Racing (Horse) : General Horse Racing Thread

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UNACCOMPANIED was on Sunday ruled out of the Stan James Champion Hurdle, for which she was as short as 16-1, with a view to bringing her back on the Flat later in the year.

http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse...86931/related/

By James Pugh 2:18PM 12 FEB 2012 Report: Leopardstown, Sunday


Deloitte Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m2f, 5yo+

BENEFFICIENT made all the running under Bryan Cooper to spring a 50-1 shock and dent some lofty reputations in this Grade 1 contest.

Grade 1 winners Captain Conan and Cash And Go both proved disappointing and finished well down the field.

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JOCKEY Barry Geraghty expressed his admiration for Racing Post Arkle Chase favourite Sprinter Sacre on Sunday, describing the Nicky Henderson-trained six-year-old as "the real deal".

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NICKY MACKAY declared himself "disappointed" with the Wolverhampton stewards after he was given a ten-day ban for his winning ride on Stars In Your Eyes on Monday.

Mackay was found to have struck the John Gosden-trained favourite ten times on his way to winning by a nose but felt the stewards would find in his favour after the winner veered to the right on more than one occasion.

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CONNECTIONS of Binocular have confirmed the eight-year-old will head straight to Cheltenham for the Stan James Champion Hurdle.

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JONJO O'NEILL reckons that hisLexus Chase winner Synchronised has been given a "fair chance" by the handicapper after he was allotted top-weight of 11st 10lb for this year's John Smith's Grand National.

The National, which has record prize-money of £975,000 this year, is the only race of the year for which the weights are specially framed by the BHA's head of handicapping, Phil Smith, who said he believes this year's running promises to be the best ever.

The weights were revealed on Tuesday for the April 14 marathon and the competitiveness of this year's race is illustrated by the fact that 69 of the 82 entries are in the handicap.

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LAST INSTALMENT will miss the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and the remainder of the season after injuring himself during his win at Leopardstown on Sunday.

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QUITO DE LA ROQUE was the only major Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup contender to bow out the festival highlight after Wednesday's scratchings deadline

His trainer Colm Murphy said: "Quito De La Roque has quite a bad sinus problem and is on anitbiotics to clear it up. It has meant we have had to stop with himand he won't be going to Cheltenham. He will hopefully be able to go to Aintree or Punchestown."

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Fairyhouse, Wednesday

Easter Festival 8th-10th April Novice Hurdle 2m, 5yo+

GALILEO'S CHOICE was cut for the William Hill Supreme Novices' Hurdle after being eased down by Robbie McNamara to win in style on his second start over hurdles.

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Kelso, Wednesday

BetVictor Morebattle Hurdle 2m2f, 4yo+

SIMONSIG rounded off his Cheltenham preparation in style at Kelso but left trainer Nicky Henderson still toying between the Supreme Novices' Hurdle and Neptune.

Simonsig was cut to 6-1 favourite (from 8) by BetVictor for the William Hill Supreme Novices' Hurdle but the six-year-old's rider Barry Geraghty was leaning towards the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle over further.

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LAST year's joint-champion two-year-old Dabirsim will miss the Qipco 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 5, with trainer Christophe Ferland electing to stay at home for the French equivalent at Longchamp a week later.

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NEWBURY'S free Friday has it all as far as Cheltenham contenders are concerned with the John Smith's Grand National favourite Junior thrown in for good measure.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Long Run faces five rivals, headed by What A Friend, the returning Burton Port and Tidal Bay, in the Betfair Denman Chase.

Sprinter Sacre, favourite for the Racing Post Arkle, takes on last year's winner French Opera in the Betfair-sponsored Game Spirit Chase, while a field of 20 are set to go to post in the £152,000 Betfair Hurdle.

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UAE, Thursday

Meydan

SOUTH AFRICANS Mike deKock and Kevin Shea improved their already formidable records in the Group 2 Al Fahidi Fort when combining to win the 1m turf feature with Viscount Nelson.

Short of room three furlongs out, Shea had to bide his time but once clear the pair ran on strongly to deny Alsaabil with the winner's stable companion Master Of Hounds snatching third close home from last year's winner Derbaas.

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Sprinter Sacre further enhanced his growing reputation with a superb performance in the Betfair Super Saturday Chase at Newbury on Friday afternoon.

Nicky Henderson's exciting novice followed up a foot-perfect fencing debut at Doncaster by annihilating Peddlers Cross at Kempton and this was his first start outside novice company.

Barry Geraghty was keen to settle the 2-5 favourite in behind rivals in the early stages of the Grade Two contest, better known as the Game Spirit Chase, but he soon pulled his way through the field.

