Tuesday, January 7, 2003

VALLEY HENRY SUPPORTED FOR GOLD CUP

Gold Cup
3m 2f, Cheltenham, March 2003
6/4 Best Mate, 10 Beef or Salmon, 10 Commanche Court, 12 Marlborough, 14 Hussard Collonges, 16 First Gold, 20 Barton, 20 Chives, 20 Rinci Ri, 20 from 33 Valley Henry, 25 Bacchanal, 25 Behrajan, 25 Colonel Braxton, 25 Gingembre, 25 Harbour Pilot, 25 Le Coudray, 25 Sackville, 25 See More Business, 33 Cyfor Malta, 33 Florida Pearl, 33 Fondmort, 33 It Takes Time, 33 Joss Naylor, 33 Keen Leader, 33 Foxchapel King,, 40 Lord Noelie, 40 Shotgun Willy, 40 Truckers Tavern, 40 Whitenzo, 50 Bounce Back, 50 Foly Pleasant, 50 Horus, 50 Iznogoud, 50 Monsignor,50 Shooting Light, 50 Stormez, 66 Go Ballistic, 66 Grey Abbey, 66 Right to Reply, 66 Royal Auclair, 66 Royale de Vassey, 66 Skippers Cleuch, 100 Katarino, 100 Macs Gildoran, 100 Modulor, 100 You're Agoodun, 150 Goodtime George, 150 Kapatchi, 150 Scout Master

HUGE BOOST IN PRIZE MONEY FOR TOTE CLASSIC CHASE

The 2003 renewal has a total prize fund of £100,000 - as against last year's £60,000 added - thanks to extra support from the Tote, racing's biggest sponsor.

This exciting contest over three miles and a two furlongs attracted 17 high-class entries at the five-day stage, including Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup hopeful Truckers Tavern, who was today confirmed a definite runner by trainer Ferdy Murphy.

On his last outing at Ascot on December 21, the Phardante gelding took an unfortunate tumble at the first obstacle and his handler revealed that Truckers Tavern had recently returned to the Berkshire racecourse for some tuition from jumping guru Yogi Breisner.

"Truckers Tavern actually had three days back down at Ascot with Yogi Breisner - he came back yesterday and they were very happy with him," said Murphy. "There was nothing wrong with him but we just gave him a few days away and he's done quite a bit of intensive schooling down there. We've just had him out on the gallops this morning and he's bouncing and we couldn't be happier with him."

Prior to his Ascot run, Truckers Tavern had stayed on well on his seasonal debut in the Tote Placepot Champion Handicap Chase over three miles and a furlong at Kelso on December 2.

Asked whether the Tote Classic Chase's distance and the probable heavy ground would be in his charge's favour, the Yorkshire-based trainer replied: "He's not going to worry about any of that - it's perfect for him.

"Kelso proved that he stays even though he hit the second last hard and he was out on his feet - he really stayed at it up the straight and I think staying will be his forte."

While the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup on March 13 remains Truckers Tavern's target, if all goes well at Warwick on Saturday, he is likely to have an earlier run at Prestbury Park.

"He'll probably go to Cheltenham for the Pillar Property Chase [on January 25] - he'd have a run around in that just to get an outing on the track and get more experience of it," explained Murphy.

"He wouldn't definitely run in the Gold Cup and we're very open about where we go with him - we know he is a good horse, although we're not sure if he's good enough for that. He'll hold an entry in it all the way and, if it was fast ground, obviously we'd have to think about our options but if it was soft ground then we might be tempted."

Milton Harris, who trains from the historic Edgecote Stables in Oxfordshire, the former base of Edward Courage, today revealed that his stable star Paxford Jack may line up in the Tote Classic Chase if the weights rise sufficiently.

The seven-year-old landed the Doncaster Bloodstock Sales Future Champions Novices' Chase at Cheltenham on his penultimate start and ran well at same track last time out, finishing second under 11st 7lb in a novices' handicap chase on December 31.

Harris said: "Paxford Jack will only run if the weights go up enough. He would have to be no more than 7lb out of the handicap.

"I don't usually like running horses from out of the handicap. However, the reality is that there is £11,000 for third and £5,000 for fourth which is good for the owners. I
think I could certainly nick a place with this horse as he's improving all the time. I would love to support the race as I like Warwick - it is a go-ahead sort of track.

"His jumping is superb and he has come out of both his last two races at Cheltenham in good order - there was not a mark on him when he came back.

