Horse Racing

Hey everyone,

Any racing fans in our midst? I have gotten into racing quite big over the last 2 years, really following the European scene. I've not followed the American or Australian races much, I do know of the big races however!

Jumps season over in the UK now, AP McCoy doing the usual and is well on his way to becoming the champion jockey for a 20th consecutive seasons! Incredible! I know jumps aren't big at all in America, great fun to watch, such incredible animals and the bravery of the horses and jockeys is incredible!

Has been a great year for the flat! Taghrooda has been an amazing mare, we saw Al Kazeem make a comeback after proving to be sub-fertile, Treve came back to win the Arc for the third time! Slade power, what can I say? Not a bad year in the betting ring for me either, won some good money on Take Cover at Glorious Goodwood, Taghrooda won lots of people lots of money.

My horse of the year?... Kingman, watch videos of him, watch his turn of foot! Great horse!

Horses to watch next year, Kingston Hill, The Grey Gatsby and Eagle top if allowed to run as a 4 year old! Also keep an eye on Ivawood! Hannon made a mistake taking him out to Newmarket on the softer ground, knowing full well he runs his best on the harder ground!

Just landed two legs of a treble! 'I'm in Charge' in the 15:40 @ Towchester and I'm in for a couple hundred quid!

The legendary AP McCoy | Clare Balding for Channe…: http://youtu.be/MUSejn6im44

Very interesting short video about the legend in jumps that is AP McCoy. If many of you Americans don't know him, which I suspect you don't, give it a watch. Incredible sportsman.

The Real MCCOY (Inside Story Of Champion Jockey A…: http://youtu.be/DT2JHSVkKWA

Here is a longer documentary to show his dedication to the sport.

Worked at a racetrack last summer as EMT/Security. It was interesting to be able to see the behind the scenes of everything from an "insiders" perspective. the inner workings of what the public sees is super interesting to me.

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Originally Posted by Spoons

Worked at a racetrack last summer as EMT/Security. It was interesting to be able to see the behind the scenes of everything from an "insiders" perspective. the inner workings of what the public sees is super interesting to me.

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What are your views of it as an 'insider' of horse racing? Was this over in America or Europe? Possibly Australia or Asia too haha! Not many users from there though to be fair.

America. And to be totally honest working there gave me an extreme distate of horse racing as a sport. They treat those horses terribly, and 90% of the jockeys are absolute stuck up jerks who think they are the most important thing to happen to the industry, and there's a stereotype of drug use with them (and a not entirely unwarranted one). I do commend their abilities to be thrown from a horse and land on their feet, though.

It was a fun job, we were half casino too so there was much more to do than just with racing. And the people were always very interesting to say the least!

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Originally Posted by Spoons

America. And to be totally honest working there gave me an extreme distate of horse racing as a sport. They treat those horses terribly, and 90% of the jockeys are absolute stuck up jerks who think they are the most important thing to happen to the industry, and there's a stereotype of drug use with them (and a not entirely unwarranted one). I do commend their abilities to be thrown from a horse and land on their feet, though.

It was a fun job, we were half casino too so there was much more to do than just with racing. And the people were always very interesting to say the least!

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I have heard a lot about horse racing in America, and there is a reason that there are few American horses that race in the big British flat races. They can use drugs which you can't in the UK, and I know that the majority of trainers that take their horses to the US from Europe do not use them once they get over there. I am an avid follower of horse racing in the UK, and know for a fact over here that the horses are very well looked after, I own shares in a racehorse, Little Jimmy, and trainers/owners who don't abide by the laws set out by the BHA are come down on very hard. The same president is set by a lot of Europe, mainly France and Germany. I will agree with you about the jockeys, a lot do seem self entitled. But their dedication is plain for everyone to see, travelling 400 miles for 2 rides at a wet Newcastle just to get back at 1am to go into the sauna to sweat it out will have that effect on you after 15 years. Some are amazing, like AP McCoy, he loves his horses, loves the job, the people! Was in with a shot of reaching 300 winners this jump season, has had to take 2 weeks out. Broke 8 ribs in an accident a few years back. Jumps racing is vastly different to flats as well, it is by quite a way bigger in the UK than the flat, more money in the races and the horses are loved more. The jockeys have a camaraderie, they know that on average every 1/9 rides they will fall, with half ton animals coming over a jump and landing where they are laying. Injuries are common, deaths are not very common but still happen more than your normal occupation.

