I - Doug’s Domination ii - 2017 iii - Godolphin Release James Mcdonald iv - Dubai International Arabian Texas Stakes v - Watty’s World
vi - Mindfulness In The Saddles vii - Farewell Walter viii - Antepost 2,000 Guineas Shot ix - Muhaarar Mania
x - Ryan Hatch Interview xi - Connochie Corner xii - ITV Racing xv - Hong Kong Becoming Competitive?
Once again, as the new year is drawing closer whilst most are finalising their plans for New Year’s Eve, the UAE racing community is gearing up for another exciting carnival ahead. We’ve already seen the likes of Doug Watson, who dominated Meydan’s first big card of the year, which included the likes of the Dubai Creek Mile & the Garhoud Sprint, Doug is in fine form and will be extremely confident heading into the new year with the likes of Polar River, One Man Band & Storm Belt (pictured below), the later this year’s winner of the Entisar was very impressive in a highly competitive field, however Candy Boy, the short priced favourite for the Entisar was pulled up and later confirmed lame. Candy Boy, has had a troubled two years with only two runs, both in the highlight of the Dubai racing season, Dubai World Cup, having finished 7th in last year’s renewal won by American superstar California Chrome. Red Stables finally thought this campaign would be his time to shine, but another setback in the Entisar has but a dark cloud on his campaign and may not be seen for a while on the Meydan dirt. Polar River is still set to go for Al Maktoum Challenge R1 on the first night of the new carnival, the meeting on January 5th will be of high importance for the super filly, who will need to put in a much better performance than she did on her previous outing against a mediocre field. Doug is looking to be the UAE champion trainer once again this year and currently leads the standings by 5 victories, with the majority of his stable still yet to be fully fit, Red Stables should be feeling very happy about their campaign so far.
Photo courtesy of Andrew Watkins
2017. Blimey. How on earth are we here already? I’ve only just got a handle on living without the naughties (that comment refers to the years 2000-2009 and not my parents). Jump racing from the early 2000s is what got me into this great sport. Intersky Falcon, Cenkos, Like A Buttefly, Looks Like Trouble, Limestone Lad – those were the days. I have just watched back Red Marauder’s National, my first racing, or indeed general, memory and it is starting to look disturbingly dated – absolutely no HD in sight. I wonder whether, 15 years into the future, we will look back upon today’s ultra HD coverage and think ‘coh, I can’t believe we ever put up with that’. However, I suppose, as with TV sports graphics, sports kits and the 40-year-old virgin, everything eventually dates. Back to reality. As you read this, the delights of Christmas will have been and gone. I’m not sure whether I mean “delights” sarcastically or not. As I write this, I am thinking ahead to my house Christmas meal and everything that will come with that – i.e. Secret Santa, Christmas songs, a bloated stomach and the inevitable red wine headache. So, I guess, in the words of any decent English football manager, ‘we’ll have to wait and see’. ‘Ba humbug’ or ‘mistletoe and wine’? It’s a debate that’s surely got to be up there with Min or Altior for the Arkle. I will however commit and say that I hope both of the latters (Christmas spirit and Altior) prevail – as long as Cliff Richard stays well out of it. As you read this, the inaugural Sports Personality/Oscar/BAFTA/Grammy/Overly Pretentious and Too Much Applause of the Year will have also have taken place. Over-hype, to me, is something that really leaves the elbow in. It’s typical of the age that we live in, to think that ‘well, X Factor does it like this, so we should probably do the same’. Glossy presenters, applause every two minutes, awkward feature clips of embarrassed athletes, pointless shots of people in the audience – zero flair. If I had my way, the top sportsmen and women of the year – those shortlisted (shouldn’t be as many as 16) and those not – would be crammed into a venue resembling the stage set of Who’s Line Is It Anyway and subjected to an audience with Matt Chapman, who would nose, harry and pry to create an evening of outrageous banter. Love Chapman television.