"Three and a quarter miles on heavy ground will be perfect. He will jump better than some and stay better than some - we may not be as good as some though!

"I quite fancy taking Whitenzo on as often tends to miss one out and it takes some jumping round Warwick. Ollie McPhail will ride once again."

The Henry Daly-trained Haut Cercy is also likely to take his chance in the Tote Classic Chase, although the eight-year-old does have the option of an alternative engagement in the novices' chase on the same programme.

The eight-year-old won a novices' chase at Chepstow in October and, on his last outing, he stayed on well over three miles at Sandown in December to finish nine lengths in arrears of Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup prospect Valley Henry.

Daly declared today that: "Haut Cercy will probably run in the Tote Classic Chase and the extra two furlongs certainly won't bother him."

Last season the eight-year-old was a creditable fifth in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival but the trainer refused to be drawn whether a return to the Festival could be an option for him this term stating: "That's a long way off yet."

Frank Berry, racing manager to owner J P McManus, revealed today that Mini Sensation is a likely runner in the Tote Classic Chase.

The Jonjo O'Neill-trained gelding recorded his biggest victory to date last time out in the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow on December 27, staying on well to beat Chives by seven lengths.

A second entry owned by J P McManus is Silver Steel, a three-time winner in Ireland last season. Trained in Ireland by Christy Roche, the eight-year-old has had two starts over hurdles so far this season, winning at Navan and finishing second at Thurles last time out on December 5.

Berry commented: "At the moment, Mini Sensation will be heading to the Tote Classic Chase, all being well. The trip and heavy ground will be fine for him - he could even go a bit further as he stays so well. He's come out of the Welsh National fine and is in good form.

"Silver Steel is only a possibility for the race at this stage and would probably need the weights to go up. Mini Sensation is our main hope and we will see what happens with him first."

Paul Nicholls is intending to run Whitenzo while last year's Martell Grand National winner Bindaree is another due to take part.

Andy Clifton, the Tote's PR director, is hoping that the Tote Classic Chase, the Tote's first major sponsorship of the year, can go ahead.

He said: "The Tote Classic Chase is Warwick's most valuable race of the season and comes at the right time of year for horses being aimed at the Cheltenham Festival or the Martell Grand National.

"It is a suitable race to put more money into and we look forward to the £100,000 Tote Classic Chase developing over the years into a major attraction in its own right."

ELWES SUGGESTS "SUPERVISORY BOARD" TO OVERSEE BHB AND JOCKEY CLUB

Elwes said: "Whatever political problems the industry faces, we should not forget that we are looking at total prize money of something over £100 million for 2003 which compares with £85 million in 2002.

"This is no mean achievement and bodes well for the future. Furthermore the BHB now has a strong executive under the leadership of Greg Nichols who has done a great job thus far, having hit the deck running.

"There does however appear to be something of a logjam, which must somehow be broken. The board of the BHB must be restructured - it is too large and doesn't allow the executive team freedom to run the business. The Future Funding Plan, or the son of it, needs to be implemented and the BHB needs to work much more closely with the racecourses.

"How do we break the logjam? Maybe, the original restructuring plans for the BHB did not go far enough. Maybe we should be thinking along the lines of a management structure similar to that adopted by some larger European corporations.

"They operate with a supervisory Board made up of the great and the good with responsibility for establishing broad policy and for monitoring an executive board. In our case the executive board would comprise the BHB executive team together with representatives from the major trade associations, including the TBA obviously.

"The Executive Board would have responsibility for the day-to-day running of the racing industry covering all commercial activities and marketing, training and recruitment. Regulation and integrity would continue to be the responsibility of the Jockey Club who would also come under the watchful eye of the supervisory board. It is just a thought!"

Elwes also looked at the ongoing problem of over production in thoroughbred breeding and suggested that, while there was little the TBA could do to actually force breeders to address the issue, it was hoped that more mare owners would use stallions restricted to a set number of mares.

In referring to Tony Morris's recent article on the subject, Elwes noted that the recently-published Weatherbys Return Of Mares', which collated data up to the end of September and is therefore an understatement, showed that 23 stallions listed covered more than 150 mares in 2002, of which only one stood in Britain, and that Ireland produced 9,252 foals - only 200 less than the combined production of Britain and Ireland in 1984.

"The problem of over production is not an easy one to resolve and the TBA would be wrong to even try to lay down guidelines on the number of mares which a stallion should cover," continued Elwes.

