Written by Tony Millett.
Modus at Nicholls' Somerset yardBetfair Super Saturday (February 13) is Newbury Racecourse's first major meeting of the year - and its Betfair Hurdle will be a major test for Modus trained by nine-times champion trainer Paul Nicholls at his Ditcheat yard in Somerset.
The six-year-old chestnut gelding is at present the 5-1 favourite with Betfair to win the £155,000 race - won last year by the Gary Moore trained Violet Dancer. The race is Britain's most valuable handicap hurdle. Paul Nicholls won the race in 2012 with Zarkandar.
Modus - described by Nicholls as 'a good bumper horse' - was sold at the Cheltenham sale in May last year for £190,000 and is now owned by J.P. McManus. He won his first two hurdle races for his new owner - Taunton (November 12) and Newbury (November 26).
On his third outing he came third at Taunton on December 30 when, in Paul Nichols' words, the ground was "Heavier, heavier and heavier in places." He has not raced since: "I wanted him to settle in after his races. He needs better ground, but he's lots of stamina."
Nicholls with Dodging Bullets (L) & Silviniaco Conti (R)In the Betfair Super Saturday meeting Nicholls also has Dodging Bullets running in the Betfair Exchange Chasse and Rocky Creek in the Betfair Denman Chase.
It will be the eight year-old Dodging Bullets' first run of the season. Nicholls thinks he will lead the race: "I'm absolutely thrilled with him at the moment."
Last season he won three Grade One races in a row. This season he has been troubled with injury - going lame and throwing an enormous splint which confined him to his box for a month. He has now been fine for the last eight weeks: "I don't think we have ever had him quite so fit and well going into his first race of the season...He should be at the peak of his powers now."
How he does in this first outing of the season will show how he is set for the Cheltenham Festival: "Hopefully this race will put him spot on for his bid to retain his title in the Queen Mother Champion Chase."
Rocky Creek goes in Newbury's Betfair Denman Chase Rocky Creek is running in the Betfair Denman Chase at Newbury on Saturday. He has not run since 5 December when he was pulled up at Aintree, but Nicholls has every confidence he is now in good shape. He has come first or been placed in ten of his fifteen steeplechase starts.
"He is a good solid staying chaser. He is also in the Cheltenham Gold Cup but is very unlikely to run in it as there are other races for him. Saturday's race is ideal for him as it is a valuable prize and he does like Newbury. He is a definite runner whatever the ground."
Another Nicholls' entry at Newbury on Saturday will be Capeland. He is a four-year-old French-bred bay gelding going in the meeting's bumper, the Tap Tap Boom National Hunt flat race. He won his first outing in England, a listed race at Cheltenham on New Year's Day on ground that was officially 'Heavy - soft in places'. Nicholls is sure he will make a good chaser in the future.
Newbury expects the ground on Saturday will be "Soft - heavy in places - obviously it will be testing."
Paul NichollsThe rain has taken its toll on the jump season with meetings abandoned and the size of fields reduced. But Nicholls knows more than he need about the rain.
On Saturday one of his yards suffered a flash flood that left up to three feet of water in the some of the boxes and horses had to be evacuated and after the water subsided, their bedding replaced: "It happens once every few years. It's just nuisance value - especially when it happens on a Saturday evening and there're no staff on."
On Tuesday morning 120 horses rode out from Nicholls' yards and he has as many as thirty horses that have not raced so far this season. He had a good start with a run of results in October: "Then it went a bit quieter."
He is looking forward to the Spring - and better ground: "I've never known a season like it. Everyone needs better ground - it's going to be a busy spring for everyone."
Last year several of his star horses reached the end of their careers: "This is a massive transitional year - we've lots of four-year-olds - rebuilding doesn't happen over night."
Nicholls with Silviniaco ContiThe other horse on show on Tuesday during the press event at Nicholls' Ditcheat stables was Silviniaco Conti. The ten-year-old chestnut is set to run in the Betfair Ascot Chase on February 20.
Two times winner of Kempton's Boxing Day King George VI Chase, he was pulled up in the 2015 race.
He has an entry for the Grand National in April but is unlikely to take it up. Nicholls said he does not really want him to go to Cheltenham. But he will go to Punchestown and there is already talk of a Grand National entry for the 2017 race.
His season has been interrupted by sarcoids - especially a painful sarcoid under his nearside fore-leg that kept opening up. (Sarcoids are common skin tumour on horses.)
The condition is now cured and Nicholls said: "He looks great at the moment. He had a racecourse gallop last week at Wincanton and we have been cracking on with him."
After you have won money on all next Saturday's Newbury races, then rest assured that Silviniaco Conti looked in tip-top shape for his Ascot outing a week later.
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Written by Tony Millett.
Helen Yeadon receives the cheque from Dick FearMarlborough's Greatwood charity has benefited to the tune of £18,500 from a unique fundraising event in Dubai.
Dick Fear, head outrider at the Dubai Racing Club in Meydan, organised a charity golf day attended by, among others, former World Number 1 and Ryder Cup golfer Lee Westwood and European Tour Professional Oliver Fisher.
From right to left: Dick Fear, Lee Westwood & the winning teamFear, wanted to organise an event in honour of Mr Malih Al Basti, his friend and the founder of Al Basti Equiworld. He decided that the best way of doing this was to put on a fundraising event for Mr Al Basti’s favourite charity – Greatwood, which he has been supporting since 2014.
As Fear explained: “Mr Al Basti is a big supporter of Greatwood and I wanted to give something back to him for all his support that he does for everyone here in Dubai. He is a very extraordinary man with his generosity."