As you read this, the Boxer Day cracker of the King George will have been contested and claimed. Thistlecrack, it seems, is likely to stick to novice company and considering the nature of Coneygree’s loss to Cue Card in the Betfair, it appears to be Cue Card’s for the taking. However, if there was to be a match-up between the two Tizzard charges, my head and heart would shout Thistlecrack. The head informs me that Cue Card doesn’t have the engine to go with his stable mate, whilst my heart is siding with the potential ‘great’ over the veteran. It is a strange, because I would normally side with a battle hardened veteran over a young pretender, but there is something about Cue Card that I can’t quite connect with. Perhaps it is his running style – he has a high head carriage and quite a short, choppy stride – but then again I loved watching Tidal Bay. Perhaps I have never quite been able to consider him as a serious staying chaser, after seeing him fade up the Cheltenham hill in his Supreme. Or maybe it’s the fact that I thought he was ‘gone’ during the ‘14-‘15 season (where he had injury problems) and am unable to accept that he has proved me wrong. That being said, I was willing him on in last year’s Gold Cup and my preference could simply be down to the fact that I am falling for Thistlecrack. His will to race, his stride, his power, are close to equine perfection and it is my belief that if he stands up in the Gold Cup – he wins. And, with one Gold Cup under his belt, who knows where he might one day stand among steeple chasing’s gods. This lad is the real deal.
It also fills me with pleasure to note that I have successfully halted by downward betting spiral. At £40 down it was not looking good. But, an inspired £1 Placepot at sunny Ffos Las, coming in at £50.79, rode in to save the day and claim the girl. The girl and the day were, however, not won and saved easily. I believe I can say with some authority that the words Ffos Las and ‘easily’, have never yet appeared in the same sentence. As McCoy said, ‘there’s heavy…and then there’s Ffos Las heavy’. And he’s right; the horses usually seem shagged after about four furlongs. It is undoubtedly good viewing, but ‘the Las’ doesn’t give a punter one moment of comfort. But, after six very, very long races, the sixth, in particular, producing major ‘squeaky bum time’, one can emerge victorious. With resolution in the air, I will leave you with my own new year’s resolutions. The first is never to be fooled into backing Per Mertesacker i.e. Minella Rocco to win any race under 4m. I have done so now on two occasions; and with disastrous consequences. The second is to never again be subjected to watch Futurama by my university house mates – absolutely shocking stuff. I will make reasonable excuses such as ‘my pencil’s need sharpening’ or ‘the herbs don’t put themselves into alphabetical order you know!’ and leave the room. And finally I vow, that in the year of 2017, I will see Arsenal win the League, because, as we all know, supporters can affect the result if they stare hard enough at the TV.
May 2017 bring you health, happiness and winners.
“The first is never to be fooled into backing Per Mertesacker i.e. Minella Rocco to win any race under 4m. I have done so now on two occasions; and with disastrous consequences.”
GODOLPHIN have released their ace Australian rider James McDonald from his contract with immediate effect after Racing NSW found him guilty of infringing the rules of racing. On Thursday, McDonald was found guilty of accepting a $4,000 reward from a prominent Australian punter after he advised bets on his own mount, a horse called Astern, in 2015. He was banned for 18 months. Godolphin, who have fired a number of their trainers for using banned substances over the years, said in a statement that they agreed with a policy of zero tolerance on jockeys having a bet. “We will continue to support James during his suspension and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed will review his long-term future in due course,� concluded the Godolphin statement. Post by TurfTalk
For the second time, the Dubai International Arabian Races (DIAR) sponsored four stakes races in one night at Lone Star Park in Texas. Currently this is the only day (well, night actually) in the United States that has four Arabian races on one card. Proudly representing DIAR at their sponsored dinner were Richard Lancaster, Shadwell’s Stud Director, and Rachel Gowland, Marketing Manager at Shadwell Estate Company Ltd. Lancaster acknowledged that many in the crowd had come a long way and thanked them for helping make Arabian racing a success. Also welcoming guests for the second time was Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen. The first Arabian race of the evening was the www.shadwellarabian.co.uk Texas Lone Star Futurity for 3-year-old fillies going 6 furlongs. It was a match race between 2016’s top two fillies RB Kinkie and Ruby AA. Jockey Ivan Arellano took Ruby AA (Burning Sand x Triumphs Pearl, by Seyvilla Triumph) to the lead and held her rival at bay the entire race to win by three lengths in a time of 1:20.26. RB Kinkie was second and Madjic Vaz third. WMA Prairie Wind broke about three lengths slowly was never in the race. RB Madymoiselle - RB Madymoiselle awaits the stewards decision which eventually upheld her win in the Shadwell Arabian Stallions Texas Distaff - S. Photo by Steve Heath.
