The Colin Tizzard-trained Cue Card faces five rivals in Saturday’s Grade One Betfair Ascot Chase as he gears up for another tilt at the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Cue Card won this race in 2013 with the 11-year-old son of King’s Theatre drops down in trip to two-miles and five furlongs for the contest in order […]
It has been one of the most intriguing sub-plots ahead of this year’s Cheltenham Festival, but it seems that Yorkhill, the 2016 Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle winner will not run in thos year’s Grade One Stan James Champion Hurdle according to his trainer Willie Mullins. The Closutton handler’s Cheltenham battalion has taken a dent […]
Talented chaser Ar Mad, trained by Gary Moore, will miss this year’s Cheltenham Festival due to a setback and will be targeted at the major spring Festivals: Aintree and Punchestown. The mercurial seven-year-old front-runner ran better than the bare result suggested in the Grade One Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown Park last time where he […]
Harry Skelton, rider of Superb Story, anticipates an excellent run from the gelding in next month’s Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Trained by his brother Dan and a winner of the 2016 County Hurdle at Prestbury Park, the six-year-old son of Duke Of Marmalade has been primed for a tilt at the Champion Hurdle […]
As the Champion Hurdle field continues to be blighted by injuries to some of its most established contenders, one horse who seems to have been overlooked in the ante-post market is Jessica Harrington’s Jezki, the 2014 winner of the race. The nine-year-old son of Milan had been off the track since April 2015 when making a […]
With the Cheltenham Festival just a month away, I’m going to look ahead to the Festival in the coming weeks with a few ante-post teasers to get you ready for the Greatest show on Earth. This first article focuses on the exploits of Willie Mullins’ Bunk Off Early, who, by his run in the Deloitte Novice […]
Sir Anthony McCoy, the 20-times Champion Jumps Jockey, has given his backing for a female riders’ weight allowance which has come into action in France. Now under French rules, women riders, be them amateur riders or professionals will all receive weight a 2kg (4.5lb) allowances in races blow Group and Listed races, a proposal which is seen […]
Colin Tizzard’s Finian’s Oscar maintained his unbeaten record over hurdles to three wins with a decisive victory in a Listed contest at Exeter. The five-year-old son of Oscar justified prohibitive odds of 1/16 with a comfortable success under jockey Tom O’Brien. Prominent throughout, Alan and Ann Potts’ gelding quickened clear entering the home straight and […]
Willie Mullins and Rich Ricci’s battalion for the Cheltenham Festival suffered another blow today as the Champion Bumper favourite Getabird was ruled out of the contest and potentially the rest of the season after suffering a setback. The Closutton handler has had a tumultuous time of things with regards to injury recently with Faugheen and Min […]
Sizing John, trained by Jessica Harrington took the spoils in a thrilling renewal of the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Sunday. On his first start over three miles in the Grade One contest, the seven-year-old travelled supremely throughout the contest behind long-time leader and heavily supported 9/4 favourite Don Poli who set a […]
The Colin Tizzard-trained Native River enhanced his Gold Cup credentials with an impressive three and a quarter-length demolition job over his two rivals in the Grade Two Betfair Denman Chase. Ridden by Aidan Coleman after Richard Johnson was stood down for the day due to illness, the son of Indian River led throughout the three-mile […]
The Nicky Henderson-trained Altior evoked memories of the Lambourn handler’s former superstar Sprinter Sacre with a magnificent display in the Grade Two Game Spirit Chase at Newbury. Ridden by Nico De Boinville, the heavily-backed 1/3 favourite jumped well throughout the two-mile contest and showed a blistering turn of foot in the home straight to pull […]