Tuesday, April 6, 2004
XENOPHON HEADS THE IRISH NATIONAL MARKET
Paddy Power have installed the Tony Martin trained Xenophon as the 5/1 favourite to land the Easter Monday showpiece and give his shrewd handler a second Irish National. Race specialist Arthur Moore is responsible for Native Jack who is next in the betting at 8/1 while the leading English challenger Artic Jack shares the 10/1 mark with last years winner Timbera and Micheal O'Brien's Kadoun.
Paddy Power bet:
Irish Grand National
3m 6f Handicap Chase, Fairyhouse, Monday
5 Xenophon
8 Native Jack
10 Arctic Jack
10 Kadoun
10 Timbera
12 Hume Castle
12 Satco Express
14 Colnel Rayburn
14 Le Coudray
14 Mini Sensation
14 Montayral
14 Never Compromise
16 Back On top
16 Ballybrophy
16 Direct Bearing
16 Munster
16 Ross Moff
16 Spot Thedifference
16 Tyneandthyneagain
20 What Odds
25 Bennies Pride
25 Golden Storm
33 Colonel Bradley
33 Ebony Light
33 Garvivonnian
33 Good Vintage
33 Heart Midoltian
33 Marcus Du Berlais
33 Native Performance
33 Red Striker
33 Run For Paddy
33 Thari
40 For Paddy's Day
40 Killultagh Thunder
40 Supreme Touch
50 Granit D'Estruval
50 Lanmire Glen
50 Rose Perk
50 Tell Me See
50 Where Now
100 Polaris Flame
Dbt Amberleigh House
Dbt Winning Dream
Each Way 1/4 Odds 1, 2, 3, 4
All 43 Quoted
SPONSORSHIP AT NEWMARKET REACHES RECORD HIGH
Income up by 15% with almost 75% of races now sponsored as Newmarket looks to counter loss of media rights revenue
At a time when racecourses are faced with a significant reduction in media rights revenue after the collapse of the attheraces broadcasting deal, Newmarket Racecourses has announced record sponsorship at the Home of Racing.
Thanks to a host of major new sponsors, including Ultimatebet.com, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London and Vibe FM, Newmarket will have at least 181 sponsored races in 2004, nearly 75% of the total run at its two courses. As a result, sponsorship revenue is set to reach at least £1.61m in 2004, up by £210,000 or 15% compared with last year's £1.4m, a figure that had remained static over the previous four years.
This news comes at a time when attendances at Newmarket's two racecourses are also showing tremendous growth. Paid attendance smashed through the quarter million barrier for the first time last year, reaching a total of 252,340, a 16% increase since 2000:
Paid Attendance at Newmarket
2000 - 215,603
2001 - 227,676 (+12,073)
2002 - 231,587 (+ 3,911)
2003 - 252,430 (+20,753)
Sponsorship Income at Newmarket
2000 - £1.39m
2001 - £1.41m
2002 - £1.39m
2003 - £1.40m
2004 - £1.61m
Newmarket's major new sponsorships for 2004 are:
Ultimatebet.com
One of the world's leading online poker websites
Guineas Festival, including 1000 & 2000 Guineas
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London
One of Britain's five Rolls-Royce dealerships
Four races, one at each of Newmarket's major meetings
Vibe FM
East Anglia's only regional radio station, playing fresh dance & urban music with 80's & 90's revibed classics
Inaugural sponsor for the "Newmarket Nights" season of seven evening meetings on the July Course
bet365 ,
Major bookmaker
Five races on Craven Stakes Day including the Craven Stakes
Capital Sports
Major bookmaker
Whole card on Saturday 19th June
Breckland Bingo
East Anglia's biggest Bingo Hall operator
Whole card on Sunday 30th May
Turftours.com
Racing holiday tour operator
Wood Ditton Stakes at Craven Meeting and whole card on Friday 30th July
Robinsons Mercedes Benz
Mercedes Benz partner in East Anglia, incorporating five sites
Four races on Friday 21st May and four races on Tuesday 21st September
Letheby & Christopher
Newmarket's racecourse caterers
Dahlia Stakes
Two other major sponsorships are in the final stages of negotiation and will be announced soon, while there are a large number of smaller individual race sponsorships that will be new in 2004.
