Pic by @mjyharris Graphics by @lu_dixon_1
CONTENTS Racing Calendar
Page 1
A Look Back At The Grand National
Page 2 – 3
Perth Festival Review
Page 3 – 5
Sea The Stars
Page 6 – 8
What About The Welfare
Page 8 – 10
Crowning Of A New Champ
Page 11 – 12
Dickie Johnson
Page 12 – 13
May's Main Events
Page 14 – 15
Chester / Dante Trends
Page 16
Lockinge Stakes
Page 16 – 18
Yorkshire Racing
Page 19 – 20
The Tack Lady
Page 21 – 22
Get To The Point
Page 23 – 25
Don't Ignore The Place Market
Page 25 – 26
On Air
Page 26
MAY CALENDAR DATE
MEETING
1
Hamilton, Newmarket, Salisbury
2
Beverley, Warwick,Bath, Kempton, Windsor
3
Catterick, Fakenham, Brighton, Sedgefield, Exeter
4
Kelso, Chester, Chelmsford, Wetherby, Newton Abbot
5
Carlisle, Chester, Newton Abbot, Uttoxeter, Wincanton
6
Ripon, Chester, Ascot, Market Rasen, Lingfield, Nottingham
7
Haydock, Nottingham, Ascot, Hexham, Warwick, Lingfield, Thirsk
8
Ludlow, Plumpton
9
Musselburgh, Towcester, Brighton, Wolverhampton, Windsor
10
Beverley, Southwell, Chepstow, Sedgefield, Wincanton
11
Perth, Worcester, Bath, York, Lingfield
12
Perth, Newmarket, Fontwell, York, Salisbury
13
Aintree, Newmarket, Newbury, Hamilton, York
14
Doncaster, Bangor, Newbury, Thirsk, Newmarket, Uttoxeter
15
Ripon, Market Rasen, Stratford
16
Redcar, Leicester, Brighton, Kempton, Windsor
17
Newcastle, Huntingdon, Wetherby, Nottingham, Lingfield
18
Ayr, Southwell, Bath, Warwick, Kempton
19
Ripon, Worcester, Goodwood, Lingfield, Sandown
20
Carlisle, Stratford, Goodwood, Catterick, Wolverhampton, Haydock
21
Haydock, Newmarket, Chepstow, York, Stratford, Goodwood
22
Fakenham, Nottingham
23
Ayr, Leicester, Windsor, Carlisle
24
Hexham, Southwell, Wetherby, Wolverhampton
25
Hamilton, Market Rasen, Kempton, Lingfield, Newton Abbot
26
Haydock, Bangor, Sandown, Newcastle, Chelmsford
27
Haydock, Worcester, Brighton, Musselburgh, Pontefract, Bath
28
Beverley, Chester, Ffos Las, Cartmel, Salisbury, Catterick, Haydock
29
Kelso, Uttoxeter, Fontwell
30
Cartmel, Huntingdon, Windsor, Redcar, Leicester
31
Redcar, Leicester, Lingfield, Towcester, Wolverhampton Page 1
A Look Back At The Grand National By Andy Richardson @topspeedfigures Aintree Round Up
Seldom have we seen a more popular 50/1 shot winner as punters and pundits alike were full of joy for the ever popular Mouse Morris as Rule The World (84) got up to win the national from the highly promising The Last Samuri. After a difficult time in his personal life there couldn’t have been a more deserving winner of the big one than Mouse; add to that the fact he’d already trained the winner of the Irish National earlier in the season and the fact that Rule The World was still a maiden over fences it makes this one of the great training performances of the season. A special mention must be given to the fantastic David Mullins who gave the horse a perfectly timed ride letting the horse find his own rhythm before asking for his effort at the perfect time. Back to the start of the week there was a high class card on the Thursday at Aintree including a heavyweight rematch between Gold Cup stars Cue Card, Don Poli & Djakadam. Cue Card (74) got the better of the Mullins pair on the day however, on my ratings I don’t feel it was a strongly run renewal and all three may have been feeling the effects of the Gold Cup. Annie Power (78) made easy work of My Tent Or Yours and Nichols Canyon confirming the Champion Hurdle form with another outstanding performance. Apple’s Jade (85) put up arguably the performance of the meeting when absolutely demolishing her fellow juveniles by 41 lengths, a very exciting filly for the future. Arzal (88) who has now sadly passed away put up a great performance to land the opening race of the meeting, terrible news for all connections who must’ve been excited by the prospect of what could have been next season. On The Fringe (77) set up his tilt at a second consecutive spring festival treble by yet again following up on his Cheltenham Foxhunters win by landing the Aintree version again; a truly fantastic training feat from Enda Bolger. The great spectacle that is Ladies Day didn’t fail to deliver in excitement epitomised by the fall of Vautour. Sent off a strong odds-on favourite many felt that Ruby just had a steering job on his hands, however, a silence descended over the crowd as Vautour got one wrong and went tumbling to the floor to leave the rest to do battle. Take nothing away from eventual winner God’s Own (76) who travelled well throughout and was a worthy winner. Buveur D’air (89) built on his promising third in the Arkle and won the Top Novices Hurdle holding off the talented Mullins pair Petit Mouchoir and Limini in what looked a strong renewal. Native River (84) gave the National Hunt Chase a form boost when landing the Mildmay, the Tizzard trained Gelding jumped assuredly throughout and stayed on strongly to win well. Ballyoptic (78) won the Sefton Novices Hurdle in a hard fought battle with the well-respected Belshill. A certain Thistlecrack won last season’s renewal and Ballyoptic is
still relatively unexposed horse who looks to have a very bright future ahead of him. Mullins added another bumper to his CV as Bacardys (74) showed he’d come on for the Champion Bumper holding off the exciting Battleford. National day itself was full of top class horses as Douvan (94) once again showed his credentials as one of, if not the best horse in training by putting in a commanding display in the Maghull Novices Chase. Ruby barely had to move a muscle and to still earn a speed figure of 94 with more in the tank is a frightening prospect. Yorkhill (80) gave short priced backers quite a few scary moments, his jumping was never fluent and he was very keen throughout the Mersey Novices Hurdle. The fact he still got the job done shows he is some horse but he needs to mature a lot from this and there’s still plenty for Mullins to work on for next season. Thistlecrack (69) made it three from three for the odds on shots in the Stayers Hurdle. It was very easy work for Thistlecrack and will have given connections an even tougher task of deciding whether to stay hurdling or go over the larger obstacles. Rule The World’s (84) win was a great success for Mouse as previously discussed but also a great success for the wider sport as the decision to move the race to the later time of 17:15 proved a great decision with increased viewing figures of over ten million in total. Overall, it was a great three days of racing and after his subsequent failure to win the British trainers title I think we can be confident that Mr Mullins will be sending plenty of his big names over the water again next year to Aintree in an attempt to de-throne Nicholls.
