexpectedly faded, with Duplicity, under a strong drive from Richard Hughes, coming with an outside run to snatch the race from Brocklesby winner Hearts of Fire in the last half furlong.
Over a million and a half available in Scoop Six.
Tomorrow's current Scoop Six Win Fund stands at £718,960, and that figure alone could top a million pounds by the start of racing on Saturday afternoon. Add to that a Bonus Fund of £510,325 - and a single winner of both pots could be taking home well over one and a half million pounds over the next two Saturdays.
For those who are interested - and who isn't? - the races you have to solve tomorrow are:
Leg 1 - 2.05 pm Market Rasen.
Leg 2 - 2.20 pm Newbury.
Leg 3 - 2.50 pm Newbury.
Leg 4 - 3.05 pm Newmarket.
Leg 5 - 3.25 pm Newbury.
Leg 6 - 3.40 pm Market Rasen.
Morgan planning another raid for San Sicharia.
Last seen finishing sixth behind Goldacova over the mile trip of the Falmouth Stakes, San Sicharia has been highly tried this season, including when she had to settle for second place behind Lesson In Humility in the Ballyogan Stakes. But when put in at Group 3 level over seven furlongs, she has already proved her worth landing the Chartwell Stud Fillies Stakes at Lingfield Park back in May.
So when trainer Joanna Morgan says she is preparing her four year old specifically for the Group 3 Yew Tree Stakes on 31 July at Glorious Goodwood, it is probably a good idea to add her to the short list of potential winners of the race.
Stud sponsors for Phoenix Stakes.
As Mastercraftsman proved as a juvenile in 2008, the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh has produced some of the finest horses in training. So perhaps it is no suprise two of Ireland's leading studs have amalgamated their names to sponsor this year's running of the top class Group 1 contest for two year olds.
To be run on Sunday 26 July, this year's contest will be named the Camas Park and Ashtown House Studs Phoenix Stakes, and once more it is likely to attract the top juveniles on both sides of the Irish Sea. Indeed, Brian Meehan has confirmed today, Norfolk Stakes winner Radio Head will make the trip from Lambourn in an attempt to duplicate his sire Johannesburg's victory in the race in 2001.
Between them, the two sponsoring studs have been responsible for producing some of the best racehorses in recent years, including; Mastercraftsman and Fame and Glory from the current Classic generation, plus just to mention a few from previous years - Dr Devious, Red Evie, Indian Skimmer and Frozen Fire.
Recharge to miss the rest of the current season.
The Lady O'Reilly owned Recharge, last seen finishing fifth behind Fame and Glory in the Irish Derby, will miss the rest of the current flat season due to an injury. Talking about the situation, trainer Kevin Prendergast commented,
"It is not a serious problem, but it will take time to repair, and after discussions with the owner, we decided it would be best to give him a complete rest for the remainder of this year, in the hope he can return fitter and stronger as a four year old".
Nicholls unrepresented in Market Rasen Summer Plate.
Paul Nicholls has confirmed the withdrawal of top weight Hoo la Baloo and recent Newton Abbot winner Just Amazin from tomorrow's Summer Plate at Market Rasen. This means the champion trainer will be unrepresented in the main feature on the Lincolnshire racecourses prime day of summer jumping.
Welsh trainer Peter Bowen has a fantastic record in the Listed summer chase, but due to Hoo la Baloo's withdrawal, his Always Waining now has to carry joint top weight, and will also dislike the rain forecast for the next twenty four hours.
However, Bowen has three other representatives in the race; No Panic, Histoire de Mouers, and Iron Man, the latter having won the same race in 2007, and perhaps of some note, due to be partnered by Richard Johnson in tomorrow's contest.
Hurdling swansong for Katies Tutor?
Katies Tutor was an emphatic winner of the 2008 Market Rasen Summer Hurdle, but that was off a mark of 136, and tomorrow the top weight has to defy a mark of 150 if he is to give trainer Charlie Mann back to back successes on tomorrow's card.
After back surgery rectified a minor jumping problem, the trainer believes his charge is as fit as is possible, but which ever way it turns out tomorrow, Mann intends to send Katies Tutor steeplechasing once the main jumping season re-starts later this year. So the Market Rasen Summer Hurdle may be one of the last times the horse is seen over the smaller obstacles.
In the same race, David Pipe is represented by Royal Rationale, who was last seen finishing third in the Ascot Stakes behind Judge the Moment at the royal meeting. Speaking about his chances tomorrow, Pipe said,
"If the going for the Summer Hurdle were good or better, I would expect him to win, but if we get any more rain his chances diminish, and if it becomes soft, we may have to look elsewhere".
No decision on Karl Burke today.
Following the recent penalties given to jockeys Darren Williams and Fergal Lynch, and the life time ban handed out to former racehorse owner Miles Rogers, we have today been informed by the BHA no decision will be forthcoming on trainer Karl Burkes alleged involvement in race fixing until Monday 20 July at the earliest. From the information available, it seems the BHA Disciplinary Panel are still preparing their statement, and they are not prepared to make an announcement until it has been fully agreed and checked with all the parties involved.
Aqlaam to seek Group 1 success in France.
Having secured Group 3 success in last year's Jersey Stakes, and then added a Group 2 prize when winning last week's Summer Mile at Ascot, it is reported connections of Aqlaam are now keen to secure a Group 1 success in the near future. To this end, trainer William Haggas is thought to be eyeing the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville in August.
Tipperary passes early morning inspection.
After a precautionary inspection at 8.00 am this morning, we are informed conditions at Tipperary for tomorrow's card have improved markedly, and tomorrow's racing is, 'all systems go'.