Next up were the boys in the DIAR Texas Lone Star Futurity also at 6 furlongs for a purse of $23,200. RB Nash (Nashwan Al Khalidiah x R B Sand Storm, by Burning Sand), already a stakes winner, was the heavy favorite and ran as such. Even though he was pressed on the inside by stablemate RB Open Fire, his victory was never really in doubt. Keiber Coa urged his horse on and he responded to hold clear by 2 1/4 length over RB Open Fire. Quick Sand AA was third. Dianne Waldron’s birthday celebration continued in the $30,000 Shadwell Arabian Stallions Texas Distaff S. for fillies and mares 3-year-old and up. Rosebrook Farm’s RB Madymoiselle (Majd Al Arab x Frynch, by Dormane), a grade 1 winner, was considered a sure thing. Pams Masquerade battled on the lead with TM Maddamee in the early stages of the 1-mile contest. RB Madymoiselle advanced three wide on the far turn and made her bid at the five-sixteenths. Pams Masquerade moved out around RB Madymoiselle when the latter drifted out, and finished willingly, but couldn’t get by the winner. Edgar Velasco, aboard Pams Masquerade, lodged an objection for interference in the stretch, but the result was not changed and RB Madymoiselle escaped with the win. Hesster held on for third. The final time was 1:53.30. In the final race of the evening, Jernesto Torres saddled Easter Man (Burning Sand x Angel Proof, by NF Proof) for Joe and Betty Gillis in the Dubai International Arabian Races Texas Open S. at 1 1/6 miles. The handsome grey went four wide on the first turn, contested the pace, drifted out a bit but won in a hand gallop by 24 lengths in 1:58.19. The race was for second with Chndakasexpress just edging Kafo for the place. The following day saw friends gather at Mickey and Michelle Morgan’s Mandolynn Hill Farm for their annual open house. Guests were treated to a fabulous bar-b-que, music and of course, horses. The stallion roster, which is the largest one in the U.S., includes two Shadwell stallions, Chndaka and Kaolino. Both highly successful and outstanding representation of Shadwell’s commitment to excellence, just like the DIAR program.
RB Nash - Leading 3-year-old colt RB Nash is victorious in the DIAR Texas Lone Star Futurity. Photo by Steve Heath.
June 1990 for many sports fans in England will mean only one thing,the start of Italia 90 which lead to that memorable yet oh so heart breaking evening on July 4th when England got knocked out of the World Cup by the country formerly known as West Germany in that penalty shootout As for myself one thing I do remember is seeing a preview programme on ITV behind the scenes of the England squad and it showed one afternoon the squad gathered around the television watching the Derby from Epsom and with the reporter asking the players who they fancied for the big race, Peter Beardsley picked out the one I liked,the eventual winner Quest For Fame, now despite only being 11 at the time I had an eye for a good horse back then and hopefully still do on occasions now but the one thing which sticks out is that they showed a replay of the race and to me that is the last time I saw a horse race on ITV. Over the years the sport did make appearances in other shows such as the 60s based drama Heartbeat, a show which oddly had 18 series but never left the decade! One of the occasions was when the Claude Greengrass character became a racehorse trainer, many racing nerds like yours truly noticed the continuity error of seeing horses going down the back at Wetherby over fences but the grandstand scenes were filmed at Ripon, Coronation Street went to Haydock Park (my local) once and at one point as I was sat at home pointing out all the errors my mother became more annoyed with me and told me to be quiet!