"In the end, I believe that market forces will resolve the problem. Speaking as a mare owner, what matters to me is that I know how many mares any individual stallion will cover before signing the nomination agreement. Without this knowledge, how can I decide if the nomination fee represents good value?

"It is interesting to look at the TBA's standard nomination agreement which has been in existence for many years. This specifically requires the number of mares to be covered to be disclosed, under special conditions. It also goes on to state that if the stallion covers more than the specified number of mares his fee is reduced pro-rata.

"Unfortunately, many stallion studs do not support the TBA agreement in its original form and this section is often deleted from the special conditions. It is up to mare owners to ensure that this is always included.

"One other point while on this subject. As we know well, statistics can all too easily be manipulated to prove a point especially among marketing men. We must try to ensure that breeders focus on stallion statistics which illustrate the percentage of winners to foals and not total prize money won.

"Thus you will see in the (TBA's) Thoroughbred Breeder magazine we always use the statistics which demonstrate a stallion's true ability."

Other topics raised by Elwes, who is being succeeded by Philip Freedman, included -

Opportunities For Fillies
The TBA welcomed the decision to award Listed status to four mares' National Hunt races in 2002 and the addition of four new mares handicap hurdles, each worth at least £30,000, this year, plus raising the jump pattern allowance for fillies from 5lb to 7lb.

National Hunt Racing
Elwes reported: "The threat to National Hunt racing looms as large as ever and we must all do what we can to protect it.. National Hunt racing produces a thrilling and testing type of horse racing, largely unique to Britain and Ireland."

Elwes welcomed a number of new initiatives, especially the Junior National Hunt Flat Series, and the relocation of the National Hunt Stallion Parade to Cheltenham on Thomas Pink Gold Cup day in November, something he hoped would be a permanent move.

Training and Recruitment
Elwes welcomed the success of the British Stud Staff Training Scheme but announced a thorough review of all training and recruitment to be carried out jointly by the TBA and National Stud, with help from the Levy Board, in the coming months.

New Members
Membership of the TBA has grown by 400 to 2,916 since 1997 and it is hoped to add more new members, especially if payments of breeders' prizes, which will come to £2.4 million in 2003, are in future restricted to TBA members.

Elwes ended his speech positively and said: "I concluded my Statement last year on an optimistic note and, although the immediate future once again looks clouded with uncertainty, I still believe that the outlook for the racing and breeding industry in Great Britain has never been better. We still breed some of the best thoroughbreds in the world and the quality, variety and integrity of our racing remains the envy of our competitors."

Nigel Elwes's Speech to the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association AGM, Churchill Hotel, London, January 7, 2003

Thank you all for making the effort to attend and support our AGM today. It is good to see such a large turnout, including a number of old friends. We have now concluded the formal business of the AGM but as usual I would like to say a few words on one or two topical subjects. I will then open the meeting to questions from the floor.

This is a very sad day for me. My last Address as Chairman of the TBA. It could be compared to the end of a love-affair which has lasted for five years. A flirtation with that remarkable animal the thoroughbred racehorse. It is not always apparent but we are, all of us, immensely lucky to be involved in this great quest to breed a champion racehorse. The odd occasions when we succeed make all the hard work and the expense worthwhile.

The Annual Review which was sent to you some weeks ago is in the same style as last year, which I believe is much more user-friendly. In it, I have outlined in my Statement what I see as being some of the more notable successes of the TBA over the last five years. There are, however, one or two recent happenings, which I would like to comment on.

First and foremost, is the ongoing programme being undertaken to improve the opportunities for fillies in training. The initiative was started by the late and sadly missed Gerald Leigh in his 2001 Eydon Hall Newsletter. This was followed by a detailed report produced by a hard-working TBA sub-committee chaired by Bill Paton-Smith. The report received a favourable reception from BHB Racing Department and we are now beginning to see our proposals being put into effect.

On the National Hunt front, the TBA welcomes the decision to award Listed status to four National Hunt mares races in 2002. In 2003 four new mares handicap hurdle races, each worth at least £30,000, are also programmed. And the latest example of support has been the increase in the Jump Pattern allowance for fillies and mares from 5lbs to 7lbs.

We are grateful to the BHB for their support for this important initiative. We all breed fillies, whether intentionally or not and the quality of a nations broodmare band is the best indicator of the health of its industry. It is vital, therefore, that fillies are not only given the opportunity to compete on fair terms with colts but are also encouraged to stay in training longer so that they can be properly tested before going to stud.