I can't speak for other countries, but I'm glad there are more regulations at least. We DO use drugs on the horses here, painkillers to make them sound for running, etc. It should not be allowed. One of my main beefs, besides general treatment, is that they are racing the horses so young. It often cripples them to put so much stress on their growing bodies, and most Off Track thoroughbreds I know have some kind of problem from their racing career (I own horses, so I've got a few hands in the general horse industry). They race them hard young and then dump them after they're not good enough any more.

This is of course a generalization, and I do know there are good jockeys and good owners and whatnot. I've seen a few myself - though I do think that here, at least a little bit of that jockey dedication comes from that $$$ they bring in ;)

I'd be interested in looking into it more overseas. It sounds like a much more pleasant operation over there!

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Originally Posted by Spoons

I can't speak for other countries, but I'm glad there are more regulations at least. We DO use drugs on the horses here, painkillers to make them sound for running, etc. It should not be allowed. One of my main beefs, besides general treatment, is that they are racing the horses so young. It often cripples them to put so much stress on their growing bodies, and most Off Track thoroughbreds I know have some kind of problem from their racing career (I own horses, so I've got a few hands in the general horse industry). They race them hard young and then dump them after they're not good enough any more.

This is of course a generalization, and I do know there are good jockeys and good owners and whatnot. I've seen a few myself - though I do think that here, at least a little bit of that jockey dedication comes from that $$$ they bring in ;)

I'd be interested in looking into it more overseas. It sounds like a much more pleasant operation over there!

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I Couldn't agree with that first statement more. The flat horses often start at two years of age and peak at about 3 or 4. A jump horse will rarely start a race before their 4th or 5th birthday, due to the size that they need to be to race the races they race in. I know Australia has a problem with the amount of horses that die and also the amount of jockeys that die, 2.2 on average a year. This is mainly due to the firmness of the ground that they run on. What we in the UK would class as good ground, they class as soft! Horse racing certainly still has its demons, but it seems Europe has cleaned up its act a bit over the past 30 years. I can't speak for Asia, I don't follow the racing over there much, I know of a few Japanese star horses and that is about all. Glad to see there is one other person on this site with some knowledge of horse racing, and I would suggest watching some videos of AP McCoy, and the flat jockey, Richard Hughes, who was yesterday crowned the British flat champion jockey 3 years in a row. Do you know much about jumps racing being from America? From what I gather it is non-existent over the pond?

I will have to look up some videos when I have a chance! You're right though I have no idea what jumps racing is other than it sounds dangerous, haha. I looked it up a bit and of course the first thing I see is a bunch of "JUMPS RACING KILLS, BAN IT" websites. I will look a bit deeper - I like to get my own info on things rather than listening to extremist websites, haha. Really, EVERY horse sport is dangerous in some way (look at eventing, for instance, it's similar to jumps racing it looks like but solo). I'll have to look up some videos of it and look more into the regulations and whatnot, it looks interesting enough.

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Originally Posted by Spoons

I will have to look up some videos when I have a chance! You're right though I have no idea what jumps racing is other than it sounds dangerous, haha. I looked it up a bit and of course the first thing I see is a bunch of "JUMPS RACING KILLS, BAN IT" websites. I will look a bit deeper - I like to get my own info on things rather than listening to extremist websites, haha. Really, EVERY horse sport is dangerous in some way (look at eventing, for instance, it's similar to jumps racing it looks like but solo). I'll have to look up some videos of it and look more into the regulations and whatnot, it looks interesting enough.