Now the when the clock strikes midnight on the 31st of December the sport will be back at ITV for the next four years at least until the next set of rights for the sport come up. Many people have varying views on this as is natural but sometimes sports like many horses do seem to benefit from the change of scenery that ensues after moving from one stable to another.
F1 for example in my younger days just seemed to ignore qualifying and go straight to Murray Walker on race day about ten minutes before lights out,sometimes as he once admitted he wasn’t even at the track due to costs and commentated off a monitor somewhere hidden in a BBC studio but after ITV took over despite the adverts showed the lot from qualifying to the full race. Test Match Cricket went to Channel Four and they revolutionised the way that leather on willow got covered as did horse racing’s new home ITV when they got the rights to the Tour De France and went from half hour highlights to live coverage. The Paralympics have gone from being an after thought to the Olympics to being one of the biggest events in the world and the Channel Four coverage of the previous two has brought a whole new audience to it, so much so that in 2017 I’m off to the IPC Worlds at the London Stadium for a couple of evenings where unlike the current tenants the behaviour of the crowd will be a lot more civilised. ITV then will be the home of the big racing events like the Cheltenham Festival,Grand National,Epsom Derby,Royal Ascot,Glorious Goodwood and the York Ebor Meeting,promotion of the new home of racing is being covered during adverts of its major shows to try to draw a new stable of fans while of course hopefully not alienating the current ones. The sport is in a very fortunate position as it has 94 days of live coverage from what is essentially to many a minority sport albeit the second most attended sport in the country and this is something not to be sniffed at,after all how many sports would give their right arm for this level of coverage on a continual weekly basis? No doubt many people will be interested to see how the other shows in the ITV stable will be used to assist with racing, Loose Women has been touted as being one of them, maybe This Morning will be having editions hosted from the big festivals, Ant n Dec could well be called in for the Northumberland Plate coverage although many might shudder if anyone from the various shows set in Essex get the call up for Royal Ascot and for that matter characters from Emmerdale might be seen chatting in the Woolpack about whose going to win the Lincoln or the St Leger? Without a doubt the sport has a new opportunity on ITV and it must be embraced, on the current list of the sporting “Crown Jewels” only the Grand National and the Derby are only two guaranteed events on it, the team of presenters,pundits and commentators will cause various opinions, I have my own favourites of people I’d like to have been part of the team but the fact is that they are here so they must be allowed to get on with the job in hand of brining the racing to our screens. Many people don’t like change, I can sometimes me guilty as charged for that but I am going to embrace the new home of racing and being alongside other sporting events such as the Tour De France,French Open,Rugby World Cup,Six Nations and the BTCC shows how valued racing must have looked to have been brought into the fold. So let’s get behind Ed Chaimberlain and the rest of those at ITV and look forward to the next four years, Saturday afternoons will be different but give them time to iron out any wrinkles that will no doubt appear and this great sport of ours can reach new heights and show that at the end of the day Racing Has Talent and has the real X Factor!
Mindfulness In The Saddle We have all had one of those rides. The kind where you hop out of the saddle more frustrated and stressed then when you climbed in. Did the horse spoke at some unseen threat lurking in the wood line? Did he refuse a jump? Or simply not pay attention when you asked for a rollback? No matter the discipline you ride or the frequency you’re at the barn you are guaranteed to have a ride where something goes wrong. What can we as riders do to lessen the number of times we tromp back to the barn seeing red? We can bring mindfulness to the saddle. The concept of mindfulness does not have religious implications or mean that you will have to change your life. Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh gives a simple definition of mindfulness as being “aware.” Being mindful is not just being aware of your surroundings but of our emotional state and the physical and mental state of our horse.
