Guineas News: Smart looking to send his Classic hopefuls to trials

News / Timeform / 01 April 2012 / Leave a Comment

Newmarket Racecourse

"Romeo Foxtrot and Ptolemaic have also done exceptionally well."

Bryan Smart is keen to give his three Newmarket Guineas entries a run in one of the trials to assess their prospects of going for Classic glory.

The North Yorkshire trainer has Foxtrot Romeo (Timeform master rating of 99) and Ptolemaic (97) in the 2000 Guineas and Excelette (102) in the 1000 Guineas.

All three are big prices in the ante-post markets for their respective events, but Smart reports them to have wintered well.

"Excelette has done really well through the winter. I'm very pleased with her," said Smart.

"Romeo Foxtrot and Ptolemaic have also done exceptionally well.

"All three will probably take in a trial and we'll see what we do after that.

"They all had good first seasons and have done very well during the winter."

In other Guineas news, Mick Channon is weighing up options for his exciting filly Samitar (112).

The daughter of Rock Of Gibraltar showed her quality during a fine juvenile campaign, winning an Ascot Group 3 and a Newmarket sales race.

She was also beaten just a head by Lyric Of Light (114p) in the Group 1 Fillies' Mile and Channon is looking forward to seeing her return to the track as a three-year-old.

"Samitar is great, I'm very pleased with her," said the West Ilsey trainer.

"I'm not quite sure where she'll go first, she might run in a sales race, but we'll see."

Samitar is currently [30/0] for the 1000 Guineas and the same price for the Epsom Oaks.

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Irish Champion Hurdle: Hurricane heads hopefuls

News / Timeform / 24 January 2012 / Leave a Comment

Hurricane Fly will make his reappearance at Leopardstown.

"Hopefully he will improve for the run. He is a horse that has a habit of getting himself into trouble at home, but he seems to be right now..."

Hurricane Fly features among just six remaining entries for the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown...

The Willie Mullins-trained star cleaned up in the two-mile division last season, landing this Grade One prize before going on to further Champion Hurdle success at Cheltenham and later at Punchestown.

The eight-year-old, rated 174 by Timeform, bypassed intended comeback runs at Punchestown in November and at Leopardstown over Christmas as the champion trainer revealed he was not happy with his charge, but he now looks set to grace the racecourse for the first time this season in the Irish Champion Hurdle.

Mullins could also be represented by Thousand Stars, while talented mares Voler La Vedette and Unaccompanied remain in the mix.

Jessica Harrington's Oscars Well and Kalann, from the Sabrina Harty yard, complete the small but select field.

There will be no British interest after Nicky Henderson withdrew both Binocular and Spirit Son as anticipated.

Mullins is much happier with Hurricane Fly now than he was a month ago but expects his charge will improve for the run.

He said: "He is a hell of a horse and probably only once or twice in your lifetime might you come across a horse with that sort of ability.

"He is hard to train as he is so tough on himself and we can't let him do what he wants to do.

"I just want to keep him right and if he gets beaten, he gets beaten.

"Hopefully he will improve for the run. He is a horse that has a habit of getting himself into trouble at home, but he seems to be right now."

Leopardstown's other Grade 1 on Sunday, the Arkle over two miles and a furlong, has eight remaining entrants with Blackstairmountain and Flemenstar being the leading names.

One notable absentee is Bog Warrior, but trainer Tony Martin said: "He's fine, I've just decided to wait an extra week so we can get a bit more done with him.

"There are plenty of races coming up for him and I just felt this weekend was coming a week too soon, so we've decided to give it a miss."

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Weekend Preview: Grand National hopefuls test their credentials

Weekend Preview/Review / Timeform / 04 March 2011 / Leave a Comment

Donald McCain: Runs Grand National hopeful Ballabriggs at Kelso

"Ballabriggs, who is prominent in the market for the Grand National, takes his chance in the Premier Chase instead of the aforementioned Grimthorpe at Doncaster."

Timeform look ahead to the weekend's action at Doncaster, Kelso and Newbury...

With just over a week to go until the Cheltenham Festival, quality jumps cards can be few and far between. However, this weekend we are treated to not one, but three competitive handicap chases at Kelso, Doncaster and Newbury, all of which contain horses targeting the Grand National .

The pick of Saturday's action has to be the Grimthorpe Handicap Chase at Doncaster in which Irish raider and Grand National possible Killyglen heads the weights. Killyglen was second in the race last year for Howard Johnson and whilst not having yet replicated that form for current connections, must be respected as he competes off a 2lb lower mark than last year. Killyglen will face stiff competition from the likes of Always Right, Presenting Forever and Ogee, as well as National hopefuls and old favourite's Merigo and Character Building.

Always Right created a good impression when winning easily last time and the trip and ground conditions should pose no problems for the improving gelding. Ogee has long had the talent required to win a contest such as this and his third to Chief Dan George at the Cheltenham Festival reads well in the context of this race, though he is often let down by his jumping. Presenting Forever looks one of the better handicapped for all that he carries 11-11 and a reproduction of his run last time (beaten a neck by Midnight Chase) could see the bold-jumping front runner hard to peg back. Last year's Scottish National winner Merigo is taking in this race enroute to a possible run in the 'big one' in April, whilst Character Building has been given a chance by the handicapper but must prove he retains the ability that saw him win the Kim Muir at Cheltenham in 2009.

Kelso provides us with two races of note in the Premier Chase and the Grade 2 Premier Kelso Hurdle.