The Perth Festival By Fergal O Brien @FOBRacing Within the National Hunt racing fraternity there is a tendency for some people to express a sense of melancholy once the Cheltenham and Aintree festivals are over. At Team FOB we feel for this group because we know, with all certainty, that they've never been to the Perth Festival. And they are missing out! Page 3
Perth racecourse is beautifully verdant and set in the parklands of Scone Palace. There are few, if any, prettier settings for jump racing in the UK. But in addition to that, the welcome is unfailingly friendly here. If you've been racing at Perth before you'll be greeted back into the fray like a long lost family member. And if you've never been before, the same applies. A happy, upbeat atmosphere pervades the entire place. It's said that 10000 pints and 1000 bottles of champagne were sold last week. We may, or may not, have been partly responsible for that tally! The NH racing is of a good quality and usually on very different ground to the preceding winter. Prize money is healthy, so much so that Willie Mullins sent out five runners (3 winners, 2 seconds!) at the Festival in search of his first Trainer's title.
And what of Perth itself? It's a lovely town with numerous good bars and restaurants (we can recommend Paco's and Cafe Tabou from recent experience). Chat centres around racing and many racegoers eventually head towards That Bar and The Loft. You'll be familiar with jump jockeys throwing themselves headlong at fences with unpredictable, and often painful, consequences. The same is true as they make their way to the dancefloor. Onlookers are either left elated or wincing. Fair play to the jockeys and trainers for being friendly and approachable though. It makes for a great night out.
Page 4
And how was our festival? It started badly (two fallers on day one), plateaued at a low level on day two (both runners withdrawn) and then sprang into life on the last day. Owen Na View won the 2 mile chase for The Yes No Wait Sorries before Imperial Racing's Iora Glas provided Phil Donovan with his first winner over jumps. We also had penalised Imperial Eloquence finishing a very promising second in the concluding bumper. We can't wait to come back to Perth. And we hope to see you there soon too
Page 5
SEA THE STARS – ‘THE ULTIMATE THREE-YEAROLD’ By Grant Copson @thefinalflight1 With the flat season now into full swing, this article focuses on one of the greatest racehorses of the my lifetime, Sea The Stars. I would like to use this opportunity as a shameless plug for our newest venture which is a flat publication for the 2017 season. This will join ‘The Final Flight Jumps Guide’ in our portfolio of racing publications. I hope you enjoy my latest column for this ever growing magazine and would like to thank you in advance for taking the time to read it. Grant Copson (Author of The Final Flight Jumps Guide)
Thursday 6th April 2006 is somewhat significant to this wonderful story; for this was the date that 1993 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine, Urban Sea, gave birth to her tenth foal, a son by Cape Cross. During the course of a magnificent three-year-old campaign, the appropriately named Sea The Stars established himself as an extraordinary colt, one who
will forever have a special place in my heart as one of the greatest thoroughbreds to ever grace the turf. Taking into account his pedigree, Sea The Stars may have been destined for the top but bloodline far from guarantees success, and to predict that this colt would remain unbeaten during his ‘classic’ season and emerge as the 2009 ‘World Champion’ was practically impossible. Trained by John Oxx for owner Christopher Tsui, Sea The Stars made his racecourse debut in a 7f maiden at the Curragh in July 2008. He only managed to finish fourth after he was short for room at a crucial point, but did show plenty of promise. This was just the beginning to a partnership between horse and jockey, Mick Kinane, one that would blossom from a spring bud into a beautiful rose. After his juvenile campaign which yielded two wins from three starts including victory in the Group 2 Juddmonte Beresford Stakes on his final outing, Sea The Stars began his threeyear-old season as an 8-1 chance in the 2000 Guineas. It was reported that the colt’s preparation had been hindered by a temperature in March, but reports prior to the race were positive and they were justified as Oxx’s colt travelled beautifully throughout the race before proving himself as the strongest stayer to win by a comfortable 1 ½ lengths. Little did we know, we had witnessed something very special and unbelievably, this was just the beginning of what would prove to be a memorable summer. Next up was the Epsom Derby, the supreme test for a three-year-old colt, arguably the most important race for the classic generation. Following his impressive win in the 2000 Guineas, Sea The Stars was sent off as the 11/4 second favourite, as he attempted to complete the Guineas and Derby double, a feat that Nashwan had achieved twenty years earlier. There was only a steady gallop in the early stages, which resulted in him racing freely before settling in around fifth position. After his early exuberance, he approached Tattenham corner with Kinane sat motionlessly, positioned prominently in the chasing group behind tearaway leader, Golden Sword. As they entered the straight, Kinane looked to take a pull on his mount before sending him into hot pursuit of Golden Sword. Inside the two, the leader’s margin was diminishing by the second as Sea The Stars’ turbo kicked in and he powered clear, crushing any questions about his stamina in emphatic style. His 1 ¾ length victory over subsequent Irish Derby hero, Fame And Glory, was career defining in terms of his future as a stallion, but in order for Sea The Stars to achieve legendary status on the racetrack, he had plenty more to prove. Between the months of July and September, Sea The Stars went on to add three more Group One victories to his early season classic triumphs, successfully conquering his elders in the Eclipse at Sandown, the Juddmonte at York and the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown. Page 7