Written by Katelynn Fassnacht
Let’s start with ourselves. What kind of day did you have? How does your body feel? Are you feeling any stress or other negative emotion? Horses are highly social prey animals that communicate through body language. This means your horse will likely notice by your body language what kind of day you are having before he even gets to the cross ties for grooming. Take some time before you start working with your horse to be aware of the thoughts, pains and emotions happening inside your body and choose happiness in that moment.
Now that you have assessed where you are, take the time to be aware of your horse. Has your horse’s pasture mate moved? Have you looked over his body to make sure there isn’t any inflammation or heat? Is it close to feeding time or is your mare in season? Sometimes the smallest disruption in your horse’s schedule can make them less focused on the task at hand. If you encounter a problem be aware of your emotions and if you get impatient move on to something else and come back to the problem later in the ride. If your horse spooks instead of getting angry and instilling more fear into your horse take the time to show him the spooky object is nothing to fear. Remember horses aren’t on a schedule and being patient is important when your horse is learning and growing. Try to end on a good note and don’t hold a grudge against your horse if the ride is less than relaxing. Above all else remember to live life like the barn dog: live in the moment and choose happiness.
Walter Swinburn, the jockey who lived for the big meetings. If you needed a jockey that could handle the pressure of a classic or Royal Ascot, then you looked no further than Walter Swinburn. Walter was one of the finest jockeys of his generation, a fine trainer too with over 250 winners, but nothing could fulfil the joy of a big race winner. Arguably the biggest and most famous success of his race riding career came in 1981, when he rode the legendary Shergar to victory in the Epson Derby by a record 10 lengths. His career was dressed with success, a man who was ever gracious in defeat and a man who never shied away from a big meeting. Walter was known for handling pressure; his confidence was never dented no matter the result. Building up to that famous Epson Derby he was quoted saying “There’s no pressure riding a favourite, it’s not my money” showing how pressure never got to Written by him. Ashley Cliff Walter’s racing career continued after 2000 when he hung up his riding boots and brought out the binoculars in 2004 when he turned his attention to training, the 7-year training career produced over 200 winners, the highlight being Julienas winning the Royal Hunt Cup in 2011 at Royal Ascot, once again showing he never feared the biggest of meetings.
More Than Ready x Limonar Foaled Mar 27th ‘14. Trained by: Simon Crisford Mokarris was bred by St Elias Stable LLC in the States, bred in the States, Mokarris comes here with a cracking dirt pedigree, where he may actually be more suited to the UAE type of racing and running over there, considering he’s by More Than Ready, a Grade 1 winner in the States, out of a Street Cry mare. Mokarris is the first of Limonar who was a one mile Listed winner, and is a half-sister to US one mile Grade One winner Talco, who was out of a half-sister to Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Bachelor Duk, something Mokarris is being aimed at with his entry still clear as day visible for all to see. Mokarris managed to win on debut in the black cap, the second colours by two lengths to Tafaakhor, then running in the Coventry, he got unstuck by the soft going, but then bolting up in the Rose Bowl Stakes by two and three quarters of a length. Second in the Gimcrack by three lengths, Mokarris then ran in the Middle Park where he showed his inexperience and managed sixth, but pulled hard throughout and looks to be one for the future and for further in time, with a mile potentially on the radar. Chances: Mokarris has been known to be a little head strung, like he was in the Middle Park, something he didn’t show up until that race. In the Gimcrack, he showed everyone he had a good turn of foot and that 6f looked a little too short for him then, so with the step-up in distance to a mile, he should be at home. If staying a mile, something Mokarris isn’t proven at, I think he has a sound chance in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, even at this early stage. If wintering well and becoming stronger like he should, I think he could be aimed at the Greeham and see how they do from there with him, because he bred to go further, whilst as he also has an entry in the 2,000 Guineas.
