Taranis rises to the occasion

Posted by Cliff at Jan 31st, 2010 in Cheltenham, Racing News

After beating Youngstown in the Friendly and Personal Service at Star Sports Novice’s Handicap Chase at Plumpton, 10 year old Kawagino will be making his fifth successive appearance in the annual Cheltenham Festival.

It was a superior leap at the final fence that sealed Philip Hide’s victory. Trainer Seamus Mullins stated that they were all pleased with Kawagino’s performance at Plumpton and that after taking a break, he would be making his annual visit to Cheltenham to run in the Pertemps Hurdle.

Its good news to hear that after being out since 2007 because of leg damage caused in the King George, Taranis proved to be a potential dark horse in Paul Nicholl’s defence of the Gold Cup with his successful win in the Argento Chase at Cheltenham.

With this, the 2007 Ryanair Chase hero may join the winners of the last three Gold Cups, Kauto Star and Denman to form a five strong representation from the country’s stable for the race on March 19th. Considering the injury and the amount of hard work Taranis has put into retaining his form, his owner Mrs. Yeoman’s patience was well worth it.

Meanwhile, I have to mention that the weather is upsetting many a plan; including Hereford’s meeting on Sunday, which will be confirmed after an 8am inspection. With the possibility of minus 2C overnight temperatures and a snow forecast, course clerk Katie Stephens does not want to take any chances.

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Alan King on Mille Chief this Thursday

Posted by Cliff at Feb 3rd, 2010 in Racing News

Binocular is expected to be one of Nicky Henderson’s three entries for the Contenders Hurdle at Sandown on Saturday. Though he did not fare well at the Fighting Fifth of Newcastle, he managed to come in third in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton. This is what prompted Henderson to make him a contender (no pun intended!) for the Contenders Hurdle. Henderson’s other entries include fellow possibilities Zaynar and Afsoun. The other entrants for the race include Howard Johnson’s Caravel and Gringo, Lucy Wadham’s El Dancer and Dee Ee Williams and Rebecca Curtis’s Marodima. I also hear you can expect to see Alan King running Mille Chief in the Chatteris Fen Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle at Huntingdon on Thursday. This is because since his hurdling debut at Market Rasen, Mille Chief has managed to record successes both at Kempton and Huntington in what were both pretty impressive performances. In fact, Alan King first thought of racing his charge in the Adonis Hurdle at Kempton, but made last minute changes to his plans so that the horse got more of a break before Cheltenham. To wind up today’s highlights, I hear that former jump jockey and Grand National winner Bob Champion is starting a charity fundraiser where he is thinking of visiting all the 60 British racecourses in 60 consecutive days, across 10,000 miles. Bob has raised countless millions for cancer charities in the past 20
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AP McCoy looking forward to Cheltenham

Posted by Cliff at Feb 7th, 2010 in Racing News

With his scintillating victory in the Blue Square Handicap Chase at Doncaster, Kalahari King is now a strong contender for the Queen Mother Champion Chase. This was Ferdy Murphy’s charge’s first run of the season, and he is rightly proud of it.

He stated that it was a lot of fast work that made him improve so much. In fact, when Murphy came to Doncaster, he had expected Kalahari to finish probably outside the top five, and so this win was a real surprise and treat to him.

Meanwhile I have to mention that Binocular made Nicky Henderson proud with his success at the Contenders Hurdle at Sandown. However, AP McCoy who rode him to victory was not so excited with his win as he felt that Binocular hadn’t shown the same form he had last year. He did however mention that Binocular’s trainer was a master trainer, and had the capacity of getting him ready for Cheltenham.

In the meantime, I heard that AP McCoy would be riding Denman instead of Ruby Walsh, and take on Kauto Star in the Cheltenham Gold Cup of March 19. McCoy was called in to replace Walsh who had decided to be loyal to stable mate and reigning champion, Kauto Star.

With Denman having won two Hennesseys and a Gold Cup, AP is more than happy at getting a chance to ride a great horse at the best race of the year, the Cheltenham Festival. It’ll be an intriguing battle, and I shall be there to see the action.

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King pleases Murphy

Posted by Cliff at Feb 10th, 2010 in Cheltenham, Racing News

Trainer Ferdy Murphy was thrilled with Kalahari King’s performance in the Blue Square Handicap Chase where he slammed Oiseau De Nuit by three and a quarter lengths. With this victory, Murphy states that King will be heading straight for the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Murphy also hinted that he was thinking of racing King at the Aintree Melling Chase before heading to Cheltenham. Meanwhile, Murphy’s promising novice chaser, The Hollinwell too had worked well and will be having his next outing at Haydock before the Jewson Novice’s Handicap Chase.

