A dozen horses have been declared for Saturday's Group Three £100,000 betdirect Winter Derby (3.15pm), the highlight of a superb eight-race card at Lingfield Park.
Betdirect make Blue Bajan, the short-head runner-up in the Go Pontin’s Winter Derby Trial last time out over the same course and distance - 10 furlongs on Polytrack - , the 9/2 joint favourite along with Gentleman’s Deal, who is unbeaten in six races on the all-weather and combines his racing career with that of a stallion.
Cusoon, trained by Gary Moore and successful in the Go Pontin’s Winter Derby Trial, is next in the market at 6/1, while Illustrious Blue, a winner in Dubai last month, is a 13/2 chance and could provide Sussex trainer William Knight with the biggest success of his career to date.
Further enhancing the betdirect Winter Derby field are Alfie Flitts (7/1), winner of the Listed Serlby Stakes at Royal Windsor when last seen out in November, the 2006 fifth Cimyla (7/1) and the Jane Chapple-Hyam-trained Mighty (10/1), who won his first three races on the all-weather at Lingfield Park before finishing third in the Go Pontin’s Winter Derby Trial.
The Group One-placed Hattan (10/1), recent William Hill Lincoln Trial victor Orchard Supreme (12/1) and all-weather regular Grand Passion (16/1), runner-up 12 months ago, add further spice to what looks to be the strongest-ever renewal of the 10-furlong event.
Hollywood Park Racecourse in Los Angeles, USA, has generously offered the winner of the £100,000 betdirect Winter Derby at Lingfield Park a free qualification to enter the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup on Saturday, June 30, 2007.
The Hollywood Gold Cup is a Grade 1 handicap for three-year-olds and upwards and is run over 10 furlongs on the new highly popular "Cushion Track" laid last year. The surface is very similar to Lingfield Park’s Polytrack.
Saturday’s Lingfield Park card also features two Listed contests, the £75,000 betdirectuk.com Spring Cup (2.40pm) and the £30,000 32Red.com Hever Sprint Stakes (3.50pm).
A field of 14 has been declared for the betdirectuk.com Spring Cup, a seven-furlong race for three-year-olds, including last year's Group Three Acomb Stakes victor Big Timer, Hinton Admiral, successful in the Listed ladbrokes.com Doncaster Stakes at Lingfield last year, the progressive performer Cesc from the Peter Makin stable and Mastership, trained by Clive Brittain and a very easy winner at Lingfield last time out. Membership captured this contest for Clive Brittain in 2003, while last year's winning trainer, John Best, is represented by Hurricane Spirit, a four-time winner on the all-weather.
Several excellent performers go to post in the 32Red.com Hever Sprint Stakes including Kevin Ryan's smart performer King Orchisios, who collected the Listed pontins.com Cleeve Stakes at Lingfield Park on February 26. Border Music, recently successful in the Listed williamhill.co.uk Lady Wulfruna Stakes at Wolverhampton on March 10 and Celtic Mill, Strike Up The Band and Qadar add further interest to what is sure to be an ultra-competitive five-furlong sprint.
The eight-race programme, the most valuable all-weather programme of the year with prize money totalling 277,500, begins at 1.40pm with the Digital Prints From Bonusprint Maiden Stakes and runs through to 5.20pm when the day concludes with the 32Red.com Handicap.
Saturday March 24, promises to be a thrilling day of sport and brings the curtain down on the 2006/2007 Bonusprint.com All-Weather Championships.
The 2006/2007 Bonusprint.com All-Weather Championships are contested from November 6, 2006 to March 24, 2007, at Britain's four all-weather racecourses, Lingfield Park, Southwell, Wolverhampton and Kempton Park.
A glance at the leading trainers in the Bonusprint.com All-Weather Championships this winter attests to the increased competition and improved quality of runners on the all-weather circuit in recent times, with Classic-winning trainers such as Mark Johnston, Richard Hannon, Clive Brittain, William Haggas and Sir Mark Prescott regularly taking advantage of generous prize money.
The Bonusprint.com All-Weather Championships offer a total of £80,000 in prizes, with £16,000 split between the stable staff of the top four trainers at the close of competition. The champion trainer collects a generous prize of £15,000, with an additional £7,500 going to his or her staff.
Mark Johnston has enjoyed a profitable winter on the All-Weather with 42 winners and currently leads the trainers' championship with win and place prize-money of £178,431.
Johnston is hotly pursued by Richard Hannon who has accrued £158,582, while Kevin Ryan is currently in third with £152,652.
The Bonusprint.com All-Weather champion jockey receives £12,000, while the runner-up takes £6,000, the third £4,000 and the fourth £2,000.
Neil Callan has partnered 57 winners this winter and leads the race to be crowned Bonusprint.com All-Weather Champion Jockey. He is eight clear of his nearest rival, Joe Fanning, while Dane O'Neill is currently third with 38 wins.
James Doyle and William Buick are going head-to-head to secure the Bonusprint.com All-Weather Champion Apprentice title, which carries a first-prize of £6,000 and £2,000 for the runner-up.
Doyle, the son of trainer Jacqui Doyle, has 26 successes on the board, three more than Buick, who is the apprentice find of the season. All statistics calculated up to 4pm on Thursday, March 22.
