At The Races ("ATR"), the UK and Ireland's most watched dedicated horseracing channel, has further developed its extensive online offering by launching a Fast Archive service on its website www.attheraces.com.
Visitors to the site can now access free replays of races broadcast on At The Races within a few minutes of the runners passing the post every day.
In addition, visitors can choose to watch either the full race or the finish and have the freedom to drag and drop the scroll bar at any point in the video file.
The attheraces.com video archive launched in April 2005 and is now the most extensive service of its type, containing over 17,500 UK and Irish Races. This newly launched application is now the fastest of its kind in the UK and Ireland.
The new developments dramatically reduce the time it takes races to appear online - moving from 48 hours to just a few minutes - and is automated, using dynamic triggers provided by Satellite Information Services to start and stop the feed from ATR.
Working with Dublin-based streaming partner Servecast, ATR will now harness the technical work completed in this latest development to further improve its live video and bet & watch services.
Statistics from the first two days since launch show a 70% increase in total archive video streams from the site.
Matthew Imi, Chief Executive, ATR said: "ATR pioneered archive video through our website and this latest development keeps us at the forefront of this area. Importantly, the video now has two uses: both as a form research tool and as a means of accessing races that viewers and web users might have missed or want to view again. Above all, it is free, available to users all around the world and reinforces our commitment to taking our TV rights to the widest possible audience."
PETER MARSH CHASE APPROACHES
Haydock Park hosts a tremendous afternoon’s racing on Saturday, January 20, with the £75,000 Grade Two Peter Marsh Chase taking centre stage on a superb seven-race card that features no less than four Grade Two contests.
The three-mile event regularly attracts an outstanding field, and has been won in the past by Cheltenham Gold Cup winners such as Jodami, The Thinker, Bregawn and Little Owl.
Other victors include the 1998 Grand National hero Earth Summit and a whole host of other big names such as Combs Ditch, Twin Oaks, Zeta’s Lad, Nick The Brief, General Wolfe, The Last Fling, Red Striker, Truckers Tavern and Lord Transcend, while 2005 Grade One Betfair Chase hero Kingscliff has twice finished runner-up.
The two-mile £50,000 Grade Two Bonusprint.com Champion Hurdle Trial also has an impressive roll of honour and boasts the Champion Hurdle victors Rooster Booster, Flakey Dove and Granville Again among its winners. The 2005 victor, Inglis Drever, went on to lift that year’s Ladbrokes World Hurdle (a race formerly sponsored by Bonusprint) at the Cheltenham Festival.
An exciting addition to the Peter Marsh Chase day programme in 2005 was the £30,000 Grade Two Anglo Irish Bank Novices' Hurdle, over two miles, which had previously been run at Wetherby and Doncaster. The first running at Haydock saw Malcolm Jefferson’s Roman Ark come home in front, while last year saw an impressive 12-length victory for the Martin Pipe-trained Nous Voila.
This year’s Peter Marsh Chase Meeting sees the £35,000 Grade Two Bonusprint.com Novices’ Chase, run over two and a half miles, awarded graded status for the first time.
Both the Peter Marsh Chase and the Bonusprint.com Champion Hurdle Trial are part of the Racing UK Order of Merit series. The 2005 winner of the Bonusprint.com Champion Hurdle Trial, Inglis Drever, subsequently became the inaugural Order of Merit Champion.
Dickon White, Haydock Park’s Managing Director, said: “It is a fantastic card, one of the highlights of the season at Haydock, and a great trial meeting for both Cheltenham and Aintree. We have four Grade Two races this year and there is plenty of prize money on offer.
“The Bonusprint.com Champion Hurdle Trial has an impressive history, with a number of top class winners on the roll of honour, while the Peter Marsh Chase is always competitive and has been won by some top staying chasers down the years.
“Along with the Anglo Irish Bank Novices’ Hurdle and the Bonusprint.com Novices’ Chase, which are both Grade Two prizes, there is quality throughout the programme, and it promises to be a really exciting day’s racing.”
