Racing (Horse) : General Horse Racing Thread

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POWER-PACKED ANNIE DEFIES LOGIC

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

Willie Mullins predicted a big future for Annie Power after the mare swept to her sixth success in the paddypower.com Novice Hurdle at Naas.

The five-year-old is now unbeaten in three races over jumps to add to her three bumper victories after she took the scalp of the highly promising Defy Logic.

Tony McCoy tried to dictate matters from the front on the latter, but he was strongly pressed at the business end and his mount had no answer to Annie Power.

Ruby Walsh looked to be going best of all on the 5-2 shot, who shrugged aside Defy Logic at the final flight and quickened away to take Grade Two honours by three and a quarter lengths.

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SIR SUITS CHELTENHAM - MULLINS

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

Trainer Willie Mullins believes Sir Des Champs' love of Cheltenham will stand him in good stead when he runs in the Betfred Gold Cup next month.

Sir Des Champs has a 100% record at the Prestbury Park track with victories at the last two Festivals in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle in 2011 and the Jewson Novices' Chase last season.

The Gigginstown House Stud-owned gelding enhanced his claims for Gold Cup glory when getting the better of Flemenstar in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown earlier this month.

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TWISTON-DAVIES SAVOURS SPECIAL ONE

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

Nigel Twiston-Davies' great young hope The New One spearheads a Cheltenham team which the trainer is treating with his usual optimism.

A dozen key members of the squad cantered up the Naunton gallops at Twiston-Davies' Festival press day on Monday and at 9-2 with William Hill, The New One is by some way his shortest-priced runner as he heads for the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle.

"I think it (the team) is as strong as we've had for a bit. We've got the (Imperial) Commander coming back and we've got some very, very nice novices," said the handler.

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COMMANDER GEARS UP FOR GOLD RUN

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

Nigel Twiston-Davies is aiming to complete Imperial Commander's serious preparation for the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup with a racecourse gallop this weekend.

The 2010 winner is a frequent visitor to tracks away from competitive action and his trainer remains confident that despite reaching the venerable age of 12, he can still give his younger opponents a run for their money.

The course specialist has been dogged by injury since his prestigious success and was pulled up lame when attempting to defend his title a year later.

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EUROPE TEAM LEAVE IT LATE

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

A decision on Sizing Europe's target at Cheltenham is set to be left until the last moment.

Henry de Bromhead's stable star holds engagements in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the longer Ryanair Chase, and should connections opt for the Queen Mother, he would be attempting to regain the crown he won in 2011, having finished second last year.

De Bromhead told The Irish Times: "Strong cases can be made for both races and myself and Alan and Ann (Potts, owners) will have to sit down and discuss everything much closer to the time."

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CHAPPLE-HYAM FACES BHA CHARGES

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

Peter Chapple-Hyam is to face a British Horseracing Authority disciplinary panel hearing over charges of misleading an investigating officer and refusing to supply full and true telephone records.

Should he be found in breach of the rules, the multiple Classic-winning trainer could be handed a substantial fine or possible suspension/disqualification - the maximum penalty being three years. A date for the hearing has yet to be announced.

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OVERTURN VYING FOR SIMON SCALP

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

Donald McCain remains confident Overturn will make life "very difficult" for red-hot favourite Simonsig in the Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy at Cheltenham.

Winner of a Chester Cup and Northumberland Plate on the level, Overturn also claimed the Fighting Fifth and the Galway Hurdle over timber and was a superb second in last year's Champion Hurdle, before switching to fences this season. He has since won at Sandown, Doncaster and Musselburgh.

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UNACCOMPANIED OUT OF CHELTENHAM

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

Dermot Weld is targeting a return to the Flat in the spring for Unaccompanied after the mare was ruled out of the Cheltenham Festival.

The six-year-old has suffered a setback which means she will not take on Quevega in the OLBG Mares' Hurdle in two weeks' time.