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Oh yeah, incredibly dangerous. You will not find a single jump jockey who hasn't had at least one serious injury. A quote from AP 'McCoy calculates that in his quest for greatness he has had at least 1,000 falls (the average for an ordinary jockey is one ejection from the saddle for every eleven races) and has broken most of the 206 bones in his frame musing: "My ankle, my leg, my arm, my wrist, my middle vertebrae, my lower vertebrae, both shoulder blades, collarbones, chin bones...need I go on?"'.

It is a very difficult one to explain for where I stand on the horse point of view. When a horse falls, the first you make sure is if the horse is up and still moving everything okay! Their safety is very important to everyone there, and there is nothing more horrifying or saddening than seeing a horse die for a sport that you follow. You can't help but feel guilt for it. Jockeys feel the pain, the owners feel the pain, so do the fans. But it doesn't stop the fact that horses die! I hate that part of it. If a jockey dies then it is bad, but they chose to participate, they knew the risks. The other side, I know the horses are greatly cared for, and the veterinary surgeons at the courses really are miracle workers. But a horse will struggle with a broken leg. They either need to lay down for 6 months or be put in a sling. Both of which greatly impact the horse, and is probably more humane to euthanise it. I cannot think of a worse image than Valiramix falling down the straight of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. It is horrifying. AP McCoy, with an awful cut to his face gets up and restrains the horse, he knows it is hurt. He is visibly crying and you can see it, even to this day, 12 years later, he still talks about Valiramix and the effect it had on him. It is the one demon that horse racing will never shake. I feel huge amounts of guilt over this side of the sport, an emotion which has never been evoked in any other sport I follow...

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Another video on youtube, a horse has just started a race, and is in obvious discomfort. Throws the jockey off and falls to the ground. The first thing the jockey does, run over to the horse and comfort it as well he can, stroking his face and talking to him. The horse unfortunately suffered a heart attack shortly after the race, but I feel this goes to show the duty of care that many jockeys feel towards these animals.

Frankel - The highest rated horse in the world... Watching him is something else.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtPwx__6RKU

If you think he is good, watch Kingman and Night of Thunder. Similar vein.

Honestly, it's the danger to the horses I have the problem with. I know many horse sports are inherently dangerous based on principle, but most of them are pretty damn safe. Jumps racing seems like one of those unneccessarily dangerous ones that I don't know about. Like you said - the people at least choose to participate. The horses have no say in the matter, and when it's so likely for them to get injured....

RE: Broken legs, despite what you might hear are still not as fixable as you'd think. Fractures, maybe, but a horse can't "lay on its side" for 6 months, it'll get compression injuries and die. A sling is not great either because of the huge potential for crippling hoof problems (founder, laminitis) that arise from the three hooves overcompensating. Mostly a leg break = a dead horse. The saying "A downed horse is a dead horse" still rings true!

I guess that's my main issue. I don't think it's worth it to put the horses up to that much risk, I do not see it as fair to them. there are negative asects and bad people in EVERY horse sport, but some go beyond. I am glad that the horses are shown compassion when they are hurt, though - Some of the things I was privy to at the racetrack here were downright coldhearted. Like I mentioned, I do not know enough about jumps racing to have a true opinion on the matter yet, and once I am on a good computer I will watch the posted videos and do some digging! Horses are definitely graceful animals to watch, and watching them do something like jumping can be incredible! I am definitely interested in learning more :D I feel like this will start one of those black holes of the internet where I watch one video, and keep clicking related videos and get sucked in and then realize several hours has passed.

The one horsey sport I really want to try is mounted archery. I have been trying to save for a bow for AGES, but as a starving college student every time I have the money there's something more important it needs to be spent on, haha. So, I have to content myself with videos.

Yeah, believe me, I am far from okay with what does occur to the horses in these sports. It puts me at ease that They do get treated well, and are well loved and quite well known by the public over here, so uncared for horses are not an option either on raceday or at home in the stables, the public will not stand for it.

