Untitled Document

Enjoy the excitement of scratch cards online:

Queen's Grace leaves Puff followers in a huff.

Leading for much of today's six furlong contest, at one stage it looked as if Hughie Morrison's Queens Grace was setting today's Listed Bosra Sham Fillies Stakes up for race favourite Puff, but as the two met the rising ground towards the Newmarket finishing line, favourite backers soon took the huff as Queens Grace stayed on the better to land the juvenile contest, with Puff having to settle for another runners up spot, while Henry Cecil's Tomintoul took the minor honours.

Channel 4’s Morning Line.

Tomorrow’s special guest on the 8.00 am Morning Line is jockey Seamus Durack, while the races under discussion will be:

Newmarket: 2.05 2.35 3.10 pm.

Wetherby: 2.20 2.55 3.25 pm.

Ascot: 1.50 pm.

The team assembled to discuss tomorrow’s action includes: Alastair Down, Alice Plunkett, Nick Luck, John Francome, Graham Goode, Richard Hoiles, Tom Lee and Stewart Machin.

Up to £300,000 up for grabs on this weekend’s totescoop6.

The totescoop6 rolled over for the second consecutive weekend last Saturday, and this means this weekend’s bet has £136,387 in the win fund whilst there is also £58,451 up for grabs in the bonus pot.

Saturday's Scoop6 contains the very best action from both codes with two races from the final flat meeting of the year at Newmarket taking place alongside top-class jump racing from Wetherby and Ascot. The highlight of the bet sees a select field of 5 line up for the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase where Ollie Magern bids to win the race for the third time.

For those attempting to solve tomorrow’s puzzle, the six races you have to study are:

Leg 1: 1.50 pm Ascot.

Leg 2: 2.05 pm Newmarket.

Leg 3: 2.20 pm Wetherby.

Leg 4: 2.55 pm Wetherby.

Leg 5: 3.00 pm Ascot.

Leg 6: 3.10 pm Newmarket.

Scott has weight worries about Lunch.

Gone To Lunch finished last season in superb fashion, just losing out by half a length in the Scottish Grand National before finishing as runner up to Rare Bob in a Punchestown Grade 1 contest, and while trainer Jeremy Scott confirms he has schooled very well and looks a picture, the handler admits he is worried by the fact his charge has to give lumps of weight away to all his rivals in Saturday's United House Gold Cup at Ascot.

"As it's his first run of the season, I would have liked him to have less weight, particularly as he will have to face the long climb into the home straight, but I guess we will just have to do our best, and see if that proves to be good enough."

Gosden confident Thrill is going the right way.

Following her third in a Kempton Park all weather debut, Thrill showed she is going the right way when landing a race at Salisbury earlier this month, and ahead of Saturday's Listed Montrose Stakes at Newmarket, trainer John Gosden seems confident his juvenile filly has shown enough at home to suggest she is one of the main contenders for tomorrow's Newmarket race.

Oh Crick booked for Exeter return.

After landing the Grand Annual Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March, Oh Crick scored again off a nine pound higher mark in Aintree's Red Rum Chase in April, and Alan King agrees his six-year-old was probably the most progressive horse in his yard last season.

In an interview, the trainer has confirmed Oh Crick has developed in size and strength since the end of last season, and although his current official rating for the start of the new season puts him nine pounds higher again, King is not overly perturbed, and he believes Oh Crick will have every chance when he lines up in Tuesday's Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter.

"Based on what he achieved last season I can have no doubt he deserves another rise in the weights, and if he is eventually going to compete at the highest level then extra weight is inevitable. Having said that, if Paul Nicholls keeps Twist Magic in the line up for the Exeter race, Oh Crick will get in with only ten stone five pounds, and on those terms, he would have every chance."

Aga Khan sells leading stayers to mystery Australian buyer.

In a shock move, HH the Aga Khan has sold Alandi and Mourayan to a mystery Australian purchaser who hopes to enter the two top class stayers in next year's one hundred and fiftieth running of the Melbourne Cup.

While the sale of Mourayan is less of a shock, Alandi - the Irish Field St Leger and Prix du Cadran winner - seemed certain to figure in all the major Gold Cup races next season, and his impending removal to Australia now leaves the door open for Sir Michael Stoute's Ask, and Godolphin's Schiaparelli to continue the battle they started in last Sunday's Prix Royal Oak.

Williams delighted with Munsef.

Having arrived in Australia earlier today, trainer Ian Williams went straight over to Sandown Park racecourse to check on the condition of his Melbourne Cup hope Munsef, and what he saw delighted him,

"He has never looked better! I have to hand it to his lass Dawn Crossley, she has been with him during his three week quarintine, and she has done a fantastic job with him. He looks fit and healthy and ready to race, and I am really looking forward to seeing him in action."

Muir very happy with Saphiras Fire .

Although Saphiras Fire is the only filly amongst the six runners in tomorrow's James Seymour Stakes at Newmarket, trainer William Muir thinks his four year old is in the form of her life, and she could have the beating of the five colts in the Group 3 contest. Certainly, a repetition of her recent third to Ashalanda in the Group 2 Pride Stakes would seem to give her every chance.

Silver Birch to have seasonal debut.

2007 Aintree Grand National winner Silver Birch had an injury hit season in 2008 2009, yet despite this he was going well in April's renewal of the Grand National before falling at Becher's Brook on the second circuit. For the upcoming season trainer Gordon Elliot has his veteran chaser ready for action right at the beginning of the new campaign, and the handler intends to send Silver Birch on a point to point outing this weekend as he starts his preparation for another crack at the world's greatest steeplechase next April.