This media information pack contains past results and histories of the three major races at Haydock Park on Saturday, January 20, when there will be £210,500 in prize money on offer.
RACE PROGRAMME, HAYDOCK PARK, SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 2007
Time Race Distance Prize Money
12.55pm Sporting Index Handicap Chase 2m £12,500
4.10pm Betrescue antepostmag.com “Junior” N H Flat Race 1m 5f £2,500
* BBC Televised Races
**Channel 4 Televised Race
HISTORY OF THE PETER MARSH CHASE
The Peter Marsh Chase was inaugurated in 1981 and this limited handicap has grown into one of the highlights at Haydock Park, regularly attracting the very best staying chasers.
Four Cheltenham Gold Cup winners have taken the three-mile contest prior to going on to success at Prestbury Park, while there has also been a Grand National winner and a whole host of other top-class performers among the 19 successful horses in the 21 runnings to date.
Little Owl in 1981 was the first winner of the Peter Marsh Chase and went on to victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup that season for trainer Peter Easterby and amateur rider Jim Wilson.
A year later the race was won by Bregawn, who captured the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1983, when he headed Michael Dickinson’s remarkable first five horses home in chasing’s Blue Riband. In fifth place in the 1983 Cheltenham Gold Cup was Ashley House, victorious in the Peter Marsh Chase earlier the same year.
Unfortunately, frost intervened in both 1984 and 1985 and it was not until 1986 that the Peter Marsh Chase was run again, when the David Elsworth-trained Combs Ditch achieved success. Combs Ditch was a high class if somewhat enigmatic performer, who was twice beaten in a photo finish for Kempton’s King George VI Chase.
Arthur Stephenson landed the 1987 renewal with The Thinker, who progressed through the ranks from handicap company to that success and victory in the same year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup. The Thinker ran a fine race to finish third under 11st 10lb in the 1989 Grand National.
The next renewal of the Peter Marsh Chase was in 1989 when the Toby Balding-trained Bishops Yarn came home 30 lengths clear of Cavvies Clown to add to his previous success in the 1987 Glen International Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
Bishops Yarn turned out again for the 1990 Peter Marsh Chase but was unable to cope with John Upson’s high-class young chaser Nick The Brief, who scored by half a length. Nick The Brief followed up in Ireland’s top chase, the Vincent O’Brien Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown, where he lowered the colours of the mighty Carvill’s Hill and went on to win the Irish event (now the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup) again in 1991.
Twin Oaks was a star turn around Haydock Park, winning eight times in total at the course. His victory in the 1992 Peter Marsh Chase was one of his most emphatic as he stayed on resolutely to defeat Gold Options by five lengths.
Yet another future Cheltenham Gold Cup winner was to land the 1993 renewal, when Peter Beaumont’s Jodami came home two lengths clear of Run For Free. He followed up on his Peter Marsh Chase victory in the 1993 Cheltenham Gold Cup and also finished second in that contest in 1994. He was also successful in three Hennessy Cognac Gold Cups at Leopardstown.
Jodami won the Peter Marsh Chase for the second time four years later in 1997 at the age of 12, when he prevailed by a neck from Unguided Missile with Avro Anson half a length back in third in a thrilling finish.
Following Nick The Brief’s success in 1990, John Upson recorded a second Peter Marsh Chase victory with Zeta’s Lad in 1994, while in 1995 Earth Summit made light of the heavy ground to win from 11lb out of the handicap. Three years later Earth Summit recorded another success on his favoured going - this time in the Grand National at Aintree.
Scotton Banks gave trainer Peter Easterby one of the last major successes of his long and distinguished career when landing the 1996 race, defeating Jenny Pitman’s duo of Smith’s Band and the former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Garrison Savannah. Scotton Banks landed the Martell Cup Chase (now the Betfair Bowl) at Aintree the same season.
Two real Haydock Park specialists dominated the three renewals from 1998. General Wolfe, a four-time winner at the course, won his first Peter Marsh Chase when trained by the late Captain Tim Forster in 1998 and followed up a year later for Venetia Williams. In fact, General Wolfe’s two victories followed on from one another - his 1998 win was his last start of the season while his 1999 triumph came on his seasonal reappearance.
