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Ground the key to Notra Pere Guinness victory.
With heavy underfoot conditions, today's Guinness Gold Cup at Punchestown was always going to turn into a slog, and the conditions were ideal for Jim Dreaper's Notra Pere. The Welsh Grand National winner has stamina to spare, and having missed both the Scottish and Irish Grand Nationals due to fast ground conditions, he was a fresh horse in today's race, and it showed!
Taking it up a long way from home, he kept grinding out a solid pace, eventually coming home thirteen lengths clear of Schindlers Hunt, who just pipped Scots Irish for the runners up position.
Speaking after the race, Dreaper commented,
"If the going ever gets soft to heavy at a Cheltenham Festival, I am fairly sure Notra Pere would have a good chance of winning a Cheltenham Gold Cup, but in the meantime, we will concentrate on all the other major long distance races where we can obtain the right going".
Dunguib copies Cousin Vinny.
Duplicating the effort of Cousin Vinny last season, Dunguib duly added the paddypower.com NH Flat Race crown to his Cheltenham Champion Bumper title with an easy win at Punchestown this evening.
Always travelling smoothly, Philip Fenton's charge responded when asked, and scooted clear of his rivals, scoring a nine length win over runner up Sweeps Hill, with long time leader Lusker Lad back in third place.
Philip Fenton was naturally delighted with the double, but he is now looking forward to returning to Cheltenham next March with the intention of training Dunguib to outshine Cousin Vinny by adding the Supreme Novices Hurdle title to his two bumper championships.
Another Mullins success - but only just!
The Willie Mullins stable got on the score sheet again this afternoon at Punchestown when The Midnight Club improved on his Cheltenham third by winning the Madra Dog Food Novices Hurdle.
However, the eight year old seven to four favourite required all the attentions of jockey Emmett Mullins to secure his victory. Labouring two lengths behind rival Sam Adamsat the second last, Emmett Mullins rousted The Midnight Club into action in the latter stages, and he managed to secure his three quarter length win in the shadow of the post.
Patkai lands Sigaro Stakes in style.
When you are the two to five favourite you should win impressively, and that is exactly what Patkai did in this afternoon's Sigaro Stakes at Ascot.
How good the form is will be a matter of later debate, but with many bookmaking firms, they were impressed enough to push Patkai in very close to favourite Yeats in the betting for the Ascot Gold Cup.
Breeding the key to Fiveforthree potential success.
As a half brother to Hennessy Gold Cup winner Celestial Gold, Ruby Walsh believes the Willie Mullins trained Fiveforthree has the breeding to see out the three miles of Tomorrow's World Series Hurdle at Punchestown.
Furthermore, in an interview today, Walsh pointed out his ride in Thursday's race was only just touched off by Solwit over two and a half miles at Aintree, and he has already won at the highest level over two miles five furlongs, so all the pointers indicate he should get the distance of the Grade 1 contest.
With the absence of the top rated Punchestowns due to injury, tomorrow's race looks quite open, and a win for Fiveforthree could see him take a drastic reduction in the betting for next year's World Hurdle at Cheltenham, although his trainer Willie Mullins has indicated he wants his charge to go chasing next season.
Twenty one stand their ground.
At today's latest decleration stage, twenty one horses have stood their ground for the Juddmonte Lockinge at Newbury on 16 May.
The entries are led by Saturday's Sandown winner Paco Boy and last year's Jersey Stakes winner Aqlaam, but Aidan O'Brien, who dominated Group 1 races last season, has to rely on the lesser talents of Red Rock Canyon and Windsor Palace.
Although many pundits are not convinced Paco Boy gets a mile on a tough track, Newbury's even surface should suit, and he is sure to go off as a short priced favourite.
Cooper ssweet on Pady's chaances.
Tom Cooper is delighted he decided to by-pass Aintree with his Arkle winner Forpadydeplasterer, for he thinks he now has a completely fresh horse who is raring to go in tomorrow's Kathal Ryan Memorial Novices Chase at the Punchestown Festival. Speaking earlier today, Cooper commented,
"He is fressh and lively, and if he gets a trouble free round, I expect him to win!"