It’s hard not to be popular to some of the world’s biggest and largest breeders throughout the world when you’ve won four consecutive Group One races, all of which have produced some of the best sprinting revelations of our time, beating the likes of The Tin Man who won the Champions Day Sprint like Muhaarar, along with Twilight Son and many, many more. Muhaarar beat none other than Twilight Son, who is now a stallion of his own with Cheveley Park, as he is by Kyllachy, one of their commercial stallions. Twilight Son is by Twilight Mistress, a broodmare who has produced multiple winners including Music Master who is a Group Three winner in his own right. Twilight Mistress - 18-y-o b m: Bin Ajwaad - By Candlelight (Roi Danzig) Twilight Mistress is a three time winner, five seconds and four thirds, she accumulated £28,000 in prize, with an overall rating of 75, she won a few handicaps herself for her connections, including on her last start, where she won over five and a half furlongs to beat Byo by a head. Muhaarar being bred with Twilight Mistress who is now in foal to him, as she was apart of his first book, looks to be an amazing acquisition for Shadwell to breed with the dam of a multiple Group One winner, there is going to be an immense amount of pace throughout the entire pedigree now. More than 80 per cent of Muhaarar’s first book of 129 mares was made up of stakes winners and producers of stakes winners, with 19 mares being either Group/Grade 1 or Classic winners themselves or the producers of Group/Grade 1 winners. More to follow...
By Pigeon_Island
Ryan has taken full advantage of opportunities at the base of Nigel Twiston-Davies since trainers son Sam became stable jockey for Paul Nicholls and his high profile wins have included SAME DIFFERENCE at Cheltenham in 2013, SPLASH OF GINGE in 2014 Betfair Hurdle plus Imperial Cup winner FLYING ANGEL as well as BLAKLION in the RSA Chase at Cheltenham and BALLYOPTIC in the Sefton Novices Hurdle at Aintree Date and Place of Birth: 16 June 1993 Hartpury, Gloucestershir What age did you first ride I had a pony when I was about two and had her for about 8/9 years but then didn’t ride for a bit after that until I went to Adrian Wintle’s on a Saturday morning
So where did you start as in what yard and how did you progress to where you are now with Nigel ? I went to Nigel’s at 16 after a few weeks in the racing school at Newmarket. I ride out for Nigel four days a week and ride out for other trainers on my free days So i’m guessing Nigel doesn’t have a stable jockey as such – still Sam when available and then you next one down ? Yeah pretty much it’s works well like that. I have horses that I’d ride as does Jamie Bargary who has certain horses that he rides
First ride & first winner First ride was in a p2p at Garnons the day after IMPERIAL COMMANDER won the Gold Cup, and my first winner was BATTLECRY for Nigel at Newbury’s Hennessy meeting Who are your jockey idols AP is always an obvious choice but he was so good and Dicky Johnson is also a great guy to look up to, if you could ride like any of those two you’d be doing ok!
I guess the pressure is off somewhat for you at the big meetings as the media and betting focuses so much on Mullins Nicholls & Henderson horses ? Yeah a lot of Nigel’s horses don’t get the attention they perhaps deserve but it’s nicer that way as when we have a winner it’s not expected and we can really enjoy the success What is Nigel like to ride for especially if things don’t go to plan Nigel’s understands racing and when things aren’t going well he’s not pointing the finger at his jockeys he’s been in the game long enough and is very simple to ride for
I think you may have already achieved this but …… What are your ambitions for 2016 I’ve had a brilliant season but my goal will be the same as the year before which is just to better my tally of winners Finally, can you give readers a horse to follow for 2016 maybe summer jumping I think FLYING ANGEL could make into a lovely chaser next season. And THUNDER SHEIKH who was a non runner at the national meeting due to the ground, he’s come out of his recent wins in great form and will win in valuable summer hurdles
Faugheen Champion Hurdle The main question in the two-mile hurdle right now is, Where’s Faugheen? And Where’s Annie Power?. We are now in January and haven’t seen the Ricci and Mullins big guns. I personally don’t think there is any rush or panic as the pairing are both head and shoulders above their rivals. Faugheen was a brilliant winner in 2015 before missing the race with injury in 2016. He was a brilliant winner of the Irish Champion Hurdle prior to that injury and that race looks set to be his seasonal debut this year and if everything goes to plan there I can see him being a red hot favourite to regain his crown and win a second Champion Hurdle. La Bague Au Roi Mares Novice Hurdle A mare I think is awesome. I’ve loved her since her first bumper win. She has been a revelation since she’s gone hurdling and has beaten some highly regarded Mares in the process. She has the pace and stamina to run her rivals into the ground but her trainer also believes she will be a lot better when getting a lead and chasing the pace. The rivals she has beaten to date haven’t exactly franked the form in the way you would’ve hoped but I’m not too worried about that as I think this mare will be better when taking on better company.
