Racing (Horse) : General Horse Racing Thread

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Moohaajim still in Guineas hunt.

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...=&sub=&day=Mon

Trainer Marco Botti is still prepared to give Moohaajim a chance over a mile in the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket next month.

Botti had high hopes for the Cape Cross colt in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury on Saturday, but he appeared not to stay the seven furlongs and came home third behind Olympic Glory.

Moohaajim won the Mill Reef as a juvenile over six furlongs, and was also an honourable second in the Group One Middle Park Stakes over the same distance.

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Sacre tackles Champion quartet

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...e&sub=&day=Mon

Sprinter Sacre, the undoubted star of National Hunt racing, will face just four rivals in Tuesday's Boylesports.com Champion Chase at Punchestown.

In what many will see as the highlight of the Festival on the opening day, Nicky Henderson's unbeaten chaser will once again take on former champion chaser Sizing Europe.

Henderson's machine effortlessly disposed of Sizing Europe in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham, but it had been mooted by trainer Henry de Bromhead that he could swerve a second clash and run his stable star over further.

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All on course for Classic Approach.

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...e&sub=&day=Mon

Jim Bolger maintains Dawn Approach is "on a par" with the best horses he has ever trained ahead of the colt's bid for Classic glory in the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday week.

A son of Bolger's 2008 Epsom Derby hero New Approach, the strapping chestnut enjoyed a fantastic juvenile campaign, winning each of his six starts.

Snapped up by Godolphin after winning the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, Dawn Approach went on to claim Group One honours in the National Stakes at the Curragh and the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket, ensuring his place as winter favourite for the first Classic of the 2013 season.

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Al Zarooni faces BHA hearing.

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...=&sub=&day=Mon

Classic-winning Godolphin trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni is to face a British Horseracing Authority disciplinary panel hearing after "serious irregularities" were found in samples taken from horses in his care in Newmarket.

Al Zarooni, who won the Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster last year with Encke and has trained a whole host of big-race winners since joining Sheikh Mohammed's operation, told the Godolphin website he had made a "catastrophic error".

He said on www.godolphin.com: "I deeply regret what has happened. I have made a catastrophic error. Because the horses involved were not racing at the time, I did not realise that what I was doing was in breach of the rules of racing. I can only apologise for the damage this will cause to Godolphin and to racing generally."

Heads will have to roll l am afraid and he is finished as a trainer l am afraid to say.

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Mullins leaning towards Focus.

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...=&sub=&day=Tue

Willie Mullins feels testing conditions could give Back In Focus the edge over stable companion Boston Bob in Tuesday's Growise Champion Novice Chase at the Punchestown Festival.

Back In Focus stretched his unbeaten record over fences to four when giving the champion trainer's son, Patrick, an emotional first Cheltenham Festival victory over fences in the four-mile National Hunt Chase last month, while Boston Bob won his first two starts over fences and may well have completed the hat-trick in Cheltenham's RSA Chase but for falling at the final fence in the hands of Paul Townend.

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Foil team hoping for dry spell.


http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...=&sub=&day=Tue

John Ryan is hoping the rain stays away from Punchestown for Foildubh ahead of Tuesday's Boylesports.com Champion Chase, though he admits taking on Sprinter Sacre is a tall order.

Foildubh has made great progress this season for Ryan and finally gained the big win his efforts deserved last time out when landing the Normans Grove Chase.

"The horse is in great form but ground is the key to him, I hope it dries up a bit," said Ryan.

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First-rate chance for Lieutenant.

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...e&sub=&day=Tue

Mouse Morris reports First Lieutenant to have come out of his Aintree victory in great shape ahead of the Bet Online With TheTote.com Punchestown Gold Cup.

First Lieutenant ran in the Hennessy Gold Cup, the Lexus and the Ryanair before his Aintree win in the Betfred Bowl, and he appears to be thriving for his racing.

"He seems to have come out of Aintree well and he looks like he's ready to go again. He's been to Cheltenham and Aintree, but before that he hadn't much mileage on the clock this season and he seems fresh and well," said the handler.

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NTF shock at Al Zarooni findings.

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...e&sub=&day=Tue

The National Trainers Federation has admitted it is "shocked" at the news of positive tests for steroids on horses trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni.

The trainers' professional body says it fully endorses the British Horseracing Authority's regime of testing in training.

"Like everyone else in the sport of horseracing, the NTF is shocked at the news of these positive tests at the stable of Mahmood Al Zarooni," said chief executive Rupert Arnold in a statement.

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Perfect 10 for super Sacre.

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...=&sub=&day=Tue

Sprinter Sacre stretched his unbeaten record over fences to 10 with a commanding victory in the Boylesports.com Champion Chase at Punchestown.

Nicky Henderson's superstar, sent off the 1-9 favourite, was made to work harder than usual as admirable veteran Sizing Europe set out to make all under Andrew Lynch and refused to give in when challenged for the lead at the second-last fence.

