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Frankie joins in with the party at Lingfield Park.

With his usual aplomb, Frankie Dettori did his best to join in with the All Weather Twentieth Anniversary party at Lingfield Park this afternoon, and to celebrate the occasion, the master jockey scored a quick four timer which took his total winners for the season to the magic 100.

Starting on Baila Me in the EBF River Eden Fillies Stakes, Frankie kicked clear off the home turn, and made sure the former German group 1 winner had her first success since joining Godolphin. Winner 98 came soon afterward when Frankie forged clear on Moonlife in the Listed Fleur de Lys Fillies Stakes.

Winners 99 and 100 came via Sirocco Breeze and Padmini, and the Anniversary Lingfield crowd were in fine party mood to welcome Dettori back into the paddock on his hundreth winner of the season.

Earlier in the week, Frankie had indicated he wanted to achieve 100 winners in Britain before he went off to Australia to attempt to win his first Melbourne Cup. So it will now be interesting to see if Frankie can now achieve the second part of his objective.

After Frankie's fourth winner at Lingfield, David Williams of Ladbrokes told us the bookies were now looking for a darkened room in which to lay down, and the reason had nothing to do with what they had enjoyed in the Lingfield bars!

Smouldering Ashkazar never has to be set alight.

Very highly rated hurdler Ashkazar turned today's first run over fences into something of a procession. Jumping smartly and always on the bridle, he cruised to a ten length success over Oscar Royal in today's Shottery Beginners Chase at Stratford, and with Timmy Murpphy never having to pile on any coals, it would be difficult to assess what was left in the engine room of David pipe's charge had he come under pressure, but based on the belief 'you can only beat what is put in front of you', Ashkazar looks a very useful recruit to the novice chasing ranks.

Having gone down the novice chasing route, it would seem unlikely David Pipe would now utilise Ashkazar's entry in the Greatwood Hurdle next month at Cheltenham - but you never know!

Williams denied riding license renewal.

As we suggested last week, Darren Williams has been denied a renewal of his jockeys licence. Having served his three month ban from racing, Williams had assumed he would get his license without any difficulty, but a stunned Williams does not seem to comprehend that the BHA took his actions in the race fixing scandal with Karl Burke and Miles Rogers into account, and although he served a three month ban, the problem still remains over the thirty year old's involvement in nefarious activities.

It seems Williams now intends to seek a license from a foreign racing authority, with some suggestions indicating he might try to join fellow disgraced jockey Fergal Lynch in America.

Europe beating a path to Cheltenham.

Henry de Bromhead has confirmed Sizing Europe is being primed for a crack at the Independant Newspaper Novice Chase at Cheltenham's Open Meeting on 15 November. The former Grade 1 winning hurdler is currently two for two over the larger obstacles, and his seventeen length victory over Harchibald in a recent Punchestown novice chase suggests he could be something very special over fences.

However, on his previous visits as a hurdler to Cheltenham, he has disappointed, so it will be interesting to see if he can cope with the Prestbury Park courses over the larger obstacles.

French filly Sweet Hearth misses Breeders Cup.

The french filly Sweet Hearth had a bad scope today, and connections have confirmed she will miss her possible engagements in this year's Breeders Cup competition in California.

Death announced of Silver Patriarch.

Earlier today it was confirmed former top racehorse Silver Patriarch had died from natural causes. A winner of three Group 1 races, including the 1997 St Leger, Silver Patriarch had moved over to stud duties in 2000, but due to falling fertility, he had been retired to the Newmarket paddocks earlier this year.

Cesare to make suprise switch to hurdles.

An Ascot specialist, Cesare had seemed all set for a good season after chasing home Paco Boy in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, but a very disappointing season thereafter suggested retirement could be imminent.

However, in a suprise move, owners Cheveley Park Stud have decided to give the Group 2 winner a novice hurdling campaign. Cesare will stay with James Fanshawe, as the trainer is no stranger to hurdling success, having already trained two Champion Hurdlers during his fine career.

Good ground Legend to start for Hobbs at Wetherby.

Former Jessica Harrington inmate Knight Legend certainly likes good ground conditions, and he proved this by finishing third behind Kauto Star in last season's jmwine.com Chase at Down Royal. But weather conditions in Ireland over the past twelve months have generally given rise to soft racing ground, so connections made the decision to send their ten-year-old over to Philip Hobbs to ensuer he can gain access to the better racing ground usually found in Britain over the winter months.

In his first run for his new yard, Knight Legend is due to contest tomorrow's bet365.com Handicap Chase at Wetherby, and after getting to know his new acquisition, Philip Hobbs is apparently keen on his chances in Friday's race.

O'Farrell eyeing December return.

Conditional jockey James O'Farrell, who fractured his C2 vertibrae in a fall at Kelso seven months ago, , appears to have escaped from the incident with no permanent loss of feeling to his body, and the plucky jockey is hoping to return to race riding in December of this year.

Home team outnumbered at Saint-cloud.

Heading a home based team of only four french horses for this weekend's Group 1 Criterium International Stakes at Saint-Cloud, the Aga Khan's Prix Marcell Boussac winner Rosanara will have to be very special if she is to deny a very tough posse of eight horses from British and Irish stables.

Aidan O'Brien currently has four entries of his own, including; Royal Lodge Stakes winner Joshua Tree, Jan Vameer, Lord High Admiral and Midas Touch.

Mark Johnston's Layali al Andulas was last seen when finishing second behind the outstanding St Nicholas Abbey in the Beresford Stakes - form which now looks impeccable. While John Gosden's Prize Fighting has only had one outing, but it was a very satisfactory win at Kempton Park, and he could well be a talented late season colt.

Godolphin finish off the british entries with their recent purchase Emerald Commander, and the unbeaten Fareej.

Botti will aim Electric Feel at Classic Trials.

Saturday's Radley Stakes winner Electric Feel is likely to be aimed at the 1,000 Guineas trial races at the start of the 2010 turf flat season. Owned by Newcastle United footballer Joey Barton, the filly has continued to improve throughout the current season, and today, trainer Marco Botti said of his charge,

"Electric Feel is still quite a small filly, and I cannot assess at this stage whether she will make up into a Guineas filly, as to somee extent it will depend on how she grows throughout the winter, but what I can say is, it is our intention to give her some entries in the Guineas trials at the start of next season."

Lingfield celebrate twenty years of all weather racing.

Here's a little story for the racing historians amongst you - Did you know, Lingfield Park can be counted as an innovator in racing history, for on the thirtieth of October 1989, the venue became the first racecourse in europe to stage flat racing on an all weather surface, with the first ever winner being Niklas Angel, trained by Conrad Allen and ridden by Richard Quinn.

As there is no meeting at Lingfield tomorrow, race-goers at today's meeting will be able to join in the official twentieth anniversary celebrations for this milestone in horseracing history.

Breeders Cup News.

- It appears Aidan O'Brien's Rip Van Winkle will now almost certainly have to end the thirteen race undefeated streak of American wonder filly Zenyatta if he is to win this year's Breeders Cup Classic. The two are among sixteen horses remaining declared for the $5.4 million race, but their respective chances are viewed totally differently on either side of the Atlantic. In european betting markets, Rip Van Winkle is the strong favourite, with Zenyatta being as high as 6/1 with Ladbrokes. While in some American pre race markets the two are virtually joint favourites.

An inside source has informed Racingsight, 'Aidan O'Brien believes Rip Van Winkle will have to be at his very best if he is to overcome Zenyatta in the Breeders Cup Classic'.

- It seems Aidan O'Brien gave Mastercraftsman his recent run on the all weather surface at Dundalk for a specific purpose, for all the signs now suggest the top class three-year-old now seems certain to represent Ballydoyle in the BC Dirt Mile.

- Goldikova could have to see off a double challenge from Godolphin in the BC Mile Turf, for both Delegator and Gladiatorus are amongst the entries for the race at the latest decleration stage. While Delegator has disappointed towards the end of the season, Gladiatorus's recent win in Italy may suggest he is coming back into the form which had him rated as the best horse in the world in March of this year.

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