Min Arkle Chase
Picture of Min from David Betts
This seasons Arkle Chase at the Festival is shaping into one of the races of the meeting. The ante-post market is headed by last seasons Supreme Novice Hurdle winner Altior who has looked brilliant in three bloodless victories to date. I’m team Min who I believe is more the “finished article” this season in the sense he has filled his frame and always looked the chasing type. He’s also been extremely impressive in his chase wins and I’m hoping the combination of chasing and another year to mature can see him get the better of Altior and reverse last years Festival form.
Un De Sceaux
Yorkhill
Ryanair Chase
JLT Novices’ Chase
A horse who always runs a cracker and has a heart of a lion. He was brilliant when winning the Tingle Creek at Sandown in December in what can only be described as a gutsy performance. I think he will be very interesting at 2m4f as I think the two-miles on possible good ground might just find him out especially against Douvan. This race looks made for him as it’s a race that needs pace, stamina and class. Un De Sceaux is already a Cheltenham Festival winner and I’m sure connections will be hoping for a second festival win this year.
Despite jumping left on his chase debut it was hard not to be very impressed with his performance. He has an enormous amount of scope so it’s hard not to see him continuing to improve with each run. This race looks ideal for him as he won the Neptune last season over a similar distance and I’m sure Mullins and Wylie are hoping for another festival success with him this season. Another run before Cheltenham should put him spot on for a tilt at the JLT Chase and if everything goes perfect there he’ll go there with a very strong chance.
Charli Parcs Triumph Hurdle I was very impressed with his performance at Kempton on his debut for Nicky Henderson. He showed a brilliant turn of foot that day to beat a very smart and highly regarded horse from the Alan King yard. Charli Parcs hurdling was quick and slick. He looks all class and is another JP McManus Juvenile with enormous potential. It will be interesting how he places all his Juveniles with the Supreme looking open at this stage.
Thistlecrack Gold Cup A horse who has silenced all the doubters and gained even more admirers after a brilliant win in the King George on Boxing Day. His jumping was brilliant that day and he made the classy Cue Card look like his apprentice. The question is can he repeat that performance in a Cheltenham Gold Cup and I think the answer to that is, yes. His class and jumping is good enough to make good horses look close to average. The Gold Cup doesn’t look the strongest of races as there are a lot of questions and long absences for runners to overcome. I think Thistlecrack is a solid selection but wouldn’t be a betting point at his odds for me now.
A New Year and a new chapter for televised racing After a 32 year absence, ITV Racing returned with a team of mostly new faces to the racing community. Heading the new team was former Sky presenter Ed Chamberlin and Oli Bell as well as TV regulars Richard Hoiles, At The Races’ Matt Chapman, Alice Plunkett, and former jockeys Sir Anthony McCoy and Mick Fitzgerald.
In terms of coverage, it would have been nice to have seen more interviews with winning trainers and of the horses in the parade ring but, as the saying goes, beggars can’t be choosers. Racing is fortunate to be given a slot on mainstream TV and the team at ITV would have learnt a great deal from their first day experiences.