Sunday 4th October 2009 was Sea The Stars’ date with destiny, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the world’s richest turf race, one with an exceptional roll of honour. Sixteen years previously his mum had won the most sought after middle-distance crown and here he was, trying to emulate her and cap off his campaign in style. He had carried all before him to this point but there were still doubts that he would stay a strongly run mile and a half and the stats backed up the view that he needed to be out of the ordinary to win, with no horse completing the Guineas/Derby/Arc treble to that point. He bounced out of the gate but after that very little went right. He fought for his head through the early stages, got shuffled back as Kinane tried to restrain him, and continued to race very freely upon entering the straight. However, after overcoming slight interference when straightening up, he showed an electrifying turn of foot inside the final furlong to leave his rivals toiling in his wake. Remarkably, Kinane barely had to get serious with him and this was a sensational performance, beating genuine Group One horses with plenty in hand. Jim McGrath’s spine-tingling commentary in the closing stages sums up the finish superbly, “He powers clear, Sea The Stars racing away, perfection in equine form, a horse of a lifetime”. There is no doubt that his achievements in his previous five Group One victories made him a special horse, but it was this rampant display in Europe’s greatest race that was the one that allowed him to take his place among the immortals. The fact that his widest winning margin was 2 ½ lengths may count against him when comparisons are drawn in years to come, but it was the manner in which he won his races that left such a lasting impression. Under the finest microscopic examination, this simply advertised that Sea The Stars possessed the intelligence along with the perfect temperament to match his undoubted class. Furthermore, he managed to win over different distances as well as encountering varying ground conditions proving that he had it all – speed, stamina and durability. During that remarkable and record-breaking 2009 season, Sea The Stars proved on every count that he was the ‘ultimate three-year-old’.
What About The Welfare By Jenny Lupton @Jenny_Lupton Racing is an addiction. To follow racing is to love the rollercoaster, the emotion, the spectacle, the fairytales, the adrenaline and the suspense. Very little thrills more than watching a horse grab the turf and soar the brush. What a privilege we have to watch such a consummate athlete, his muscle and sinew flexing under silky skin, powering across the ground with his grace and might, speed and thunder, committed by his ancestry to gallop and run. However, it’s apparent there are plenty that don’t share that view. There are those out there that focus solely on the horses that lose their lives. One particular extremist organization, with ego and agenda to burn, continually parrots the same manipulated statistics to the mainstream press. As the general public is mostly ignorant of racing life, many seize on these headlines as their definitive ‘knowledge’ of
racing, because it’s their only knowledge. Keyboard warriors indulge their emotional contagion, outrage in full flow, sharing far and wide the mendacious propaganda perpetrated across social media. There’s a saying – ‘It’s easier to fool people than have them believe they’ve been fooled’ - and that’s where racing finds itself on the back foot, the activists got first jump. To deflect the criticisms, racing must present itself with horse welfare as paramount in all situations. Defending jump racing in the main is straightforward. It would be disingenuous to say everything in the garden is rosy, but the good guys way outnumber the bad guys. There will always be trainers and jockeys in the bookies’ pockets (for whatever reason), there will always be trainers forced by circumstances to run horses against their better judgment. In truth, however, they are very much the minority. Most trainers run horses mindful of their well-being, vigilant to both their needs and limits. These horses are their lives, and are mourned as a close friend when lost. Racing dodged a bullet this year at Aintree, thanks to some Neanderthal footballers grabbing the headlines thereby distracting the media from the spruce course fatalities in the Foxhunters and the Topham. Thankfully, for all the right reasons and more, all runners in the National itself came home safe. With the dynamic of the National changing due to course alterations, softer, lower fences, and a compressed handicap, more Grade 1 horses are likely to take up the challenge. Whilst this in theory makes for an enthralling race, it also increases the risk factors. Classier horses travel faster, and these big fences although less daunting, still take some jumping. This is the biggest jump race in the world, it’s a global shop window for the sport, and these horses are given huge media presence. It’s a credit to our racing that trainers and owners respect that, with horses are laid out for the National, their preparations geared to peak that day in April. So why did we see also-rans from the National (having run to the best of their ability over 4m+ in soft ground) take up an ancillary option in the Bet 365 at Sandown just 14 days later? If something had happened to those animals, vindicating their participation to those who seek to destroy the sport would have been a struggle.
Vroum Vroum Mag lines up (left) before winning in January ( @mjyharris) There’s no doubt the trainers’ championship going to the wire this weekend saw horses run that wouldn’t have otherwise. Racegoers at Sandown were undoubtedly lucky seeing the breathtaking Mullins’ horses in the flesh, there to take their chances on this side of the water, when normally their firepower is directed at Punchestown. It was abundantly clear that those horses were there as a last ditch attempt to grab the championship, as was seen by the withdrawal of Vroum Vroum Mag when the title was gone from Mullins’ grasp. Sandown and Ayr filling the gaps between the three big spring Festivals means connections of good horses have a very short space of time to let horses recover between Graded races. Good horses are just that because they put it all in during a race, they don’t shirk the questions, they answer the calls made on them. Putting those horses under pressure to continue to compete at the highest level within such a short timescale not only demands huge physical strength and longevity, but a mental toughness that cannot be quantified until it breaks. Even Douvan, the only horse to have held winning form through the three 2016 festivals, showed signs of the effects in the preliminaries to the Ryanair Novice Chase, and he is exceptional, a freak of talent for a novice. There is no easy solution to the dilemma of so many of the significant races coming at the end of the season, but in the current climate of racing bashing, racing has to be cognisant and heedful of what we ask of these horses to allow us to defend our sport with a clear conscience.
