Things to know today
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Punchestown stages the card lost at Galway, where Tuesday’s Flat meeting went to waterlogging. Horse Racing Ireland moved it to Thursday, with the two 12 furlong races not rescheduled and the rest reverting to entries at the weight stage. Seven races ran from 13.05, and Paddy Harnett took three of them, on Imposing for Aidan O’Brien, Tai Tam Bay for Eddie and Patrick Harty and Buttermere Ridge for Oliver McKiernan. Petticoat Bay opened the card for Aidan O’Brien and Jack Cleary, Lady Mary Heath took the mile handicap for Aidan Howard and Chris Hayes, Margot Mae made all in the nursery for Jessica Harrington and Nathan Crosse, and Celestial Siren won the seven furlong maiden for Andrew Oliver and Gary Carroll. Wexford’s abandoned Monday fixture is reset for Wednesday 4 November, and the Dundalk card of the same date becomes an evening meeting (irishracing.com, Racing Post racecards, irishracing.com race reports) |
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Britain races at four tracks. Bath goes first at 12.42 with eight on the Flat, the going heavy, soft in places, and a GoingStick reading of 4.1. Stratford has seven over jumps at 13.20 on soft, good to soft in places, reading 5.8, its most valuable race the Class 3 handicap chase at 15.20. Ffos Las has seven over jumps at 13.30, and Southwell closes the day with nine on Tapeta at 16.25 (Racing Post racecards) |
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Qatar Racing and Oisin Murphy will end their formal arrangement at the close of 2026, both sides calling it amicable as the owners reduce their string in Britain. Murphy will go on riding for them internationally. He has partnered nine Group or Grade 1 winners in the maroon silks, the first on Hot Streak in the 2014 Temple Stakes, took four Group 1s in a row on Roaring Lion in 2018 and won the 2000 Guineas on Kameko. Sheikh Fahad, the Qatar Racing chairman, said it has been a wonderful journey. Murphy has since signed a retained deal with Bond Thoroughbred from 2027, riding the best of its runners in Britain, France and Ireland where possible. Charlie Bond said signing one of the best in the world shows what the operation is trying to achieve and that 2027 could be a big year, and most of its string is with Christopher Head, Paddy Twomey and Andrew Balding (Irish Examiner, irishracing.com) |
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Entain put 25 million pounds on what the machine games duty rise will add to its operating costs, and said it will look to offset that by the end of 2028 through estate rationalisation and shop closures. Stella David, the chief executive, called it another disappointing decision by the government and said it would push more people towards the illegal market. Grainne Hurst of the Betting and Gaming Council called the decision deeply damaging and cited EY work putting almost 9,000 jobs and close to 1,000 betting shops and casinos at risk (irishracing.com) |
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Paul Townend has been booked to ride Haiti Couleurs for Rebecca Curtis in the Grade 1 BetVictor Remembering Envoi Allen Champion Chase at Down Royal on Saturday. Sean Bowen, the horse’s regular partner, is wanted at Wetherby for Olly Murphy and Strong Leader. Curtis said Bowen was keen to ride but has other commitments and that Townend is not a bad replacement, and that the horse summered well. She and Townend won at the Cheltenham Festival with Irish Cavalier in 2015 (irishracing.com) |
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Blue Bolt goes to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland over nine and a half furlongs rather than the Mile, unbeaten this season through six straight wins of which four came at Group 1 level. Andrew Balding said the aim was always to bring her, that she has been very relaxed since she arrived, that her last piece of work before travelling was excellent and that she appears to be improving. Moonrise and Scommessa Sicura also run for Kingsclere (irishracing.com) |
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Paddy Harnett leads the Irish apprentice championship after a treble at Punchestown. Imposing, his first winner for Ballydoyle, brought him level with Sam Coen on 26, and Tai Tam Bay and Buttermere Ridge then put him two clear. He had ridden a double at Dundalk the day before. He has four rides at Dundalk on Friday, where Reece Holohan has three and Coen two. There is no Flat racing in Ireland on Saturday, leaving the eight race card that closes the season to settle it (irishracing.com, irishracing.com, irishracing.com) |
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