Things to know today
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Galway has moved its Saturday National Hunt card to Monday 26 October, Horse Racing Ireland and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board having approved the racecourse’s request on ground conditions and the arrival of Storm Boelo in the area on Saturday morning. The meeting reverts to entries at weights, with fresh declarations due by 10am on Saturday. The Flat card moves from Monday to Tuesday 27 October, because the only Flat line at the fixture is the innermost one and has to be used on the last day, otherwise only two days could be run. Chief executive Michael Moloney said the club was disappointed, that the track had been assessed continuously for two days and that, after talking to Clerk of the Course Shane Ryder, both agreed racing could not go ahead safely, adding that the safety and welfare of jockeys, horses, racegoers and staff must always come first (irishracing.com) |
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The Arqana October yearling sale turned over 3,800,000 euros on Thursday, up 19.7 per cent on the corresponding session a year ago, with 112 lots sold, a clearance rate of 80 per cent, an average of 33,930 euros up 27.5 per cent and a median of 28,500 euros up 35.7 per cent. Two colts shared the session top on 110,000 euros, a Teofilo colt out of Shkhara consigned by Haras du Mont dit Mont and bought by Jeremy Brummitt for Middleham Park Racing, and a Territories colt out of Secret Sky from Fairway Consignment, bought by Mags O’Toole for Eddie O’Leary with Alex Elliott signing the docket. Three days have grossed 22,121,500 euros from 373 lots, up 0.7 per cent, the median 5 per cent higher at 42,000 euros and the average 4 per cent lower at 59,202 euros. The sale ends at Deauville today (Racing Post) |
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William Buick is relying on Notable Speech to defend the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland next week, with a record-extending fifth win in the race in view. The seven-time Group 1 winner took the City Of York Stakes and the Woodbine Mile this season. Buick, who is 38 and Godolphin’s number one rider, said the horse is always a super horse with a great constitution, that he always comes good at this time of year, and that they go over with the utmost respect because the meeting is always really competitive. He named Mike Smith, Johnny Velazquez and the Ortiz brothers as the riders hardest to beat (irishracing.com) |
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Ed Walker will keep Almaqam in training next season as a six-year-old entire, and a trip to Hong Kong in December is not impossible before the son of Lope De Vega is put away for the year. He won the Tattersalls Gold Cup in Ireland for his first Group 1, was beaten a head by Andrew Balding’s Item in the Juddmonte International at York and was fourth in the Champion Stakes at Ascot on his last start at home. Walker passed up a quick turnaround at the Breeders’ Cup because the horse stays in training, said the York defeat could bear on whether he becomes a commercially viable stallion, and named an Australian campaign or the Sheema Classic in Dubai as the 2027 options (irishracing.com) |
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Joe Tizzard thinks JPR One can beat Calico in the 100,000 pound feature handicap chase on the first day of Cheltenham’s Showcase meeting today. JPR One carries top weight of 12 stone, was beaten a head by Edwardstone in the Celebration Chase at Sandown in the spring and had a trip to Far Hills passed up, Tizzard saying he is fit, handles the ground and is in good form at home. Dan Skelton’s Calico has won the race in each of the past two seasons and returns 6lb higher for his first start since May, the champion trainer reporting no negatives. Henry de Bromhead’s Sky Lord runs from the bottom of the handicap under Mike O’Connor, Darragh O’Keeffe being suspended. JPR One won it, by three quarters of a length from Traprain Law under Brendan Powell, with eight going to post on good to soft ground (irishracing.com, irishracing.com form) |
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Noel Meade will give The Mourne Rambler his hurdling debut in the coming weeks, at Naas or at Navan’s festival rather than at Down Royal. The Well Chosen gelding won a Cheltenham bumper and was second in the Grade 1 bumper at Punchestown, and he has jumped in public before, finishing second in a point-to-point. Meade said he is very happy with him and that the horse is working well and schooling well (irishracing.com) |
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Mount Shenshan completed back-to-back Clonmel wins in the concluding handicap chase on Thursday, by six and a half lengths from Gortmore Lady, with Stily third and Wing Back fourth. The Shantou mare travelled strongly, led before the second last and jumped the last boldly under Sean Cleary-Farrell, who was claiming 7lb. Tom Mullins said she was down at a winnable mark, half a stone lower over fences, praised the way the rider had acclimatised with her, and said getting her to settle mattered. She goes for another chase or a hurdle next, and she likes soft ground (irishracing.com) |
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Newbury has abandoned today’s six-race card after an 8am inspection found parts of the track waterlogged, with Storm Austen bringing a Met Office yellow wind warning for southern England and winds forecast at up to 45mph through the afternoon. Clerk of the Course George Hill said some parts of the track were not raceable and that there was not much time for any improvement, the course having taken more than 42mm of rain in a week. Saturday’s seven-race fixture, worth more than 286,000 pounds and carrying the Group 3 St Simon Stakes and the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes, has also been called off with the course still waterlogged, Hill saying the rain had been relentless (Newbury Today, Racing Post) |
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Cheltenham’s ground was eased to good to soft before racing after further rain, Clerk of the Course Jon Pullin having walked the track with the stewards and the British Horseracing Authority course inspector. Sans Bruit is the only withdrawal from the 100,000 pound feature handicap chase at 3.35, which leaves eight, and JPR One, Calico and Sky Lord all stand their ground. Handlethekettle and Snatch A Glance came out of the opening handicap hurdle at 1.15, which Frontier Prince won under Jack Hogan for Fergal O’Brien, a short head from East India Express, with Crooked Path third and Sunny South West fourth from eleven runners and Norman Fletcher falling (Racing Post, Timeform, Racing Post result) |
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Doncaster is soft, heavy in places for the first day of its two-day meeting, having been given as soft, good to soft in places on Thursday. Clerk of the Course David Attwood reported good to soft areas and said conditions are expected to be testing for Saturday’s Futurity Trophy after overnight rain. Five horses have come out across the card, Aramram from the 2.10, Murashah from the 2.45, Novello Lad from the 4.30, Almarada Prince from the 5.05 and Magician of Riga from the 5.35. Advertised won the 2.10 under Oisin Murphy for Grant Tuer, from Brighton Boy and Goldmoyne, that race run on soft, and Entrust took the British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes at 3.55 under Colin Keane for John and Thady Gosden and Juddmonte, two and three quarter lengths from Zajal with Age Of Reason third, the going for that race given as heavy (Racing Post, Timeform, Racing Post 2.10 result, Racing Post 3.55 result) |
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