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Crowning Of A New Champion By Kathryn Trudgeon @writeforracing The memories of A.P. McCoy’s last day as a jockey in April 2015 are still fresh in the mind. Crowds of fans lined the parade ring at Sandown, craning for a glimpse of the legend who dominated his sport for 20 consecutive years. Making his way through a guard of honour formed by his fellow jockeys, he climbed the steps of the podium to be crowned champion jockey for the final time. The trophy bore his name with such unprecedented regularity, it was decided he should keep it in honour of his achievements. A new prize would be designed and commissioned for the following year. The incessant cheers and applause as the champion raised his trophy aloft acknowledged the end of a very special era. Last weekend saw the twelve-month anniversary of that emotional day. A.P. stood again on the podium in a parade ring surrounded by fans, but he was there this time to present a new trophy to a new champion.McCoy had been involved in designing the award, but was also instrumental in shaping the incredible career of its recipient. For the past two decades, he’d sat alongside Richard Johnson in the weighing room and the two men had shared a unique relationship based on friendship, respect and fierce competition. They even had the same agent. While McCoy was motivated by a relentless desire to retain his status as champion jockey, Johnson was spurred on by his quest to wrestle it from him, his tenacity offering living proof of the proverb, ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again’. He was runner up to McCoy 16 times and is the only other jockey to ride more than 3,000 winners. Achieving this level of success without ever securing the title of champion jockey never led to bitterness or resentment, testament to his unwavering professionalism. Instead he channelled any disappointment into a renewed determination that one day his dream of becoming champion would come true. This year, after 22 years of trying, it finally did. After an outstanding season achieving a 23% strike rate with 235 wins from 1044 rides, it was Richard Johnson’s turn to walk through the guard of honour to the podium. The cheers and applause were as heartfelt and sustained as they had been the previous year, a public acknowledgement that the sport hadn’t been dominated by one man during the McCoy era, but by two. After making the presentation to his long-term friend and adversary, McCoy emphasised the positive impact his rivalry with Johnson had had on his own career. ‘I wouldn’t have achieved what I achieved without him driving me up and down the country, literally … for me he’s always been a champion’. The competition between them meant Johnson had had a constant target ahead of him to chase, while McCoy knew he was being relentlessly pursued.Inevitably it urged each of them ever onwards in their quest to win, and their record of achievement reflects this. Page 11
Praise for Richard Johnson continued from every quarter; he was commended for being polite, unassuming, generous, hard-working, loyal, and just plain …. nice. How lucky we are to have witnessed the McCoy-Johnson era. Nobody deserves their success more.
Richard Johnson By Rory Paddock @Pickspaddock “The Proverbial Bridesmaid” is a phrase often banded around the sporting world. A phrase that is never truer of the career of Richard “Dickie” Johnson but that was cast to one side at long last as Dickie took his rightful place, like a golden star at Christmas, firmly fixed at the top of the tree.
With a career that spans over twenty two years of national hunt riding this well accomplished and well loved face in the weighing room took home the elusive Jockeys Championship.
For many years, (the past twenty two years in total) he has had to play second fiddle to the legendary AP McCoy. Whilst McCoy has often got all the praise true die-hard racing fans have always been in awe of the talents that Johnson possess and feel this years triumph is more than deserved.
If it weren’t for McCoy then Johnson would’ve held multiple jockey championships and probably been given the accolades he truly deserves.
Some say he was just born in the wrong era and not many could disagree but it’s fantastic to see him get his time in the limelight. This often mild mannered and quiet jockey uses his dedication and love of the sport to produce consistent winners year in and year out. Aided by the formidable stable of Phillip Hobbs they’ve both been finding winners each season to aid each of their own lofty ambitions. Saying that however Johnson has ridden winners for no less than forty other trainers to claim the 2016 crown.
A true gent in the most genuine sense of the word, those who know racing have nothing but love and affection for Johnson, not just as a jockey but as a great man.
With many more years left in the saddle we can look forward to seeing Dickie dominate for years to come. Page 12
Richard Johnson Notable Jockeys Achievements: . He is one of only three current professional jockeys to ride the winner of all four championship races at the Cheltenham Festival. . He was the eighth jockey to ride over 1,000 winners in Britain. He recorded his 2,000th career winner aboard Fighting Chance at Newbury on 16 December 2009. The 3,000th winner came on board St. Saviour at Ludlow on 4 January 2016.