I must now turn to the troubled and continuing saga of racing politics. Looking back over the recent past one could be forgiven for thinking that this is one area where we have not made much progress. Nevertheless whatever political problems the industry faces, we should not forget that we are looking at total prize money of something over £100 million for 2003 which compares with £85 million in 2002. This is no mean achievement and bodes well for the future. Furthermore the BHB now has a strong executive under the leadership of Greg Nichols who has done a great job thus far, having hit the deck running. There does however appear to be something of a logjam, which must somehow be broken. The board of the BHB must be restructured - it is too large and doesn't allow the executive team freedom to run the business. The Future Funding Plan, or the son of it, needs to be implemented and the BHB needs to work much more closely with the racecourses.

How do we break the logjam? Maybe, the original restructuring plans for the BHB did not go far enough. Maybe we should be thinking along the lines of a management structure similar to that adopted by some larger European corporations. They operate with a supervisory Board made up of the great and the good with responsibility for establishing broad policy and for monitoring an executive board. In our case the executive board would comprise the BHB executive team together with representatives from the major trade associations, including the TBA obviously. The Executive Board would have responsibility for the day-to-day running of the racing industry covering all commercial activities and marketing, training and recruitment. Regulation and integrity would continue to be the responsibility of the Jockey Club who would also come under the watchful eye of the supervisory board. It is just a thought!

Turning to matters closer to our hearts, one notable recent success for the TBA has been our magazine. This has been almost entirely due to the hard work of our resident editor, Jenny Chantler. I believe that we now have a very readable and professional magazine, focused on the interests of our members. We will be negotiating a new publishing contract in the summer and this will enable us to increase the number of pages as needed; bring in more advertising and cut down the copy date deadlines so that all our news is bang up to date.

Another success story has been the British Stud Staff Training Scheme. It has made great progress from small beginnings under strong driving from Caroline Turnbull, with the support of the British Racing School and the National Stud where it is now based. Caroline manages not only the Foundation Modern Apprentice Course for 16 to 18 year-olds but also the National Stud Diploma Course for 18 to 25 year-olds thus ensuring that we can source and train to a high level. I would hope to see a gradual increase in the number and variety of courses which we run. However, now is the time for a thorough review of all our training and recruitment. This will be undertaken jointly by the TBA and the National Stud, with help from the Levy Board, in the coming months. It will include a detailed survey to establish the requirements of breeders. We desperately need your help to ensure that this survey is effective and that the industry gets the right staff for the future. Thanks to funding from the Levy Board, this survey represents a unique opportunity for the industry to accurately identify the extent of our staffing problems and to take measures to rectify them.

One objective that has not been achieved during my term of office is the increase of TBA membership to the magic 3,000. However we have not done too badly with our membership having grown since 1997 by some 400 net new members to 2,916 as of now. Hopefully we will break through the 3,000 barrier once we have achieved the material increase in Breeders Prizes / Owners Premiums for which we are presently lobbying hard. Provided that payment of Breeders Prizes is restricted to members of the TBA, it would be madness for breeders not to join their trade association. This is the crux of the Way Forward paper which has been used as the basis of our submissions to the Racing Review Committee. As I said in my chairman's statement, Council have decided not to publish the Way Forward paper at the present time because some of its conclusions are likely to be influenced by the findings of this Committee.

While on the subject of Breeders Prizes I would like to pay a special tribute to the Levy Board for their strong support over the years by funding the Breeders Prizes Scheme which has grown from only £575,000 in 1993 to a very meaningful £2.4 million in 2003.

The threat to National Hunt racing looms as large as ever and we must all do what we can to protect it. National Hunt racing produces a thrilling and testing type of horse racing, largely unique to Britain and Ireland. The TBA's National Hunt Committee under the chairmanship of Charles Wilson fights tirelessly for the cause and I am delighted that Charles has been re-elected chairman for another four years. A number of new initiatives have been launched in the last twelve months including the Maiden Mares-only Point-to-Point series, the NH Sales Preparation Seminar and the Junior NH Flat Race Series. This later series has succeeded beyond our expectations and special thanks must go to the BHB Racing Department and Ruth Quinn in particular. The decision this year to relocate the Stallion Parade to Cheltenham was without question a great success hopefully it will continue in its new location. It is often forgotten when looking at National Hunt breeding that so much of the work of the TBA benefits both National Hunt and Flat breeders with the main difference being one of time-scales.