In 2000 another Haydock Park hero, The Last Fling, put up one of his trademark gritty displays to deny Bobby Grant by three quarters of a length. The Last Fling won four times in total at Haydock Park, with his richest success coming in the 2000 De Vere Gold Cup (now the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup).
Richard Guest gave a typically inspired ride when guiding Red Striker to victory in 2002, surviving a bad blunder at the eighth fence. Guest had won the Peter Marsh Chase 13 years earlier aboard Bishops Yarn.
The value of the Peter Marsh Chase as a trial for the Cheltenham Gold Cup was proved once again in 2003 when the Ferdy Murphy-trained Trucker’s Tavern was successful at Haydock Park prior to finishing second to the mighty Best Mate in the Cheltenham championship event.
Three years ago Artic Jack defeated Kingscliff by 13 lengths to give trainer Sue Smith and owner Trevor Hemmings their second success, following on from The Last Fling four years beforehand. Kingscliff subsequently proved himself a performer of the highest class, with his victory in the 2005 Grade One Betfair Chase at Haydock.
The 2005 renewal saw a smooth performance from the Howard Johnson-trained Lord Transcend, who came home 10 lengths clear of French raider First Gold.
Last year produced a shock victory as Ebony Light defied being 22lb out of the handicap and his 33/1 starting price to score in ready fashion. Trained by Ginger McCain, best known for handling the incomparable three-time Grand National winner Red Rum, Ebony Light produced a superb jumping performance under talented conditional jockey Stephen Craine, coming home nine lengths clear of Kingscliff.
PETER MARSH CHASE ROLL OF HONOUR
YEAR HORSE AGE/WT OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY SP
2006 EBONY LIGHT 10-9-13 Roger Bellamy Ginger McCain Stephen Craine 33/1
2005 LORD TRANSCEND 8-10-04 Andrea & Graham Wylie Howard Johnson Graham Lee 9/4F
2004 ARCTIC JACK 8-10-06 Trevor Hemmings Sue Smith Dominic Elsworth 6/1
2003 TRUCKERS TAVERN 8-10-09 Margaret Scholey Ferdy Murphy Davy Russell 9/2
2002 RED STRIKER 8-11-01 Norman Mason Norman Mason Richard Guest 8/1
2001 Meeting abandoned due to frost
2000 THE LAST FLING 10-10-12 Trevor Hemmings Sue Smith Seamus Durack 11/2
1999 GENERAL WOLFE 10-10-12 The Winning Line Venetia Williams Norman Williamson 4/1
1998 GENERAL WOLFE 9-10-10 Winning Line Racing Ltd Tim Forster Norman Williamson 11/2
1997 JODAMI 12-11-10 John Yeadon Peter Beaumont Norman Williamson 9/2
1996 SCOTTON BANKS 7-11-06 Ian Bray Peter Easterby Russ Garritty 15/8F
1995 EARTH SUMMIT 7-10-04 The Summit Partnership Nigel Twiston-Davies Tom Jenks 7/1
1994 ZETA’S LAD 11-10-10 Andrew Cohen John Upson Robbie Supple 5/1
1993 JODAMI 8-11-02 John Yeadon Peter Beaumont Mark Dwyer 5/4F
1992 TWIN OAKS 12-11-10 John Moreton Gordon Richards Neale Doughty 5/4F
1991 Meeting abandoned due to frost
1990 NICK THE BRIEF 8-10-09 John Upson John Upson Martin Lynch 15/8F
1989 BISHOPS YARN 10-10-12 British Thoroughbred R & B Toby Balding Richard Guest 13/2
1988 Meeting abandoned due to snow
1987 THE THINKER 9-11-10 T P M McDonagh Ltd Arthur Stephenson Ridley Lamb 9/2
1986 COMBS DITCH 10-11-08 Jim Tory David Elsworth Colin Brown 3/1
1985 Meeting abandoned due to frost
1984 Meeting abandoned due to frost
1983 ASHLEY HOUSE 9-10-07 J McLoughlin Michael Dickinson Robert Earnshaw 11/8F
1982 BREGAWN 8-10-07 James Kennelly Michael Dickinson Robert Earnshaw 11/2
1981 LITTLE OWL 7-11-03 Robin Wilson Peter Easterby Mr Jim Wilson 4/6F
HISTORY OF THE BONUSPRINT.COM CHAMPION HURDLE TRIAL
The Bonusprint.com Champion Hurdle Trial, run over two miles, has grown into an important trial for hurdling’s greatest prize, the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, as well as becoming a high-class race in its own right.