After the great success of last years publication “60 Flat Horses To Follow 2015” we introduce the latest edition “60 Flat Horses To Follow 2016” Since it's release in April the book has produced 9 winners and 7 placed horses including a 20/1 winner, to get your copy click the image below.(33% 0f profits will go to the weighed in charity fund)
May's Main Events By Gordon Millard @WeighedInRacing So what's coming up in May? We kick off with Chester's May Festival a fantastic 3 days of racing and glamour at The Roodee. One DAY 1 we take in the Chester Cup, first run in 1824 this marathon race over 2 miles 2 furlongs 147 yards has a history strewn with famed names from the racing world such as Sea Pigeon the most recent of 6 horses to win this event twice, Lester Piggot who has streaked to victory in this race no less than 4 times and Barry Hills who has also got 4 victories in this race under his belt. Only 4 horses have managed to justify favouritism in this race since 1975 which might suggest that a look elsewhere is warranted. Here are a few key facts that could help in narrowing down the field. •
8 of the last 10 runnings of the event have been won by a horse rated somewhere between 90 and 99
•
9 of the last 10 winners have been making a seasonal reappearance
•
6 of the last 10 winners had some previous course experience
•
7 of the last 10 winners had won no more than 2 handicaps
Onto DAY 2 which sees us take in the Huxley Stakes and the Chester Vase. A breif look at the first of these 2 races tells us that Sir Michael Stoute is fond of a winner in the race and he has his string in fine order so too does John Gosden who has a couple of victories here himself with William Buick in the saddle. One final point to notice is that only one horse over the age of 5 has won this race. The 1 mile 4 furlong Chester Vase once won by non other than the very noteable name of Shergar is nowadays better known for 2 different names, those of Ryan Moore (5 wins) and Aiden O Brien (6 wins) including 4 of the last 5 winners where they have teamed up together. Onto Day 3 and the theme starts to get a little competitive in the Dee Stakes and the Ormonde Stakes. Both of which are synonymous with names aforementioned Lester Piggot, Barry Hills as well as Willie Carson, Pat Eddery. But more recently Aiden O Brien has stamped his mark on these races winning 3 from the last 4 Dee Stakes and 3 times winner of the Ormonde. One other little note for the latter race (Ormonde) is only 1 horse over over 7 has won in last 35 years. Page 14
Next up in May is York's Dante Festival for which i'll take a breif look at each of the 3 days main events DAY 1 Musidora Stakes A 3 Year old Fillies race over 1 mile 2 furlongs, 2 names from my childhood have a prominence in this race over the years jockey Steve Cauthen and the late great Sir Henry Cecil who between them boast 14 victories in the race. More recently John Gosden has been the man who's name resounds in this race winning 3 from the last 4 runnungs, including last years renewal with Star Of Seville. DAY 2 The Dante
Golden Horn (@mjyharris) A group 2 race for 3 year olds over a distance of 1 mile 2 furlong first run in 1958. 10 of the previous winners of this race have also gone on to be victorious in The Derby most recently last year with Golden Horn. All this as well as French and Irish Derby winners in The Great Gatsby and Jack Hobbs. Another race that in past years has been blessed on so many occasions by the much missed Sir Henry Cecil and now turned over to the awesome might of Aiden O Brien with 4 victories. However he doesn't always get his own way in this with Sir Michael Stoute also saddling 3 winners in recent years. DAY 3 The Yorkshire Cup A race for 4+ year old horses run over 1 mile 6 furlongs. Only 3 horses over the age of 6 have won this race since 1927 and it has been won by the pairing of Ryan Moore / Sir Michael Stoute in 3 of the last 7 renewals including it's last 2. We also have the fantastic Al Shaqab Lockinge stakes at Newbury races but we've left this one for our good friend Daniel Hawkins .
Trends For Chester Cup and Dante By Toonmick70 @toonmick70 York holds the 3 day Dante meeting and Chester hold the 3 day Chester Cup meeting, there are the 2 races i am looking at here. Although i don't have a definite selection for either race, i have looked at the trends for both of these races and they are as follows Chester Cup The race is run over 2 miles 2 furlongs & 147 yards I have looked at 6 different trends for this race, and they were as follows - Age, Weight, Official Rating, Last Run, Distance & Draw. Having gone through all of the trends bar the draw, John Reel (1 of 2 entries for David Evans), Totalize (1 of 2 entries for Brian Ellison) & Steve Rogers (Only entry for Roger Varian) pass all of the trends above, with the exception of the draw. Regarding the draw, 10 of the last 16 winners came from stalls 1 to 5, so look out for any of these horses being drawn in stalls 1 to 5. Dante Stakes The race is a Group 2 race for Colts, which is a trial for The Derby and is run over 1m 2f & 88yds I have looked at 6 different trends for this race, they are Last Time Out, Last Run, Career Runs, Career Wins, Distance & Group Form. Going through those trends gives us just 4 horses that pass all of the trends, they are Black Sea (1 of 16 entrants for Aiden O'Brien), High Grounds (1 of 2 entries for Charlie Hills), Midterm (1 of 4 entries for Sir Michael Stoute) & Tathqeef (1 of 6 entries for John Gosden) If you like Trends for the big races, the please follow me on Twitter @Toonmick70, and you can see more of them as i write them. Kind Regards
Lockinge Stakes By Daniel Hawkins @DanielHawkins12 The Group 1 Mile contest is the premier flat race of the season at Newbury. First run in 1958, the Lockinge is named after a Civil Parish to the North of the town, 2 miles east of the town of Wantage, Oxfordshire. The first two editions of the race were won by Pall Mall, owned by Queen Elizabeth II. Two other horses have won the Lockinge twice, Welsh Pageant in 1970 and 71 and Soviet Line in 1995 and 96.
In 2011 the Lockinge joined the British Champions Series (Mile Division) which includes the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot and concludes with the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes held on British Champions Day at Ascot in October. The last horse to complete that treble was the amazing Frankel trained by the late Sir Henry Cecil. The 2015 running was a competitive affair with the largest ever field assembled in Lockinge history. The 2014 2000 guineas winner Night of Thunder, ridden by James Doyle, was victorious for Richard Hannon and Godolphin – who have owned the most winners of this race with 6. This years event takes place on May 14th and with the sponsors, Al Shaqab, putting up £350,000 in prize money we should see another great field. We are going to have a look at the early declarations and see who could be in the running to land this year’s prize.