I shall be sad to be stepping down as a trustee of the British European Breeders Fund as this has been an interesting experience. The Fund has been a great success over the years, but the trustees now face some difficult decisions if they are to ensure that their funds are put to best effect, as they now account for a very much smaller percentage of total prize money than a couple of years ago. I am confident that the trustees under the leadership of their new chairman, David Brown will be well up to this task. David takes over from Bob McCreery who has been a trustee since its inception and chairman for much of the time quite a stint! Our thanks go to him for all that he has done to make the EBF such a fantastic success the record so clearly set-out in the new BEBF brochure, which was distributed with the Annual Review, speaks volumes.

Another important topic, which has been widely commented on in recent months, is the increasing number of mares, covered by individual stallions. The extent of the problem was well documented in a recent article by Tony Morris in the Racing Post. He based his article on the 2002 Return of Mares statistics submitted to Weatherbys by stallion masters. But this only collates data up to end-September and is thus an understatement. It showed that 23 stallions covered more than 150 mares in 2002, of which only one was standing in Britain, and that Ireland produced 9,252 foals only 200 less than the combined production of Britain and Ireland in 1984.

The problem of over production is not an easy one to resolve and the TBA would be wrong to even try to lay down guidelines on the number of mares which a stallion should cover. In the end, I believe that market forces will resolve the problem. Speaking as a mare owner, what matters to me is that I know how many mares any individual stallion will cover before signing the nomination agreement. Without this knowledge how can I decide if the nomination fee represents good value?

It is interesting to look at the TBA's standard nomination agreement which has been in existence for many years. This specifically requires the number of mares to be covered to be disclosed, under special conditions. It also goes on to state that if the stallion covers more than the specified number of mares his fee is reduced pro-rata. Unfortunately many stallion studs do not support the TBA agreement in its original form and this section is often deleted from the special conditions. It is up to mare owners to ensure that this is always included.

One other point while on this subject. As we know well, statistics can all too easily be manipulated to prove a point especially among marketing men. We must try to ensure that breeders focus on stallion statistics which illustrate the percentage of winners to foals and not total prize money won. Thus you will see in the Thoroughbred Breeder magazine we always use the statistics which demonstrate a stallion's true ability.

I concluded my Statement last year on an optimistic note and although the immediate future once again looks clouded with uncertainty, I still believe that the outlook for the racing and breeding industry in Great Britain has never been better. We still breed some of the best thoroughbreds in the world and the quality, variety and integrity of our racing remains the envy of our competitors.

In closing, I would like to pay tribute to the massive contribution made to the TBA and indeed the racing industry as a whole, by Christo Philipson and Gerald Leigh who both died last year. We also remember that very successful breeder the late Arnold Weinstock.

The word "finally" in a speech usually means that the speaker is about half way through, but in this case I really am about to sit down. But I would just like to end by congratulating our small team at Stanstead House. They have, as always, done a great job. I also thank the Council for their continued support and guidance and for putting-up with me for so long. A special personal tribute must go to Dick Fowlston who was Vice-Chairman during most of my term of office and also to Michael Oswald for all his astute wisdom as our former president. I would like to thank my present Vice-Chairman and successor, Philip Freedman, and the current President, David Oldrey, for their invaluable support and friendship. I wish them all the very best for the future continued success of the TBA.

I would also like to extend my thanks to those ex Council Members who served the TBA during my term of office with a particular mention to Hamish Anderson who retired in September after seven years as Weatherbys representative on the Council and to Peter Stanley who steps down after a four year stint.

A very special few words of praise must be saved for Charles Frank, who has been our Veterinary Advisor for an incredible twenty-six years. He will be sorely missed and very hard to replace. The work which he has done for the TBA over the years has been immense and always with the minimum of fuss and a quick puff on the pipe. I wish him a very happy retirement and am confident that there is at least one more book in him. He is being succeeded by Richard Greenwood and I welcome his valuable input to the TBA.

CONNAUGHT PLC JOHN BULL CHASE TOPS SUPER SATURDAY ACTION AT WINCANTON

The Connaught Plc John Bull Chase, run over two miles and five furlongs, has been won by chasers of the highest calibre including the 1990 Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Toby Tobias (1990 & 1992), Wincanton specialist Panto Prince (1991), Martin Pipe's high-class performer Sabin Du Loir (1993), 1993 Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Deep Sensation (1994) and Tim Forster's grand servant Dublin Flyer (1995). The 2002 renewal went to the Noel Chance-trained Looks Like Trouble, hero of the 2000 Cheltenham Gold Cup. This year the race will be broadcast live by Channel 4.