First run in 1981, the inaugural winner was the Peter Easterby-trained Starfen, who went on to finish fourth behind his stable companion, the great Sea Pigeon, in the Champion Hurdle. Easterby’s son Tim, who has now succeeded his father, was in the saddle. Peter Easterby again won the race in 1987 with Nohalmdun.
Gaye Chance, the 1982 victor, went on to land the Stayers’ Hurdle (now Ladbrokes World Hurdle and previously sponsored by Bonusprint) at Cheltenham two years later, while in 1983 the winner Ekbalco was scoring at Haydock after landing Cheltenham’s Bula Hurdle (now the Boylesports.com International) and the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park.
Humberside Lady became the first mare to win the Haydock contest when she was triumphant for Newmarket-based Geoff Huffer in 1986, while Vicario Di Bray defeated the previous season’s Champion Hurdle winner Celtic Shot in 1989.
Bank View caused a 33/1 upset in 1990 for trainer Nigel Tinkler, while in 1992 the race produced its first subsequent Champion Hurdle winner in Granville Again. The gelding fell two out when going well in the Champion Hurdle that year but made amends when defeating Royal Derbi by a length at Cheltenham in 1993.
Gordon Richards’ tough campaigner Jinxy Jack triumphed in 1993, while 12 months later the contest was won by a mare for a second time in the shape of Flakey Dove, who is so far the only horse to have won the Bonusprint.com Champion Hurdle Trial and the Champion Hurdle in the same season.
The talented grey Relkeel was the facile victor in 1995, with the 1996 running going to the game 1994 Triumph Hurdle heroine Mysilv, who subsequently ran twice at the Cheltenham Festival that season, finishing sixth in the Champion Hurdle and second in the Stayers’ Hurdle.
Mistinguett came home four lengths clear of Dato Star in 1997, and Malcolm Jefferson’s runner-up, winner of the 1995 Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, went on to land the Haydock contest in 1998 and 2000.
Versatile performer Master Beveled triumphed in 1999, while trainer Martin Pipe won his second Bonusprint.com Champion Hurdle Trial with Rodock in 2002, following on from Granville Again. The 2003 renewal went to the Noel Chance-trained Flame Creek, who won easily by 13 lengths from October Mist.
Three years ago the 2003 Champion Hurdle victor Rooster Booster defeated Hasty Prince by seven lengths. The popular grey went on to finish second to Hardy Eustace when attempting a second Champion Hurdle success later in the campaign.
Inglis Drever prevailed by eight lengths from Mister McGoldrick in 2005. Inglis Drever formed part of a great double on the day for owners Andrea and Graham Wylie, trainer Howard Johnson and jockey Graham Lee, with Lord Transcend taking the Peter Marsh Chase. On his next start, Inglis Drever became the latest winner of the Bonusprint.com Champion Hurdle Trial and went on to Cheltenham Festival glory in March when he was successful in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle.
Last year saw a first Irish-trained success in the Bonusprint.com Champion Hurdle Trial, as the John Queally-trained Al Eile produced a gutsy effort on his seasonal reappearance to edge home by a neck from Mister McGoldrick, finishing runner-up for the second year in succession.
