Wednesday, February 12, 2003
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL MOVES CLOSER TO FOUR DAYS
Proposals for the Cheltenham Festival to be extended from three to four days in 2005 have been endorsed by the British Horseracing Board's National Hunt Pattern Committee.
They will now be considered by the BHB's Race Planning Committee on February 25.
Simon Claisse, Cheltenham's Clerk of the Course, who attended the National Hunt Pattern Committee meeting on Friday, said today: "We are grateful for the committee's positive response. This will enable us to move forward with a shortlist of six races, with a view to introducing four of these into the 2005 Festival programme.
"The six races comprise of a two mile juvenile handicap hurdle, a two and a half mile novices' chase, which could be a limited handicap, a three mile novices' hurdle, a mares' race which is either a bumper or hurdle, a cross-country chase and the European Breeders' Fund Hurdle Final, subject to the wishes of the EBF trustees.
"I am now writing to all interested parties for their views about which four races to choose and Cheltenham welcomes all feedback.
"We are keen to announce the plans for the 2005 Festival before the end of this season so as to allow owners, trainers and breeders plenty of time to plan ahead.
"Cheltenham's Board has agreed that the format will be initially four days of six races, starting with the Smurfit Champion Hurdle as the feature contest on the Tuesday, and climaxing with the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup on the Friday.
"The new races will be fitted around the existing 20 races over the four days but the daily programmes and running order are still subjects for further discussion."
MOON BALLAD MAKES SEASONAL REPAPPEARANCE
www.godolphin.com reported
Moon Ballad reappears in the Group Three Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al Maktoum Challenge Round II over nine furlongs on dirt at Nad Al Sheba on Thursday, February 13, when his Dubai World Cup credentials will be put to test.
Simon Crisford, Godolphin's Racing Manager, commented: "We are using this race as a launching pad for his 2003 campaign.
"He handled the sand very well last year so we don't have any worries on that front. The important thing is for him to have a race and the distance is good for him.
"After the race, we will decide on the long-term plans. We are hoping he could shape up into a Dubai World Cup horse and we will need to see a convincing display for that ambition to become a reality."
Frankie Dettori, Godolphin's retained jockey, has the mount on the four-year-old Singspiel colt who is trained by Saeed bin Suroor.
Moon Ballad won three times last year but two of his best performances came in defeat.
He was third to High Chaparral in the 12-furlong Group One Vodafone Derby at Epsom Downs, England, in June and four months after his Classic place he finished runner-up in the 10-furlong Group One Emirates Airline Champion Stakes at Newmarket, finding Storming Home just half a length too strong.
He started off 2002 with an easy victory over nine furlongs on the dirt at Nad Al Sheba in February and then ran a sound race on the same surface to be fourth to stable companion Essence Of Dubai in the Group Two UAE Derby over an extra furlong on March 23.
Moon Ballad raced for the rest of the year on turf and the second of his victories came in the 10-furlong Group Two Convergent Dante Stakes at York in May, when he proved a length and a quarter too strong for subsequent Group One Rothmans Royals St Leger Stakes winner Bollin Eric.
His last success of the 2002 campaign came over the same distance in the Group Three Select Stakes at Goodwood in September, when he readily accounted for Sir George Turner by two and a half lengths.
Moon Ballad meets six opponents on Thursday including recent Group Three winner Estimraar, State Shinto, successful in two contests at Nad Al Sheba in November, Curule, who has been placed at the last three Dubai World Cup meetings, and Go Underground.
Godolphin's seven previous victories in this contest came courtesy of Cezanne (1994), Halling (1995), Larrocha (1996), Kammtarra (1997), Altibr (1999) and Best Of The Bests in 2001 and 2002.
ROA PRESIDENT RESPONDS TO REGULATORY AUTHORITY PROPOSAL
Responding to the proposal for a new regulatory authority to replace the Jockey Club, the ROA President, Jim Furlong, said today:
"There are three concerns I have:
"One is that we are as certain as we can be that the new body will have the capacity to regulate racing in a way that improves on today's Jockey Club.
"As perception is one of the key reasons for doing this, the new body must obviously be seen as entirely independent of the Jockey Club. The suggested new structure does not meet this criteria. However, it is reasonable that there is a degree of overlap in the early years."
"The third is that it provides value-for-money. The last thing we want is a new body that ends up costing owners – who are the biggest contributors to the cost of racing's administration – twice as much money. I would like to see an account of the setting up and running costs before anything is put in tablets of stone."
