Get the facts about your family tree from Genes Reunited, and dependant on your level of interest you can obtain either our Standard or Premier package. For full details, click the link below:
BHA support Windsor caution for Spencer.
Jamie Spencer has spoken on At The Races about his annoyance at being cautioned by the Windsor stewards for his riding of Thomas Baines at last night's meeting. But in reply, the BHA have today clearly laid out their opinion that under the terms of Rule 148 Spencer was guilty of an offence by easing his horse, even if he had no chance of obtaining a placed position in the race. Under the terms of the rule, the first such offence is met with a caution, and that is what Spencer received from the Windsor stewards.
Naaqoos Guineas run could be back on.
Freddie Head is due to have a meeting with connections at the end of the week about the possibility of including Naaqoos in the Newmarket 2,000 Guineas on Saturday week. It was thought after his defeat in the Prix Djebel by Le Havre, he would miss the classic, but the trainer has been delighted with his work since his first run, and Head has pointed out to the press, Zafonic lost in the Prix Djebel before going on to devastate his field in the 1993 2,000 Guineas.
William Hill may have thought connections could reassess their original thoughts, for while other bookmaking firms have scratched Naaqoos from their Guineas markets, William Hill have kept him in place at seven to one since his run in the Prix Djebel.
Hannon considering Celebration Mile for Paco Boy.
Paco Boy was reported as being tired after his apparent flop in Dubai, but after a couple of weeks at home, trainer Richard Hannon indicates his four year old is starting to show his old 'bounce'.
It is thought Paco Boy could face a strenuous gallop tomorrow, and if the multiple Group 1 winner comes through this test satisfactorily, he could line up in Saturday's Celebration Mile at Sandown, before going on to his main target of the Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.
Godolphin confirm Kentucky Derby runners.
Godolphin racing manager Simon Christopher has confirmed Regal Ransom and Desert Party will both represent Sheikh Mohammed's operation in this year's Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
Chester mission for Free Agent?
Her Majesty's Chesham Stakes winner Free Agent has been slow to come into his coat during the early part of the season, so trainer Richard Hannon has suggested to the Queen, the colt should by-pass this weekend's meeting at Sandown in favour of a run in the Dee Stakes at the Chester May Festival.
Hannon likes Chester, and a good run on the tight turns of the Roodee has in the past proved a useful experience for horses going forward to the Epsom Derby.
Redwood could head to Dante.
Last week's impressive Newmarket winner Redwood, could next face Derby favourite Crowded House in the Dante Stakes at York. Trainer Barry Hills is keen to test his improving colt against the best, for a good run in the Dante could see connections supplement their three year old for this year's Derby.
Long running enquiry produces bans.
An enquiry into insider information involving Nicky Richards's traveling head lad, Neil Leach, and lay punter Neil Allen has been concluded with racing bans being issued to both men.
Leach was found in breach of the rules of racing by providing insider information on ten of Richards's runners during 2006, but because of his lack of profit from the information provided, plus his subsequent assistance to the enquiry, the BHA Disciplinary Panel initially imposed a nine month ban from racing.
However, his employer Nicky Richards showed considerable loyalty to his long term employee, and came up with a plan which would allow Leach to work out his nine months solely in Richards's training facilities, and with several other assurances in place, in a subsequent recent appeal, the Panel suspended Leach's ban so he could work the nine months under strict conditions which had been laid out in Richards's letter to the Panel.
With regard to Mr Neil Allen - he did not help the Panel in any way with their enquiry, and they suspected he manufactured his friendship with Leach to obtain inside information for the purposes of lay betting. Having also investigated Allen's betting activity over the time of his relationship with Leach, the Panel came to the conclusion Allen was not the kind of person who should be allowed to associate with the racing industry, and they have imposed a five year ban to run from March of this year until March 2014.
Evasive gets all clear for Guineas participation.
It would seem Sir Michael Stoute's 2,000 Guineas hope Evasive is back on track for his attempt to win the Colts Classic on Saturday week. Having missed out on the main trials at Newmarket and Newbury due to a foot infection, the problem now appears to have cleared up, and the three year old was said to be 'very pleasing' in a thorough gallop at Newmarket yesterday morning.