Yeah, it is a shame, a horse does not have the capability to live on 3 legs, even for a period of 3 - 6 months. As hard as vets try, and they do try very very hard, many breaks are too bad and the horse will have to be put down. And contrary to popular belief over here, it isn't a shotgun to the head... I can't believe this is still mentioned in this day and age.

Jumps racing is something you can really get your teeth into. Some jockeys aren't worth the time. Ruby Walsh. Stunning jockey, terrible excuse of a human being. Others, AP McCoy, Mick Fitzgerald, Barry Geraghty etc are all great men and great jockeys. I am glad that you are willing to sit down and talk about these things in a cool headed and approachable manner. It is refreshing. Many people will call for the heads of racegoers without talking to us, and finding out that care of the horses is key to what we enjoy. I wouldn't watch it and support it if horses were not cared for and not treated in a way that I feel is worthy of the tasks they are asked to do. Trainers are very good now a days at getting the horses into the correct races for them, the right fences or hurdles, the right distance with the ground type they will thrive on. They do their best to protect these animals, but bad things can happen. In football (soccer) a mistimed tackle can leave someone with a compound fracture of the leg. All sports have bad times.

'Horses are definitely graceful animals to watch, and watching them do something like jumping can be incredible! I am definitely interested in learning more' - This is so beautifully true! You have never seen a sight like it, a horse storming over that final fence, ears pricked, perfect jump, perfect landing and straight back into its stride, headed straight for that winning post! That is why I watch the sport!

If you are interested, here are some horses to watch over the jumps:

- Zarkandar
- Kauto Star
- Best Mate
- Desert Orchid (Buried at my local track it was that much of a hero)
- Balthazar King
- Ballabriggs

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Originally Posted by Spoons

The one horsey sport I really want to try is mounted archery. I have been trying to save for a bow for AGES, but as a starving college student every time I have the money there's something more important it needs to be spent on, haha. So, I have to content myself with videos.

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I hope this works out for you one day! It sounds awesome! Reminds me of Rome: Total War on my PC haha!

May I quickly point out, the death rate of jumps horses isn't spectacularly high.

157 of 6,650 jump horses who raced in 2012 died on racecourses.

Still 157 too many, but not as bad as many would think. Bearing in mind these horses will race 5 or 6 times a year.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...054e2592c7.jpg

Not a bad day. Would have had another £180 but Baby King clipped the final fence and messed up his stride pattern! Still happy :D

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...4c81103505.jpg

I might be getting a 10% share in this gorgeous animal, a close relative to Kauto Star, the third highest rated steeplechaser in all time, with £2.3mil in prizemoney. Related to Kauto Stone with £700k in prize money. This horses acrual father jas the third highest amount of wins in France with 44 wins, and also won £1.7mil. So he has a great family. Heres hoping he is the same :)

Beautiful animal eh!

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Originally Posted by Spoons

America. And to be totally honest working there gave me an extreme distate of horse racing as a sport. They treat those horses terribly, and 90% of the jockeys are absolute stuck up jerks who think they are the most important thing to happen to the industry, and there's a stereotype of drug use with them (and a not entirely unwarranted one). I do commend their abilities to be thrown from a horse and land on their feet, though.

It was a fun job, we were half casino too so there was much more to do than just with racing. And the people were always very interesting to say the least!

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Spoons, Are you from Indiana? Back home we have a half casino, half horse racing track in Fairland/ Shelbyville Indiana. Just curious :)

Hoosier Park her in Anderson is a good split casino too!


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Dammit, I wish we had casinos at our tracks! To be fair, the amount that punters put down on a big festival day is probably similar spent in big casinos haha! Crazy money gets bet! Im up £380 over the past 6 days ;)

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...9530ff2565.jpg

Huge shout out to my boss' lad, would never had thought this horse would have a chance. My boss' boy works as a journalist specialising in horses, he is becoming an excellent tipster!