Ballabriggs, who is prominent in the market for the Grand National, takes his chance in the Premier Chase instead of the aforementioned Grimthorpe at Doncaster. Having won both his starts novice hurdles this season since victory at last year's Cheltenham Festival, this appears to be Ballabriggs final prep race prior to taking his chance at Aintree. The main dangers to the likely short priced favourite appear to be Chief Dan George, himself a previous winner at the Cheltenham and Skippers Brig who ran better than his finishing position suggested on his return from a 12 month absence at Leopardstown, prior to winning a three mile handicap hurdle on his latest start.

The Grade 2 Kelso Hurdle sees the younger brigade get a chance to show what they're made of and this race includes plenty of promising types. The Alistair Whillans-trained Storm Brig bids to complete a seasonal hat trick in style in this event and should be open to further improvement now stepped up slightly in trip. Desert Cry was an impressive winner on heavy ground at Sedgefield last time and both Bold Sir Brian and Priceless Art are both open to further improvement, too.

At Newbury the Greatwood Gold Cup takes centre stage. The weights are headed by four horses including former Irish Grand National winner and Hennesy fifth, Niche Market. This will be the Paul Nicholls trained gelding's first outing since undergoing a breathing operation and he again is likely to head to the Grand National after this. One expected to run well is the Martin Keighley-trained Ikorodu Road. The stable are in a rich vein of form at the moment and this useful chaser, who is yet to win over fences, is fancied to run a very big race. Big Fella Thanks also takes in this race prior to a Grand National tilt. Last year's winner was a credible fourth to Riverside Theatre in a Grade 1 last time out has to be respected on his repeat bid. Fine Parchment who has relished being dropped back in trip of late catches the eye at the bottom of the handicap, as does Maktu who was sent off favourite for the Welsh National earlier in the season and drops back in trip having faltered over further of late.

Get the Timeform Jury selections for all of Saturday's Channel 4 races with Timeform TV Focus. Click HERE to find out more.

Timeform look ahead to the weekend's action at Doncaster, Kelso and Newbury......

Timeform takes a look back at the best action from the weekend, where ever-softening conditions gave us some astonishing performances....

With four Graded races at Kempton, and a stamina-sapping Eider at Newcastle, Timeform runs the rule over the weekend's likely contenders....

Betfair website

The Lord's Greyhounds News: Betfair Trainers Champ hopefuls go eyeball-to-eyeball ... over lunch

Greyhounds News / The Lord / 02 March 2011 / Leave a Comment

Who will emerge triumphant this year?

"Derby favourites Boher Paddy (Lister) and Droopys Oscar (Cahill) will represent their kennels at the Betfair Trainer's Championship, it really will be one of the meetings of the year."

The Lord rounds up all the big stories from the sport

Today (March 2) sees the now traditional Betfair Trainers' Championship meeting luncheon which this year takes place at the Cannizaro House Hotel, Wimbledon, south-west London.
So, taking centre-stage will be champion trainer Seamus Cahill, his predecessors for that title Mark Wallis and Charlie Lister, plus Chris Allsopp, Pat Rosney and Paul Young.
The six are at the lunch, and therefore the chief protagonists at the trainers' shootout at Wimbledon live on Sky Sports on March 22, courtesy of finishing as the top six trainers of 2010. And the countdown to that lucrative and exciting occasion begins today!
Come March 22, eight trainers will provide eight greyhounds for eight races over a variety of distances. And when you think the likes of the Derby champions of the past two years, Bandicoot Tipoki and Kinda Ready will line up for Charlie Lister and Mark Wallis respectively, plus the likes of Derby favourites Boher Paddy (Lister) and Droopys Oscar (Cahill) will represent their kennels, it really will be one of the meetings of the year.

Meanwhile, Blue Artisan was the star of the show at Wimbledon on Tuesday when the Sky-covered Racing Post Juvenile was the showpiece event.
In what turned out a messy race as fast-starting Mill Bling Bling and Razldazl Jayfkay came together at the first bend, Harry Willliams's Gymcrack champion powered through against the rails to win going away from the unlucky Mill Bling Bling and Boher Paddy, who also got held up.
It was a deserved success for trainer Williams, who suffered real heartache last year when the same dog was withdrawn from the Select Stakes after Williams got held up n terrible traffic en route to Nottingham from Bishop Auckland.

Star of the supporting card at Wimbledon was the performance of Bandicoot Tipoki who rolled back the years as he returned to the scene of his greatest triumph, last year's Derby, to win in the fastest time of the night.

As a postscript to Wimbledon, Razldazl Jayfkay's brother Monleek Merc goes under the hammer at Hall Green's sale on Sunday (March 6) morning. The two-year-old is a Dundalk winner.

London & Quadrant, the owners of Walthamstow Stadium, are failing the tax-payer. That is the latest accusation to be levelled at the housing association by the Save Our Stow campaign.
SOS confidence in their own attempts to prove that L&Q may be landbanking the famous site have been boosted by research which appears to show that plans to be build housing on the land could result in a loss of £25m.
"There are some key points that our own property and planning experts have shown that highlight flaws in L&Q's plans," said one source. "And that's if they really have any plans at all, apart from landbanking."
Bob Morton, the three-time Derby-winning owner, remains committed to brokering a deal that will see greyhound racing return to Walthamstow as part of a wider leisure development.

Racing this week continues at top pace!
Thursday sees the start of the Ladbrokes Midland Puppy Derby, for which the Gary Newbon-owned, Nick Savva-trained Droopys Greg goes to traps as favourite for the 36-dog stake, while on Saturday Shawfield begins the countdown to the first Classic of the year with trial stakes for the Scottish Derby in April.

The Lord rounds up all the big stories from the sport...

With a busy week in prospect, the Lord fills us in on the latest goings on from down the dogs......

A big month is in store at the south west London track with the Sky cameras set to broadcast live on two occasions...

Betfair website

Paul Nicholls Ante-Post Update: Gold Cup and Champion Chase hopefuls

Betfair website