Imaginative idea for a new racecourse in the US would surely have struggled to gain any traction at a British circuitGazing into the future and allowing free rein to your imagination is a splendid pastime and occasionally a fruitful one, possibly, so it is disappointing to have to pour some cold water this morning on a particularly blue-sky piece of thinking relating to our sport. Plans for a moving grandstand at a track in New Mexico that got some attention in the summer have now been publicly doubted. Related: Lalor romps home at Cheltenham to hand Kayley Woollacott ‘massive day’ Plumpton 12.30 Commanche Red 1.00 Mister Malarkey 1.30 Cracking Destiny 2.00 Sackett 2.30 Hoke Colburn 3.05 Bermeo 3.35 Welluptoscratch Continue...
The first major race of the new jumps season can fall to the champion trainerThe first major race of the new jumps season can fall to champion trainer Nicky Henderson, who has not won the BetVictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham since Fondmort landed him the prize in 2003. The Lambourn handler has a fine chance with Rather Be (2.25) and, while the betting market is well aware of this horse’s ability, odds of 5-1 remain acceptable, with the possibility that he may edge out a bit as punters look for value elsewhere. Related: Count Meribel survives bad mistake to make his mark at Cheltenham Related: Talking Horses: Jerry McGrath aiming to right a wrong at BetVictor Gold Cup Lingfield 11.55...
Incidents at Navan and Fontwell over the weekend have highlighted how riders are being exposed to unnecessary risksTwice in the last four days, jump jockeys have had to contend with people wandering about on the track in front of them. On Sunday at Navan, it was their fellow rider Evan Daly who got in the way while jogging round the track with headphones on. On Friday at Fontwell, the culprits were a couple of members of groundstaff, who had seemingly forgotten that the race required three laps of the track rather than two.The Navan incident came closer to disaster. Daly, a conditional jockey in his second season, doesn’t seem to have realised there was a race on until the horses...
The 20-1 shot won last year’s Edinburgh National from a 1lb lower handicap mark and now has the blinkers which may have been needed last seasonThere will be plenty of cheering for Present Man and Bryony Frost as they attempt to win the Badger Ales Trophy for a second successive year but the horse had had a prep run last year and carried less than 11 stone, thanks to the presence of higher-rated rivals. This time he is top-weight at Wincanton and might find one or two getting away from him.A chance is taken at 20-1 on Dancing Shadow (3.35), who won last year’s Edinburgh National from a 1lb lower handicap mark and now has the blinkers which may have...
Exciting chasing prospect Kalashnikov cemented his Arkle Chase favouritism on his fencing debutGreg Wood: Kalashnikov, the runner-up in last year’s Supreme Novice Hurdle, was not entirely flawless as he made a winning debut over fences at Warwick on Friday, but he still did enough to cement his status as the clear ante-post favourite for the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham’s Festival meeting next March. Amy Murphy’s five-year-old was sent off at 1-4 to beat three opponents, but his clumsy jump at the first open ditch was a nervous moment for anyone who had taken the short odds. Related: Ladbrokes pays out in full ‘cancelled bet’ after punter threatens to sue For Friday’s rewards, I’m relying on Dexcite (2.30) at Warwick, where...