Although Sir Michael has won the 2,000 Guineas on five occasions, he has not had a success since Golan in 2001, and it is known he is keen to get back into the winners enclosure this year, so despite the lack of a run, Evasive should be put on the short list for this year's contest.
Sandown the stage for return of Tartan Bearer.
One of Sir Michael Stoute's top three year olds in 2008 will have his first outing since finishing fourth in last year's Irish Derby. Tartan Bearer, who also took the runners up position in the Epsom Derby, will have his seasonal debut in this weekend's Group 3 Sir Gordon Richard Stakes at the Esher track.
Weather looks likely to scupper Masterminded seasonal finale.
With high pressure due to dominate the weather during the remainder of this week, warm dry conditions will almost certainly dry the ground at Sandown even further, and this will virtually rule out any possibility of Masterminded being risked in the Celebration Chase.
In fact it has to be said, whether due to ground conditions, or the extension of the Cheltenham Aintree and Punchestown Festivals, the quality of runners over jumps at this weekend's fixture is disappointing, and if this trend continues, Sandown may have to rethink this meeting entirely!
Hungarian sprint star to run at Haydock.
Running in the same colours as the Hungarian national flag, it is difficult to explain the adulation which surrounds top sprinter Overdose in his native country. Perhaps the best way to describe the phenomenon is to consider what happened this last weekend. On an average race day, Kinsem racecourse in Budapest attracts a crowd of around a thousand people, but when Overdose turned up to compete in the OPT Hungarian Nagyeij Sprint, over twenty thousand people thronged into the racecourse. Needless to say, their hero did not let them down, scoring his twelth successive european victory in front of an exhortant crowd.
For many people Overdose may be an unknown commodity, but if you stretch your minds back to last October at Longchamp's Arc meeting, if Fleeting Spirit had not been left locked in the stalls during the first abortive attempt at running the Prix de L'Abbaye, Overdose would have been one of the most impressive winners of the Group 1 contest, but having done all his running in the first nullified attempt at the race, he was withdrawn for the re-run.
Now, the british racing public are to get their opportunity to assess Overdose, as his connections have agreed to run him in Haydock's Temple Stakes on 23 May, and officials at the Lancashire course are said to be expecting a large crowd, not least from Hungarian nationals now living in the UK.
Kavanagh could be sidelined for up to twelve months.
Jockey Wayne Kavanagh suffered severe injuries during his fall at Bangor on Saturday. Having already undergone urgent remedial surgery at Wrexham Maelor Hospital for a dislocated and broken pelvis, he will today be transferred to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, where he will undergo another operation to reset other broken bones in his pelvic and lumber region.
Answering questions on the jockey's future, representatives for Kavanagh have confirmed the medical diagnosis suggests a recouperation period lasting around ten to twelve months.
Mystery surrounds Tidal Bay problem and treatment.
Owner Graham Wiley has confirmed the recent veterinary examination of Tidal Bay found a problem with the steeplechaser's back, and this may well explain his below par form in major races during the 2008 2009 season.
However, Wiley would not elaborate on the problem, but just confirmed, "It has now been solved".
Paige Brothers put on-line operation in administration.
Paige Brothers, the County Durham bookmaking firm who were amongst the fastest growing organisations in the UK, have announced their on-line operation has been put into administration.
A spokesperson for the business blamed the closure on the bad timing of an on-line launch during an economic recession, but it was also confirmed all on-line subscribers would get any outstanding funds fully refunded within the next couple of weeks.
The decision does not affect the business's shops, and this profitable arm of the firm will continue to trade as normal.
Good news as Kelso stage single evening meeting.
Next Wednesday's meeting at Kelso represents the course's only evening fixture for the year, and we encourage anyone who can to attend, for as per usual, the fixture on 29 April helps to raise loads of money for a variety of worthwhile charities, including Racingsight's chosen charity of the Injured Jockey's Fund.
Kelso go into next week's meeting with some great news having just been announced. In the At The Races report for 2008, Kelso's Border National fixture was the third most watched meeting shown on ATR in that year, with viewer figures surpassing the Saturday meeting at Royal Ascot. This is a testiment to the popularity of the Borders course, and it proves in racing, you do not have to be big to be popular and successful.
Celebrate your winnings, or commiserate with others with fine wines & champagne’s:
==================================
Archives:
News Stories prior to July 2008
Return to text based index page