BONUSPRINT.COM CHAMPION HURDLE TRIAL ROLL OF HONOUR
YEAR HORSE AGE/WT OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY SP
2006 AL EILE 6-11-12 Michael Ryan John Queally IRE Timmy Murphy 5/1
2005 INGLIS DREVER 6-11-08 Andrea & Graham Wylie Howard Johnson Graham Lee 4/5F
2004 ROOSTER BOOSTER 10-11-13 Terry Warner Philip Hobbs Richard Johnson 5/4F
2003 FLAME CREEK 7-11-06 Martin Wesson Partners Noel Chance Seamus Durack 9/4
2002 RODOCK 8-11-02 Chris, Basil & Rosie Batterham Martin Pipe Tony McCoy 15/8
2001 Meeting abandoned due to frost
2000 DATO STAR 9-11-11 Kath Riley, M Guthrie, Joe Donald Malcolm Jefferson Lorcan Wyer 11/8F
1999 MASTER BEVELED 9-11-07 Mrs E J Williams David Evans Glenn Tormey 12/1
1998 DATO STAR 7-11-03 Kath Riley, M Guthrie, Joe Donald Malcolm Jefferson Lorcan Wyer 9/2
1997 MISTINGUETT 5-11-02 John Duggan Nigel Twiston-Davies Carl Llewellyn 8/1
1996 MYSILV 6-11-02 Elite Racing Club Charles Egerton Jamie Osborne 10/11F
1995 RELKEEL 6-11-10 Brigadier Roscoe Harvey David Nicholson Adrian Maguire 4/6F
1994 FLAKEY DOVE 8-11-05 John Price Richard Price Richard Dunwoody 9/2
1993 JINXY JACK 9-11-07 Mrs B M McKinney Gordon Richards Neale Doughty 9/4F
1992 GRANVILLE AGAIN 6-11-10 Eric Scarth Martin Pipe Peter Scudamore 1/2F
1991 Meeting abandoned due to frost
1990 BANK VIEW 5-11-08 Bank View Hire Ltd Nigel Tinkler Graham Bradley 33/1
1989 VICARIO DI BRAY 6-11-08 Peter Hopkins Jonjo O’Neill Mark Dwyer 11/1
1988 Meeting abandoned due to snow
1987 NOHALMDUN 6-12-00 Ulceby Farms Ltd Peter Easterby Lorcan Wyer 2/5F
1986 HUMBERSIDE LADY 5-11-06 Humberside Enterprises Ltd Geoff Huffer Mark Dwyer 4/1
1985 Meeting abandoned due to frost
1984 Meeting abandoned due to frost
1983 EKBALCO 7-12-00 Tawfik Fakhouri Roger Fisher Jonjo O’Neill 8/13F
1982 GAYE CHANCE 7-12-00 Mary Curtis Mercy Rimell Sam Morshead 7/2
1981 STARFEN 5-11-12 F Ballard Peter Easterby Mr Tim Easterby 5/2
HISTORY OF THE ANGLO IRISH BANK NOVICES' HURDLE
The Anglo Irish Bank Novices’ Hurdle was inaugurated at Doncaster in 1971 and remained at that venue until transferring to Wetherby in 1997, where it remained until 2004.
Haydock inherited a race with an excellent roll of honour. Over the years, plenty of performers, who have gone on to success at the highest level, have been triumphant in what used to be called the Rossington Main Hurdle.
In the early years, the best winner was undoubtedly Sea Pigeon in 1975. This tough and incredibly popular performer would win the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in both 1980 and 1981, as well as enjoying significant success on the Flat in the Chester Cup and Ebor at York.
Gaye Brief was successful in 1982, a year prior to his success in the Champion Hurdle. In more recent times, trainer Nicky Henderson has won two of the last five renewals with Dusk Duel in 2000 and Mon Villez in 2004.
However, by far and away the best winner in the last few years was Rhinestone Cowboy in 2003. Following on from that success, he finished third in the Champion Hurdle while still a novice and in the 2003/04 season was triumphant in Grade One events at Aintree and Punchestown.
Roman Ark, trained by Malcolm Jefferson, was the first horse to win the race at Haydock in 2005, coming home eight lengths in front of Baby Run with Turpin Green, subsequently successful in Grade One company at Aintree, back in third.
