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Flint should win Racing Post sponsored title.With only today's Final at Newbury, conditional jockey Rhys Flint should win this season's Racing Post sponsored Hands and Heels Jumps Series. Including today's ride for trainer Paul Nicholls, Flint will have ridden in seven of the ten qualifying rounds, winning one and being placed in four more, and with a twenty point advantage over his rivals, so long as he does not use his whip today, Flint should be acclaimed as the title winner later this afternoon. Great Leighs future in the hands of RBS.Since Great Leighs racecourse went into administration in January of this year, administrators Deloitte confirm they have had four offers to take over the venue, but only two were seriously considered. One offer involved a consortium headed by the venue's creator John Holmes, and the other was from the racecourse's former management company Arena Leisure. Unfortunately, neither offer was sufficient to accommodate the main creditor, the RBS Nat West Bank. The bank, which is now seventy per cent owned by the government, is owed around twenty million pounds, as they were responsible for bank rolling the original project. Deloitte's are believed to have now suggested to RBS, they take over the venue, and employ a management company to run the day to day operations of the racecourse, but with Mister Holmes and his family owning the land which gives access to the course facilities, this would seem an option frought with risk for an already economically damaged bank. However, if some compromise cannot be reached in the next three months, the business will come to the end of its administration period, and Deloitte's would be forced to close the course as an insolvent company. Classy Mullins mare gets seasonal debut.J'y Vole, a winner of three races last season, including the Grade One Dr P J Moriarty Novice Chase at Leopardstown, has not been seen since last June, when she put in a poor performance in a Grade race at Auteuil in France. Having had a series of niggling injury problems for most of the current season, Willie Mullins has taken his time to get the mare back to full fitness, but the trainer believes she will be in peak condition for her seasonal debut in the Shamrock Handicap Chase at today's rearranged Gowran Park meeting. Trainer Mullins is hopeful J'Y Vole is as progressive as his very impressive David Nicholson Mares winner Quevega, and providing J'Y Vole comes out of tomorrow's race with flying colours, then she will almost certainly head for a major race at either the Fairyhouse or Punchestown Festivals. Puntal retired from racing.A long time servant to both Martin and David Pipe,it now seems thirteen year old Puntal had his final race at last week's Cheltenham Festival. The winner of the 2004 running of the Bet Fred Gold Cup at Sandown Park was somewhat erratic during his racing career, for Puntal undoubtedly had talent as a steeplechaser, but he also had a mind of his own, as he was renowned for racing with enthusiasm at the start of a race, then downing tools in the middle of the contest, before putting in good work towards the end of a race. Despite these idiocyncracies, there is no doubt he will be missed by the staff at David Pipe's yard. Arena Leisure to use incentives during the recession.Arena Leisure have announced they are to offer free admission, and cut price hospitality on carefully selected occasions, as part of their plan to enable race-goers to still enjoy horse racing during the current recession. This kind of well thought out financial plan, were the racecourse owners at least cover their costs while keeping regular race-goers coming to the races, is the right way to go during a recession. It will not only ensure the hard core will continue to go racing, but free admissions may bring in new blood, and thereby safeguard the future of the racing industry. We applaud Arena Leisure on their initiative! Knight has Aintree plans.Henrietta Knight intends to aim two of last week's Cheltenham runners at major prizes at the Aintree Grand National Festival. Somersby, who was a promising third in the Supreme Novices Hurdle, needs a bit of cut, and providing the ground at Aintree is not too hard, he will attempt to win one of the major novice hurdle contests. However, if Aintree does become quick, the trainer may by-pass this option in favour of a run at the Punchestown Festival. Meanwhile, Calgary Bay, who was a very disappointing tenth in the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham, will step up from the minimum trip, being an entrant in either the two mile four furlong John Smiths Manifesto Novice Chase, or the three mile Mildmay Novices Chase. O'Farrell praises Jockeys Association Doctor.Following a fall at Kelso, jockey James O'Farrell went to hospital on no less than three occasions complaining of neck pain, but so called medical experts sent him away each time with pain killers, and allowed him to continue riding. Having despaired of his constant pain, O'Farrell went to Jockeys Association official doctor Anna Louise Mackinnon, and the doctor organised a range of investigations, only to discover O'Farrell had been riding with a fractured C2 vertibrae in his neck, and another fall would almost certainly have paralysed him from the neck down. Now undergoing remedial treatment, O'Farrell is naturally full of praise for one particular doctor, if not to the profession as a whole. Mighty Man to attempt treble on second come-back run.Basking in the come-back achievement of his very impressive fifth in the World Hurdle at Cheltenham, Mighty Man has shown he has fully recovered from the tendon injury which threatened his whole racing career. With trainer Henry Daly now bullish about the fitness and condition of his charge, Mighty Man is to head for the John Smiths Liverpool Hurdle, with the intention of securing the race for the third time in his racing career. Jukebox Jury could be fit for Guineas.Last year's Royal Lodge winner Jukebox Jury suffered a training setback in February which seemed to have ruled out any chance of him participating in this year's Newmarket 2,000 Guineas, but trainer Mark Johnson has now confirmed his Racing Post Trophy runner up will be fit in time for the Classic if connections decide to go down that route with their promising three year old. First foreign owned Breeders Cup Classic winner dies.Arcangues, who was the first foreign owned winner of the Breeders Cup Classic, has been euthanised at his retirement facilitiesin Japan. The twenty one year old had contracted the foot condition 'equine founder', and serious complications made the sad decision by his owners an inevitable conclusion to a long and successful life. Very pleasing crowd for Kentucky Derby Trial evening.Arena Leisure have confirmed a crowd of well in excess of three thousand for their Kentucky Derby Trial evening held on Wednesday of this week. This is well in excess of the normal spectator figure expected for a Wednesday evening fixture, and proves if the race programme is attractive enough, people will still make an effort to attend the races, even in times of economic recession. What Recession?Musselburgh racecourse would be excused for asking the question - What Recession? For as of this morning, they have sold all public entry tickets to their annual Ladies Day meeting, which actually takes place in eleven weeks time on 06 June. Once more this proves, if you give the public what they want, they will still come horseracing, even in the middle of a recession.
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News Stories prior to July 2008
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