Now the big question, the Betfair Chase at Haydock on saturday? Can Cue Card make a comeback from injury to beat Dynaste and Silviniaco Conti?! Conti owes me, was awfully poor last time out!

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...9cc6352cc1.jpg

Silviniaco Conti does it again! 2nd time winning the Betfair Chase! What an awesome horse, I've not seen many as good as he is! He will bag the King George on boxing day, I'd put a few quid on that! Special horse. Him and Balthazar King, my two faves over the fences!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/horse-racing/30553581 More laws coming in place to stop the use of steroids in British horse racing, these laws are already in place, these are just going to implement harsher penalties for those horses and trainers involved in breaching them!

26th Dec 2014! The King George Chase at Kempton Park (My local track) and Silviniaco Conti does it again! This horse is incredible! 2nd win of the King George, highest rated horse in training right now, in a great yard! The Gold Cup seems his for the taking! My next reptile, more than likely a Crestie, is going to be called Conti in respect of this horse!

I'm not sure how many people read this anyway, but I will keep it updated for any who are interested!

Great news from Ireland as Hurricane Fly wins his 5th Irish Champion Hurdle (a record), and also earns his 22nd victory at Grade 1 (a record) and keeps his record at Leopardstown 10 for 10 (a record). What a horse this is, odds have been slashed to about 8/1 for the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March and aslo given Ruby Walsh something to think about regarding who to ride?! Hurricane Fly or Faugheen?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/horse-racing/30972034

On a more sour note, the awesome Long Run has been ruled out for the remainder of the season, here's hoping he makes a good recovery and can come back as good as he was!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/horse-racing/30871822


Also, my horse is looking really good! Training is going perfectly and he is really enjoying his jumping! Hopefully get to see him on the track sometime in Feb/March!

Well... Rather sad news over the past week and a bit here. The legendary, 19 time consecutive champion Jump jockey AP McCoy is retiring at the end of the season! He will make it 20 championships in a row, that is the whole of his professional career!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUSejn6im44

Have to post that there again, just for anyone who is interested in getting a look at what AP does and why he is so incredible. 4300+ winners over fences is just remarkable! I doubt I will ever see a jockey as good as he is over the jumps, the man is a master!

In other news, Sire De Grugy should be running at Chepstow in preparation for Cheltenham which is about 20 days away now! Lie Forrit demolished the field in the Grand National Trial, also won me £190, so I was very happy! Al Ferof has been ruled out of Cheltenham after minor surgery. Ptit Zig was bidding to make it 5 wins from 5 races over the chase fences but unfortunately fell half way, luckily both jockey and horese are perfectly fine and he will be heading down to Cheltenham!

You are all up to date :)

There was some talk in this thread about the differences in American racing and European racing in terms of drugs used and when they can be used. Here is a little article about some new legislation coming into British racing. Very good news! These kind of things are already in place, but this is just tightening them up. http://www.rte.ie/sport/racing/uk/20...2490-steroids/

6 days away from undoubtedly the biggest racing festival of all of Europe, most likely the world. CHELTENHAM! 70,000 people will pack the grandstands over 4 days, a total of 280,000 will attend, with millions watching on TV and listening on the radio.

The Champion Hurdle could turn out to be one of the best races the festival has ever seen. The newcomer, Faugheen, looking to make his mark on the racing world, the old warriors, Hurricane Fly and Jezki, battling it out at Cheltenham again! And adding to the mix, The New One.


Conti will be running in a hotly anticipated Gold Cup. Sire De Grugy and Sprinter Sacre will lock horns once again in the Champion Chase. Un De Sceaux looking to become a champion in the Arkle.

This is the 4 biggest days in the racing calendar, a perfect event to sink your teeth into if you are new to the sport!

Here is a photo, looking down the famous hill! What a sight!

http://www.bluechiphospitality.com/w...0General-0.jpg

So a month ago, AP McCoy announced he will be retiring. Yesterday, the 3 time champion flat jockey, Richard Hughes, also announced this would be his last season in the saddle! I will miss him, he was the first jockey to capture my passion! He rode so perfectly, his timing is incredible, his style is so distinct. Would never force a horse to run if he knew his shot was gone, would nurse it home. Perfect jockey, he will be a huge miss.