Timeforms analysis of the Whetherbys Supersprint.
To help our readers with some clues for tomorrow’s Whetherbys Supersprint at ewbury, we thought it would be helpful to obtain some guidance from the ratings organisation Timeform, so below are some notes from Kieran Packman, the official spokesperson for the Halifax based horseracing data provider:
"As is customary, the Super Sprint features a wide range of ability, with top-rated Monsieur Chevalier some 45lb superior to French Connexion at these weights. Given he’s currently ranked Timeform’s sixth best juvenile, Monsieur Chevalier sets some standard and his effort in the bruising Norfolk Stakes is easily forgiven".
"Shamandar may well prove the proverbial fly in the ointment, as she showed a professional disposition when winning her sole start at Ripon, and she receives a stone from the favourite. Above Limits is also likely to be in the mix with her low weight, given the display of speed she showed over a furlong further in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot”.
Beckett unhappy about distance switch.
Ahead of Muhannak's intended return to British racing in Saturday's Shadwell Beech House Stud Stakes at Newbury, trainer Ralph Beckett has expressed his frustration that the Breeders Cup organisers have decided to change the distance of the Breeders Cup Marathon in 2009 from a mile and a half to one mile six furlongs.
After winning the 2008 running of the BC Marathon, Muhannak could only finish eleventh in this year's Dubai World Cup, and tomorrow's race will be his first back in Britain since last August. But where ever he finishes at Newbury, Beckett knows he now has to test Muhannak's stamina if he is to return to California later this year. Commenting today, Beckett said,
"We will extend his stamina exercises at home, and I suppose we will enter him in the Geoffrey Freer to see if he gets the longer trip, but I think it is ridiculous the organisers have changed the distance of the Breeders Cup Marathon without consultation, as it makes our chances of returning to defend our title only fifty fifty".
Does Dixon's huff and puff get us anywhere?
We admire President of the Racehorse Owners Association Paul Dixon for the tremendous amount of work he undertakes in the British horseracing industry, but we feel his outburst in this morning's Racing Post about not accepting the proposed six million pound cut in Levy Board funding for 2010 prize money to be so much 'huff and puff'.
Officials in the racing industry must accept they are not exempt from the affects of the current worldwide economic recession, and instead of taking an entrenched 'King Canute' position, Dixon would be better employed with efforts to overcome the problem of a funding shortfall. Indeed, searching for other sources of funding for British horseracing prize money may prove to be an exercise which will help the industry in the long term.
Irish funding issue a serious problem!
As the Irish government tries to find ways to cut its overall spending budget by several billion euros in 2010, its working party on reductions in Leisure and Sport have apparently suggested a cut of 16.6 million euros be imposed on the current government subsidies provided to the Irish horseracing and greyhound racing industries.
If accepted by the Irish government, the proposed cut could see a major curtailment in Irish horseracing fixtures during 2010, and in the worse case scenario, it could even lead to mothballing or even closure of some Irish racecourses during 2010.
Ghanaati bubbling ahead of Suss ex Stakes.
1,000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes winner Ghanaati is reported to be in excellent form on her home gallops, and connections are said to be confident she can become only the second filly in the last hundred years to win Glorious Goodwood's blue-ribbon mile race, the Group 1 BGC Sussex Stakes.
NTF not happy with directive to talk to media.
Speaking on behalf of the National Trainers Federation, Chairperson Rupert Arnold has indicated the Federation members are not happy with the proposed BHA plan to force trainers involved in high profile pattern races to speak to the media before, during and after the race, regardless of the finishing position of their horse in such races.
The scheme is to be introduced in France in 2010, and the BHA are keen to introduce the system of enforced interviews as soon as possible into British horseracing.
We may be wrong about this, but unless there are provisions in the current rules of racing which lay the foundation for the BHA to enforce trainers to undertake these duties, then, if their members feel strongly enough about this issue, the NTF would do well to consider a challenge under the Human Rights Charter of the European Union.
Anti post gamble on Mirrored may be flawed.
In some places, the Britannia Handicap third placed horse Mirrored, is as low as seven to one second favourite for the Totesport Mile at Glorious Goodwood, but a spokesperson for owner Prince Khalid Abdullah has indicated the Prince's Cloudy Start is far more likely to contest the competitive handicap, while Mirrored may move up to Listed company for his next outing.
Bauer to miss Melbourne Cup.
Luca Cumani will be unable to take Bauer back to Flemington for this year's Melbourne Cup, as the six year old has suffered a serious tendon injury during training, and is now likely to be sidelined for up to twelve months.
Fillies impress at LLeopardstown.
Based on the result of last evening's Group 3 Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown, it would seem Aidan O'Brien has another very smart juvenile filly in the form of four and a half length winner Cabaret. Although Johnnie Murtagh had originally chosen to ride O'Brien's other runner in the race, Famous, but when the latter was withdrawn, Murtagh took over on Cabaret, and after the race he was probably happy with the way things turned out.
Always in the front rank, as the field turned into the straight, joint favourite Cabaret lengthened, streaking away from the previously unbeaten Kevin Prendergast trained Alshahbaa and the other co-favourite Kitty Kiernan.
Later on the Leopardstown card Profound Beauty kept her preperation for the Melbourne Cup right on track with a three quarter of a length victory over Aidan O'Brien's Yankee Doodle in the one mile six furlong Listed Challenge Stakes.
Handler Dermot Weld expressed himself very happy with the performance, and Profound Beauty will now be considered for the Yorkshire Oaks or Irish St Leger as the next step in her preparation for a return to Flemington for the Melbourne Cup.
Celebrate your winnings, or commiserate with others with fine wines & champagne’s:
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