Untitled Document

CD's, DVD’s, Games & Computer Equipment and Software at unbeatable prices *Plus FREE Delivery:

Today's prestigious Fairyhouse meeting lost to waterlogging.

Extremely heavy overnight rain has turned Fairyhouse racecourse into a virtual lake, and Irish Turf Club officials were left with no option earlier this morning but to cancel today's prestigious meeting.

It is understood the complete card, including; the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle, the Hattons Grace Hurdle and the Drinmore Steeplechase, will form part of a re-scheduled fixture this coming Wednesday, but if the current inclement wether continues during the week, even this option may be precluded.

Conduit can only manage fourth in finale.

After victories for Zenyatta and Goldikova at the Breeders Cup, the trend for mares to come out on top in Group 1 international races continued in Tokyo when the Katsuhiko Sumii trained five-year-old mare Vodka landed today's Japan Cup at Tokyo racecourse. Given an exempilary ride by jockey Christophe Lemaire, (riding the mare for the first time), Vodka just squeaked home by a nose from Oken Bruce Lee, with Red Desire a further length and a half back in third.

Sir Michael Stoute's dual Breeders Cup winner Conduit could not finish his racing career as a winner, but he did finish ahead of all the other european horses, and his fourth place from an outside draw was no mean achievement.

Denman given career high rating.

IT must be a rather surreal feeling for owners Paul Barber and Maggie Findlay waking up this morning, knowing that their horse has just posted one of the greatest ever handicap performances in winning the 2009 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup - and according to the statisticians he is still not rated as good as his stable mate.

Timeform today announced, Denman's superb Hennessy win off an official mark of 174, was the best performance of his career to date, and the ratings organization have put a provisional mark of 181 on the stunning Newbury win.

But on current ratings, that still puts him 3 pounds shy of stablemate Kauto Star, thrice a winner of the Betfair Chase and King George and bidding for a third Cheltenham Gold Cup win next March.

Spokesperson Kieran Packman commented:

"Denman's spectacular effort yesterday will be rated at least 181, which is a higher figure than he has ever run to in the past, even when winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2008.”

"This performance more than confirms that he is back to his best and obviously sets up the hugely exciting potential 'decider' in March between the two highest rated jumpers in training, Kauto Star and Denman.”

Official BHA handicapper Philip Smith today indicated he would now probably raise Denman back to his 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup winning rating of 182, and he added,

"Denman is now in the same catagory as Arkle, having achieved the same record in the Hennessy, and if he can go on from this victory, he must give Kauto Star a real race in March's Cheltenham Gold Cup."

Following yesterday's outstanding run, Paul Nicholls was initially being cagey about Denman's next target. But after suggesting in a post race interview a tilt at the Lexus Chase in Ireland could have been a possibility, it is understood Denman will now be aimed at the AON Chase back at Newbury next February, and providing he comes through that race in one piece, then a renewed confrontation with stable mate Kauto Star in the Cheltenham Gold cup is likely to be his main objective.

Henderson keen to discover reason for Binocular failure.

Sevenbarrows handler Nicky Henderson is not buying the excuse that the slow pace of Saturday's wbx.com Fighting Fifth Hurdle was the reason for race favourite Binocular's seven length defeat to Go Native, and in an interview today, Henderson has said,

"Before the race at Newcastle we thought Binocular was in ideal shape, but I think we will now have to investigate why he failed to pick up in the closing stages. He has been fine at home, and I can only think theire is something wrong which we have not identified, and we will have to give him a thorough check in an attempt to find the problem."

King to put his runners on hold.

Having had a very disappointing start to the current national hunt season, including drawing a blank at Newbury's recent three day meeting, trainer alan King has decided to cut his race entries to an absolute minimum until such time as he can resolve the problem as to why his runners are performing so badly.

Diamond Harry going after Big Bucks.

With the Stewart family confirming Big Bucks has come out of yesterday's Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury in super shape, it now seems likely up and coming long distance hurdler Diamond Harry will get an early crack at the current World Hurdlechampion, as the pair are both entered in the Long Walk Hurdle to be run at Ascot on 19 December.

Based on Big Bucks's seamless effort in yesterday's three mile contest, Diamond Harry will have to be something special to defeat the current champion staying hurdler, but as Go Native proved yesterday in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle, the up and coming generation of young hurdlers are no slouches this season, and a win for Diamond Harry at Ascot would throw the World Hurdle anti post betting market into the same flux as that witnessed in the Champion Hurdle market following Go Native's win yesterday.

Fitzgerald suffers another health setback.

Former jockey Mick Fitzgerald will probably be glad to see the end of 2009, for he has suffered a series of infections which have required hospitalisation and operations during the current year, and he has been informed another setback will require him to go back into hospital ten days before Christmas. The on-going problems stem from the neck and throat injuries he suffered when falling from L'ami in the 2008 Aintree Grand National, but in a recent interview, the racing pundit indicated his usual upbeat nature, saying,

"I am very hopeful the pre-Christmas treatment will get everything back in order, but some of my friends suggest they will never be able to get all the badness out of me."

Twiston Davies confident about Imperial Commander.

Although prominent in the early stages, Imperial Commander tamely fell back through the field in the latter stages of last year's King George VI Chase at Kempton Park, but despite this performance, trainer Nigel Twiston Davies seems confident his gelding will put in a much better performance in this year's renewal of the Boxing Day centrepiece.

"We know he gets three miles, but he ran a bit free in last year's race, and paid the price in the latter stages. We will try to hold him up a bit this year, and if he gets suitable ground and a clear run, we think he can give Kauto Star a real race."