Victory 12 months ago went to Nous Voila, trained by the now-retired Martin Pipe, who made every yard of the running to score comfortably by 12 lengths from Livingonaknifedge.
ANGLO IRISH BANK NOVICES’ HURDLE ROLL OF HONOUR
Run at Haydock from 2005 onwards, Wetherby 1998-2004 & Doncaster 1971-1997
YEAR HORSE AGE/WT OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY SP RAN
2006 NOUS VOILA 5-11-08 David Johnson Martin Pipe Timmy Murphy 7/4F 5
2005 ROMAN ARK 7-11-08 Richard Collins Malcolm Jefferson Fergus King 4/1 5
2004 MON VILLEZ 5-11-03 Million In Mind Partnership Nicky Henderson Andrew Tinkler 2/1 5
2003 RHINESTONE COWBOY 7-11-08 Sue Magnier Jonjo O’Neill Norman Williamson 1/3F 7
2002 Meeting Abandoned
2001 Meeting Abandoned
2000 DUSK DUEL 5-11-12 Anthony Speelman Nicky Henderson Mick Fitzgerald 1/7F 4
1999 TONOCO 6-11-09 Trevor Hemmings Sue Smith Seamus Durack 4/1 6
1998 FOUNDRY LANE 7-11-05 A Sharratt Mary Reveley Lorcan Wyer 6/5 5
1997 LE TETEU 4-10-04 Judit Woods Bob Jones Russ Garritty 5/2 5
1996 Meeting Abandoned
1995 Meeting Abandoned
1994 CUMBRIAN CHALLENGE 5-11-05 Cumbrian Industrials Ltd Peter Easterby Lorcan Wyer 12/1 11
1993 FRICKLEY 7-11-09 Robert Ogden Gordon Richards Neale Doughty 11/10F 5
1992 Meeting Abandoned
1991 RULING 5-11-00 G D Groarke Fulke Johnson Houghton Peter Niven 11/8F 7
1990 PEANUTS PET 5-11-00 L Perry Bryan McMahon Trevor Wall 4/5F 6
1989 CRUISING ALTITUDE 6-11-07 Mrs Christopher Heath Oliver Sherwood Simon Sherwood 5/4F 5
1988 DRUMLIN HILL 5-11-00 Lady Joseph Fred Winter Peter Scudamore 15/2 9
1987 Meeting Abandoned
1986 SHEAN LAD 6-11-07 F Tyldesley Lynn Siddall Phil Tuck 50/1 15
1985 Meeting Abandoned
1984 Meeting Abandoned
1983 CARDINAL FLOWER 6-11-04 Miss V Yager Andy Scott Jonjo O’Neill 7/4F 8
1982 GAYE BRIEF 5-11-07 Sheikh A Khamsin Mercy Rimell Sam Morshead 3/1 16
1981 HARD ABOUT 5-11-07 W Horsford Edward O’Grady IRE Tommy Ryan 3/1F 8
1980 PULSE RATE 4-10-08 R Spencer Peter Easterby Alan Brown 21/20F 8
1979 NO BOMBS 4-10-08 Snailwell Stud Co Ltd Peter Easterby Nigel Tinkler 3/1 11
1978 NEWGATE 5-11-12 Mrs Andy Scott Andy Scott Ridley Lamb 5/1 11
1977 FRENCH HOLLOW 5-11-12 M Basso Tony Dickinson Michael Dickinson 11/2 12
1976 GRAND CANYON 6-12-00 D W Samuel Derek Kent Peter Haynes 1/2F 6
1975 SEA PIGEON 5-11-12 Pat Muldoon Gordon Richards Ron Barry 13/8F 18
1974 CHARLIE MOUSE 5-11-02 Mrs M Wiggin Tim Forster Graham Thorner 14/1 22
1973 DARK SULTAN 5-11-07 Mrs E Deterding Peter Chisman Ron Barry 5/1 13
1972 THE BUGLER 4-10-05 Jakie Astor Jakie Astor Robin Griffin 10/1 10
1971 PRY 5-11-02 Mrs J Shawcross Toby Balding Eddie Harty 7/1 6
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