Flat season to be spared Hurricane.
Originally, Willie Mullins had intended to give Hurrican Fly a summer campaign on the flat, but after yesterday's demolition of his rivals in the Evening Herald Champion Novices Hurdle, the trainer is now becoming convinced he could have a potential Champion Hurdler on his hands, and it is therefore more likely Hurricane Fly will now go to the summer paddocks, and then come back in the autumn to begin his preparation for an assault on the Cheltenham blue-ribbon hurdling prize.
Borderlesscott hoping to start with Palace House.
The ever consistent Borderlescott was last seen carrying top weight to victory on the all weather surface at Dundalk at the back end of last season, and connections are hopeful he will carry his winning thread forward in this weekend's Palace House Stakes at Newmarket.
Speaking about his Group 1 Nunthorpe winner, trainer Robin Bastiman commented,
"He is more forward this year, as the good weather has enabled us to give him plenty of work, but some of my horses have had muck on their lungs, so we will have him checked out at the end of the week before we make the final decision to run. The weights in the race suit our lad, and if he runs, I suspect he will go well".
Interesting partner booking for Himalya.
With only a fourth place behind Art Connoisseur in last year's Coventry Stakes to recommend his form at the highest level, Himalya is currently a fifty to one outsider for this weekend's Newmarket 2,000 Guineas. Add to the above, the fact Jeremy Noseda's colt has not had an outing so far this season, and their seems little to recommend his chances in the Classic.
However, before punters write him off for at least a place in the Guineas, bear in mind, today Noseda has secured the riding skills of Seb Sanders for Himalya, and any further rain this week will certainly be an advantage to this son of Danehill Dancer.
No decision forthcoming on Rip Van Winkle.
Rip Van Winkle is said to be responding well to the treatment being administered to the foot he bruised in training on Monday, but no decision has yet been made as to whether he will line up in this weekend's Stan James 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket.
Hills confidence creates Ghanaati move.
The open confidence coming out of the Barry Hills yard with regard to Ghanaati's chances in the 1,000 Guineas, yesterday caused a flurry of each way bets on the filly, but it will be interesting to see if any of the major punters get involved in today's market.
Star loses first position.
A routine post race blood sample, which showed traces of a banned substance, has caused the disqualification of the Tony Martin trained Royal County Star from first place in the Irish Form Book AN UAIMH Chase, run at Navan on 28 March.
Following a hearing of the Irish Turf Club Referral Committee, the results of the blood test were sufficient to persuade the committee members to award the race to runner up Glenfinn Captain. Although there was no suggestion of deliberate impropriety, The panel also fined trainer Martin one thousand euros plus the costs for the hearing.
O'Connor released from hospital.
It has been over a month since Colm Murphy's stable jockey Matt O'Connor suffered severe head injuries during a horrendous fall from Walkin Aisy at the fifth fence of the Templemore Beginners Chase at Thurles, but after initial fears as to his survival, we now have the good news he has been released from Cork University Hospital, and is to go home to continue his convalescence.
It is understood O'Connor faces a long journey to recapture full fitness, but to aid him in his remedial programme, he is to attend the Irish National Rehabilitation Unit either as an in or out patient.
Early agreement reached on Levy figure.
The deliberations on the Levy, (the amount of money to be taken from gaming industry profits, and then re-invested in horseracing), had an original deadline of midnight on 30 October 2009, but in a show of racing unity during these economic hard times, the Levy Board and Bookmakers Representative Committee reached a landmark agreement as early as yesterday afternoon.
Under the terms of the new agreement, which lasts until 2011, the Gaming industry have agreed to pay ten per cent of their operating gross profit, including retail price adjustments on threshold payments, but more importantly, this early agreement opens the door to more amicable and streamlined talks on future Levy payments.
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