If you fancy watching the man himself, watch him in the Sussex Stakes on Toronado against Dawn Approach. Or Night Of Thunder, or the only horse to even get close to the legendary Frankel, Canford Cliffs.

Here's to you Hughsie! :gj:

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/...Hughes_wit.jpg

Well, today is the day! Day 1 of Cheltenham Festival 2015!

I've placed over £200 in bets for the first day, the bookies are running scared of the Mullins/Walsh partnership, and as they should! This could well be their best day they have had at the Festival for a long time!

Douvan, Un De Sceaux, Faugheen and Annie Power! If they come in, the bookies will suffer their worst day for a long time!

I've avoided the first 3, gone for L'Ami Serge, Vibrato Valtat and Hurricane Fly in them races respectively.

I cannot wait for it to start today, my favourite day of the whole year, no doubt!

http://img.rasset.ie/000a4641-642.jpg

Here they are. The boys themselves. Mullins and Ruby Walsh! Ruby is the leading jockey at the Festival with 25 wins, he could very well extend that to 29 today if all goes to plan! That track is stunning too!

http://img.rasset.ie/000a4682-642.jpg

Douvan storms away with the win, made it look easy!




http://img.rasset.ie/0009a3b4-642.jpg

This was a demolition. Un De Sceaux ran away with this, never left the front, perfect jumping! Amazing!


Ruby Walsh and Willie Mullins owning the first day so far, looking like it could continue! Brilliant couple of races!

Druids Nephew with a great run race, I had him at 9/1. Beautiful jumping!

http://img.rasset.ie/000a46c5-642.jpg





Now the big one!

http://img.rasset.ie/000a45fe-642.jpg

And the rumours are true. Very VERY true! Faugheen the Machine! Demolished a field of 4 of the best hurdlers I have seen, and who between them shared 3 Champion Hurdles, and not far off 30 grade 1 victories!

WHAT A HORSE!

Well I'm in shock.

Last horse of the Mullins / Walsh quadruple to go off strong favourite, Annie Power, 11 wins from 12 races, 5 lengths clear at the final fence, going to win by 10, it is clear! And she clips the hurdle and collapses in a heap on the floor... Both horse and Jockey are fine, but that slip cost me £915 in winnings.

http://img.rasset.ie/0009c06d-642.jpg

Here she is 2nd to last hurdle...

Congratulations to Glens Melody, winning after losing to the legendary Quevega last time out in the same race.

It has become clear what happened with Annie as she came to the last. Had no horses next to her to judge the jump by, and seeing as the sun was so low, the shadow cast by the fence was what saw and what she tried to jump. She is perfectly fine, the fall was very heavy but she is none the worse for it! William Hill estimates the money saved by that was closer to £50,000,000.

Here is a video of the final fence and run to the finish, such drama. DO NOT VIEW THIS IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO SEE A HORSE FALLING!

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/h...-power-5307576


On the second day there was even more drama! In the cross country, Toutencarmont pulled left over a big fence, and took out Quantitiveeasing with him, smashing through the rail and right into a cameraman, who fortunately dived at the last moment, possibly saving his life!

Here is an image from that incident! Will be cool to see if the photographer has any on his camera of the horses storming towards him!

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/...Cheltenham.JPG

I had a bad day in the betting, a lucky 63, in which one pulled out, three placed and only one won.

Very happy for Dodging Bullets in the Champion Chase, it was well deserved! Shame that this will more than likely be the end for one of the best 2 mile Chasers in history. Sprinter Sacre! Was pulled up 3 from home, Barry said he didn't feel right and didn't want to risk him!

Here's to you lad, you was amazing to watch!

http://bookmakers.co.uk/wp-content/u...nter-Sacre.jpg

I can't believe I missed the update of the Friday at Cheltenham! The Gold Cup day! The biggest race in British jumps racing! £315,000 in prize money, The Gold Cup!

