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Weather misery could effect more Irish race meetings.

With Irish racing having suffered a series of race meeting cancellations due to waterlogging, another forecast bout of heavy rain is now putting the two day meeting at Bellewstown, along with Thursday's card at Tipperary in peril of cancellation.

The last remnants of Hurrican Bill are due to hit Ireland and Britain in the next 24 hours, and in Ireland, the predicted heavy rain will fall on already saturated ground. As a result of the forecast, Bellewstown will inspect at 7.30 am tomorrow, while Tipperary will hold their look at the track at 8.00 am tomorrow morning.

Gosden decides on early return for Rainbbow.

In a change to his original plan for Nassau Stakes runner up Rainbow view, John Gosden has decided his filly is in such good order, if ground conditions are suitable at Leopardstown on 05 September, she will make an earlier than planned return to racing in the Matron Stakes.

Connections are said to be aiming the one time 1,000 Guineas favourite at the Prix L'Opera at Longchamp's Arc Meeting, but they feel she is so well at present, the Matron Stakes is a live option if she gets her preferred ground.

Brittain hopeful Misheer could be a Breeders Cup filly.

Veteran trainer Clive Brittain is the eternal optimist about the abilities of his horses, but to be fair to the handler, juvenile filly Misheer has done absolutely nothing wrong this season, so it is understandable Brittain believes his filly has a very good chance of landing this weekend's Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh,

"Misheer has been on the go for most of the season, but she is definitely still progressing, and I would think she has the ability to win the Moyglare, and of course it gives her an automatic entry into the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on 06 November.

Regardless of how she performs on Sunday, our main aim is to prepare her for the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket on 02 October, and any potential Breeders Cup run would be secondary to the Cheveley Park."

Richards sending Money to Ireland this winter.

Nicky Richards has an excellent steeplechasing prospect for the coming national hunt season in the form of Money Trix. A winner of five races and runner up on three occasions in his nine outings over fences, Richards knows the key to his gelding's success is soft ground, so to ensure he gets the conditions he likes, Money Trix will spend most of the upcoming national hunt campaign racing in Ireland. Speaking today, Richards said,

"He has only just started cantoring, so it will probably be November or December before he has his first outing, but if he does well in his first race in Britain, he will then go for some of the major Irish prizes on his preferred soft ground. I would be hopeful he would make up into a Lexus or Irish Hennessy horse in due course, but we will have to take it a step at a time."

Famous Name heading for Paris.

Dermot Weld is to send Famous Name to Paris for the Prix Moulin de Longchamp on 05 September. A winner of his last three races, including the Group 3 Desmond Stakes at the Curragh, Famous Name has been slowly regaining the form which made him a leading Classic contender in 2008, and Dermot Weld is very hopeful he will take this step back up to Group 1 competition in his stride.

Showcasing for Middle Park Stakes.

The impressive Group 2 York Gimcrack Stakes winner Showcasing has today been confirmed as an entrant in the Group 1 Shadwell Stud Middle Park Stakes on 02 October at Newmarket.

Speaking earlier today, trainer John Gosden said,

"I was delighted with his performance at York, and he has certainly progressed in the right direction, so I guess the Group 1 Middle Park will tell us if he is to be among the leading prospects for next year."

Killarney re-scheduled meeting cancelled.

An early morning inspection at Killarney found the steeplechase course to be unraceable, but with the hurdles track still barely capable of staging racing, racecourse officials sought clearance from Horse Racing Ireland to stage an all hurdles card on Wednesday 26 August.

However, HRI considered the course to be unsuitable for racing, and with more torrential rain forecast within the next 24 hours, the decision was taken to cancel the meeting.

The decision is a double blow to Killarney, as tomorrow's meeting had been approved as a replacement for the meeting lost last Thursday due to heavy rain causing unraceable ground.

Canford Cliffs now reported to be sore.

After finding nothing amiss after scoping their leading juvenile Canford Cliffs, the Richard Hannon team have confirmed he is a little bit sore after his exertions in Sunday's Prix Morny, a race in which he lost his unbeaten tag to Brian Meehan's Arcarno and Criquette Head Marik's Special Duty.

Hannon is suggesting, as Arcarno set a new juvenile course record during the race, it would indicate the going at Deauville was a lot faster than the advertised 'good', and firmish going may be the cause of Canford Cliffs defeat and soreness.

As a professional veteran trainer, Hannon's observations are almost certainly correct, but it is also a possibility Canford Cliffs is currently growing, and he might be in the stage were his build has to catch up with his frame, and this would also explain his apparent lack lustre performance and after race soreness.

Oliver sings the praises of two of his juveniles.

Although Elusive Award has so far only won a Maiden on his first start at Leopardstown earlier this month, trainer Andrew Oliver believes if he can repeat the efforts he is showing on the home gallops when he re-appears on the racecourse, then there is no juvenile in Ireland who should trouble him over a seven furlong trip, and the handler is also convinced he will get a mile in due course.

With this thought in his mind, Oliver is aiming Elusive Award at the Beresford Stakes at the Curragh on 27 September, and then the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster on 24 October.

Going on to talk about last weekend's Tattersalls Million runner up In Some Respect, the trainer said,

"He lost out to a very good horse in Dick Turpin, but if the ground had been on the firm side of good, I am convinced he would have won. We know from training, he has to have good ground, and so far this season he has not had the opportunity to run on a surface conducive to his action. When he does get his preferred going, he will suprise a lot of people."

Mouse Morris welcomes Velnamar back into training.

A winner of the Grade 2 Woodlands Park Slaney Novice Hurdle at Naas in January 2008, Velnamar then went on to finish only a neck behind Fivefourthree in the 2008 Ballymore Properties Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. But later that spring at Punchestown he suffered a chipped bone in one of his legs, and has been off the track ever since.

However, trainer Mouse Morris has today confirmed his seven year old is back in full training, and connections are planning a novice chasing campaign during the upcoming national hunt season, with Velnamar hopefully returning to action during October of this year.

Cheltenham wish to open Triumph Hurdle to French Novices.

At present, the Triumph Hurdle is only open to horses who have qualified through British races, but Cheltenham officials will now attempt to persuade the BHA to open the JCB sponsered contest to French three year olds who have won a novice event in France.

Bearing in mind the success Ascot have obtained by adding foreign based raiders to the horses entered at their Royal Meeting, then at Racingsight we would welcome this development, as it increases the spectacle available to the national hunt supporters who want to see top quality racing at the Cheltenham Festival.

Dascomb eyeing another French race for successful filly.

Having landed a Listed prize at Deauville last week, Tom Dascomb is planning to send his successful filly Ruler of my Heart back to France for her next outing. The trainer, soon to take over at Michael Owen's Manor House yard, is said to be eyeing the Group 3 Prix D'Aumale at Chantilly as the next objective for his progressive three year old filly.

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