LATEST PRICES FROM betdirect FOR THE betdirect WINTER DERBY
Blue Bajan 9/2
Gentleman's Deal 9/2
Cusoon 6/1
Illustrious Blue 13/2
Alfie Flits 7/1
Cimyla 7/1
Mighty 10/1
Hattan 10/1
Orchard Supreme 12/1
Grand Passion 16/1
Boo 40/1
Speedy Sam 40/1
All quoted: 1/4 odds 1, 2, 3 places.
IT’S GOING TO BE WET WET WET AT NEWMARKET THIS SUMMER!
Newmarket Racecourses today announced the fourth act to be confirmed for the 2007 Newmarket Nights line up.
Wet Wet Wet will take to the July Course stage on Friday 17th August for the final Newmarket Night of the season.
Wet Wet Wet have an incredible back catalogue of hits including three UK number ones - ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’, ‘Goodnight Girl’ and of course ‘Love Is All Around’ taken from the soundtrack for ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ and, after spending 15 weeks at number 1 in 1994, is 12th in the official UK best-selling singles list.
The band have been making an impact with their music for over 20 years. Since they formed in 1982, the familiar ingredients to the Wet Wet Wet sound - cascading instrumentals, killer hooks and that stunning Marti Pellow voice - have made them one of the most successful bands in British pop history.
Lisa Hancock, Managing Director of Newmarket Racecourses, said: “Wet Wet Wet are the ideal band for the Newmarket Nights line-up with vast audience appeal that spans the ages and masses of hit songs. We are sure they are going to be a big draw.”
Since reforming in 2004 after a short break, the Scottish foursome have released a Greatest Hits Album, embarked on a successful UK tour and headlined concerts such as Live 8 Edinburgh and Aberdeen’s Hogmanay celebrations for 2006. A new album is planned for release this year. Check out the band’s website for all the latest news www.wetwetwet.co.uk.
Tickets for Wet Wet Wet at Newmarket Nights are priced at:
Premier Enclosure - £28
Grandstand & Paddock Enclosure - £18
Garden Enclosure - £12
There are a limited number of child admissions priced at £5 each. Once the limited children’s ticket allocation is sold, children will be charged at the full adult rate.
Tickets are now on sale and can be booked online for a 5% discount on adult prices at www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk. Tickets can also be booked by calling 08707 200 201
Other acts for confirmed for Newmarket Nights 2007
Australian rock band INXS will be performing on Friday 22nd June, the first of seven Newmarket Nights at the newly redeveloped July Course.
Jools Holland and His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra will be back for their 11th year running on Friday 3rd August.
Tickets for both INXS and Jools Holland and His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra are priced at:
Premier Enclosure - £28
Grandstand & Paddock Enclosure - £18
Garden Enclosure - £12
Madness are set to debut at the July Course on Friday 20th July.
Tickets for Madness are priced at:
Premier Enclosure - £32
Grandstand & Paddock - £32
Garden Enclosure - £12
DONCASTER RACECOURSE PRESERVES ARTEFACTS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
Doncaster Racecourse remains on schedule for a grand re-opening as the major redevelopment reaches another landmark stage on Monday, March 26 when a time capsule containing artefacts and memorabilia is buried in the foundations.
These relate to the illustrious history of Doncaster Racecourse, one of Britain’s premier racetracks, which stages the world’s oldest Classic race, the St Leger, first run in 1776.
Eleven times champion jockey Pat Eddery will attend the event at Doncaster Racecourse on Monday, March 26, which is to be filmed by broadcaster At The Races.
Most of the ideas for items contained in the capsule came from Channel 4 Morning Line viewers who were invited to take part in a competition and email in their suggestions.
All Doncaster’s primary schools were also asked to provide artwork of Doncaster and its features as part of a school project.
A picture by Year 6’s Laraid Saeed from Hexthorpe Primary School has been chosen to go into the time capsule and it will also feature on the front page of the racecard on August 19. Laraid Saeed’s class will be present for the burying of the time capsule on Monday.
Among the winning suggestions from Channel 4 viewers for the time capsule are:-
The first ever Sunday racecard because Doncaster was the initial British racecourse to stage a fixture on Sunday, July 26, 1992
A set of replica racing silks worn by the amazing Lester Piggott on the great Nijinsky, the 1970 St Leger victor who was the most recent Triple Crown winner
A lock of tail hair from the1997 St Leger winner Silver Patriarch who is now a stallion at the National Stud in Newmarket
A caricature of Fred Archer (1857-1886), the 13-times champion jockey who gained six St Leger victories in 1877: Silvio, 1878: Jannette, 1881: Iroquois, 1882: Dutch Oven, 1885: Melton and 1886: Ormonde, provided by his great grandson Alex Tosetti.
Among the more humorous suggestions were the inclusion of John McCririck and/or Barry Dennis in the time capsule but they were deemed too big for the time capsule!
There will also be copies of historical documents relating to Doncaster Racecourse placed in the time capsule.
The first race meeting at the new Doncaster will be staged on Friday, August 19 when the racecourse opens its gates to the public for the ISG St Leger Trial Day.
ISG are main contractors for the £32-million redevelopment and will hand the site over to Arena just prior to this meeting. The new facilities will include a five-storey grandstand, exhibition and conference centre featuring new restaurants, bars and private boxes with panoramic views stretching across the famous Town Moor track.
The official grand re-opening of the Doncaster Racecourse will be on Wednesday, September 12, the first day of the four-day Ladbrokes St Leger Festival.
Pat Eddery won the Ladbrokes St Leger, the final of the five British Classics run each year, four times on Moon Madness (1986), Toulon (1991), Moonax (1994) and Silver Patriarch (1997).
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