Polar Jem puts in a fantastic piece of work this morning ahead of Group 3 contest
The £50,000 Group 3 totepool Winter Hill Stakes at Royal Windsor on Saturday has attracted 21 high-class entries including one Irish-trained possible and one French-trained hopeful.
The 21 candidates for this ten-furlong event include Hazyview and Welcome Stranger, first and second in the totesport.com Midsummer Stakes at Windsor in June, and Godolphin's Windsor Knot, last year's Iveco Daily Solario Stakes hero who could represent the same connections as the 2004 winner of this contest, Ancient World, with Frankie Dettori a confirmed rider if the three-year-old lines up.
The potential overseas challenge comes from the Tom Hogan-trained Common World, a dual winner in Ireland this season, and Gale Force, trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre, a Listed scorer in his homeland in May.
George Margarson, trainer of Polar Jem, who won a Listed event at Newmarket in July, is looking for some good ground for his mare.
He said: " If it's raining like this in Windsor, I doubt that Polar Jem will run in the totepool Winter Hill Stakes but that is the plan to go for the Group 3 [she is also entered in the Listed Royal Windsor August Stakes].
"I don't mind genuine good ground but I wouldn't be happy if it goes on the soft side - it wouldn't suit her at all.
"She worked this morning really well over seven furlongs on the racecourse and worked super.
"She also did a spin on the track at Deauville and went round there - the ground was on the soft side there and she wasn't handling it so there wasn't a lot of point in running. As Fallon reported it was the worst ground that he'd ever ridden on in the world and it was - I was surprised there weren't more non-runners.
"You get over there and you think we might as well take a chance but I haven't got that many good horses and you've got to look after them.
"But she's in real good form and we have particularly given her a light campaign because hopefully she'll go to Longchamp in October as well.
"I still think she's improving and her fourth to La Persiana at Salisbury was well held up yesterday [she won a Listed handicap at Yarmouth] and we gave that filly 4lb at Salisbury. Ideally I probably should have run yesterday as Polar Jem was 7lb better off with that rival. But then you have to take a choice and our choice is a Group 3 as she is already a dual Listed winner."
RECORD ATTENDANCE AT WINDSOR THIS SEASON
Windsor's long-established series of Monday evening fixtures came to an upbeat end on Monday, August 22, with Carribean Carnival night.
The unique atmosphere on Monday evenings at Royal Windsor Racecourse partly explains the increased popularity - last the year the evenings meetings attracted close to 85,000 racegoers - while continued investment by owners Arena Leisure, which in 2005 meant the paddock lawn area was extended by 50% and extensive landscaping opened up the view of the River Thames and Windsor Castle, is another factor.
The biggest Monday evening crowd this year was on Irish Night, July 11, when just over 9,000 people came through the gates, and Ladies' Night on August 1 attracted over 7,000 racegoers.
As well as providing great entertainment for racegoers, Windsor's Monday evening fixtures have raised over £600,000 for charity this year.
The charity evenings staged in 2005 were as follows
1) Animal Health Trust
2) Royal Veterinary College
3) British Eventing - attended by many of the Olympic squad
4) CLIC Sargent which helps children suffering from cancer and leukaemia
- organised by Eddie and Marie Jordan
5) Great Ormond Street Hospital and St John's Ambulance
6) Princess Royal Trust for Carers - attended by HRH The Princess Royal
The estimated total attendance for 2005 will be the highest recorded figure on attendance since Arena took over Royal Windsor Racecourse in 1999.
In 2004 recorded attendance for the entire year was 114,545 which itself was a record.
On Saturday Evening August 27th, the 114,546th lucky person through the gates this year will be invited to a champagne dinner and asked to judge the 'Best Turned Out Horse' and present the trophy to the winner in one of the races on the day.
David Mackinnon, General Manager and Clerk of the Course at Royal Windsor said: " Obviously I am delighted with the attendance this year, we will have smashed our annual record and it is only August! We have another seven racedays left this year including two, two day jumping fixtures one in November and our Christmas meeting on 16th and 17th December, featuring the Grade 1 totepool Longwalk Hurdle".
Mackinnon went on to say: " We have had a fantastic summer season, with individual record crowds on Monday evenings. This Saturday marks the end of our summer evenings and should be a great night. It is good news that Frankie Dettori is back and will be riding, plus the totepool Winter Hill Stakes, our feature race of the evening has attracted an international raider for the first time in Gale Force trained in France by Alain de Royer-Dupre."
ITM TO SPONSOR FIVE RACES IN BRITAIN
Irish Thoroughbred Marketing (ITM) is to expand its British sponsorship in the coming weeks by backing five two-year-old races throughout Britain including Salisbury's Listed £30,000 EBF/Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Dick Poole Fillies' Stakes on September 1.
Supported under the ITM banner of Think Thoroughbred - Think Ireland', the five races, aimed at promoting the forthcoming yearling sales, are at York on August 31, Salisbury on September 1, Beverley on September 14 and both Ayr and Yarmouth on September 15.
Ireland's 2005 yearling sales are eagerly-awaited. Graduates of the Goffs Orby Million Sale, taking place from September 26 to 28, will be eligible to contest races worth 2.4 million euros in prize money with a further 100,000 euro race for yearlings sold at the Sportsman's Sale on September 29. Among the Goffs graduates making a mark this season have been Alexander Goldrun, Melbourne Cup contender Distinction and St Leger favourite Scorpion.
Tattersalls Ireland have also been enjoying a spate of big-race successes from inexpensive past purchases including classic performers Saoire (Irish 1,000 Guineas), Silver Cup (Italian 1,000 Guineas) and Indesatchel (2nd French 2,000 Guineas). The Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, which itself features a 300,000 euro sales races, takes place at Fairyhouse from September 20 to 22.
Representatives from Goffs and Tattersalls Ireland will join the ITM team at all five race meetings. Sales catalogues will be available and ITM will be able to organise travel arrangements and accommodation for prospective buyers.
Irish Thoroughbred Marketing is a joint industry/government body offering impartial advice to those interested in breeding, racing or buying quality Irish bloodstock in Ireland and Michael O'Hagan, ITM's General Manager, said today: "British owners, trainers and agents have bought at Irish sales with great success for many years and we look forward to meeting clients old and new through our five sponsorships.
"With an outstanding run of success, coupled with valuable sales races and an advantageous exchange rate, there has never been a greater incentive for British purchasers to buy at Ireland's yearling sales."
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
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