Lisa Hancock, Newmarket's Managing Director, commented: "After fantastic attendance figures last season, the influx of so many major new sponsors has put everyone at Newmarket in a buoyant mood ahead of the start of our new season next Tuesday.
"We are all looking forward to 37 great racedays at the Home of Racing over the coming months. All the uncertainties over media rights negotiations cannot dent our sense of optimism."
PRIZE MONEY HITS RECORD HIGH AS NEWMARKET CELEBRATES TWO NEW GROUP 1 RACES
Newmarket's prize money for the season is scheduled to increase by over £325,000 this year to a record £6,785,000. Within that total, the new-look UltimateBet.com Guineas Festival will be worth £1,014,000; the July Meeting is scheduled to carry £1,099,000, representing a remarkable 66% rise in just three years; the Cambridgeshire Meeting £1,084,000; and Champions' Day £1,030,000
The July and Cambridgeshire Meetings have both been boosted by the upgrading of races to Group 1 status by the European Pattern Committee. The UAE Equestrian & Racing Federation Falmouth Stakes, which will now be run on the first day of the July Meeting, and the Sun Chariot Stakes on the Saturday of the Cambridgeshire Meeting are both for fillies and mares over 1 mile and each is worth £200,000. These races bring Newmarket's total of Group 1 races to nine, the same number as Ascot.
When the attheraces contract termination was announced, Newmarket reacted by cutting the value of the UltimateBet.com 2000 and 1000 Guineas races by £20,000 to £300,000 each. So far these are the only two prize money reductions that have been made.
Newmarket's Clerk of the Course, Michael Prosser, commented: "The Levy Board recently announced a £4m injection to prize money across Britain's racecourses to help offset some of the effects of the attheraces deal collapse. I'm hoping that with our share of this, together with the increased sponsorship that we know we have, plus hopefully strong ticket sales for our upcoming meetings, then we might be able to keep any further reductions during the season to a minimum.
"Enhancing our race programme, increasing our prize money and making our major races as competitive as possible with those at other European racecourses are right at the top of our list of key objectives and I think we are more than achieving them at the moment."
TRACKS IN GREAT SHAPE AHEAD OF NEW SEASON
Clerk of the Course, Michael Prosser, reports both Newmarket's courses to be in tremendous condition ahead of the start of the new season at the Home of Racing next week.
"The ground is in great shape and with a week to go before the start of the Craven Meeting I couldn't be happier with it," he commented. "We've had a lot more rain this spring than the last two years so we haven't had to water which has made our lives a great deal easier.
"The course layout for both the Craven Meeting and the UltimateBet.com Guineas Festival will be exactly the same as last year. By restricting the maximum field size to 20 horses at the Craven Meeting and 30 at the UltimateBet.com Guineas Festival, we can ensure virgin ground for both meetings. The fact that the Guineas is now just a two-day meeting will also help guarantee the best possible ground for both Classics."
If and when watering does become necessary as the season progresses, Newmarket will be in a better position to react than ever before. Work has now almost finished on the £150,000 upgrading of the ring main and irrigation system for both courses, including two new pumps and a 55 metre Briggs boom. It means that it is now possible to water the Rowley Mile and July Courses simultaneously.
"Whereas in the past it would have taken us at least two days to put half an inch on one course, it will now take just one day to put half an inch on both," explained Prosser.
Over the winter Newmarket has also spent £125,000 on improvements to the Links stable yard and £25,000 on refurbishing the saddling boxes on the Rowley Mile. On the July Course, over £1m has been spent on the complete refurbishment of essential services - electricity, water, drainage and sewerage. Although racegoers will not see any obvious changes above ground, this work is a vital precursor to the phased redevelopment of the July Course scheduled to take place over the coming years.
ULTIMATEBET.COM STAGES ONLINE POKER TOURNAMENT IN AID OF THOROUGHBRED REHABILITATION CENTRE
UltimateBet.com (UB), a world leader in online poker and sponsor of the 2004 Guineas Festival at Newmarket, is staging an online poker tournament in aid of the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre to which it will make its own donation of up to US$5,000. The tournament will begin at 8.15pm on Thursday 28th April.
Anyone aged 18 or over can enter. The entrance fee is US$20 (approx. £11), US$10 of which will be donated to the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre and the other US$10 will go into the tournament prize pool. UltimateBet will not make any deductions from the entry fee and will donate US$50 to the charity for every person who enters and plays in this event, up to a maximum of US$5,000.
The Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre is the original UK charity dedicated to the welfare of ex-racehorses. Established in Lancashire in 1991, it has over ten years' experience of rehabilitating and re-homing ex-racehorses in need. Carrie Humble MBE, Founder and Director of the TRC, commented: "We are thrilled that UltimateBet.com has chosen the TRC to benefit from this charity tournament. The work of the TRC is dependant upon the support of companies and the general public to ensure a safe, secure and rewarding future for ex-racehorses."
Annie Duke, Professional Poker Player and member of Team UB, said: "When we enter into a major sponsorship like the Guineas Festival at Newmarket, we like to support it in as many worthwhile ways as possible. The Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre is an excellent charity and I hope that a great many people will play in the competition - they'll be helping a very good cause, someone will win a big cash prize and I can promise they'll have fun!
"If you've never played online poker before, I would strongly recommend trying out one of the many free tables that you can play at on our site so as to get some practice ahead of the tournament. Indeed, more than half the people who play on our site do so for free!"
You can register for this tournament from 12th April and the event itself will begin on 22nd April at 8.15 p.m.
How to play:
Go to www.ultimatebet.com
Click on Download Now
UltimateBet Download automatically starts downloading in 5 seconds (requires Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or greater)
Open up the game to create your free poker account
Click on 'My Account' in the game to make your US$20 (approx. £11) deposit so you can play in the charity event
Once you have your poker account funded, click on 'Play Poker/Go to Games' and look for UltimateBet's scheduled tournaments. This event is entitled 'Horse Charity', but we strongly recommend that you practice on the free tables first!
VIBE FM NEWMARKET NIGHTS BACK WITH A BANG!
'Sugababes' and 'Blue' make their July Course debuts
Britain's most popular girl band, the Sugababes, and most popular boy band, Blue, are two of the headline acts that will be making their Newmarket debuts this summer. The "Newmarket Nights" season on the July Course will comprise of a record seven Friday evening race meetings in 2004 (there were six last year), each of which will be followed by a concert by a leading singer or band.
The Nights, which have grown in popularity year-on-year and now regularly attract sell-out crowds of over 19,000, will have a sponsor for the first time in East Anglia's only regional radio station, Vibe FM. The station broadcasts to the whole of the East of England, playing fresh dance and urban music with 80's & 90's revibed classics.
While the Sugababes (18th June) and Blue (30th July) will both be making their first appearances at Newmarket, Jools Holland and His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra will be returning on 6th August for a seventh consecutive year, the last three of which were sell-outs. Four of the 2003 Fame Academy finalists will be playing on 16th July, while the last Night on 13th August will feature Newmarket's first-ever double billing when Darius will be followed on stage by Girls Aloud. Confirmation on the final two acts is still awaited and will be announced as soon as possible.
"The Vibe FM Newmarket Nights are now one of the most successful brands in British racing and have become one of the most popular summer nights out in East Anglia," commented Newmarket's Marketing Manager, Gaynor Haxby. "One thing is for sure - advance booking will be more essential than ever this year!
"We have our most high profile line-up of bands ever and we're delighted to welcome Vibe FM as the inaugural sponsor. They are a perfect fit and will help to spread the word about the Nights to an even wider audience."
Friday 18th June Sugababes
Friday 25th June To be confirmed
Friday 16th July Alistair, Carolynne, Paris & Peter from Fame Academy 2003
Friday 23rd July To be confirmed
Friday 30th July Blue
Friday 6th August Jools Holland and His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra
Friday 13th August Darius and Girls Aloud
Ticket Prices Adults / Children under 16
Members' Enclosure £27 / £9
Grandstand & Paddock Enclosure £18 / £6
Family Enclosure £8 / £3
28-day advance booking discounts apply to adult prices. Book now on 01638 675500 or online at www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk
IRISH THOROUGHBRED NEWS
AMBERLEIGH HOUSE WINS AINTREE NATIONAL
The remarkable run of success of Irish-bred horses in the Martell Cognac Grand National continued at Aintree on Saturday when Amberleigh House scored a memorable win for trainer Ginger McCain.