Who did we have lining up?

Silviniaco Conti - been here twice before, lost both times! Had the best season of his life so far, is always dominant!

Djakadam - Willie Mullins / Ruby Walsh team up again!

Road To Riches - Bryan Cooper on his powerful Gigginstown House horse!

Many Clouds - Oliver Sherwood has seen a bit of a comeback season after some poor ones recently!


The race went as expected, top draw jumping, no mistakes from anyone! All grouped up close! This is how they normally go, we had the big hitters sat in midfield, the novice Coneygree was fronting the field, pushing them on at quite a solid pace.

Coming round the final bend, pretty much all but 3 were out! Conti was dead on his feet, Many Clouds was no where to be seen! Coneygree, Djakadam and Road To Riches were staying on!

Over the last! Coneygree is still there, Road To Riches and Djakadam are reeling him in!

Not fast enough! CONEYGREE! First novice in over 40 years to win the gold cup! What a performance! His jumping was impeccable, his front running speed was awesome, and Nico De Boinville on board done everything he needed to guide him home! Great jockey, really underrated, hopefully he picks up some better rides due to this!

http://e2.365dm.com/14/11/660x350/co...20141128143855

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/image...ham_empics.jpg

http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_f..._940/image.jpg



I love that last photo, great shot!

Some great videos here from the Channel 4 Racing team, shows Paul Nicholls' fabulous 4 in all their Cheltenham Glory!



The Legends - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C235lhMMcw

Kauto Star - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoIZUg_G9lY

Master Minded - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awhtRllGXYA

Denman - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFrCMZ1X_-o

Big Bucks - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUXKWsoqMJA



These are all well worth the watch, if you want to get a feel for them, then I'd watch Kauto or Big Bucks, the two best in their respective fields. Steeplechasing and Hurdles. As mentioned in one of the videos, you have to be in your 60's to have witnessed Arkle in all his glory, but Kauto Star came very close to the magnificence of Arkle, and was enjoyed by millions of people all over Britain!

Some of the videos do show horses taking some tumbles, rest assured, all of these get up and were okay.



In other news, Davy Russell has been axed by Jim Culloty, after claiming that Davy wasn't good enough... Complete rubbish, but that is Jim for you, complete idiot. The news just gets worse for Russell, took a fall at Gowran and suffered a broken arm!

Barry Geraghty is out of the Grand National meeting, after suffering a fall at Punchestown and sustaining a hairline fracture in his Tibia. He hopes to make it back for th e Punchestown Festival. Big knock for any Druids Nephew fans, I had a great feeling about him for this years National, but without Barry on the back, I'm not sure how it will go.

http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/...557-563048.jpg

Barry on The Druids Nephew above.


AP McCoy has also announce he will probably retire there and then if he wins the Grand National on April 11th. He has a great shot, Shutthefrontdoor has proved himself a big contender and will most likely go off second, with my bet of the Festival, Balthazar King, going off second favourite.

On the topic of Balthazar King, his trainer claims he is doing great work at home, but hasn't been on the track since a cross country event in November over in France. However, a fresh Balthazar King, is a dangerous Balthazar King! It will be a great day, the build up has me excited already!

Saturday 28th March 2015. The most lucrative horse race the world has ever seen! $10,000,000 in prize money for one race, the Dubai World Cup!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubai_World_Cup

Meydan Racecourse in Dubai will be the host, the evening also holds many other prestigious races, on a night where there is $28,000,000 in prize money up for grabs!