Racing starts at 1.30pm with the SIMON SWALES GOLF PRO NATIONAL HUNT' NOVICES' HURDLE over two miles. This contest was split into two divisions in 2002 and won by Somerset-trained horses, Philip Hobbs' Cameron Bridge and Golden Alpha, trained by Martin Pipe. Golden Alpha has gone on to prove himself a useful novice chaser, winning on four occasions so far this season.

The second race of the afternoon is the £8,000-added COWLIN CONSTRUCTION NOVICES' CHASE (2.00pm) over two miles and five furlongs. Richard Rowe's Citius was victorious 12 months ago.

After the Connaught Plc John Bull Chase, is the feature hurdle race of the day, the £10,000-added JAN CHARD HANDICAP HURDLE (3.10pm) over two miles. Last year's victor in this race, Achilles Wings, went on to prove his liking for Wincanton with another win over the course and distance the following month.

Race five, the £12,000-added TIM FORSTER CUP HANDICAP CHASE (3.45pm), commemorates the late trainer Tim Forster, who trained three Grand National winners (Well To Do (1972), Ben Nevis (1980) and Last Suspect (1985)). Wincanton was Forster's favourite track and it was his wish that any memorial race for him should be run at Wincanton and for no longer than five years. Murt's Man, trained locally by Paul Nicholls, won the inaugural running of the three mile, one and a half furlong contest in 2001, while Struggles Glory was successful last season for his Kent-based owner/trainer David Robinson.

The final race of the afternoon is the WESTERN DAILY PRESS RACE CLUB HANDICAP HURDLE (4.20pm) over two miles and six furlongs. This competitive affair went to the Jim Wilson-trained Ososhot in 2002.

Stephen Higgins, the Racecourse Manager at Wincanton, commented: "The Connaught Plc John Bull Chase has proved to be a race full of quality in recent seasons.

"The supporting races are also good and we look forward to welcoming plenty of racegoers for this Saturday fixture at Wincanton."

SATURDAY FUN AT WINCANTON ON JANUARY 18

Wincanton racecourse holds its second Saturday fixture of the season on January 18 when there will be lots of attractions for all racegoers to enjoy.

There is a top quality six-race programme on offer, starting at 1.30pm with the SIMON SWALES GOLF PRO NATIONAL HUNT' NOVICES' HURDLE (1.30pm) and running through to the WESTERN DAILY PRESS RACE CLUB HANDICAP HURDLE at 4.20pm.

The feature race of the day is the £25,000-added CONNAUGHT PLC JOHN BULL CHASE over two miles and five furlongs at 2.40pm, which should hold some clues to the National Hunt Festival at Cheltenham. The late Tim Forster, trainer of three Grand National winners, is remembered in the fifth race of the day, the £12,000-added TIM FORSTER CUP HANDICAP CHASE (3.45pm).

Admission charges on January 18 are Club Enclosure £17 (17-25s £12), Tattersalls Enclosure £12 (17-25s £10), Course Enclosure £6 and cars parked in the Course Enclosure £6. Other parking is FREE. Children aged 16 and under, accompanied by a responsible adult, gain FREE admission to all enclosures.

Throughout the afternoon, "Close Up" magician Steve Finn will be performing in all the enclosures at Wincanton, keeping racegoers amused with his wide array of tricks.

There are lots of facilities at Wincanton to help ensure that racegoers are able to thoroughly enjoy the afternoon. Wincanton offers snack bars in every enclosure and a choice of seven public bars, including the "See More Business" bar in the Club Enclosure, named after Paul Nicholls' 1999 Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup hero, which also offers seafood.

The excellent restaurant overlooking the paddock needs to be booked in advance by contacting the racecourse. The indoor viewing gallery with seats, opposite the winning post in the Club Enclosure, provides excellent viewing in a warm environment and has a bar and snack bar.

Wincanton is then scheduled to race on Thursday, February 6, when the first race is due off at 1.50pm and the feature event is the Racing In Wessex Chase.

The £150,000 Wessex Racing Festival on Saturday, February 15, is the Somerset course's most valuable fixture of the year.

For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink Archive

©Racenews 2002
designed and produced by Racenews Internet Services