Our Horse in the Spotlight wins at Worcester

Written by Tony Millett on 13 July 2016.

Lets Hope So won a Mares' Maiden Hurdle at Worcester's evening meeting on Tuesday (July 12.)   Marlborough.News' current Horse in the Spotlight is trained by Emma Lavelle at Ogbourne Maizey and owned by the Cottage Stables Racing Club.

The six year-old bay mare was ridden by Aidan Coleman and came home three lengths ahead of the Alan King trained Precision Five ridden by Wayne Hutchinson.

Starting as the 13-8 favourite, Lets Hope So tracked the leaders from the start, challenged them at three out, soon led and was clear towards the finish.

Watch out for her next race.

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A useful guide to managing land for horses

Written by Tony Millett on 05 August 2015.

The North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty has published a guide to good practice in Managing Land for Horses.  

With the increasing popularity of keeping horses - often by people who are not farmers or people experienced in looking after land - there is always the danger that fields can become misused and run-off can occur.

Horses are selective grazers and they can create issues for the land.  Without proper care, a field can end up as a mud bath and cause problems for the rivers and streams as the mud runs off into them.  With good land management it is possible to manage grassland so it is good for the horses and good for the landscape.
 
There is a very helpful document called Horses, the landscape and you on the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty website.

Copies of the guide - Managing Land for Horses - can be obtained by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Richard Hughes rides Sole Power to victory in Dubai

Written by Tony Millett on 28 March 2015.

On World Cup Day in Dubai, jockey Richard Hughes, who lives near Marlborough, has ridden the Irish trained Sole Power to win the Al Quoz Sprint.

Sole Power beat the favourite Peniaphobia by half a length to take the five furlong sprint on Meydan's turf course.  The race came with a prize fund of £384,615.

Edward Lynam trains Sole Power at his Dunshaughlin yard in County Meath.

After the race Hughes, the current Champion Jockey on the flat, told Channel 4 Racing that he had flown to Dubai for the race after a week attending his trainers' course at Newmarket.  He is setting up a training yard near to his home when he retires at the end of this season.

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Will there be a local interest in the Grand National?

Written by Tony Millett on 06 February 2015.

Ninety-eight horses have been entered for the 2015 Crabbie's Grand National at Aintree on April 11.  Among them is Godsmejudge trained at Barbury Castle by Alan King.

Godsmejudge is a nine year-old gelding bred in Ireland and owned by Favourites Racing.  He won the 2013 Scottish Grand National, but suffered when King's yard was affected by a virus later that year.  He was pulled up in races in December 2013 and March 2014 and then scratched from the Grand National.

He came back to be second in the 2014 Scottish Grand National and third in the Bet365 Gold Cup Chase at Sandown.

One expert has pointed out that Godsmejudge has excelled in races that can all be "seen as excellent trials for an Aintree Grand National."  

Weights for the 2015 Grand National will be revealed on February 17 and the next scratching deadlines are on March 3 and March 24.  Watch this space.  

Just for the record: owner JP McManus has six horses entered for the race.

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Newbury Racecourse: Will Young to headline Betfred Ladies Day

Written by Tony Millett on 26 February 2016.

One of Britain's favourite artists, Will Young, will be performing live after racing at Newbury Racecourse on Betfred Ladies Day on Saturday, August 13, 2016.
 
Will Young grew up in Hungerford and shot to fame as the inaugural winner of Pop Idol. His first single 'Evergreen/Anything Is Possible', released shortly after his victory, became the fastest selling debut single in the UK.
 
In the years that followed, albums From Now On (2002), Friday's Child (2003) Echoes (2011) and 85% Proof (2015) all topped the UK charts. With two BRIT Awards to his name, Will Young has become one of the UK's leading artists.
 
Will Young will be performing after Betfred Ladies Day, which will be held once again in support of Breast Cancer Care.

With the ever-popular 'Most Stylish Racegoer' competition also taking place it is not a day to be missed. 
 
Tickets are available at the Newbury Racecourse website and by telephone on 01635 40015 during office hours.

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For the record: how local riders fared at Badminton Horse Trials

Written by Tony Millett on 12 May 2015.

Lockeridge based New Zealander Andrew Nicholson and Nereo led the field from the dressage and right through the cross country stages.  But as last rider into the show jumping ring, they had three rails down - and finished in sixth place.  

The winner was the British pair William Fox-Pitt and Chilli Morning.  Another Zealander, Badgerstown based, Mark Todd and Leonidas II leapfrogged Nicholson to finish fourth.

Among the 57 entries completing the competition, were Mildenhall's husband and wife 'Team-Price'.  Tim Price finished sixteenth on Ringwood Sky Boy.  And Jonelle came twentieth on Classic Moet and thirty-fifth on The Deputy.

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Eventing: Nicholson out of New Zealand’s 2015 training squad

Written by Tony Millett on 06 February 2015.

He has represented New Zealand at seven Olympic Games, but this year Andrew Nicholson has been dropped from the national high performance squad and will miss out on its funding and training.

New Zealand is investing about £930,000 a year in its eventers annually until 2016.

Andrew Nicholson, who is based in Lockeridge, told Eventing magazine:  "I will just carry on improving as I normally do.  It's not the first time I haven't been on the list and I've been OK before."

Last October Nicholson withdrew his name after a dispute with the team vet.  But he has since offered to join the squad again: "I said I'd be available but they clearly don't want me."

The squad is: Mark Todd (based at Badgerstown), Jock Paget (Surrey), Caroline Powell (Scotland), Lucy Jackson (near Oxford) Jonelle and Tim Price (Mildenhall) and Clarke Johnstone (New Zealand.)

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Sir Mark Todd and his ex-wife Carolyn have married again - five years after their legal split

Written by Tony Millett on 24 December 2014.

New Zealand Olympic star Sir Mark Todd who is based at Badgerstown on the edge of the Marlborough Downs, and his ex-wife Carolyn have remarried - five years after their legal separation.

The got married at a small private ceremony some weeks ago with just their children Lauren (26) and James (21) present.  The Todds split in 2009 after 24 years of marriage.

Todd retired from eventing after the Sydney Olympics in 2000, but came back to represent New Zealand in 2008 at the Beijing Games. At the London Olympics he finished 12th in the individual competition, and was part of the New Zealand team that won bronze.

He moved to Badgerstown (a yard originally set-up by Stan Mellor the former National Hunt jockey and trainer) immediately after the London Olympics. He is now preparing for the Rio Olympics in 2016 – these will be his seventh Olympic Games.

And joining in the Kiwi romancing: New Zealand equestrian team member and 2013 Badminton victor Jock Paget has got engaged to his long-term Australian girlfriend/partner, Tegan Niven.

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