Monday, June 19, 2000

BEST PRICES FOR ROYAL ASCOT TOMORROW

EIGHT SET FOR PRINCE OF WALES'S

This year the mile and a quarter contest is being run as a Group One affair for the first time. A clash is set between Dubai Millennium and Sendawar - the joint top-rated milers in last year's International Classifications.

The eight runners are:

Beat All-Sir Michael Stoute-Kieren Fallon (3)
Border Arrow-Ian Balding-Kevin Darley (2)
Dubai Millennium-Saeed bin Suroor-Jerry Bailey (7)
King Adam-Sir Michael Stoute-Michael Stoute (1)
Pegnitz-Clive Brittain-Philip Robinson (5)
Rhythm Band-Saeed bin Suroor-Ted Durcan (6)
Sendawar-Alain de Royer-Dupre-Gerard Mosse (4)
Sumitas-P Schiergen GER-T Hellier (8)

11 GO IN ST JAMES'S PALACE

The full list is as follows:

Bachir-Saeed bin Suroor-Jerry Bailey (1)
Cape Town-Richard Hannon-Richard Hughes (7)
China Visit-Saeed bin Suroor-John Velazquez (6)
Compton Bolter-Gerard Butler-Thierry Jarnet (4)
Fanaar-Jeremy Noseda-Jason Weaver (8)
Giant's Causeway-Aiden O'Brien IRE-Michael Kinane (3)
Inglenook-John Dunlop-Pat Eddery (2)
Medicean-Sir Michael Stoute-Kieren Fallon (10)
Sarafan-Sir Mark Prescott-George Duffield (5)
Shibboleth-Henry Cecil-Richard Quinn (9)
Valentino-John Gosden-Gerard Mosse (11)

TWO JAPANESE RUNNERS IN KING'S STAND STAKES

Agnes World and Dojima Muteki, both trained in Japan by Hideyuki Mori, will be the first Japanese-trained horses to run at Royal Ascot. The pair will be ridden by brothers Koshira nad Yutaka Take. Agnes World is the leading hope, having won the Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp last season.

11 GO IN QUEEN ANNE

The 11 runners are:

Aljabr-Saeed bin Suroor-Richard Hills (4)
Mutathir-Saeed bin Suroor-Willie Supple (7)
Dansili-Andre Fabre FR-Olivier Peslier (5)
Indian Lodge-Amanda Perrett-Michael Kinane (10)
Kalanisi-Sir Michael Stoute-Kieren Fallon (11)
Ramooz-John Hills-Richard Hughes (6)
Showboat-Barry Hills-Michael Hills (1)
Sugarfoot-Nigel Tinkler-Pat Eddery (3)
Swallow Flight-Geoff Wragg-Michael Roberts (2)
Golden Silca-Mick Channon-Steve Drowne (8)
Hasty Words-Barry Hills-John Reid (9)

GOOD TO FIRM AT ROYAL ASCOT

Nick Cheyne, clerk of the course, stated yesterday: "The going remains good to firm. The penetrometer reading taken first thing this morning was 3.0, after watering all day yesterday. That was an improvement from Friday which was 2.9.

Cheyne went on to state that there would be further watering of the course as necessary, although rain is forecast for later in the week.

AYR OFFERS UNBEATABLE VALUE

The next Ayr fixture which offers the ‘Unbeatable Offer', which has to be booked in advance, is on Tuesday, August 15.

But there is still plenty of room at Ayr Racecourse on Friday and Saturday, June 23 and 24, so come along and enjoy a great day out.
Saturday's programme, which is partly televised by Channel 4, begins at 2.05pm, and this year the Grunwick group of companies, whose chairman George Ward is one of racing's greatest supporters, very generously backs four races on the card.

The feature event is the £15,000-added BONUSPRINT HANDICAP STAKES (3.10pm), over seven furlongs for three-year-olds and upwards rated 0-90, and the card also includes the £10,000-added DOUBLEPRINT HANDICAP STAKES (3.40pm) and £10,000-added TRIPLEPRINT HANDICAP (4.10pm).

The Doubleprint Handicap, run over one mile and seven furlongs, was won two years ago by the versatile Top Cees, who has recently been retired. Prior to his Ayr success, Top Cees had won the Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, and he went on to land last season's Tote Cesarewitch at Newmarket.