Jumping boldly, the six-year-old went into a clear lead heading down the back straight and soon had his rivals in serious trouble.

French Opera did his best to keep tabs on his stablemate on the run for home on his seasonal reappearance, but Sprinter Sacre was still on the bridle and he came home with six lengths in hand without being extended.

Paddy Power make the gelding the 6-4 favourite from 9-4 for the Arkle Trophy at next month's Cheltenham Festival while William Hill go evens about his chance

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Newbury, Friday

Betfair Denman Chase (Grade 2) 3m 4yo+

HE GAVE his supporters a bit of a fright, but Long Run got the job done and got off the mark for the season in narrowly holding Burton Port, who was closing his stablemate downall the way up the run-in to only finish half a length down at the line.

The Nicky Henderson-trained Gold Cup winner did his chances at Cheltenham next month no harm with a solid enough round of jumping, while the second, getting 10lbfrom Long Run, improved his prospects for the big one in running really well on his reappearance.

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Newbury, Friday

Betfair Hurdle (Grade 2) 2m, 4yo+

ZARKANDAR, having his first start of the season, powered to the front inside the final furlong to stake his claim for the Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham next month.

The Paul Nicholls-trained five-year-old, who won the JCB Triumph Hurdle at last year's festival, is now as short as 5-1 for the 2m contest.

Tony McCoy took a crashing fall two out when travelling well aboard Darlan but thankfully, the 16-time champion jockey walked away unscathed

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Australia, Saturday

Flemington: Coolmore Lightning Stakes (Group 1) 5f, turf, 2yo+

BLACK CAVIAR (Peter Moody/Luke Nolen) was given a race for a change on Saturday but the result was the same as she pulled away from old rival Hay List to equal the Australasian record with her 19th straight victory in the Lightning Stakes.

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Newbury, Friday

Betfair Novices' Chase (Registered As The Scilly Isles Novices' Chase) (Grade 1) 2m 4f, 5yo+

FOR NON STOP broke his duck over fences at the fourth time of asking as he stayed on strongly in the closing stages to post a win at the highest level.

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UAE, Friday

Meydan: Balanchine (Sponsored by SOG Operations) Group 2, 1m 1f, turf, 3yo+ fillies and mares

MIKE DE KOCK continued his excellent run when saddling Mahbooba to win the Group 2 Balanchine Stakes over 1m1f on the Meydan turf on Friday

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Ascot, Saturday


Sodexo Prestige Reynoldstown Novices' Chase (Grade 2) 3m, 5yo+

INVICTUS caused something of a shock in the Reynoldstown, winning comfortably from RSA Chase second-favourite Bobs Worth and Silviniaco Conti, who was sent off the 11-10 favourite but could finish no better than a tame fourth.

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RUBI LIGHT is now as short as 5-1 favourite for the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival after he hacked up in the Grade 2 Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park on Saturday.

Trained by Robbie Hennessy for his father Bill, Rubi Light was sent off the 2-5 favourite and had little trouble beating his four rivals under Andrew Lynch.

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Wincanton, Saturday

Bathwick Tyres Kingwell Hurdle (Grade 2 ) 2m, 4yo+

BINOCULAR made the most of his shock appearance at Wincanton on Saturday when he landed the Kingwell Hurdle under Tony McCoy

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Ascot, Saturday

Betfair Ascot Chase (Grade 1) 2m51/2f 5yo+

IT WASN'T anything like as easy as 12 months ago, but the 13-8 favourite Riverside Theatre made it back-to-back wins in this Grade 1 on what was his first start of the season.

The super-tough Medermit chased him all the way to the line in second, with the pair finishing clear of the enigmatic Gauvain, who ran on past beaten horses for third.

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Haydock, Saturday

Betfred Grand National Trial Handicap Chase (Grade 3), 3m4f, 5yo+

GILES CROSS ran out a game winner of the Betfred Grand National Trial under a cool ride from Denis O'Regan.

The 4-1 favourite, who finished runner-up in the Welsh National in December, made the majority of the running and his fluent jumping was the deciding factor.

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RICHARD HILLS has taken the decision to retire from the saddle at the end of this season's Dubai World Cup Carnival, after a highly successful career spanning more than 30 years.

Hills, 49, will continue riding until the end of the Carnival in Meydan, which concludes on March 31 with World Cup night

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Zaidpour duly landed the odds with the minimum of fuss to take his winning run this season to four in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran.

The 2-5 shot eased into the led under Paul Townend before the third-last flight and had his rivals struggling after that.