Raba Bloodstock add Oxx and Lyons to their training roster.

It was announced this morning, Raba Bloodstock are to expand their training roster in Ireland, with John Oxx being selected to receive horses next season from Sultan Ali, while Ger Lyons is to obtain two home bred yearlings to be trained for Jaber Abdullah.

Hourigan hopeful prep race will have made Church Island competitive.

Michael Hourigan admits Church Island faces a step up in class when he competes in tomorrow's Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby, but the trainer is very hopeful his ten-year-old's run in the recent Munster National, where he finished a respectable fifth, will give him the race fitness edge on most of his rivals. Discussing his charge's chances, Hourigan said,

"He goes into the race fully prepared and with a race under his belt. If he puts in his best performance and gets a bit of luck, I would be hopeful he would acquit himself very well."

Amongst Church Island's main opponents would appear to be Evan Williams's Deep Purple, and although the former top novice has never raced beyond two and a half miles, he is understood to have been specifically trained for the longer trip of Saturday's Wetherby race.

Meanwhile, veteran Ollie Mcgurn does not know how to run a bad race in the Charlie Hall, having won it in 2005 and 2007, and finished as runner up to State of Play in last year's renewal.

Saeed bin Suroor warning over Shaweel.

Despite the fact his horses are in wonderful form at present, Godolphin's Saeed bin Suroor has indicated Shaweel is likely to need his run in tomorrow's Bet 365 Listed Ben Marshall Stakes at Newmarket. A winner of the Gimcrack Stakes as a two year old with Mark Johnston, Shaweel was last seen this season trailing in seventh in the French 2,000 Guineas, but injuries and setbacks have kept him off the track for nearly six months, and bin Suroor thinks he will need Saturday's outing at Newmarket before he finds his true form.

Butler has first major runner.

Formerly head lad for Dusty Sheahy, Lawrence Butler is about to have a high profile runner under his own training license in the form of Trafford Lad. The seven year old is owned by Butler's family, and when he decided to start on his own, the horse was transferred out of Sheahy's yard to Butler's training facilities, and the fledgling trainer is now on the brink of giving Trafford Lad his first outing in this weekend's Poplar Square Chase at Naas. Speaking about the excitement of the occasion, Butler commented,

"I am very happy to be starting my training career with such a good horse as Trafford Lad, and I am confident he will go into Saturday's race in great shape. I just hope he can put in the performance he is capable of, and then I could be celebrating my first winner."

Trafford Lad will probably have to face Paul Nolan's Joncol at Naas. The latter won three of his four starts in his novice year, and in the one he did not win, he finished a very respectable third in the Punchestown Champion Novice Chase, and although Paul Nolan feels the Naas trip may be on the short side, Trafford Lad will certainly have to overcome Joncol if he is to give Butler his sought after first victory as a trainer.

Another major obstacle to a Trafford Lad win could be Arkle Trophy winner Forpadydeplasterer, but Tom Cooper has indicated the former leading novice will not run if ground conditions at Naas become too soft.

War Artist to stay in training.

James Eustace has confirmed six-year-old sprinter War Artist will stay in training next season, and the Golden Shaheen at Dubai's World Cup meeting next spring is already being muted as his first target for the 2010 season.

Hayes delighted Changingoftheguard did not win St Leger.

Australian trainer David Hayes has spoken in typical Aussie fashion about his delight Changingoftheguard did not win this year's St Leger for Aidan O'Brien, for as Hayes points out,

"If he had won the St Leger, he would not have been for sale, and I would not have been able to buy the horse who gives me the first 'real chance' in fifteen years to win the Melbourne Cup." Hayes added,

"Since he got over the abcess in his foot, he has been working extremely well, and I believe he gives me the best chance I have ever had of winning a Melbourne Cup."

New Sponsor for the Neil Wyatt Ground Staff Awards.

The Racecourse Association Ltd has announced a new sponsorship agreement has been achieved for the much coveted Neil Wyatt Racecourse Groundstaff Awards, the only awards in British Horseracing to recognise the significant contribution of groundstaff.

Pitchcare, the UK’s leading website for Groundstaff and Greenkeepers, and publishers of the Pitchcare Magazine, has agreed to sponsor the awards for 3 years, with support from Amenity Land Solutions (ALS), a national distributor of sports turf, landscape and amenity supplies, and Fornells, one of the leading suppliers of running rail.

The agreement will cover the 2009, 2010, and 2011 awards, with awards presented to the winning Flat, Jump, and Dual Purpose Racecourses. Our sponsors have made a commitment to increase the level of sponsorship to an unprecedented level by 2011. In addition, further examination of the awards procedures will take place to develop criteria for special recognition awards to be presented in exceptional circumstances.

Stephen Atkin, RCA Chief Executive, said:

“The Racecourse groundstaff work tirelessly to provide the best ground possible and ensure that it is well maintained, consistent and safe. We are delighted that Pitchcare, ALS and Fornells have stepped in to sponsor these valuable awards to allow recognition of the work of the groundstaff.

John Richards, Operations Director of Pitchcare commented,

“We are delighted to have been invited to sponsor these prestigious awards. Groundstaff at racecourses are highly regarded in the sports turf industry, their work is critical to the safety of the horses and jockeys and, as such, the ongoing success of the sport. We are also delighted to have, in ALS and Fornells, as co-sponsors, two companies with good reputations for providing top quality services to the racing fraternity.”

For the best odds and the best anti post markets:

Betfair

==================================

Archives: