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15/01/2025

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Noel George is planning to send Il Est Francais straight to the Cheltenham Festival, with the Queen Mother Champion Chas...
14/01/2025

Noel George is planning to send Il Est Francais straight to the Cheltenham Festival, with the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Gold Cup currently considered more likely targets than the Ryanair Chase.

Results have been mixed for the seven-year-old since his brilliant victory in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton last season, but he showed his true colours on his return to the Sunbury circuit on Boxing Day when putting up another bold show from the front in the King George.

Il Est Francais ultimately had to make do with the runner-up spot after being reeled in by Banbridge, and a third trip to Kempton for the £150,000 Ladbrokes Trophy on February 22 had been under consideration.

However, connections have now elected to keep their powder dry for the showpiece meeting in the Cotswolds in eight weeks’ time.

“I only really had the option of that race at Kempton in case we were going to wait for Aintree, but we’re definitely going to come to Cheltenham, I think, and we’ll probably go straight there,” said George, who trains Il Est Francais in partnership with Amanda Zetterholm.

“The horse looks in great form, he’s got his summer coat still. He was obviously pulled up in his previous race at Auteuil and it all took a bit of patching up, but he’s come out of the King George in great form and we’re looking forward to Cheltenham.

14/01/2025

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12/01/2025

Richard Fahey is preparing the globetrotting Spirit Dancer for a return to Saudi Arabia next month.

The eight-year-old has carried the red and white silks of former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson with distinction on foreign soil, notching back-to-back wins in the lucrative Bahrain International Trophy as well as claiming victory in the Neom Turf Cup in Riyadh last February.

He has also performed well in defeat in Dubai and was last seen finishing down the field in the Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin in December.

Spirit Dancer kicked off his 2024 campaign by placing fourth in the Group One Jebel Hatta at Meydan in late January, but Fahey is taking a different approach this year.

“He’s going back to Riyadh for the Neom Turf Cup and we’re quite happy to go straight there,” said the Musley Bank handler.

“We ran in the Jebel Hatta beforehand last year, but he’s had two trips away this time, going to Bahrain and Hong Kong, so I wanted to give him a bit of time off before getting ready for Saudi.

Evan Williams was delighted to get the show on the road with the talented Juby Ball after he impressed on his belated hu...
11/01/2025

Evan Williams was delighted to get the show on the road with the talented Juby Ball after he impressed on his belated hurdling debut at Ffos Las.

Owned by Williams’ long-time backers the Ruckers, the six-year-old had looked a useful proposition when winning a bumper at the track in November 2023 and lost nothing in defeat when bumping into the well-regarded Sixmilebridge at Sandown in that sphere last February.

He was due to return to the Esher track to make his hurdling bow in Listed company in December before suffering problems getting to the South London venue on a weekend when strong winds battered the country.

Finally stepping out on course for the DragonBet Supporting British Racing Maiden Hurdle, he was sent off at 5-1 in the hands of Adam Wedge and having been up with the pace throughout, looked a cut above his rivals as he galloped clear after the last for a four-length success.

Williams said: “He’s a nice horse and the weather has been against us, he’s been entered a few times and we’ve lost the meetings to the frost.

“We would have started him at Sandown but we couldn’t get there, so it has been a long time coming and we’re very grateful they have put this meeting on. It was nice to get the job done.

Bacchanalian justified odds-on favouritism when making all the running in the opening Racing TV Club Day At Fairyhouse H...
11/01/2025

Bacchanalian justified odds-on favouritism when making all the running in the opening Racing TV Club Day At Fairyhouse Hurdle.

The Siyouni gelding was placed in a Curragh maiden for Joseph O’Brien and was confirming the promise of a couple of hurdle outings since joining Declan Queally.

The 4/5 favourite asserted after the penultimate flight and despite a mistake at the last, kept on strongly on the run-in under Sea O’Keeffe to score by four and a quarter lengths.

Makaiah put in her best work at the finish to sn**ch the runner-up spot with Mo Ghille Mar a further half-a-length back in third.

O’Keeffe said, “That was very nice. He popped out nice in front and jumped away well.

“He had a nice jump at the second last when I wanted him and kind of put the race to bed. He just popped the last and came home well enough.

“I was happy to let him relax and not to wind him up early, to get him popping and work from there.

“In fairness Declan has done a good job and thanks to him and the owner for putting me on him.”

Robbie Colgan bagged a quick double at Dundalk this evening when Storm Eric came with a well-timed run to claim the firs...
10/01/2025

Robbie Colgan bagged a quick double at Dundalk this evening when Storm Eric came with a well-timed run to claim the first division of the mile handicap.

Jamie Flynn ’s charge was asked to close early in the straight and hit the front over a furlong from home.

The Estidhkaar gelding drifted to his right a bit but was in control in the closing stages as he posted a length-and-a-quarter win over Roderick

It was a third career success for the 12/1 winner, who had recorded his previous two wins over seven furlongs at the track.

The winning trainer was leading up and Colgan said afterwards: "He has come down a bit (in the weights) into a different grade.

"He travelled around really well and he picked up in the straight well.

"Jamie thought he was in right old form for tonight, so it is great when it works out.

"He knows him inside out, he does all the work with him."