TOMORROW'S DISCIPLINARY PANEL ENQUIRY - JONJO O'NEILL AND MORPHINE UPDATE
We have received confirmation from the Counter Analysis Advisory Committee that the 'b' samples from six more horses have tested positive for morphine.
They are:
CLASSIC NOTE (IRE)
A J Martin 16.11.02 Cheltenham (D) Novice H'cap Hurdle 1st
FATHER MULCAHY
D McCain 29.11.02 Bangor (E) Nov Handicap Chase PU
BE MY ROYAL (IRE)
W P Mullins 30.11.02 Newbury (A) Gr 3 Handicap Chase 1st
BEAUVRAI
J J Quinn 2.12.02 Wolverhampton (D) Maiden 1st
STOCKS 'N SHARES
J White 3.12.02 Hereford (G) Selling 1st
ELTIGRI (FR)
A Ennis 6.12.02 Sandown (D) Handicap Chase 5th
This takes the total confirmed to 15, 10 of which were winners. Of the 35 'a' samples tested positive by the Horserace Forensic Laboratory, the results of 20 are still outstanding. These only include a further four winners.
A Disciplinary Panel Enquiry to be held on Thursday 13th February 2003
10am - Jonjo O'Neill / Tom Siddall / Top of the Left
The Disciplinary Panel of the Jockey Club, on 13th February 2003, will hold an enquiry to consider whether or not Tom Siddall, the rider of TOP OF THE LEFT, has committed a breach of Rule 158, and whether or not Jonjo O'Neill, the trainer, has committed a breach of Rule 155(ii) and Rule 221B(i) in the light of Jockey Club Instruction H2 headed 'Schooling in Public', concerning the running and riding of the gelding in the Sparkle Cleaning Service Novices Hurdle Race (Div 11) at Exeter on 27th January 2003. This was referred to the Stewards of the Jockey Club by the Exeter Stewards following their enquiry of the same day.
DOWN ROYAL ALIVE AND WEB!
Down Royal Racecourse today unveiled its new innovative web site, www.downroyal.com at this afternoon's race meeting where all races were sponsored or linked to IT companies or web sites. The site will provide news, information and history relating to the Lisburn track while a Down Royal Designer Shop will be added prior to the St Patrick's Day fixture next month. The new communications medium which will also feature a restricted media only sector has been designed with the public as the principal users but will provide information to trainers and the racing industry with advance going, forthcoming races and conditions. Mike Todd, Down Royal General Manager said "I'm delighted with the new web site and hopefully, the public and racing enthusiasts will enjoy the special features. Our major race days can now be booked on line. I would like to thank the staff of Sugarcube for their efforts in getting the site on line for our racing meeting today."
Sugarcube provides interactive, wireless marketing solutions to major services and FMCG blue-chip companies. Permission based text (SMS) marketing campaigns have become increasingly in demand by the Global Brands in the Middle and Far East. As a result Sugarcube has opened project management offices in Dubai and Singapore in 2003, whilst campaign production remains in N. Ireland. A niche market is becoming rapidly developed in the area of SMS to Web integration, in addition to new technologies for SMS marketing.
Products :
Direct Response SMS Advertising.
SMS Voting.
SMS to Web Integration.
SMS Customer Relationship Management Systems.
Automated SMS Vending.
SMS Consultancy.
SMS Bar Codes.
Sugarcube recently undertook a major SMS promotion for NOKIA across 9 countries in the Middle East. A total of over 1.5 million text messages were sent to subscribers to an interactive game to win round the world tickets.
Sugarcube are currently preparing an interactive game, for SIEMENS Mobile, to be run on FOX Sports across the Middle East during the Cricket World Cup. It is anticipated that up to 0.5 million cricket fans will interact with Sugarcube during the semi-final and final.
During 2002 Sugarcube provided interactive marketing campaigns for concerts in Dubai for Pink Floyd and Elton John.
Sugarcube prides itself on delivering technology which delivers quantifiable results to major clients both in Northern Ireland and internationally.
"Managing Director Errol Maxwell stated "Our recent involvement in the redesign of the www.downroyal.com site has been both challenging and exciting. A wide range of customers from the Media, Corporate Sponsors and regular loyal Down Royal racegoers had to be catered for. It was therefore essential to not only provide essential information but also to show the true spirit and flexibility of the Racecourse."
"It is exciting times at Sugarcube.co.uk. Whilst we are increasingly being challenged by international clients like NOKIA and Saatchi & Saatchi, it is important for us to remember our roots. I take great satisfaction in supplying N. Ireland companies with quality products and customer care. Out recent work for the Down Royal Racecourse was both challenging and satisfying."
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