McCain, who will forever be remembered as the trainer of Red Rum, saddled the 12-year-old son of Buckskin to win by three lengths from Clan Royal with two lengths back to the third horse home, Lord Atterbury (Mister Lord).
Last year's winner Monty's Pass put in a gallant performance to finish fourth under his welter-weight and he will be a leading contender for top honours once again next year.
Irish-bred horses have now won five of the last six runnings of the famous race and on this occasion filled eight of the top ten finishing positions.
Amberleigh House has always performed well on the demanding Grand National course and as well as finishing third to Monty's Pass last year, finished runner up in the Becher Chase on two occasions.
Amberleigh House was a graduate of the sales ring at Tattersalls (Ireland). Sold by Bishopstown Stud in the 1996 November National Hunt Sale, he was purchased by a cash purchaser for 1,000gns.
Applications for the Tattersalls Derby Sale close on Thursday 8th April.
CASTLEDALE WINS SANTA ANITA DERBY
Castledale, formerly trained in Ireland, emerged as a leading fancy for the Kentucky Derby when winning the Santa Anita Derby on Saturday.
Bred by Gigginstown Stud, Castledale was purchased in a private deal by part-owner Frank Lyons and moved from David Wachman's stables County Tipperary to Jeff Mullins last year.
On his American debut, the son of Peintre Celebre scored in the Grade 3 Generous Stakes at Hollywood Park and put a disappointing recent effort on dirt firmly behind him when winning this Grade 1 event.
Castledale was sold at the Goffs Orby Sale 2002 for 100,000 euro to McKeever-St Lawrence.
MOSCOW IS A MELLING CHASE FLYER
Moscow Flyer bounced back from his Cheltenham mishap to win the Grade 1 Martell Cognac Melling Chase at Aintree on Friday.
The former Champion chaser never put a foot wrong as he easily beat the well-regarded Isio by six lengths with Native Upmanship, winner of the race for the last two years, a further 13-lengths away in third place.
Trainer Jessica Harrington now plans to send her brilliant winner, a son of Ballyvolane Stud sire Moscow Society, to Punchestown for the Grade 1 Betdaq Chase and a target next season could be the King George VI Chase at Kempton next Christmas.
RHINESTONE COWBOY WINS AGAIN FOR JP MAGNIER
Amateur rider JP Magnier almost stole the show on Grand National day when winning the Grade 1 Martell Cognac Aintree Hurdle on the superb Rhinestone Cowboy on Saturday.
The 19-year-old college student got his mount up to beat jockeys Richard Johnson and Tony McCoy in a thrilling finish to the two and a half mile event with Rhinestone Cowboy beating former Champion hurdler Rooster Booster and the smart Westender by three quarters of a length and half a length respectively.
Now the winner of nine of his 13 starts, Rhinestone Cowboy (Be My Native) was winning his first Grade 1 event and will now be aimed at the Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham next season, while runner-up Rooster Booster is a possible for the Emo Oil Champion Hurdle at Punchestown in two weeks time.
JOHN QUEALLY STRIKES WITH AL EILE
Dungarvan, County Waterford trainer John Queally was the toast of the Irish raiding party on the opening day of the Grand National meeting at Aintree last Thursday.
Queally saddled Al Eile to win the Grade 2 Unwins Wine Group Anniversary 4-Y-O Novices' Hurdle, beating Triumph Hurdle winner Made In Japan by half-a-length.
Owned and bred by Michael Ryan, Al Eile is a son of Alzao and was a winner himself at Cheltenham last November. He is to bid for further Festival glory in the Guinness Four-Year-Old Hurdle at Punchestown.
SIMPLY JUST SUPREME IN GRADE 2 MILDMAY CHASE
The Irish-bred Simply Supreme ran out the easiest of winners in the Grade 2 Martell Cognac Sainsbury's Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree on Friday.
The seven-year-old son of Supreme Leader galloped his rivals into the ground after being left in front at the tenth fence and it must also be pointed out that he jumped brilliantly as he recorded a 12-length win.
The winner, who looks a high-class prospect, is owned by Trevor Hemmings and was bred by James Kinsella.
ROCHE SCORES WITH PUCK OUT AT AINTREE
The Christy Roche-trained Puck Out gave Ireland a winning start to Grand National day when landing the Listed Martell Cordon Bleu Handicap Hurdle at Aintree on Saturday.
