The Horse racing thread

[sammymaguire]

three I might have a flutter on this avo

2.20 Lingfield - Talbot Green
3.25 Lingfield - Addikt 
3.50 Wetherby - Kilkenny All Star

[Hardy]

Stats based ratings for the Lincoln

[Donnellys Hollow]

Prince De Beauchene ruled out of Liverpool

[Donnellys Hollow]

Geraghty putting on some show at Navan today

[maddog]

Anyone know if Seabass is taking his chance at Fairyhouse or Aintree ?

[maddog]

for the stats men amongst you

Irish Grand National Trends Summary:
11/11 - Carried 11-0 or less
10/11 - Aged 9 or younger
10/11 - Ran within the last 2 months
9/11 - Carried 10-5 or less
9/11 - Had won over at least 3m before
7/11 - Won by either a 7 or 8 year-old
3/11 - Won by a UK-based trainer
0/11 - Won by a Willie Mullins-trained horse
0/11 - Won by the favourite
The average winning SP in the last 11 years is 19/1

[Donnellys Hollow]

Anyone know if Seabass is taking his chance at Fairyhouse or Aintree ?

Ted has been out and about recently looking for spruce to build a few Liverpool type fences 

[attheraces]

Frankel camp unmoved by £1m offer to take on Black Caviar at Goodwood
A £1m offer has been made to connections of Frankel and Black Caviar in the hope that it will bring the two horses together in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on 1 August. The move by Qipco, sponsor of the Sussex, represents the most aggressive attempt so far to engineer a clash between the champions of the northern and southern hemispheres, but the immediate reaction from the Frankel camp on Wednesday was that it would not affect their plans.

Although the Sussex Stakes would normally carry prize money of £300,000, Qipco will make that £1m if both horses line up. But the race is over a mile and it remains the case that Frankel is expected to be aimed at 10-furlong races by that stage of the season.

"At the moment the plan is to start in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury and then go to Royal Ascot for either the Queen Anne or the Prince of Wales's Stakes," said Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to Frankel's owner, Khalid Abdullah. "Depending upon how things develop, we are then considering going over a mile and a quarter for races such as the Eclipse and the Juddmonte, but there's no need to be making those decisions yet.

"If we were to stay at a mile then running in the Sussex Stakes is a possibility, but I'm afraid the extra prize money is not going to influence any decisions, even though it is a very generous gesture by Qipco and Goodwood, and I can entirely understand why they would want to attract both horses."

Grimthorpe denied that protecting Frankel's future value as a stallion would be the foremost consideration in planning his programme. "It's not simply a question of commercial considerations," he said. "The principal deciding factor will be to let Frankel show us where he wants to go. Henry [Cecil, the horse's trainer] will listen to Frankel and let him tell us."

While Frankel beat Canford Cliffs in last year's Sussex Stakes, a notable clash in itself that was billed as 'The Duel on the Downs', Black Caviar has never raced beyond seven furlongs and will be kept to six furlongs when she turns up at Royal Ascot for the Diamond Jubilee Stakes.

"If Black Caviar is ever going to run over a mile, it might just be at an easy track like Goodwood," said Adam Waterworth, Goodwood's managing director. "We realise that it may well not come off, but if Black Caviar and Frankel are going to clash anywhere, it could well be in this race and it would obviously be fantastic for us if they did so.

"There are some criticisms you can make about this kind of offer, but it's not a £1m bonus, it's an addition to the total prize money, so even the horses that finish third and fourth will be big winners. I don't think it's unrealistic to think it could happen and if the additional prize money makes any difference, then it will have been worth it. It would be the race of the year and probably the race of the decade.

"Any racecourse which has a Group One has ambitions to make it a brilliant, must-see race every year and Goodwood is no exception. To some extent last year's race and The Duel on the Downs fell into our laps, but we're trying to be a little more proactive this time."

With the entries for the race closing at the end of May, Waterworth's first aim will be to ensure that both horses are at least given the option of lining up.

Meanwhile Frankel's half-brother, Noble Mission, is one of five horses supplemented by Cecil for the Irish Derby on 30 June. The horse is already entered for the Epsom equivalent. Also added to the list of Irish entries is Godolphin's Swedish Sailor, Noble Mission's conqueror in a Yarmouth maiden last October.

Maljimar, trained in Devon by Nick Williams and ridden by James Reveley, became the first British-trained horse to land a leg of the Crystal Cup series of cross-country jump races since the series began in 2010, scoring at Fontainebleau.

[the greatest jockey]

saint gervais should really win the 4.45 maiden hurdle today at clonmel, some very good bumper form last summer but things haven't really gone for him yet this season. the good ground he enjoyed last summer is back for the first time for him today and should win at evens

2nd favourite now non runner

[Donnellys Hollow]

Black Caviar would hardly stay a mile would she?

If she's coming over to Europe I'd presume it'll be for the two sprints at Royal Ascot and the July Cup.

[attheraces]

Black Caviar would hardly stay a mile would she?

If she's coming over to Europe I'd presume it'll be for the two sprints at Royal Ascot and the July Cup.

Wouldnt really be fair? Frankels proven at mile, black caviar isn't. Frankel has raced and won at Goodwood before, the mare would hardly have raced at a track like goodwood in aus would she? Plus the fact she'd have to travel round the world! I'd say the arabs might come in with a major move to try match the two! I welcome any moves to pit them together, some horse would probably have to compromise but would be fantastic for the sport!

[Donnellys Hollow]

By Colm Kelpie irishindependent.ie


Saturday April 07 2012

TRIBUTES were paid last night to a father of four young children who died following an accident involving a horse.

Edward Butler, from Athgarvan Heights, Newbridge, Co Kildare, was killed in the accident on Wednesday. The circumstances surrounding the tragedy are unclear but Mr Butler may have suffered a fall while breaking in the young horse.

He was the father of two boys and two girls, with the eldest a young teenager. Friends last night spoke of a popular man who was respected within racing circles.

Evan Arkwright, commercial manager with the Curragh Racecourse, said: "He was a very nice man. His family was very well respected in the racing community. It is tragic."

Mr Butler had joined the Army as a cadet, and rose up through the ranks before leaving. It is understood he had been working breaking in young horses. His brother Gerard is a well-known trainer in the UK.

Paul Hensey, Curragh general manager, said Mr Butler was a "great character".

"He was very well known -- you couldn't but like him."

Mr Butler's funeral is due to take place on Monday morning at Dominican College Church in Newbridge.

[DownFanatic]

Gabrial at the 3.50pm in Musselburgh today. Im on it like a car bonnet.

[Candyman]

4.35 plumpton

Double Handful

The jock is sweet on him, currently about 5/2... i'll have a wee nibble

[Donnellys Hollow]

Expect Teelin Star to be very strong for the big Gigginstown bumper at Fairyhouse on Monday. The p2p crowd were raving about this horse after Colman Sweeney won on him down at Lismore a three weeks ago. Could be another star of the future to add to the list of class horses to have won this race in recent years - Pandorama, Last Instalment, Simonsig.

Looking at the entries for the other bumper on Monday too and it could be the best contest ran in Ireland outside of the Punchestown Festival for many years - Don Cossack, Raise The Beat, Pique Sous, Sword Of Honour and Ange Blanc all entered up at the moment.

Compare that to the Imperial Call Chase down at Mallow tomorrow which has to be one of the worst Grade 3 races ever ran. Nearly €18,000 to the winner and a handy €1,100 for fourth place yet only four entries the highest rated of which is 107. It epitomises everything that is wrong with Irish racing at the moment and is a bit of an insult to the fabulous horse that it is named after.