"Unfortunately, she won't be going to Cheltenham. She's pulled a muscle ever so slightly and it will mean a week to 10 days' rest," said the Curragh trainer.

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MELLING DATE ON FLEMENSTAR AGENDA.

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

Flemenstar is being prepared for a return to action at Aintree's John Smith's Grand National meeting in April after recovering from a lung infection.

Connections are eyeing the John Smith's Melling Chase over two and a half miles for the eight-year-old, who was found to be under the weather when beaten by Sir Des Champs in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown earlier this month.

The setback was enough to rule Flemenstar out of the Cheltenham Festival but trainer Peter Casey reports the Stephen Curran-owned gelding to be back in full work.

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SUNNYHILL IN GOLD CUP CONTENTION

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

Jonjo O'Neill has raised the possibility of Sunnyhillboy running in the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Although not expected to be a contender to retain the title after Synchronised's victory for the stable last year, it is more part of his preparation for the John Smith's Grand National. While the Gold Cup hero lost his life at Aintree, Sunnyhillboy was denied victory by only a nose. He made a promising reappearance over hurdles at Haydock but was pulled up at Warwick last month.

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QUEVEGA LEADS MARES' FIELD

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

Quevega is the star name among 36 entries for the OLBG Mares' Hurdle on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.

The Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old has won the two-and-a-half-mile Grade Two prize for the last four years and is bidding to become only the second horse to win a race at the Festival on five occasions following Golden Miller, who captured the Cheltenham Gold Cup five times between 1932 and 1936.

Should Quevega fail to fire on what is her first start of the season, the Irish champion trainer could still win the race with talented stable companions Reine Angevine, Tarla, Twigline and Zuzka all in contention.

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FELLA TOPS NEWBURY FIELD

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

Big Fella Thanks will carry top weight in the StanJames Supporting Greatwood Gold Cup at Newbury on Saturday.

The 11-year-old won the race in 2010 when trained by Paul Nicholls and now in the care of Tom George, he registered his first success since then last time out at Wincanton.

Nicholls runs two in a race he has won five times since 2006.

Pacha Du Polder, who has been disappointing so far this season, and the Graham Wylie-owned The Knoxs.

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OPENING BATSMAN A FESTIVAL DOUBT

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

Harry Fry admits it is "doubtful" last weekend's Racing Plus Chase hero Opening Batsman will turn up at the Cheltenham Festival in a fortnight's time.

The seven-year-old has gone up eight pounds in the weights after winning one of the most prestigious staying handicap chases of the season at Kempton, a hike his trainer believes is a "fair rise".

Opening Batsman holds four entries at Prestbury Park but if he is to make the trip, he will contest either the JLT Specialty Chase or the shorter Byrne Group Plate.

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ELLIOTT UPBEAT ON CARLITO CLAIMS

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

Gordon Elliott feels Carlito Brigante's previous experience of Cheltenham will stand him in good stead when he tackles the Pulteney Land Investments Novices' Handicap Chase at the Festival.

Winner of the Coral Cup in 2011, he also scored over fences there earlier this season as well as running well behind Dynaste in November.

Due to the very wet winter and his preference for good ground, the seven-year-old has been limited to one all-weather start at Dundalk, but Elliott believes he is capable of running a big race.

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MURTAGH REFLECTS ON AGA KHAN SPLIT.

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

Johnny Murtagh has described his abrupt split with owner the Aga Khan last season as "a horrible moment" in his career.

Murtagh was retained rider for the renowned owner until a shock split last August which was officially due to "differences between the two parties".

Murtagh, who was sidelined by injury at the time, owns stables on the Curragh from where Tommy Carmody is based, and the split came just days after Carmody's Ursa Major beat the Aga Khan-owned and John Oxx-trained Hartani in a Curragh Group Three.

"John Oxx's (Hartani) was hot favourite and ours was seven or 8-1. I thought he might run a place and it just happened that Ursa Major came and pipped the Aga Khan's horse," he told RTE 1's Ear To The Ground programme.