Warren Greatrex could return to the scene of one of his greatest triumphs after handing exciting young duo Quantock Hill...
09/01/2025

Warren Greatrex could return to the scene of one of his greatest triumphs after handing exciting young duo Quantock Hills and Good And Clever Grade One entries at the Dublin Racing Festival.

The Upper Lambourn handler famously saddled the top-class mare La Bague Au Roi to land a rare telling blow for British raiders when claiming the Flogas Novice Chase during Leopardstown’s popular two-day meeting in 2019.

Greatrex is now eyeing another raid on the Irish capital, provided conditions are suitable for two horses that have the potential to return the Rhonehurst trainer to the top table.

“We’ve a few weeks to go yet, but both horses have come out of their last races well and going over is something I’ve always liked doing if I think I’ve got the right sort of horse,” said Greatrex.

“It’s nice to do something different and is something I’ve done successfully in the past and if conditions are right and the horses are in good form, I know you are going into dangerous territory, but why not have a go?

Intense Raffles is likely to be seen over hurdles at Navan next week, as connections continue to plot their course to th...
09/01/2025

Intense Raffles is likely to be seen over hurdles at Navan next week, as connections continue to plot their course to the Randox Grand National in the spring.

Owned by the ‘double green’ team of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, he was an impressive winner of the Irish Grand National last year, with a tilt at the Merseyside showpiece – and the chance to add his name to the stellar list to complete the Fairyhouse/Aintree double – an obvious main objective for Thomas Gibney-trained seven-year-old this term.

With connections deciding to remain over timber until the weights for the big race are announced on February 11, he reappeared over the smaller obstacles at Navan in December, finishing in mid-division under Bryony Frost.

A best price of 16-1 for National glory behind defending champion I Am Maximus, Intense Raffles will again be seen hurdling for his next outing before a likely National tune-up at the scene of his finest hour in Fairyhouse’s Bobbyjo Chase on February 22.

Gibney said: “He’s getting on good, we’ll make an entry for him at Navan on January 18, it’ll just be your usual 0-140 handicap hurdle.

“Hopefully the road is still leading to Aintree, it’s a long road, but we’re still on it at the minute anyway.

The Grade Two Towton Novices’ Chase will be run at Ffos Las on Saturday, after the British Horseracing Authority announc...
08/01/2025

The Grade Two Towton Novices’ Chase will be run at Ffos Las on Saturday, after the British Horseracing Authority announced two additional fixtures in light of the continued cold weather.

With officials at Wetherby making an early decision to abandon this weekend’s Towton meeting and high-profile cards at Kempton and Warwick also under threat, the BHA has moved to ensure some National Hunt action will take place following a blank Saturday last week.

Ffos Las is now due to stage a seven-race card with the ability to divide to eight, with the Towton Novices’ Chase the feature having been saved. Entries will close at 12pm on Thursday, with declarations to be made by 10am on Friday.

A BHA statement read: “The track at Ffos Las is currently raceable and offered the most realistic opportunity to get a jumps fixture on, with the latest forecast giving the fixture every chance of going ahead.

“While we are aware there remains an element of risk that adverse weather may result in these conditions changing, we feel it is important to put an opportunity in place to help provide jumps racing for participants and customers on Saturday afternoon.”

08/01/2025

Iroko is being readied for an outing on Festival Trials day at Cheltenham following his early exit at Ascot last month.

The Cheltenham Festival-winning hurdler made a promising start to his campaign when narrowly denied by Trelawne in a graduation chase at Haydock in November and he was a hot favourite to go one better at Ascot’s pre-Christmas meeting, but fell at the first fence after being hampered.

Josh Guerriero, who trains the JP McManus-owned gelding in partnership with Oliver Greenall, reports Iroko to be none the worse for the experience and he is now set for a trip to the Cotswolds as connections plot a route to the Randox Grand National in the spring.

Guerriero said: “He’s come out of it fine and it was just annoying as when you get knocked over at the first there’s not a lot you can do.

“We’ll go to Cheltenham now on Trials day for a handicap and we’re definitely still aiming at the National with him. We’ll work our way somehow.”

Connections of L’Homme Presse are not shying away from the challenge of the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.Fourth in the bl...
07/01/2025

Connections of L’Homme Presse are not shying away from the challenge of the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Fourth in the blue riband 12 months ago, the former Festival hero is one of just a record-low five British-trained entries among the 19 in the mix for March’s showpiece event, with his stablemate from Venetia Williams’ team, Royalle Pagaille, also among the quintet.

The winner of the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham in 2022, the gelding has long been one of Britain’s shining lights in the staying chase division and finished best of the home team when third in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on his seasonal reappearance.

That performance gives the L’Homme Presse camp plenty of cause for optimism ahead of the rest of the campaign and having led the field to two out before suffering an injury in last year’s Gold Cup, they see no reason to shirk another tilt at the ultimate chasing prize.

“It’s an early entry and everyone has to get there, but he ran exceptionally well in the King George to finish third and there’s no reason to see why he wouldn’t do us proud again in a Gold Cup,” said Andy Edwards, who owns L’Homme Presse alongside Pam Sharman and Peter and Patricia Pink.

07/01/2025

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