Sprinter Sacre, who travelled well throughout, held the advantage at the last and then responded well to Barry Geraghty's urgings to clear away for victory by five and a half lengths in front of an appreciative crowd.

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Jezki bursts Champagne bubble.

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...e&sub=&day=Wed

Jessica Harrington's star Jezki got back on the winning trail with a scintillating display in the Herald Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

Unbeaten in his first four starts over timber, the five-year-old (2-1) beat the Willie Mullins-trained Champagne Fever earlier in the season but was only third behind the same opponent in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham last month.

With the scores even, the pair renewed rivalry in this Grade One event and even-money favourite Champagne Fever was once again sent straight to the lead, but while he shook off his opponents at Prestbury Park, Jezki travelled noticeably best rounding the home turn this time and soon asserted under Barry Geraghty.

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Thursday hearing for Al Zarooni.

http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/n...for-al-zarooni

Al Zarooni could lose his training licence in one of the most significant doping scandals in recent racing history.

The hearing will be held at 2.30pm at BHA headquarters in London.

The 37-year-old has officially been charged with rule breaches related to prohibited substances, duty to keep medication records, and conduct prejudicial to racing.

The BHA said on Wednesday information provided by Al Zarooni to investigating officers revealed that, in addition to the 11 horses which had initially tested positive, four other horses - Comitas, Sashiko, Vacationer and Tearless - were administered one of two prohibited substances

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Dawn stars in next Guineas stage.


http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...e&sub=&day=Wed

Ante-post favourite Dawn Approach heads a list of 24 horses left in the Qipco 2000 Guineas at the latest acceptance stage.

The Jim Bolger-trained colt, owned by Godolphin, has been top of the betting after going through his two-year-old campaign unbeaten. His six successes culminated in Group One triumphs in the Vincent O'Brien Stakes at the Curragh and the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.

Godolphin currently have a second string to their bow in outsider Steeler, trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni, who faces a British Horseracing Authority hearing over the use of anabolic steroids. This horse, who was in the care of Mark Johnston last season, is not part of the inquiry.

Aidan O'Brien retains a strong hand in the colts' Classic, with Mars, Cristopher Colombo, George Vancouver and Lines Of Battle, while Bolger has also left in Leitir Mor.

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Sheikh Mohammed locks down Mahmood Al Zarooni stables.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/horse-racing/22286070

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum issued the following statement:

"I was appalled and angered to learn that one of our stables in Newmarket has violated Godolphin's ethical standards and the rules of British racing. I have been involved in British horse racing for 30 years and have deep respect for its traditions and rules. I built my country based on the same solid principles. There can be no excuse for any deliberate violation. Godolphin is fully cooperating with the British Horseracing Authority to get to the bottom of this matter and take any appropriate disciplinary action. I have ordered the Godolphin management to undertake an immediate review of our internal procedures and controls to ensure to prevent any reoccurrence of this type of activity in any stables of mine. We will be locking down the Moulton Paddocks stables with immediate effect, and I have instructed that I want a full round of blood samples, and dope testing done on every single horse on that premises. I can assure the racing public that no horse will run from that yard this season until I have been absolutely assured by my team that the entire yard is completely clean. I have worked hard to ensure that Godolphin deserves its reputation for integrity and sportsmanship, and I have reiterated to all Godolphin employees that I will not tolerate this type of behaviour."

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Sir Des secures Punchestown Gold

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...=&sub=&day=Thu

Sir Des Champs hung on grimly in a thrilling finish to the Bet Online With thetote.com Punchestown Gold Cup as Long Run and First Lieutenant came storming home.

Davy Russell made a positive move down the back straight, taking up the running off Long Run at the third-last and going two lengths clear .

There was not much between Sir Des Champs and Long Run at Cheltenham last month and yet again the pair proved they were closely matched, because as Sir Des Champs began to tire Long Run was coming hard at him after the last. Over on the far side Mouse Morris' consistent First Lieutenant, a winner at Aintree, also had a chance but the 2-1 favourite Sir Des Champs held on by three-quarters of a length from Long Run, with First Lieutenant just behind in third.

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Smooth success for Liquidator.

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...e&sub=&day=Thu

David Pipe's decision to send The Liquidator for Punchestown's Betdaq The Peoples Exchange Champion INH Flat Race paid dividends with a decisive success.

Fourth in the Cheltenham Bumper, his task was made a bit easier when the winner of that race, Briar Hill, was declared a late non-runner.

Pipe secured the services of leading Irish amateur Jane Mangan, already a winner at the meeting, and she was always in the right place on Roger Brookhouse`s five-year-old. Sent off at 4-1, The Liquidator took over from Blackmail over a furlong out and powered clear of Gilt Shadow and Apache Stronghold for an impressive success.