Thursday, July 5, 2001
TOP-CLASS ENTRY FOR FIRST DAY OF JULY MEETING
Foreign raiders on course for Days 2 & 3
A strong card is in prospect for Day One of the 2001 Newmarket July Meeting next Tuesday (July 10), with 16 horses confirmed for the day's feature, the £60,000 Princess of Wales's Pearl and Coutts Stakes (Group 2). After a dry week so far, the going remains GOOD-TO-FIRM.. Watering took place up until Wednesday, but with the threat of thunderstorms it has now been put on hold.
Heading the Princess of Wales's weights with their Group 1 penalties are ENDLESS HALL and last year's French Derby winner HOLDING COURT, while other older horses that take the eye include last year's winner, LITTLE WOLF, the 2000 Vodafone Derby runner-up SAKHEE, the Hardwicke Stakes (G.2) winner, SANDMASON, and the horse he narrowly beat at Royal Ascot, ZINDABAD. The fast-improving WATER JUMP has won his last three races, while a big run is expected from ST EXPEDIT, easy winner of the Ormonde Stakes (G.3) at Chester in May.
There may only be four 3-year-olds left in the race, but two of these boast top class form. DILSHAAN, who finished seventh in this year's Vodafone Derby following a great victory in the Dante Stakes (G.2) at York, and GRANDERA, third in the French Derby, both look sure to make their presence felt.
Elsewhere on the seven-race card, great things are expected from the David Loder-trained SILENT HONOR in the day's other feature, the £50,000 Cherry Hinton Stakes (Group 2). An impressive winner of her maiden at Newmarket last month, she may have most to fear from Aidan O'Brien's Queen Mary (G.3) runner-up, SOPHISTICAT.
The Strutt & Parker Maiden which starts the July Meeting at 2.05pm is packed full of highly regarded, well-bred two-year-olds, while the afternoon's four handicaps have very strong entries.
In addition to a powerful Aidan O'Brien-trained contingent, two other overseas challengers have been confirmed for later in the week. On Wednesday, the German-trained mare PROUDWINGS contests the £60,000 Falmouth Stakes (Group 2). She impressed when winning the Prix du Muguet (G.2) at Saint Cloud in May by an easy 4 lengths and did not get the run of the race when returning to France for the Prix du Chemin de Fer du Nord (G.3) in June.
"She handles any ground and is in very good form," commented her owner, Dr Rolf Wilhelms today (Thursday). "We realise it will be a very competitive race, but we hope she will be good enough at least to make the first four."
On Thursday, high-class French sprinter IRON MASK is reported on course for Europe's richest sprint, the £200,000 Darley July Cup . Trained by Criquette Head, who won the race with ANABAA in 1996, the three-year-old had smart form in France last season and landed a Group 1 sprint in Singapore in May.
BEST PRICES FOR FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2001
Tote (T), William Hill (H) and Ladbroke (L)
TOTE EXACTA HANDICAP, 1M 2F, SANDOWN PARK 3.15PM
BLUE GOLD 25 H
CATCHY WORD 10 T
ULUNDI 8 T
MAN O'MYSTERY 9 H
PANTAR 8 ALL FIRMS
RIBERAC 12 H
ELMHURST BOY 25 L
CANADA 11/2 T
THUNDERING SURF 9 T
FARAWAY LOOK 7/2 L
INVADER 28 T
PINCHINCHA 11 H
LEVY BOARD INCREASES HELP FOR INDUSTRY TRAINING
The Horserace Betting Levy Board is increasing its support for industry training and education, putting in £427,000 during 2001/2 compared to £361,500 last year, a rise of 18%.
Most of the extra money is going into three areas, a pilot scheme to generate new sources of potential stable staff, increasing the number of trainees going through the Northern Racing College over the next three years and expanding the stud staff training programme.
The first two projects implement recommendations of the Stable Staff Resources Study Group, chaired by Lady Burnham, set up to look into stable staff shortages.