Ridden by the promising Mark Walsh, the JP McManus-owned six-year-old came from well off the pace to account for race favourite Fundamental by four lengths.
The winner is a son of Topanoora and was one of two Irish-bred Listed winners at the Festival. The other was His Nibs, a son of Alflora, who was the game winner of the Martell Cognac Somerfield Handicap Hurdle.
FOREIGN RAIDERS DOMINATE IN GROUP 3 GLADNESS
British-trained runners filled the first four places in the EUR70,000 Group 3 Castlemartin/La Louviere Studs Gladness Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.
The Bryan Smart-trained Monsieur Bond led the way with a highly impressive seven-length win from Mark Tompkins' Steenberg with Rockets 'N Rollers, trained by Richard Hannon taking third place.
For good measure, the James Goldie-trained Orientor finished fourth under Johnny Murtagh and the only Irish runner to trouble the judge was Latino Magic, trained by Robbie Osborne.
The first three home were all bred in Ireland, however, and with record prize money on offer at the Curragh this season, it is highly likely that they will be returning to headquarters in the near future.
AIDAN O'BRIEN WINS LISTED LOUGHBROWN STAKES
Newton, trained by Aidan O'Brien, got up in the dying strides to win the EUR50,000 Listed Oak Lodge & Hamford Sires Loughbrown Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.
The John Oxx-trained Dabiroun (Desert Prince) set out to make all the running but had no answer to the fast and late surge of Newton (Danehill) under Jamie Spencer.
It was a mixed day at the office for O'Brien and his new stable jockey who were beaten with 1/5 favourite Lord Nelson in the opening maiden but later went on to win with Esperanto, Newton and newcomer Book Of Kings.
O'Brien also took the opportunity to gallop 10 horses on the course after racing and he must have been pleased with his Newmarket 2,000 Guineas hope One Cool Cat who was impressive under Jamie Spencer. O'Brien still plans to send One Cool Cat for the Guineas with a 'prep' run.
O'NEILL LOOKS TO IRELAND FOR FURTHER SUCCESS
Trainer Jonjo O'Neill looks set to have his first runner in the Irish Grand National on the middle day of the Easter Festival at Fairyhouse next Monday.
O'Neill, who went so close to winning the Aintree Grand National with Clan Royal last Saturday, plans to run Mini Sensation in the EUR180,000 event, sponsored by Powers Gold Label.
The 133rd running of the race has attracted another quality entry. The highlight of the Fairyhouse three-day meeting, which gets underway on Easter Sunday has attracted 74 initial entries, including 18 from Britain. Harbour Pilot, who finished third behind Best Mate in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham for the second time earlier this month has been allotted top-weight of 12 stone and is one of six entries made by trainer Noel Meade.
Noel O'Brien, Senior NH Handicapper, is delighted with the entry. "It is a huge entry with 21 in the handicap proper and 14 others between just one and four pounds out of the handicap. Three of the first four in last year's race are entered again and it includes several notable winners both this season and last and Harbour Pilot, who finished third in two Gold Cups."
SEDGEFIELD RACECOURSES EGG-CITING NEW EASTER FIXTURE
A big crowd is egg-pected for Sedgefield Racecourses brand new fixture on Easter Monday, 12th April. Our egg-citing new fixture is packed full of family fun and racing eggs-travaganzas, so roll up, roll up and join in the fun!!!!
On the Racing front there are 6 egg-citing racing contests for all the family to enjoy, with the feature race of the day sponsored by Cantor Sport.
There is also lots of entertainment for the little ones to get stuck into including, face painting, children's entertainer and an Easter Egg Hunt!!! The infamous Sedge the Field Mouse will also be around to sign autographs, pose for photos and hand out Easter Eggs!!!
Gates open 12 noon, with the first race at 2.15 pm so why not come along and join in the egg-tremely great fun at Sedgefield Racecourse.
*The Next Racemeeting at Sedgefield is Friday 30th April, The Durham National. Admission to Sedgefield Racecourse is 6 for the Course Enclosure and 12 for the Grandstand Enclosures. Gates open at 11am. The first race is 5.55pm, we have a six race card, with the last race at 8.25pm. Accompanied children under 16 enter free. Car parking is free. More information can be found on www.sedgefield-racecourse.co.uk.
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