Many criticised the likes of Matt Chapman for being too brash but, again, racing needs opinionated After the viewing figures plummet- and outspoken characters to attract ed on Channel 4 Racing, the ITV and maintain viewers. Television is team will undoubtedly be looking to all about entertainment and there engage new followers of the sport. is certainly no question that ChapPerhaps with this in mind, the forman fails to deliver that. The more mer Olympic gold medallist Victoria humorous tone than its predecessor Pendleton, who made her presenting was indeed not lost on the viewers. debut on Sunday, will be able to give intriguing insight from an outsider’s Written by Kitty Trice perspective.
Unlike Racing UK and At The Races, ITV Racing has a different type of audience to keep interested and happy and, when they range from racing purists to first time viewers, this is no mean feat. The features on Jonjo O’Neill, weighing the horses, and interview with Barry Geraghty were exactly the sort of features needed to maintain interest. After all, the horses, jockeys and trainers are the heroes of the sport. The mid-race analysis revealed some fascinating insight, particularly with the likes of McCoy involved, and can only be a positive for the coverage as it seeks to attract new people to the sport. The team admitted that opinion would be divided on the coverage but, on the whole, the launch was under significant pressure since it was announced that ITV would take over from Channel 4. Led by Chamberlin, whose lighthearted comments made up for the typically downcast January day, the team have made an excellent start. As the old saying goes, “practice makes perfect”, and in ITV’s case their coverage, which attracted an audience of 676,000, can only improve from their first start. Like many other fellow viewers, I will be looking forward to their coverage from Sandown this Saturday.
Longines Hong Kong International Races has just completed in dramatic style. 2015 Japan horse of the year Maurice won the Hong Kong Cup by 3 lengths under Ryan Moore, this is a wonderful ending for Maurice as he will go to stud next year. Although it is impossible to see a duel between Winx and Maurice, they still have an opportunity to meet in breeding barn as Maurice may stand in Australia next year. Aerovelocity, who has won a G1 from 3 countries in Asia, produced another G1 for the connections. He travelled in a nice position and won the Hong Kong Sprint, runner-up Lucky Bubbles dashed home strongly but too late. Signs of Blessing was the first foreign sprinter to the post and the 5 years old sprinter gave a strong late of speed in last 400M with the quickest time of 22.38s.
The home team has provided another winner in Hong Kong Mile. The ex Hong Kong Classic Mile winner Beauty Only has swept the rest of the field and won the race. The only European representative Cougar Mountain was beating only 4 horses to finish the race but it is a good for Donnacha O’Brien to gain more G1 experience outside Europe.
Why do we have to pay more attention to this event? Firstly, the prize money is massive to attract those big names to compete the races. 9 of 14 horses from Hong Kong Cup are the G1 winner such as World’s ranking No.4 A Shin Hikari and No.7 Maurice. The winner of Hong Kong Cup can grab £1.4M which is equivalent to the sum of winner prize from KGVI&QES & Juddmonte International Stakes. Did you remember the scene last year in Hong Kong Vase? We can see those famous silks in Hong Kong as Highland Reel(Coolmore) defeated Flintshire(Juddmonte),Dariyan(Aga Khan). All of them are G1 winners in 2016 as well. Therefore, foreigners are willing to send their classy horses to HKIR and make the event great nowadays.
However, it was not a good day for his dad and the team Coolmore. KGVI&QES, Breeders’ Cup Turf winner and the Hong Kong Vase defending champion Highland Reel has beaten by Satono Crown in a thrilling finish.Big Orange and Highland Reel set up a quick pace during the race.Big Orange was tired in last 400m but Highland Reel is a different class of horse that he was leading the group by 3lengths. However, Joao Moreira Are you ready? Let’s get started to did some magic stuff again. His Sa- follow Hong Kong racing and pretono Crown was stepping closer to pare yourself for next HKIR! Highland Reel and got him in last 50m and won the Hong Kong Vase finally. It was a precious moment for Joao Moreira as he is the second Written by Nicklasyip jockey to win all 4 HKIR races.