The pilot scheme will involve 20 students in 2001 from non-racing equine colleges, offering them intensive top-up courses to enable them to go straight into employment in racing yards.
The number of trainees in the normal NVQ2 scheme going through the Northern Racing School will increase by 15 a year, from 210 to 225 initially, then to 240 in the second year and 255 in the third year.
Libby Archer , the Levy Board's Scientific Liaison Executive, commented: "The Stable Staff Resources Study Group did important work and the Levy Board is delighted to help with these two key recommendations."
The extra stud staff training help will mean that one of the two existing annual four-week induction courses at the National Stud will be changed into a nine-week introductory course with more lectures and work experience in the preparation of mares and foals for sale. A five-week more advanced course will be introduced during the summer for trainees who have had some stud experience.
The majority of Levy Board support goes towards NVQ training for 16 to 18-year-old stable staff at the British Racing School and Northern Racing College, with support for the costs to the British Horseracing Training Board of administering the NVQ scheme.
The Levy Board also funds the education programme, whose pilot schools scheme involving 1,000 children and teachers during 2000 worked well, and continuation training for jockeys.
NINE DECLARED FOR CORAL EUROBET ECLIPSE STAKES AT SANDOWN PARK ON SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2001
1) 122-25201 BACH (IRE) 4-9-07 Satish Sanan & Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE
Johnny Murtagh
2) -4120 BROCHE 4-9-07 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor Daragh O'Donohoe
3) 5011-416 ENDLESS HALL 5-9-07 Il Paralupo Luca Cumani Jamie Spencer
4) 11655-3 HOLDING COURT 4-9-07 John Good Michael Jarvis Philip Robinson
5) 30314-11 MEDICEAN 4-9-07 Cheveley Park Stud Sir Michael Stoute Kieren Fallon
6) 1-25011 BLACK MINNALOUSHE (USA) 3-8-10 Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE Michael Kinane
7) 64-0150 DARWIN (IRE) 3-8-10 Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE Paul Scallan
8) 5120-23 GRANDERA (IRE) 3-8-10 Lael Stable & Mrs V Shelton James Fanshawe Michael Hills
9) 111-03 TOBOUGG (IRE) 3-8-10 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor Frankie Dettori
INCA WARRIOR ATTEMPTS TO LOSE MAIDEN STATUS
The John Hills-trained Inca Warrior, who has finished third on each of his two previous racecourse starts, will attempt to gain his first victory tonight (8.10pm) at Newbury in the Stan James On Sky Text Page 389 Conditions Stakes, over ten furlongs.
The son of Diesis made a pleasing debut at Kempton Park in May when he finished fast to finish third behind Bakiri. However, he disappointed last time when only filling the same position when evens favourite in a Goodwood maiden behind Indian Creek.
That second run is best forgotten as the three-year-old's trainer explained: "Richard [Hills, jockey at Goodwood] got off and said the horse was ‘not moving right', and, sure enough, the following morning we found that he had pulled a muscle behind.
"He is fine again now and worked great last Saturday."
SPANISH JOHN COULD GO FOR GRAN CRITERIUM AFTER LISTED SUCCESS AT SAN SIRO
The Paul Cole-trained Spanish John retained his unbeaten record in yesterday's Listed Premio Giuseppe de Montel, over seven-and-a-half furlongs, at San Siro, Milan, running on well to beat Jeune Dream by two-and-three quarter lengths, and possibly earn himself a crack at the Gran Criterium at the same track.
The Dynaformer colt had been impressive even when running green when winning a maiden at Kempton on May 26, and after that race Cole indicated that the juvenile's next race may have been the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.
Explaining his decision to miss that race Cole commented: "We decided to give Royal Ascot a miss because the Chesham was too short for him. He will need a mile-and-a-half next year, but we may come back here in the autumn for the Gran Criterium. He needs time to mature and I won't rush him."
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
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