Meanwhile, as I suspected last week I’ve now heard that Tony McCoy still believes that Binocular needs some improvement to become a serious contender for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle. Though Binocular ended up a close third in last year’s Cheltenham, he is yet to run anywhere near to that form so far this season.

AP McCoy also stated that although Binocular disposed of two inferior rivals at Sandown on Saturday, it was not with the level of intensity or slickness that he displayed last year. Since there’s still a little time, he hopes that Nicky Henderson will be able to bring out some improvement from him.

On a brighter note, after seeing Captain Cee Bee winning at Naas last Saturday, AP McCoy is sure that he has a chance of winning the Irish Independent Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham. McCoy said that though he made a small mistake at the last of the race, he was still eager to ride him at the race.

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McCoy saved by Get Me Out Of Here

Posted by Cliff at Feb 14th, 2010 in Cheltenham, Racing News

After putting the disappointment of the Denman debacle in the Aon Chase to the back of his mind, Tony McCoy decided to race an inexperienced youngster for his usual employees, Jonjo O’Neill and JP McManus, and was happy with his decision.

It was Get Me Out Of Here that came to AP McCoy’s salivation in the Totesport Trophy at Newbury, which up until that point, looked to be a wretched afternoon for the champion jockey. O’Neill did mention that Get Me Out Of Here jumped well in the race, and would be running in both the Supreme and the Neptune at Cheltenham.

According to the grapevine, Diamond Harry’s win at the Toteplaceport Novice’s Chase at Newbury, ensures he will be racing at the Cheltenham Festival with an unblemished record. According to jockey Timmy Murphy, Diamond Harry is a big and talented horse.

In the meantime, I’ve also heard that Paul Nicholls has warned punters from writing off the chances of Denman in the Cheltenham Gold Cup after unseating Tony McCoy in the Aon Chase at Newbury.

This is because Nicholls said that Denman was 100% OK, and that what had happened to him could have happened to anyone. I am not so convinced I have to say, but time will tell. Nicholls also mentioned that with more work on the gallops, and five weeks to prepare, Denman would turn out to be a different horse and a strong contender for Cheltenham.

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Five jockeys banned over their mistakes

Posted by Cliff at Feb 17th, 2010 in Racing News

After taking the wrong course in the Gosforth Decorating and Building Services Mares’ Maiden Hurdle at Newcastle, five jockeys were suspended for 12 days in a quite unbelievable incident. There was actually a full circuit to go when Jason Maguire and his mount Seedless headed down the middle of the track, but on the wrong side of the white rails.

This not only led them to the chase course, but lead to four others following his lead to the wrong side of the rails. However the remaining jockeys realised their mistake, and managed to keep on the right part of the course.

The four other misguided jockeys were Peter Buchanan on Catleen, James O’Farrell on Glen Innis Lady, Campbell Gillies on Moscow Mischief and Paddy Aspell on Ruby Queen.

The eventual winner of the race was Mick Easterby on Diavoleria.

The jockeys said that the course had never been divided this way, and though it was marked in the weighing room, they say that someone should have ensured that the jockeys were aware of the change.

However stipendiary steward Adie Smith stated that the course was clearly marked on the map, and as most of the jockeys were regulars there, they should have been familiar with the track.

On a sourer note, I was grief struck to hear that the young jockey, Ronan Lawlor was killed in a gallops accident on Tuesday, in Ireland. It was while pulling up his mount that the horse jinked to the right, and catapulted the jockey out of the saddle, into a wooden stake. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

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Henderson heads to Ascot with a quartet

Posted by Cliff at Feb 21st, 2010 in Cheltenham, Racing News

The week ended on the right note for Nicky Henderson’s Cheltenham hopes with his four timer at Ascot. With Champion Hurdle contender Binocular out for the season, and Zaynar beaten at Kelso, Henderson’s eyes were once again twinkling because of Burton Port, Sprinter Sacre, Lush Life and Finian’s Rainbow’s efforts.

Henderson, who is presently the country’s leading handler in numbers, stated that the preliminaries to Cheltenham looked easy, but were actually nerve-wracking. Speaking of next month’s Cheltenham Festival, I heard that Henry de Bromhead was really happy with Sizing Europe’s preparation for the race.

Bromhead stated that he was in great form, and as he ran better fresh, they will be giving him a break before Cheltenham.

In the meantime, I noticed that Nicky Richards’ Monet’s Garden gave his younger rivals a master class in jumping by winning the Betfair Ascot Chase for the second time. It was in 2007 that Monet’s Garden struck and chased home Kauto Star a year later. His win at Aintree at the start of the season, and the repetition of the trick here under Barry Geraghty proved that he was no back number.

In fact, he managed to shake Herecomesthetruth’s attentions and ground his rivals into submission before closing up matters and heading home. He registered a one and a half length win over Albertas Run, while The Sawyer finished third.

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