Racing (Horse) : General Horse Racing Thread

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GHIZAO SHOWS CLASS AT KEMPTON

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Mon

Ghizao (4-7 favourite) landed the odds in Kempton's Weatherbys Hamilton Insurance Graduation Chase but his task was made much easier by the early exit of market rival Kumbeshwar.

The last two winners of this race, Riverside Theatre and Somersby, have gone on to win at the highest level and Paul Nicholls will be hoping Ghizao follows suit.

Hell's Bay looked threatening turning into the straight on his first run for Keiran Burke, but a mistake at the third-last scuppered his chances and Ghizao cruised home under Ruby Walsh to win by 33 lengths.

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MOON SHINES IN MELBOURNE CUP

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...e&sub=&day=Tue

Green Moon, trained by Robert Hickmott and ridden by Brett Prebble, won the Emirates Melbourne Cup at Flemington as the European party largely disappointed.

The Marco Botti-trained Jakkalberry fared best of foreign raiders in third, but was some distance away from the accomplished winner.

Green Moon, formerly trained in Berkshire by Harry Dunlop, flashed past the long-time leader Glencadam Gold a furlong and a half from home under an assured Prebble and went on to beat Fiorente into second.

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LEXUS LIKELY FOR LIEUTENANT

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Tue

Leopardstown's Lexus Chase is the most likely next port of call for First Lieutenant following his excellent run in defeat at Down Royal on Saturday.

Mouse Morris's seven-year-old looked in need of the run when fourth behind Sizing Europe on his Gowran Park return and made the anticipated progress to go down by just a length to Kauto Stone in the JNwine.com Champion Chase.

Morris had been considering a tilt at the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury on December 1 for his charge, but the handicapper has forced him into a rethink.

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CUE CARD STRIKES GOLD

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Tue

Cue Card put up a scintillating show to take the Sportingbet Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter is terrific style.

Colin Tizzard's six-year-old, making his seasonal bow after finishing second to Sprinter Sacre at the Cheltenham Festival last March, led for most of the way under the trainer's son Joe and had his rivals in trouble with some slick jumping.

The 5-6 favourite pulled well clear over the last three fences and beat Edgardo Sol by 26 lengths, with Menorah, who never looked at ease, hitting the last and losing the runner-up spot in a disappointing run.

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BUCK'S GIVEN HANDICAP OPTION

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...option&day=Wed

Paul Nicholls has given Big Buck's an entry in a Haydock handicap hurdle as he plots his star stayer's return to action.

The nine-year-old has made his seasonal bow in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury for the last three years, winning on each occasion, and that December 1 event remains a possible target.

However, the Ditcheat handler has also entered Big Buck's for a richly endowed handicap contest the week before, although he underlined this is merely an option rather than his intended target.

He told his Betfair column: "I can reveal that Big Buck's has been given an entry in the Betfair Fixed Brush Handicap Hurdle on Betfair Chase day.

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GRANDS CRUS IN POWER EQUATION

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Wed

Grands Crus has been allotted 11st 6lb for the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday week, the first major handicap of the National Hunt season.

David Pipe's grey was not at his best when beaten in the RSA Chase at Prestbury Park in March but had previously looked a novice chaser of the highest order, not least when dishing out a beating to subsequent Charlie Hall Chase winner Silviniaco Conti in the Feltham at Kempton.

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RUN RETURN EXCITES WALEY-COHEN

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Thu

Sam Waley-Cohen is looking forward to getting back on Long Run in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on November 24.

The seven-year-old, owned by Waley-Cohen's father Robert, was runner-up to Kauto Star in a memorable renewal 12 months ago and heads a quality 19-strong entry this time.

With Kauto Star now retired, connections of the Nicky Henderson-trained gelding will be hoping the coast is clear for them to enjoy a lucrative campaign. Long Run was also beaten by Kauto Star in the King George VI chase at Kempton on Boxing Day and failed to successfully defend his Cheltenham Gold Cup crown.

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STAR SET FOR ASCOT MISSION

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Raya Star will head back to Ascot for the Coral Hurdle after his fine weight-carrying performance in Berkshire last weekend.

Alan King's six-year-old also won the Ladbroke at Ascot last season, as well as the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr.

TIZZARD TEAM CONSIDER NEXT CUE MOVE

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...e&sub=&day=Thu

Connections of Cue Card will wait until the dust has settled on his impressive win at Exeter before deciding whether to give the six-year-old another run before the William Hill King George VI Chase.

The Colin Tizzard-trained gelding is a 10-1 chance for the Boxing Day feature at Kempton following his 26-length romp in the Haldon Gold Cup. That race was run over nearly two and a quarter miles, but the three miles of the Christmas showpiece is expected to be within his compass.

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FRANKEL DEPARTS WARREN PLACE

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Thu

Sir Henry Cecil bade farewell to Frankel on Thursday as the world's best racehorse left his Warren Place stable in Newmarket to begin his new career as a stallion.

The four-year-old colt made the short journey to his birthplace, Banstead Manor Stud, where he will take up stallion duties in 2013.

