The trainer, who was champion jump jockey 40 years ago, gave Jonjo Jr no illusions about life in the weighing roomJonjo O’Neill is, of course, very proud that his son managed to win a big race on Saturday, aboard Big Time Dancer in Kempton’s Lanzarote. But he is also a veteran of the weighing room of the 1970s, which was full of tough men, so he is unsurprisingly hard to impress and he doesn’t gush. Related: Jockeys’ chief urges more testing after Irish increase riders’ cocaine bans Fontwell 1.20 Not Never 1.55 Oriental Cross 2.25 Midnight Bliss 2.55 Umndeni 3.25 Night Of Sin 4.00 Golden Cannon Ffos Las 1.30 Cottonvale (nb) 2.05 Nordic Combined 2.35 Whatswrongwithyou 3.05 Gone Platinum 3.40 Bennys Girl 4.15 Get In...
The Nigel Twiston-Davies runner can add the Classic Chase to his season’s haulDrying ground will ensure that Warwick’s Classic Chase is not the slog it has often been in the past and that should suit Cogry (3.00), who has plenty of form on a sound surface. He could not keep tabs on Milansbar on soft ground a year ago but may have the legs of that rival, now 12 years old, this time.Trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, Cogry has already put up a couple of game efforts this season and refitted cheekpieces helped him to score at Cheltenham last month. He can again go well from the front here. Related: Talking Horses: BHA on alert as Irish increase jockeys' cocaine bans...
Anti-doping programmes in Britain will be the priority as two jockeys in Ireland are given five-year suspensions after returning positive tests The British Horseracing Authority said on Friday that “an overall review of the anti-doping education program” for jockeys will be “a priority” in 2019, and that a review of the penalty structure for riders testing positive for cocaine and recreational drugs could be included “if appropriate”. For the moment, however, the BHA has “no immediate plans” to follow the lead of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB), its Irish counterpart, which said this week that its new standard punishment for a cocaine positive will be a five-year ban.There has been a slight rise in the number of jockeys returning...
A Champion Hurdle bid may be ever so doubtful but let’s remember that it remains a possibility for the time beingFrom a punter’s perspective, the key detail to bear in mind from yesterday’s news about Samcro is that he has not actually been ruled out of the Cheltenham Festival yet. I find this slightly surprising, given that a lung infection has just been discovered and treatment begun with the Champion Hurdle just two months away, but there you are; in amongst all the detail, connections have explicitly saved for themselves the option of running the horse, as they are fully entitled to do. Related: How viruses and January colds hit racing – Talking Horses Huntingdon: 1.00 Twenty Twenty 1.30 Precious...
Ill health among their horses has prompted the two trainers to cut back on runners and others may have similar problemsIt’s that time of year when it becomes apparent that some yards are operating way below their usual level and, in some cases, ill health among the horses emerges as the explanation. Both Anthony Honeyball and Rose Dobbin are, alas, in that situation and apparently we won’t be hearing much from them until February at least. Related: Talking Horses: leading Cheltenham hope Master Dino out for the year Lingfield Catterick 12.25 Gemologist 1.00 Come On Charlie 1.35 Mistress Massini 2.10 The Some Dance Kid 2.45 Sharp Response 3.15 Flowery 3.50 Jimmy Rabbitte Continue reading...