Last years Lockinge Stakes with Tootmore Front and Left At the head of the ante post market is Limato. The Henry Candy trained 4 year old had a very good three year old campaign, winning twice and finishing second on three occasions, including when runner up in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot to Muhaarar. He then went on to win the Group 2 Saint Gobain Weber Park Stakes at Doncaster before just falling short in Group 1 company again at Longchamp, when runner up in the Qatar Prix De La Foret. Owner Paul Jacobs will be hoping the son of Tagula will be able to break his Group 1 duck this season, and it could very well be first time out in the Lockinge. Racing fans would love to see Time Test show up for the big day, with owner Mr Khalid Abdullah, hoping the son of Dubawi can emulate the great Frankel who won this event for him in 2012. However, his trainer Roger Charlton, has stated that a mile and a quarter and fast ground are the 4 year olds best conditions and he could skip this event and head straight to the Prince of Wales Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
The Godolphin pair Belardo and Toormore both battled already this flat season in the bet365 Mile (Group 2) at Sandown on Friday 22nd April . With the Richard Hannon trained Toormore – who was up with the pace the whole way – able to grind out the victory over Dutch Connection in good to soft conditions under William Buick. Belardo was held up well off the pace by James Doyle and although was closing in the final furlong finished in 4th place 2 lengths back. In good conditions and ridden a little closer to the pace, Roger Varian will be hoping to reverse the form with Toormore. The aforementioned Dutch Connection will be looking to finally get his head in front of rival Toormore if the two line up for the Lockinge. Twice now, the 4 year old Colt has been beaten in a drive to the line by his Godolphin rival and Charlie Hills will be hoping for to eek out further improvement from the son of Dutch Art. Clive Cox is hoping Kodi Bear can strike first time out this season in the Lockinge. The 4 year old son of Kodiac was impressive last season winning 3 out of 5 starts. His final outing in the Queen Elizabeth II he played up and pulled too hard behind Solow during the race and finished down the field but only three lengths back. If the son of Kodiac is ready to go and on a going day he can be in with a shout at the £198,485 first prize. Third in this race 12 months ago, the Peter Chapple-Hyam trained Arod should be race fit for this after finishing 3rd in his prep run - the listed Stratford Place Stud Paradise Stakes at Ascot on Wednesday 27th April. The 5 year old son of Teofilo, had a very solid 2014 season, winning the group 3 Diomed Stakes at Epsom and the Group 2 Summer Mile at Ascot before finishing a half length second to the French Champion miler Solow in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood in July. If he can repeat that form he as great chance to land this prize although we may not see his best form until the middle to back end of the summer campaign. Last on the shortlist is Amazing Maria. After losing her way as a 3 year old with Ed Dunlop, David O’Meara took the filly on last year and she had a very good campaign. After a solid prep run at the Curragh she went on to record three impressive victories on the bounce – the Duke of Cambridge at Royal Ascot, the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket and the Group 1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville where she battled on gamely to beat the impressive Ervedya. She would be a very interesting runner if connections want to see how the daughter of Mastercraftsman mixes it with the boys.
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Yorkshire Racing's By Mark and Richard @RWMORacing Another month down and we’re flying through 2016 that fast it'll be "all roads lead to Cheltenham" before we know it. What a few weeks it's been for the Gigginstown boys! What a finale we've had to the NHT season thanks to Nicholls and Mullins. The excitement doesn't stop there though, we've seen the return of the flat and we now look forward to the first classic of the season at Newmarket and both the Chester May and Dante festival at York in the next couple of weeks. Redcar kicked off the flat season of 2016 rather than Yorkshire neighbours Doncaster due to Easter being early this year. It was a good day for local trainers who took the majority of the races including the loveable rogue Mick Easterby, who saddled the first turf winner of the season with able apprentice Nathan Evans doing the steering. It was also a memorable day for Olly Williams whose 33/1 shot Tricky Dicky won the finale of the day and provided the rookie trainer with his first success. 5 days later and around 90 miles south Town Moor staged the traditional Lincoln Handicap meeting. The ‘big boys’ from down south were all in attendance as one would expect and it was the ‘boys in blue’ who took the showpiece One Mile Heritage Handicap with Secret Brief. Mark Johnston's twoyear-old’s have started the season off well with Sutter County winning on the AW on Good Friday and he landed the Brocklesby with The Last Lion. Sunday 3rd April proved to be another memorable for a new trainer as Muntadab and Silvestre De Sousa took the opener on family day for the new Nawton-based handler, David Loughnane. Pontefract, Catterick and Beverley were all quick to follow suit and get their opening meetings of the season out of the way within the White Rose county and trends were starting to appear. Marjorie Fife, Mick Easterby, Jedd O'Keeffe along with the expectant names of Fahey and O'Meara were all registering winners and placed runners on a regular basis throughout the county but a slightly surprising new name to that list was that of Ben Curtis who has totted up more winners than expected, with the likes of Hamilton, Tudhope, Mulrennan and Graham Lee all in close pursuit throughout the early parts of the season. Tom Dascombe and Richard Kingscote have enjoyed a notable start to the season including winners at Doncaster, Thirsk and Pontefract thus far. Although slightly controversial the Spring Cup - held at Chelmsford this year headed back to Malton via Gabrial's Kaka and Paul Hanagan for his old boss Richard Fahey. The same trainer found himself out of luck in France though as Ribchester never settled and was demoted from second to fifth due to interference in the final stages. Joey Haynes also found himself in trouble in France as he took a tumble - but luckily he escaped without any serious injuries.
