Tuesday, February 11, 2003
TOTE ODDS FOR THE TOTE EIDER NATIONAL
TOTE EIDER NATIONAL
4 MILES, 1 FURLONG, HANIDICAP CHASE, NEWCASTLE 3.35PM, SATURDAY
9/2 Jurancon II
6 Deano's Beeno
6 Kit Smartie
13/2 Just Maybe
7 Nativetrial
8 Sad Mad Bad
9 Canon Barney
10 Murt's Man
10 Robbo
12 In The Rough
12 Paris Pike
14 Indian Chance
16 Impertio
16 Sireric
25 Clear Dawn
25 River Bug
33 Moral Support
EACH-WAY 1/4 THE ODDS A PLACE 1-2-3 (UNLESS 16 OR MORE RUN). ALL QUOTED.
FIRST GOLD WILL RUN AT WINCANTON
French ace First Gold will head to Wincanton on Saturday for the £40,000 COUNTRY GENTLEMEN'S ASSOCIATION CHASE (2.10pm), one of the thrilling seven races of the Wessex Racing Festival.
The 10-year-old looked a superstar in the making two seasons age when he ran away with the Grade One Pertemps King George VI Chase at Kempton Park and the Grade Two Martell Cup at Aintree.
Since then things have not gone entirely to plan and, most recently, First Gold was seventh to Beef Or Salmon in Ireland's Grade Ericsson Chase at Leopardstown on December 28, after which he was found to be suffering from a respiratory tract infection.
This morning trainer Francois Doumen was in upbeat mood as he revealed that First Gold will run in the Wincanton chase over three miles, one and a half furlongs on Saturday.
He said: "I'm definitely aiming First Gold at the Country Gentlemen's Association Chase at Wincanton on Saturday.
"We had this dirty throat problem with him when he ran in Ireland last time, but the horse is fixed up now and we are very happy with him."
First Gold's progress has been held up since his last run by bad weather conditions in France but Doumen went on to say that he has been very pleased with the horse's preparation: "Everything is now in a better shape altogether with the horse and he is ready to run. My son Thierry will ride as usual."
The Country Gentlemen's Association Chase is set to be an enthralling contest. Local trainer Paul Nicholls has confirmed that the 1999 Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup winner See More Business, with Joe Tizzard up, will be bidding to follow up on his 2002 success in this race ahead of another trip to Cheltenham in March.
Other Cheltenham Gold Cup entries who could run in the Country Gentlemen's Association Chase are Martin Pipe's Iznogoud and Whitenzo, also from the Paul Nicholls yard.
Martell Grand National hopes Iris Bleu and Maximize, winner of the last season's Grade One Feltham Novices' Chase at Kempton, are possible contenders on Saturday while the entries are completed by Zaggy Lane and Banner Gale.
Saturday's Grade Two £50,000 AXMINSTER KINGWELL HURDLE (2.45pm) over two miles at Wincanton has attracted 10 entries and could, for the second year running, be the most informative trial for the Smurfit Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham next month
Hors La Loi III, successful 12 months ago prior to landing the hurdling crown at Cheltenham, is entered again and could be opposed by two of this season's leading novices - Thisthatandtother, the winner of the Grade One Tote Tolworth Hurdle last month at Wincanton who is due to be ridden by Ruby Walsh, from the Paul Nicholls stable and Jonjo O'Neill's Rhinestone Cowboy.
Other interesting entries are Marble Arch, second in last season's Champion Hurdle, Martin Pipe's Wahiba Sands and San Suru, trained in Germany by Mario Hofer who also has Flaviatore in the WESTERN DAILY PRESS NOVICES' HURDLE (4.30pm).
Paul Nicholls, who achieved his faster-ever 100th victory of a season at Wincanton on February 6, is intending to have plenty of runners during the afternoon. Azertyuiop in the GEORGIE NEWALL NOVICES' CHASE (3.55pm), Sud Bleu in the opening £25,000-added TOTE SCOOP6 HANDICAP HURDLE (1.40pm) and the progressive Cape Stormer in the £15,000-added ILCHESTER HANDICAP CHASE (3.20pm) are all likely to be partnered by Ruby Walsh.
Saturday is Wincanton's richest-ever raceday, with the Wessex Racing Festival having seven races worth £152,000, as against prize money of £97,500 last year, a rise of over 50%.
A wide array of trade stands will be at the Somerset course as well as the exciting Grand National simulator, which gives racegoers the chance to experience the thrills and spills of riding over the famous Aintree fences. The gates open at 11.30am.