The Willie Mullins-trained gelding crossed the line without being asked a question as he strolled home six and a half lengths in front Kalann with Darwins Fox third.

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Restless Harry gamely made all for victory in the Betfred Goals Galore Hurdle at Haydock.

Henry Oliver's mount never seems to run a bad race and showed tremendous determination in very testing conditions to hold off last year's winner Cross Kennon in the closing stages.

Favourite Featherbed Lane loomed into contention three out but made a mistake and started to tread water to leave the front two to fight out the finish.

It was a close call at the last but Restless Harry dug deepest to score admirably by five lengths

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Navan, Sunday
Ladbrokes Boyne Hurdle (Grade 2) 2m5f 5yo+

IT wasn't the expected result for the Willie Mullins team, but Mourad made virtually all the running to give the champion trainer his first win in this Grade 2. It was a deserved success for the seven-year-old, who has too often been the bridesmaid, including in this race two years ago behind War Of Attrition.

Mourad (3-1) saw off his better-fancied stable companion and 4-11 favourite Mikael D'Haguenet, who was seeking a four-timer but was made to look pretty one-paced by the winner.

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Navan, Sunday

Flyingbolt Novice Chase (Grade 2) 2m1f, 5yo+

DONNAS PALM, a Grade 2 winner when hurdling, continued his progress over fences with a battling success for Davy Condon, getting the better of Foildubh in the run to the line.

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Navan, Sunday

Irish Form Book Ten Up Novice Chase (Grade 2) 3m, 5yo+

LION NA BEARNAI rallied gamely in the final few yards to hold off the Gigginstown House Stud battalions and land a surprise 50-1 success under jockey Andrew Thornton for trainer Thomas Gibney.

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CHAMPION trainer Paul Nicholls on Monday night described a bout of coughing at his yard as "no big deal", but revealed that,with the Cheltenham Festival starting three weeks from Tuesday, Stan James Champion Hurdle second favourite Zarkandar was among a dozen horses on a course of antibiotics.

"On Saturday morning Zarkandar had a runny nose and was coughing like mad, so he must be some horse to have won like he did at Newbury the day before."

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GAMILATI will have her next start in either the Qipco 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 6 or the French equivalent at Longchamp on May 13 after connections decided to miss Thursday's UAE Oaks.

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ONLY six horses have been entered for the UAE Oaks at Meydan on Thursday and Godolphin trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni plans tosaddle Pimpernel and Falls Of Lora in the 1m1½f feature.

Pimpernel chased home stablemate Gamilati in the UAE 1,000 Guineas on her last start and appears to be the first string.

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THE BHA sprang a major surprise on Tuesday when announcing fundamental changes to the controversial whip rules, together with revisions to the existing penalties.

The move, which was welcomed by the Professional Jockeys' Association, follows an initiative instigated by new BHA chief executive Paul Bittar who is determined to avoid the issue dominating headlinesat the Cheltenham Festival, which gets underway in less than three weeks

And about time too as the previous whip rules had become unworkable.

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GRANDOUET will undergo investigative surgery in Newbury on Tuesday night for a problem with his near-hind leg that prevented him from running at Wincanton last weekend.

Very disappointed to hear this news as l felt this horse had a decent chance in the Champion Hurdle.

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BLACK CAVIAR will bypass Saturday's Futurity Stakes and a trip to Dubai so trainer Peter Moody can have the mare spot-on for the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

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http://www.godolphin.com/NewsArticle.aspx?id=6077

Silvestre De Sousa, runner-up behind Paul Hanagan in the UK’s Jockey Championship last season, will be riding full time for Godolphin this year along with stable jockey Frankie Dettori.

Brazilian-born De Sousa joined the stable at the start of the Dubai World Cup Carnival and now an arrangement is in place which will see him ride for trainers Saeed bin Suroor and Mahmood al Zarooni on a more permanent basis.

Great move by De Sousa here.

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RECURRING themes emerged on Wednesday as the industry responded to the latest changes to the whip rules, with "common-sense at last being applied" an opinion prevalent among jockeys, while trainers raged at the mess the sport has found itself in.

Well l think we have reached the right point now and l think everybody just needs to get on with it with the Cheltenham Festival just 19 days away.

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ROYAL ACADEMY, famed for winning the 1990 Breeders' Cup Mile under an inspired ride from Lester Piggott, has died aged 25.

The son of Nijinsky, who was trained by the great Vincent O'Brien, died of old age at Coolmore Australia.

Who can forget the wonderful finish Piggott conjured from him in America.