Another great supporter of racing, the European Breeders' Fund, sponsors the opening race on Saturday's card - the £5,000-added EUROPEAN BREEDERS' FUND MAIDEN STAKES over seven furlongs with another sponsored race being the MELVILLE CRAIG NOVICE AUCTION STAKES at 2.35pm.

Racing on Friday, June 23, begins at 2.20pm, and the day will raise money for the Benevolent Society of the Licenced Trade of Scotland. As part of this charity day, Tennent Caledonian Breweries backs the BEN CLASSIFIED STAKES at 3.30pm.

At 2.55pm, the AYR FOR LIFE MEDIAN AUCTION MAIDEN STAKES for two-year-olds, is run. Last year's race was won by the Tim Easterby-trained French Fellow, who went on to a Listed success at Ascot later in the season and last month competed in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Richard Pridham, Ayr's General Manager and Clerk of the Course, said: "The ‘Unbeatable Offer' provides a great value day out, giving racegoers the opportunity to enjoy good quality racing and a three-course meal at a very reasonable price. The fact that the ‘Unbeatable Offer' is sold out already for this coming weekend demonstrates its popularity.
"Coming racing at Ayr is good value anyway, especially for families as children aged under 16 are admitted free. On the Saturday we are delighted to welcome back to Ayr the Grunwick group, who have been great supporters of racing, while we hope that the Benevolent Society of the Licenced Trade of Scotland raises substantial funds on Friday."

Admission prices are Club £14, Grandstand £7. Admission for students and OAPs costs £4 on production of ID and accompanied children under 16 are admitted FREE. Coach and Car Parking is also FREE and there is a FREE creche on Saturday. Additionally, members of the Racegoers Club visiting Ayr will receive £5 off admission to the Club enclosure on each day.

VALUABLE BIBURY MEETING AT SALISBURY

The Bibury Club, funded in 1681, is the oldest racing club in the world and having held meetings at a variety of now long defunct racecourses such as Bibury and Stockbridge, has been based at Salisbury since 1899.

. Wednesday's card features the £10,000-added Bibury Cup Handicap at 4.10pm, which traditionally attracts a field of progressive three-year-olds. The Wednesday line-up also includes the £9,500-added Southampton Conditions Stakes at 2.40pm over seven furlongs and won last year by Lake Sunbeam - one leg of a double for trainer Richard Hannon and jockey Richard Hughes on the 1999 card.

The Noel Cannon Memorial Trophy at 3.10pm also has £9,500 in added prize money and last year went to William Haggas's grand old campaigner Yeast, winner of the 1996 Royal Hunt Cup.

The richest race to be run over the two days is the £15,000-added ,b>Ruinart Champagne Elite Fillies' Stakes (3.40pm), a conditions race for two year-old fillies, over seven furlongs on the Thursday. First run in the mid 19th century, the Champagne Stakes is confined to fillies whose sires won over a mile and a quarter or further. Originally only horses worth 30 sovereigns each could compete and the winning owner would have to provide the Bibury Club with "three dozen bottles of champagne."
John Dunlop saddled Eurolink Raindance to win last year's race and she went on to finish second to the subsequent 1,000 Guineas runner-up Princess Ellen in the Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket and a close fifth in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh. The race was formerly for colts and fillies and other past winners include Dashing Blade, who after his Salisbury victory in 1989 collected a Group 1 double in the National Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes, while the following year's winner, Anjiz, went on to great success in America, winning over $250,000 in prize money.

The Tote is a new sponsor on Thursday, supporting the £10,000-added Tote Exacta 1-2 Stakes over five furlongs at 3.10pm, which should be a typically competitive heat, while the £5,000-added Herbert and Gwen Blagrave Maiden Stakes (4.40pm), over seven furlongs, remembers former Beckhampton trainer Herbert Blagrave and his wife Gwen.

Ian Renton, Clerk of the Course and General Manager at Salisbury Racecourse, said: "The Bibury meeting is one of the main occasions of the year at Salisbury and we look forward to two great days of racing."
Admission costs are Members £15, Tattersalls £10 and Course £5. There is FREE admission for accompanied children aged under 16 and FREE Car Parking.
The next meeting at Salisbury is the popular Soir de France fixture on Friday, July 7, when the first race is at 6.40pm and there will be a large number of French-themed attractions.

For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink Archive

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