It's been good to see Connor Beasley back on a racecourse after a serious injury at Wolverhampton along with George Chaloner and Jordan Vaughan too, who have all reaped the benefits of having Jack Berry House open and running effectively in Malton. What do we have to look forward to then? Well for us .... A week at Punchestown is imminent and rounds off a cracking 6/7 weeks of thrilling national hunt festivals that have seen old timers, superstars and training powerhouses have so much success. Yorkshire will have a hand in the Guineas festival at the HQ of Flat racing before 3 days on the Roodee, followed by the Knavesmire for the Dante Festival in mid-May - a meeting we always enjoy attending. Elsewhere around ‘God's Own County’ Ripon have a FREE race night on the 6th May and their traditional family Sunday on the 15th. The day before just up the road at Thirsk they'll be plenty of craic, Guinness and ‘Alive Alive Oh’ as they stage their Irish day. If you’re in the mood for a bit of racing and music then get yourself to Doncaster on the 14th May and you'll be entertained by Pop Idol winner Will Young after racing or if 80's music is more your thing nip to Pontefract on 27th May. Finally, before we head in to the sixth month of the year, Redcar have their most treasured race day of the year as the Zetland Gold Cup takes place on Bank Holiday Monday. All in all, there's some 23 fixtures in May held in Yorkshire along with many more meetings all over the country suitable for everyone, including AW racing at Newcastle, Jumps racing at Cartmel, a mixed meeting at Haydock Park and a flat card at Wetherby. Come racing. Si thi later! RWMO
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The Tack Lady By Angela Barnes @talkintack
Hello! I am Angela Barnes, known in Newmarket as ‘The Tack Lady’. I have lived in Newmarket for 4 years, the first 2 years I spent as pupil assistant to Marco Botti whilst studying a Degree in Horse racing with Warwickshire college. Horse racing is in my blood, I have never known life without it. My friends and family both know better than to call me on a Saturday afternoon, knowing that I will either be racing or watching it intently during my only afternoon off for the week. I grew up in Cumbria and was brought up surrounded by horses. My Grandfather and Father both rode successfully as jockeys with my Grandfather being second in the Grand National and my father rode the first ever Scottish trained winner of the Grand National when he steered Rubstic to victory in 1979. In those days the fences were fearsome and it was a huge achievement just to complete the course safely. I rode as an Amateur for a few years and whilst I was not able to emulate Dad I had over sixty rides, I managed four winners but most importantly I had a lot of fun. It was during my time studying with Warwickshire College that I was required to write a business plan, I wrote my business plan on a Saddlery repairs business based in Newmarket. Until this moment I had never considered another option other than training racehorses and I had completed all of the modules required to train. Dad trains in Cumbria with Mum tirelessly working by his side, so it was always a thought I would go back there. It was such a comprehensive business plan however that I realised I could make it work and it opened my mind to another career.In my early 20’s I had taken several saddlery courses with a Master Saddler and already owned most of the tools required so the startup costs required were minimal. Page 21
In the space of a few months I had my work bench and tools sent down from Cumbria, found premises and bought a new sewing machine. Having spoken to Marco and his wife, it was decided I would go Part-time. Only riding out in the mornings and concentrate on my business in the afternoon. This also worked as a back-up plan in case I didn’t make any money!
What started as a small business is growing at a rapid rate, I now do repairs work for over 25 Trainers. Most of my clients are based in Newmarket, but this year I have started doing work for 5/6 trainers away from town, as far as Yorkshire, Lancashire and Lambourn. I do try to concentrate on the repairs side of the business, but at this time of the year I see an increased demand for my hand made, hand stitched racing tack eg. Racing neck straps, bridles and breast girths. These are all made from English leather. I am now looking at potentially moving to a bigger premises and I have taken on someone to help me parttime. To keep myself sane, I now ride out two lots for Ed Dunlop. I have been lucky to ride two time winner Manjaam earlier in the season and I ride the smart filly Sagaciously. First lot pulls out at 5.45am, which for me means my first alarm ( I have 3) waking me at 4.45am. This does make my day very long, but I think of those first few hours as mine, my indulgence, my passion my love. I did stop riding out for 6 months last year and it drove me mad. It is hard work starting a business but the satisfaction you get from building something yourself is immense and I would highly recommend doing a business course to anyone who is considering it.
Get To The Point By Chloe Batchelor @p2pchloeb AINTREE Crabbies Foxhunters Chase 2016
On The Fringe (@mjyharris) Another Foxhunters chase another magnificent achievement for Edna Bolger trained On the Fringe, partnered by Jamie Codd, as his usual jockey Nina Carberry was unable to ride due to incurring a 7 day ban at Cheltenham. The 10 year old also made chasing history when completing the Foxhunter double for the second year running. He could also go on to do a double-treble by winning the Champion Hunters Chase at Punchestown as he did in 2015, and also won it as a 5 year old in 2011. On the Fringe started as 15/8 favourite, won by 8 lengths from 2nd placed 50/1 Dineur, ridden by James King and trained by Mickey Bowen, son of trainer Philip Bowen, with 11/1 Mendip Express finishing in 3rd, ridden by David Maxwell and trained by Philip Hobbs. Current Event partnered by Katie Walsh finished 4th, trained by Kauto Star’s groom Rose Loxton.