Stephen Higgins, General Manager at Wincanton, commented today: "We are delighted with the quality of entries for all the races on Saturday and the two features, the Country Gentlemen's Association Chase and the Axminster Kingwell Hurdle, look set to be tremendous contests.
"First Gold's participation adds spice to the Country Gentlemen's Association Chase as he takes on local favourite See More Business, while it will be equally engrossing to see how champion hurdler Hors La Loi III copes with the young pretenders Rhinestone Cowboy and Thisthatandtother in the Axminster Kingwell Hurdle."
PAST RESULTS
Axminster Kingwell Hurdle, (Grade 2), Wincanton, Saturday, February 15, 2003, 2 miles
2002 HORS LA LOI III 7-11-02 Paul Green James Fanshawe Dean Gallagher 9/2
2001 AZERTYUIOP 4-11-01 John Hales Paul Nicholls Adrian Maguire 6/1
2000 HORS LA LOI III 5-11-06 Paul Green Francois Doumen FR Dean Gallagher 13/8
1999 GREY SHOT 7-11-02 Robert Hitchins Ian Balding Jamie Osborne 4/6F
1998 I'M SUPPOSIN 6-11-02 Nicholas Cooper Richard Rowe Richard Dunwoody 4/1
1997 DREAMS END 9-11-10 T G Price Peter Bowen Richard Dunwoody 16/1
1996 Abandoned due to frost
1995 ALDERBROOK 6-11-02 Ernie Pick Kim Bailey Norman Williamson 11/4
1994 VALFINET 7-11-07 Frank Farrant Martin Pipe Richard Dunwoody 4/7F
1993 VALFINET 6-11-02 Frank Farrant Martin Pipe Peter Scudamore 4/5F
Country Gentlemen's Association Chase (Listed Race), Wincanton, Saturday, February 15, 2003, 3 miles & 1.5 furlongs
2002 SEE MORE BUSINESS 12-11-12 Sir Robert Ogden Paul Nicholls Joe Tizzard 4/5F
2001 MARLBOROUGH 9-11-12 Sir Robert Ogden Nicky Henderson Mick Fitzgerald 4/11F
2000 SPENDID 8-11-07 Adair Catherwood Alan King Richard Johnson 11/8F
1999 DOUBLE THRILLER 9-11-05 Reg Wilkins Paul Nicholls Joe Tizzard 1/6F
1998 GO BALLISTIC 9-11-08 Sheila Lockhart John O'Shea Tony Dobbin 8/1
1997 COOME HILL 8-11-02 Jill Dennis Walter Dennis Jamie Osborne 7/4
1996 Abandoned due to frost
1995 MONSIEUR LE CURE 9-11-07 Hector Brown John Edwards Peter Niven 5/6F
1994 SEE MORE INDIANS 7-11-07 Paul Barber Paul Nicholls Graham Bradley 2/1
1993 CAVVIES CLOWN 13-11-02 Mrs J Ollivant Jenny Pitman Graham Bradley 6/1
WEDNESDAY ACTION AT DONCASTER
Doncaster's Meeting on Wednesday (19 February) is a seven-race programme featuring The Dove Ings Hurdle - a Showcase Handicap contested over the extended two miles, three furlongs - while the opening race at 12.45 p.m. is The skybet.com Novices' Handicap Chase (two miles, three furlongs).
Intersky Falcon, one of the leading contenders for the Champion Hurdle at next month's Cheltenham Festival, was the impressive winner of last year's Dove Ings Hurdle (when run over two miles).
Sky Bet, one of the U.K.'s leading horseracing and sports betting companies, and sponsors of Doncaster's principal race over Jumps - last month's Great Yorkshire Chase - return to Town Moor to support the first race on Wednesday, while the only hunter chase of Doncaster's season over Jumps, The Hambleton Hills Hunters' Chase is contested over two miles, three furlongs.
BHB COMMENTS ON JOCKEY CLUB PROPOSALS
Commenting on the Jockey Club's initiatives for the Future of Regulation, BHB Chief Executive Greg Nichols said today:
"The Board discussed the Jockey Club's outline proposals in December and was generally supportive of the greater degree of independence, transparency and accountability inherent within them.
"The Board agreed that the Club should be asked to address in more detail the issues of funding, financial accountability and cost controls. It welcomes the Club's commitment to do so in the course of the continuing consultation.
"The Board also agreed that the Club should be asked to take fully into account its view, in the light of the recommendations to be made by the Racing Review Committee, on the future governance and organisational structure of Racing."
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
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