Curragh regains fixtures.

Following the postponement of the planned one hundred million euro development at the Curragh, racecourse officials approached the Irish Racing Authority in order to regain the seven fixtures due to be transferred to other tracks during the redevelopment. Yesterday, the Authority agreed to the request, and the Curragh will now host its usual full compliment of fixtures during the 2009 season.

Plans for Miko.

Miko de Beauchene, who last season enjoyed a meteoric rise in the ranks of experienced steeplechasers, including a win in the Welsh Grand National, will this season start his campaign over hurdles. Renewing his partnership with jockey Andrew Thornton, he will run in either the Betfair Fixed Brush Hurdle at Haydock this Saturday, or at Newbury in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle a week later.

The eight year old faltered towards the end of last season, putting in a poor performance in the Scottish Grand National at Ayr towards the end of April. Connections are therefore thought to be planning a more structured campaign this season, so as to ensure his fitness and stamina right through to the end of April 2009.

Borderlescot connections pick up special award.
The exploits of Borderlescott – trained at Cowthorpe near Wetherby by Robin Bastiman for owners Jim Edgar and Les Donaldson – have been honoured at the 2008 ‘Go Racing in Yorkshire’ Annual Awards Lunch held at York racecourse.

The ‘Go Racing in Yorkshire’ Award is judged by a panel of northern racing journalists and is presented to the connections of the horse which has made an outstanding contribution to the sport of racing in the county.

The popular sprinter’s finest hour came in the Group 1 Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at Newmarket in August – a race which had been transferred from York’s abandoned Ebor Festival. The six-year-old then finished a highly-creditable third in another Group 1 contest, The Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp, before showing his versatility by winning a Listed race on the all-weather track last month at Dundalk.

Borderlescott is a shining example of a horse which began in handicap company and progressed to competing in and winning Group races. His victories in Yorkshire include a couple of valuable sprint handicaps at York in 2005 and 2006, while he also recorded wins as a three-year-old in the county at both Redcar and Ripon.

Sublimity to head to Newcastle.

Robbie Hennessy, the new trainer of Sublimity, has confirmed the 2006 Champion Hurdler will have his first outing of the season in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle on Saturday week.

However, the trainer has indicated the recent poor weather has hampered some of Sublimity's training schedule, and he expects he will only be around ninety per cent fit for his run at Newcastle.

BHA changes entry and withdrawal rules.
From 1st January 2009, horses which have competed in French AQPS Flat races will be eligible to race in National Hunt Novice Hurdles and National Hunt Flat races.

Following consultation with the National Trainers’ Federation, who were advocates for the change, the Authority’s Racing Committee has decided that horses which have run in French AQPS Flat races should be allowed to run in British ‘National Hunt’ Novice Hurdles and ‘National Hunt’ Flat races, which are in place for horses who have not run on the Flat.

Thus far, the AQPS Flat races have been treated as ordinary Flat races since they have been run on Flat cards in France and with specialist Flat jockeys.

For the purposes of horse qualification, French AQPS Flat races since the beginning of 2007 will be reclassified in the same way as Irish National Hunt Flat races, which will mean that horses winning an AQPS Flat race prior to that date will not be qualified to run.  Trainers are reminded that runs in French AQPS races will no longer count for qualification purposes on the Flat.

In a separate move, from 1st January 2009 the process by which horses are withdrawn from races is to be simplified.

The term ‘declaring forfeit’ has occasionally confused trainers, both in Britain and particularly those from overseas. After initial entry, the current process entails doing nothing in order to stay in a race (up until the confirmation stage), but ‘declaring forfeit’ if you want to come out at the particular stipulated stage – as opposed to the entry, confirmation and declaration stages where a positive action is required to stay in a race.

Sitting alongside that system is the opportunity for trainers to ‘scratch’ a horse from entries as soon as they know it will not be running in a race for whatever reason.  In order to simplify the process and address any confusion that might be caused by the co-existence of ‘Declaring Forfeit’ and ‘Scratching’, the term ‘Declaration of Forfeit’ will be dispensed with and scratchings will be able to be made at any point up until the time for declarations to run. 

For example, a horse which holds an entry for a major race but suffers an injury that means it will not be able to make the line-up should be scratched by the trainer regardless of whether the next formal entry deadline for the race is imminent.  Scratchings will be non-rescindable.

Exotic Dancer a live contender for Betfair Milion.                                  

This could be the season Exotic Dancer finally gets the bragging rights over his old adversary Kauto Star. Admittedly, it may not come in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday; after all, much has been made of the head-to-head record between the pair standing at 7-0 to Clive Smith’s imperious chaser. In addition, Kauto Star has odds of four to eleven with Betfair for the weekend race, while Exotic Dancer is only four to one second choice.
But if any horse is going to land the exchange’s million pound bonus this season it is Exotic Dancer. And Betfair believe it is arguably far more winnable than many believe!

For the fourth successive year, the Betfair Million bonus is on offer, but this season in a different format.
The three stages to win the Betfair Million in 2008-09 are finishing first, second or third in the Betfair Chase on Saturday; then being placed first or second in any race at the Cheltenham Festival; and then winning the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree.

Yesterday, Paul Nicholls appeared to rule out another Betfair Million bonus bid by his stable  – Kauto Star having won the Betfair Million in the 2006-07 season.
In fact, Nicholls was emphatic when he said:
“At this stage Kauto Star will definitely not be getting an entry in the Grand National!”.

 

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