Monday, March 1, 2004

IRISH THOROUGHBRED NEWS

The Moyglare Stud-bred son of Machiavellian came from off the pace to lead inside the final furlong and win from Kundooz under Ted Durcan.

Last year, Evolving Tactics landed the Grade 2 American Derby at Arlington for owners Dr Michael Smurfit and Donald Keough. Among the other

MARLBOROUGH DEFIES AGE TO WIN RACING POST CHASE

The 12-year-old Marlborough was the comfortable four-length winner of the Grade 3 Racing Post Chase over three miles at Kempton on Saturday.

Ridden by Ruby Walsh, the evergreen son of Strong Gale defied top-weight to land the Stg£58,000 first prize with success over Gunther McBride (Glacial Storm). He will run in the William Hill Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Marlborough was winning for the eleventh time in his career and for the tenth time over fences. His total prize money now stands at over Stg £350,000.

CALLING BRAVE SO IMPRESSIVE AT KEMPTON

Trainer Nicky Henderson, earlier responsible for Marlborough, enjoyed a Grade 2 success with his promising novice Calling Brave at Kempton on Saturday.

The son of Bob Back was the impressive winner of the racingpostpix.co.uk and is now unbeaten in three starts over fences. This latest win came over an extended two and a half miles and Calling Brave will step back up in trip for the Royal And SunAlliance Chase at Cheltenham.

ITBA HONOURS PRESENTED AT KILLASHEE

The Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association held its annual breeding and racing awards dinner in the Killashee House Hotel in Naas last Friday night.

Winners on the evening included former Senior National Hunt Steward David Pim who was awarded with the Hall Of Fame Award and Princess Zahra, daughter of His Highness The Aga Khan, for last year's top three-year-olds Alamshar and Dalakhani.

Broodmare of the year was Katday, dam of the brilliant Best Mate and this award was shared by Philip Myerscough and Jacques Van't Hart. The Edward Joyce-bred Moscow Flyer was fated as the top chaser while Sadler's Wells took the International Stallion award.

Gita Weld, breeder of Grey Swallow was on hand to receive the award for the top two-year-old while Virginia Moeran was presented with the award for the leading stayer, Vinnie Roe.

Tom and Cathy Burns won the Small Breeder category and Kilcarn Stud's Pat O' Kelly picked up an award as the breeder of Stutter's Ford, the winner of the 2003 Foal Levy Breeders Stakes.

There were two Special Achievement awards presented on the evening, one to Paddy and Maureen Mullins and the other to John Tuthill of Owenstown Stud on behalf of Mrs Averil Whitehead.

Mella Kehoe, of Goffs, was named the Industry Employee of the year. Mella has been working in Goffs since 1975 and she is a key member of the bloodstock department there.

AWARDS NIGHTS AHEAD IN NEWBRIDGE AND ADARE

The Irish Flat Racing Awards will be presented at a dinner in the Keadeen Hotel in Newbridge on Sunday, March 21. The awards ceremony will take place immediately after the opening race meeting of the 2004 Flat season at the Curragh that afternoon.

And on the second Sunday in May, the National Hunt Awards Dinner take will place in the Dunraven Arms Hotel at Adare, County Limerick. The ceremony will take place on a new date, May 9, this year and coincide with the beginning of the three-day meeting in Killarney.

CHELTENHAM DISMAY FOR EDWARD O'GRADY

Back In Front, the brilliant winner of last year's Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham will not be making a return trip to the Festival this time around.

Back In Front has been suffering from lameness and his participation in the Champion Hurdle has been in doubt for some time. Trainer Edward O'Grady said on Sunday, "He has improved but is not 100 per cent sound. He may be back for Punchestown."

Many of Ireland's leading contenders took to the track at Leopardstown after racing at the South Dublin venue on Sunday, including Champion Hurdle hopeful Hardy Eustace, winner of the Royal and SunAlliance Hurdle last year.

Gold Cup hope and recent Leopardstown winner Florida Pearl schooled over a circuit of the racecourse and others to work out on the flat included Solerina, Hasanpour and Festival Bumper contender Total Enjoyment.

QUALITY CONCLUSION TO DONCASTER'S JUMPING SEASON

The action on Saturday begins at 2-00p.m. with The Light Infantry Plate – a contest for novice hurdlers – followed by the highlight of the seven-race programme, The Tote Scoop6 Grimthorpe Chase, a £25,000 handicap race for stayers over three miles. This long-standing race on Town Moor could attract a number of Grand National entries.

A strong supporting card includes the £20,000–added Wilsic Handicap Hurdle (extended three miles) and The Auckley Handicap Chase over two miles, three furlongs.

Racing on Friday is scheduled to start at 2-10p.m. The feature race is The South Yorkshire Mares' Only Handicap Hurdle over the extended two miles, while the longest race of the afternoon is the three-mile Doncaster Racecourse Sponsorship Club Novices' Chase.

The Ted Sands ‘Lifetime In Racing' Novices' Handicap Chase over the extended two miles is named in honour of Skellow resident Ted Sands, who worked some 50 years in racing before retiring around ten years ago, having spent 17 years as Stud Groom for George Turnbull at Burghwallis Grange. Prior to that, Ted worked for trainers such as Fred Rimell, Noel Cannon and Ian Balding. This is one of a series of races organised by the charity Racing Welfare, supported by Blue Chip Feeds, in recognition of stable staff who have devoted a lifetime to the sport.

The giant ToteVision Screen, located in the centre of the course, will enable racegoers to follow the action even more closely on both days, while musical entertainment on Saturday in the main betting hall is provided by The Northumbria Band of The Light Infantry. The popular Creche facility in the Family Enclosure is in use at the meeting at
£1-80 per hour.

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