"When I looked at Greatwood charity’s website, the work that they do touched me in such a way that I just wanted to be a part of it. So through horses and golf it seemed like a great idea to raise money for a worthy charity.”
Co-Founder and Managing Director of Greatwood Charity, Helen Yeadon was at the golf event and received the cheque - for AED98,395 in the local currency: “I would like to thank Dick for the great honour of nominating Greatwood. It was a fabulous evening, with an extraordinary sum of money raised. "
"This money will help educate no less than 18 young people. Dick, you truly have changed lives and created futures.”
Greatwood looks after retired racehorses and uses them to help children who are disadvantaged or have learning difficulties - and to train them in horse care skills.
The 'cheque' comes home to Greatwood. The horses are (left to right): Montendre, Potentate and Seek the Faith
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Written by Tony Millett.
Smad Place leads on Barbury's all-weather gallops (Feb 2014)LATER NEWS: It has been confirmd that Smad Place will run in the Timico Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival. Jockey Richard Johnson believes the grey has the ability to dominate his rivals. Smad Place is currently 12-1 with some bookmakers.
Smad Place has done it again. The tough grey, trained by Alan King at Barbury Castle, took the BetBright Trial Chase at Cheltenham on Saturday (January 30) with a twelve length win over Many Clouds. The race is seen as a trial for the Cheltenham Festival's Gold Cup.
Alan King notched up a treble of wins at Cheltenham on Saturday - with Yanworth and Annacttoy adding to his victories. And to cap that, the same afternoon brought him two wins at Doncaster - including a win for Ziga in the three mile Sky Bet Chase.
As the Racing Post headline over its full report on Cheltenham's trials races put it: "Bouyant King reigns supreme on trails day."
Nine-year-old Smad Place, owned by Mrs Peter Andrews, was leading the field when the Gold Cup favourite Djakadam, ridden by Ruby Walsh, fell at the tenth fence. It was Smad Place's third success in four outings and he was said to have "completed the task in fine style."
Smad Place's win leaves King with a tough decision. After he was beaten in the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day, the trainer had thought he would run in the Cheltenham Festival's Ryanair Chase.
Now the pressure is on for an entry for the 2016 the Gold Cup. In March last year Smad Place was eighth out of the eleven finishers in the Gold Cup.
Alan King When asked after the race whether Smad Place would go for the Gold Cup, King said: "Don't ask me that. I'm going to enjoy this afternoon. If I was confused before, I'm probably more confused now, but it doesn't make the Gold Cup less likely."
Smad Place's victory at the Cheltenham trials meeting was under Richard Johnson after his regular rider and King's stable jockey, Wayne Hutchinson, had to pull out with an injury. He fell at Doncaster on Friday injuring a foot - he is expected to be out of action for a few days.
Cheltenham reported big crowds for its trials meeting. But jump racing has been badly hit recently by the rain - and heavy conditions abound.
Fontwell was abandoned today (January 31.) Ayr's Monday (February 1) meeting has been abandoned. Parts of the course at Plumpton are said to be waterlogged with an inspection at 7.00am on Monday.
Tuesday's meeting at Lingfield has already been abandoned and Taunton - 'waterlogged in places' - also faces an inspection on Monday morning.
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Written by Tony Millett.
On the night of 30-31 December thieves broke into a tack room at an eventing yard at Foxhill near Marlborough - they stole ten specialist saddles, a large amount of other tack and veterinary supplies.
The Rural Crime Team describe this as a 'high value' theft and have issued a list of the stolen articles. Anyone trying to sell these items should be reported at once to Wiltshire Police via the 101 telephone number or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Each Childeric saddle has a plaque rear of seat reading "Svennerstal" and each Voltaire saddle has plaque reading "LS" followed by a single number ( 1 to 4.)
The Swedish rider Ludwig Svennerstal is based at Sir Mark Todd's Badgerstown yard. At 21, he was the youngest rider to take part in the 2012 London Olympics. Two of Ludwig Svennerstal's top horses have qualified for this year's Rio Olympics.
List of stolen property:
2 clippers - 2 Big tubs leg clay from TRM - a magnetic rug - 15 bridles (3 from PS of Sweden, 8 from Otto Schumacher, 1 from Dy’on, 3 unknown brand) - 6 breastplates -
4 martingales - 4 10ml catrophen - 1 litre regumate - a first aid bag - 3 boxes of vetwrap.
List of Saddles stolen -
Butet:
1. XC - Seat:P17.5 - FLAP:3 - Colour:Gold - Serial No. 415 11 - Blocks:4 - Panel:EF
2. DR - Seat:D17.5 - Flap:3 - Colour:Black - Serial No. 388 11 - Blocks:2J - Panel:F
Voltaire Saddles:
1. Palm Beach 18 AN 3AA Black All buffalo RBQ grained M/M Px Pro BB05 C fill D10 - Serial number 1988.15
2. Adelaide 17.5 AN 3A Black All calfskin 3M Px Pro BB - Serial number [1989.15]
3. Adelaide 17.5 AN 3A Black All calfskin 3M Px Fin BB C10 horse with deep back - Serial number 1990.15
4. Palm Beach 18 AN 2AA Chocolate All buffalo RBQ grained L/M Px Fin BB10 C15 horse with deep back D15 - Serial number 2000.15
Childeric saddles;
1. Luc Childeric CFAP 18 Black - Serial number 1132.12
2. Luc Childeric CFAP Master 18" - Serial number 12.677
3. Not Known
4. Not Known.
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