"There is no doubt Frankel has been a brilliant racehorse. I am pretty certain that there has never been a better or more talented thoroughbred," said Cecil.

"He had the speed to be a champion sprinter and then, once he grew up and settled, he got a distance with a turn of foot that makes champions.

BIG RUN EXPECTED FROM ZEB

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Fri

Colm Murphy is delighted with the current condition of his veteran Big Zeb ahead of Sunday's Irish Form Book Fortria Chase at Navan.

Now an 11-year-old, Big Zeb has won the Grade Two contest for the last three years, along with the 2010 Queen Mother Champion Chase and five other Grade Ones.

His form dropped off slightly last term and it appeared that age was catching up with him towards the end of the season, but Murphy has never been happier with him at this stage of a campaign.

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CAUTIOUS HARRY CAMP IN BADGER HUNT

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Fri

Connections of Diamond Harry are not expecting any fireworks when the high-class gelding returns in Saturday's Badger Ales Trophy at Wincanton.

Little has gone right for the Nick Williams-trained nine-year-old since his marquee victory in the 2010 Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury as he failed to show his old sparkle in four starts last season.

ZARKANDAR TAKES AIM AT ELITE

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Fri

Daryl Jacob is looking forward to getting the leg-up on Zarkandar at Wincanton on Saturday as he aims to give lumps of weight and a beating to some talented rivals in the totepool.com Elite Hurdle.

The five-year-old gave Jacob his first taste of Cheltenham Festival glory when landing last year's Triumph Hurdle and while Ruby Walsh was in the saddle when he won last season's Betfair Hurdle at Newbury, Jacob was back on board to guide him to fifth place in the Champion Hurdle.

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COMMANDER ON COURSE FOR HAYDOCK

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Fri

Imperial Commander came through a crucial racecourse workout with flying colours as the 2010 Gold Cup hero passed another test on his way to the Betfair Chase.

The 11-year-old, who has been sidelined since being pulled up in the 2011 Gold Cup, worked two miles at Towcester in the hands of his regular race partner Paddy Brennan.

The big race at Haydock on November 24, which Imperial Commander won two years ago, is still very much the plan for the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained gelding.

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PIPE OPTS TO WAIT WITH DYNASTE

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Sat

Dynaste is likely to make his chasing debut at next week's Open meeting at Cheltenham after David Pipe decided against running in the totepool Rising Stars Novices' Chase at Wincanton.

The six-year-old ended last season with a hurdle rating of 161 and is likely to take high rank in the novice chase division this term if his jumping stands up to the test.

Pipe has yet to decide whether his charge will start off over two and a half miles or go straight over three miles, the distance over which he excelled over timber.

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Here are my best tips for today.

Doncaster 12.50 Flashlight
Doncaster 1.25 Shrimpton
Doncaster 2.00 Sajjhaa
Doncaster 2.35 Nicholascopernicus
Doncaster 3.45 Well Painted
Wincanton 2.15 Poungach
Wincanton 3.25 The Package

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OVERTURN OOZES CLASS ON DEBUT

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Sat

Overturn made the perfect start to life over fences when leading all the way to land the Bet On Today's Football At Bluesq.com Beginners' Chase at Sandown.

Jason Maguire's mount soon had a sizeable advantage and jumped fluently from the off, pinging the Railway fences and finishing full of running despite his eagerness to get on with things in the early stages.

GODOLPHIN CELEBRATE OWNERS' TITLE

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...+title&day=Sat

Godolphin clinched the Flat season owners' championship when Muharrib gave them and trainer Saeed bin Suroor a quick double in the Betfred 'The Home Of Goals Galore' Nursery at Doncaster.

Mickael Barzalona took the top weight to the front over a furlong out and the race was over as the 5-1 joint-favourite swept to victory by two lengths from fellow market leader Indignant, with Shrimpton staying on strongly to be just a head behind.

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HUGHES CROWNED CHAMPION JOCKEY

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Sat

Richard Hughes was officially crowned champion Flat jockey for 2012 in a champagne-splashed ceremony at Doncaster.

Achieving a life-long ambition, Hughes had the title in safe-keeping for some weeks after building up an unassailable lead over Silvestre de Sousa and third-placed William Buick.

Ryan Moore was fourth in an injury-hit campaign, with Paul Hanagan, winner for the last two years, having to settle for fifth place this time in a year in which he became retained rider to Hamdan Al Maktoum.

ZARKANDAR UP WITH HURDLING ELITE

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Sat

Zarkandar fuelled his claims for the Champion Hurdle and surprised trainer Paul Nicholls when outpointing stablemate Prospect Wells in the totepool.com Elite Hurdle at Wincanton.

Fifth in last season's Champion and subsequently a faller at Aintree, the diminutive five-year-old (100-30) showed with a determined display under Daryl Jacob that, in a tight situation, class will out.

It was a perfect start to the campaign for Jacob, who because Ruby Walsh is expected to ride Hurricane Fly throughout the season, is set to be aboard Zarkandar for all his races.