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POINT TO POINT MEETS ROUND UP
Essex and Suffolk 2nd April Racegoers at Higham were treated to a thrilling race to the end, in the Novice Riders race when unbeaten Done a Runner and Superior Fire fought it out over the last 4 fences, with Done a Runner taking the narrow victory, to take his fourth win of the season, under Shane O’Keefe and trained by Dale Peters. The Open Restricted was won by Our Milly Acres trained by John Chatfieild-Roberts and ridden by his son Tom. The ladies Open was run at a frenzied gallop with the Ed Turner trained Sa Kaldoun improving on his previous second place to take the win, piloted by Ed’s wife Rosie. Croome and West Warwarkshire 2nd April 23 year old Ryan Bradford recorded his debut win on Ifonlyalfie in the Club Members Race at Upton-upon-Severn, Ryan who trains for his step mother Norma Thompson. One of our featured Trainers to follow Laura Horsfall gained an emotional first win with the superb Edgar Henry in the Intermediate, ridden by Jack Andrews, we shall be following Laura through this season and next and wish her all the luck with all her horses. Mark Wall rode Zara Smiths Flea the Bar to victory in the Open Mares Maiden, with his wife training the restricted winner Get off My Cloud, ridden by Laura Scott. Training and ridden first for trainer Ed Glassonbury who took the 2m5f Open Maiden on the 4 year old Super Charge. Spooners and West Dartmoor 3rd April Jo Buck secured the first of a double at Cherrybrooke on odds-favourite Dicky Bob in heavy conditions, his second winner came on It’s all or Nothing, in the Intermediate, trained by Charlotte Rowe and owned by local pub owner Rob White. The Mixed Open was taken by 5/2 favourite Jepeck, trained by Kayley Woollacott and ridden by Jamie Thomas, with King of Alcatraz ridden by Vicky Wade coming in runner up, this was the 10th win in 18 months for the John Pike/Kayley Woollacott owner/trainer partnership. Spillers Dream handled the heavy conditions to take the Restricted for Nicky Martin ridden by Darren Edwards.
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Teme Valley & United Pack 10th April With the meeting at Tabley postponed, runners and spectators were diverted to Brampton Bryan. Worcester based trainer Martin Weston gained at hat-trick of wins, starting with the 10 year old Cold Knight, ridden by James Nixon in the Mens Open, with his second win came in the PPORA Club Members race for novices Arthurs Secret triumphed home under Abigail Banks, winning by 30 lengths. Awesome George completed the hat-trick winning the Ladies Open by 12 lengths partnered by 2015’s ladys novice Lara Mahon. SouthDown & Eridge 10th April The 3m6f South East Grand National, was won by an outstanding mare Kimora, for trainer/Rider Louise Allan and owner Robert Clifton-Brown at Godstone, The duo has tragically lost their Clonbanan Lad at Aintree when he suffered a fatal heart attack in the Foxhunters Chase. It was Pete Bulls Margot Fontane who came home first in the Restricted, with the 3rd mare Hi Lucy Lou taking the 3 mile Maiden for trainer Andrew Pennock and rider Dickie Collinson, this was her first run for connections. The concluding Veteran and Novice riders race was won by The Crafty Butcher for owner/rider Marcus Gorman who revealed it was the last time he would be doning his colours as he was retiring. We would like to wish Marcus all the best for his retirement.
Don't Ignore The Place Market By Ian Dykes @wayward_lad With the closed of the jumps season last weekend (even though we started another straight away), I've packed away my betting boots till September. My focus is purely on jump racing, and I wont contemplate a wager now until we've seen the St Leger run at Doncaster. Instead, I'll be spending the summer months of the flat reading the jumps form-book and re-assessing my alert list for the coming 2016-17 jumps season, and pilfering small and regular profits from the "place-only" markets on the flat. I've been a regular user of the place-only markets since I discovered them (to my advantage) about 10 years ago. Every now and then I post on my blog that the place-only markets are a world of value as nobody understands them - yet nothing changes and value continues to be had by the bucketload, especially on the flat. Page 25
We've all seen it; the short-priced hot fav for a class 2 handicap in a 14-runner race, based on winning a "maiden" by 3-lengths over a trip 2-furlongs shorter than the horse is facing on this day. The fav is 7/4 to win and that means the "place-only" odds on the exchanges are about 1.40. My modus operandi is to seek out such "win or flop" situations and lay the fav to run unplaced. This isn't a betting blind policy - you need to assess the form and the horse like for any other wager. What you have to take account of is that the win odds are just that: the odds about the horse to win. Taking those odds to a quarter or fifth does NOT represent the horses chances about being placed. It is likely that if the horse is good enough to be placed, then it will most likely win - which means with inverted logic, if the horse isn't capable of winning then it is most likely to run unplaced. I also seek out wagering situations when a horse is clearly 2nd or 3rd best on form, but hasn't a hope of winning. In such situations you can find wagers at around 2.60 - 2.90 on the exchanges to be placed, yet they should be trading at 1.60 - 1.80. The advice? Don't ignore the place-only markets on the exchanges. You can find the Wayward Lad blog at www.waywardlad.blogspot.co.uk
On Air By Bobby Beevers @BobbyBeevers So I've been travelling around the White Rose County again and seen some of the notable races and here is what I've seen The Lincoln was the first big handicap of the 2016 flat turf season, with David O'Meara's Lord of the Land being well fancied for his first run for his new yard and his UK debut, I fancied the other O'Meara horse with Birdman who has practically been transformed since leaving David Simcock's yard & who were flying home in the closing stages to finish 4th. But it was Secret Brief that got the better of Bravo Zolo beating him by a neck in an exciting finsih, after speaking to William Buick after the race he said that he will be a horse to follow on soft ground Ripon staged a meeting 8 days ago which included the At The Races handicap which 12 months ago saw Trip to Paris kick start a fantastic 2015 season. Mirsaale was the winner this time, despite his 16 pound rise from the handicapper from his win at Catterick, he won well. Hopefully we will see him line up in the Chester Cup on Wednesday. And yesterday was the Thirsk Hunt Cup where Finn Class got the better of Instant Attraction and the 2014 winner Fort Bastion in a very close finish. This month sees York stage there first fixture of the 2016 season which includes the key Derby trial, the Dante. Kind Regards Bobby Beevers Page 26