Tuesday, September 28, 2004
VICTOR CHANDLER CHASE TRANSFERS TO CHELTENHAM FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS
The Victor Chandler Chase will be run at Cheltenham for the next two years while Ascot is being redeveloped.
The two-mile handicap chase, worth £110,000, joins the Saturday, January 29 card on Pillar Property day at Cheltenham.
The addition of the Victor Chandler Chase, founded in 1989 when the great Desert Orchid was successful, will boost prize money on January 29 to £385,000, with the other feature races on the day being the £80,000 Pillar Property Chase, the £60,000 Byrne Bros Cleeve Hurdle and the £55,000 Ladbrokes Trophy Chase.
Victor Chandler, head of the sponsoring company, commented: "We are delighted with the transfer of the race to Cheltenham for the next two years and look forward to entertaining customers there.
"The Victor Chandler Chase takes place six and half weeks before the Cheltenham Festival and therefore makes it an ideal prep race for the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Azertyuiop, the gallant runner-up in this year's Victor Chandler Chase, went on to win the 2004 Queen Mother Champion Chase.
"The transfer to Cheltenham has been made possible by the good offices of both Pillar Property and Ladbrokes who already sponsor on the day.
"It was vitally important that this Pattern race, which plays such an important part in the jump season, be allowed to continue while Ascot is being redeveloped and our thanks go to Cheltenham and Ascot for achieving this."
The Victor Chandler Chase will be part of a seven-race card on Saturday, January 29.
Edward Gillespie, Cheltenham Racecourse's managing director, said: "The Victor Chandler Chase joining Pillar Property day means that a fabulous fixture has become even better.
"This is a very positive move and we appreciate the co-operation shown by Ascot, the Levy Board and Cheltenham's current sponsors to stage this important event. We look forward to building interest in this compelling raceday."
Douglas Erskine-Crum, Ascot's chief executive, is pleased that the Victor Chandler Chase will take place at Cheltenham in 2005 and 2006.
He declared: "The Victor Chandler Chase will fit perfectly into Cheltenham's Pillar Chase card and we're particularly grateful to Ladbrokes for being so accommodating. The Victor Chandler is one of our premier jump races with a great history so it is entirely appropriate that it should camp at the home of jump racing while we are closed."
SOAR CLEARED TO RUN IN NEWMARKET SHOWPIECE
Sponsors, Sky Bet, report "one-way traffic" for Damson in ante-post market
The James Fanshawe-trained Soar has been given the go-ahead for Thursday's Sky Bet Cheveley Park Stakes (Group 1) at Newmarket after scoping clean this morning and was one of seven fillies declared to run in the £180,000 contest at today's 48-hour declaration stage. She is an 11/4 chance with the sponsors, with the Irish raider Damson, who beat her over 5 furlongs in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, the even money favourite.
"With Soar, Suez and Jewel In The Sand all taking on the Irish filly, this is going to be a fantastic race," said Dale Tempest from Sky Bet. "It was one-way traffic when we opened our market yesterday with the 6-4 about Damson getting snapped up very quickly. There's been no significant support for any of the other runners as yet."
The going at Newmarket remains Good-to-Firm with watering continuing on the Rowley Mile today. "By the end of the afternoon we will have applied about 5 millimetres over the whole course over the last two days," explained Clerk of the Course, Michael Prosser. "The grass was badly in need of a drink after a very dry period and this should freshen it up nicely. Apart from the chance of some showers on Thursday morning, we are forecast to be dry right through to the end of the meeting on Saturday."
LATEST SKY BET CHEVELEY PARK STAKES PRICES FROM SKY BET
Evens Damson
11-4 Soar
11-4 Suez
14 Jewel In The Sand
25 Golden Legacy
33 Magical Romance
33 Slip Dance
DISTINCTION ARRIVES SAFELY IN AUSTRALIA
Distinction, due to challenge for both the Carlton Draught Caulfield Cup and Emirates Melbourne Cup, arrived in Australia today, Tuesday, September 28, after a good journey.
Harry Herbert, managing director of British-based Highclere Thoroughbred Racing (HTR), whose Orangery Syndicate owns Distinction, said: "He has travelled very well and it was an uneventful journey which we are relieved and pleased about.
"He was very relaxed and his weight loss is normal for a flight from Britain. He will go for the Caulfield Cup on October 16 as long as he recovers from the journey and is training well.
"We will be putting up an Australian jockey and are hopeful that Damien Oliver will ride."
The journey, which involved stopovers in Copenhagen, Dubai and Singapore, took 40 hours and Distinction, who has won his last two races, was settled in his box in the quarantine centre at Sandown racecourse by 3pm local time today.
The five-year-old Danehill gelding, trained by Sir Michael Stoute, is accompanied by his lass and work rider Kerry Jones and second travelling head lad John Cork.
The Emirates Melbourne Cup, which takes place at Flemington on Tuesday, November 2, is Australia's most famous race.
HTR is the most successful racehorse multiple ownership operation in Europe and has announced the launch of seven new syndicates, with a total of 127 shares, for 2005.
BETFAIR ENCOURAGED BY SHIFT IN US ATTITUDE TO EXCHANGES
Betfair, the leading online betting exchange, has welcomed recent comments by a top US racing official urging US tracks to set up their own exchange.
"It's encouraging to see the US taking an enlightened approach to exchanges," said Edward Wray, the co-founder of Betfair. "This, together with developments in South Africa (where Betfair has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding) and comments from seasoned observers in Australia and elsewhere suggest that the international racing world is recognising the benefits exchanges can bring."
Mr Wray is now spearheading Betfair's international expansion.
Last week Chris Scherf, executive vice-president of the Thoroughbred Racing Association, said the introduction of a unified exchange could provide new revenue for the US racing industry.
"British racing is flourishing. Every metric relating to it has shown impressive growth in the last few years, in a period when betting exchanges, and Betfair in particular, have become firmly established in the market. Despite claims to the contrary, the sport is better funded than ever, and interest in British racing, both from within Britain and from overseas, is at an all-time high. The same can happen overseas, and betting exchanges have a significant role to play in that process. Betfair has made it very clear that it wishes to pay appropriate product fees as it expands overseas," said Mr Wray.
In response to Mr Scherf's comments on integrity, Mr Wray pointed to the MoUs and information-sharing agreements signed by Betfair with the Jockey Club and a host of other international sports bodies. "These, together with Betfair's electronic audit trail, provide regulators with greater levels of transparency than ever before in their quest to uphold the integrity of their sport," said Mr Wray.
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
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