The Americans are sending over their hero, California Chrome! In my opinion he is over-rated, but lets see what he can do on the dirt of Meydan! He faces some very stiff opposition in the way of African Story, last years winner and Epiphaneia, the winner of the Japan Cup! African Story will be in the excellent hands of James Doyle, whose record around Meydan over the past 30 days reads:

Race date, time	Horse	Distance	Fin pos	Trainer	Prize money
07 Mar 15, 4.05	Hunter's Light (IRE)	1m 1f	1 / 12	S bin Suroor	£629,309
07 Mar 15, 3.30	African Story (GB)	1m 2f	1 / 9	S bin Suroor	£839,078
07 Mar 15, 2.55	Sky Hunter (GB)	1m 4f	1 / 10	S bin Suroor	£150,001
26 Feb 15, 6.15	Tha'ir (IRE)	1m 2f	2 / 12	S bin Suroor	£95,215
26 Feb 15, 3.55	Local Time (GB)	1m 1f 110y	1 / 5	S bin Suroor	£524,427

Well, Chrome couldn't do it in Meydan. He was beaten by the 8yo Godolphin horse, trained by Saeed bin Suroor, Prince Bishop. He was last of the pack most of the way. Had to come very wide of the pack to hit the front late on and was like a steam train! Flying round the bend! No excuses for Chrome really. Bad draw, but no doubt had an easier race than some of the others around him and had a much easier race than the winner. Connections are now saying they want to take him to Ascot... Bad choice. He will not beat the best of the British on our turf. We run on it day in, day out. We know our turf, know who rides it well, and have a proven track record on it. Also Chrome minus the Lasix... I don't know haha!

Anyway. The Irish national was held at Fairyhouse this weekend. It was won by 20/1 shot, Thunder and Roses, ridden by Katie Walsh. Sister of Irish Champion Jockey, Ruby Walsh.

http://img.rasset.ie/000a6662-642.jpg

Good looking horse!




Looking forward, we have the Crabbies Grand National race coming up. Held over 4 mi, 3 f, 110 yd (7,141m) it is a slog! 40 horses, 30 fences and a huge day of betting for Britain!

My money is on Balthazar King! Stunning horse, amazing cross country horse, best jumper I have ever seen and has proven stamina when finishing 2nd last year! But, this is the national. Anything can happen, and it often does!

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/...lation-008.jpg

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/...t_2194556b.jpg

The final declarations for the race will be announced on Thursday.

I will keep you all updated when they are out so you can place your bets ;)

Firstly, let me get the sad news over and done with. We lost 2 great horses over these 3 days of festival. Firstly Balder Succes, fell in the Melling Chase and badly injured his shoulder. The vets could not save him and had to put him down early yesterday morning.

We also sadly lost Seedling, in the first race of national day. At a fast gallop down the straight, he hit the last hurdle and fell. Fatally injuring himself and dying instantly. Very distressing scenes and terrible for all those involved. My condolences go out to them.

Now, onto the racing! On the Thursday we saw Silviniaco Conti back to winning ways in the Betfred Bowl. Was a pretty straight forward race for him, you could see he was still a bit tired from Cheltenham but his jumping was perfect and did all asked of him! Top horse!

We also saw Jezki vs Arctic Fire, not the same race after Hurricane Fly pulled out but still a good standard! The two stalked the field until 3 out when Ruby and AP let their mounts go. And go they did! Nose to nose coming up to the last and Fire takes a tumble, a heavy one! He hinders Rock on Ruby at the same time! Jezki makes it an easy 12 length win! Arctic Fire got up and is perfectly okay!

On the Friday we have the big race of the day, the Melling Chase! Champagne Fever, Al Ferof, Balder Succes, Don Cossack, Cue Card! Top race!

Unfortunately we lose Balder at the third, and he is fatally injured, but the race carries on, Champagne Fever is looking strong, as is Cue Card and Don Cossack! The race comes down the back straight and everyone is losing ground on Don Cossack! He eases home to a 26 length win!

National day!

39 starters in the National this year, one pulled out late on! Rocky Creek, Shutthefrontdoor, Balthazar King, Monbeg Dude, Oscar Time, Pineau Du Re, Soll!

So many top horses to choose from! The first fence claims 3 riders! Many still going strong!

Fence 8, Balthazar King takes a tumble! Reaches for the fence, really unusual for him to make a jumping mistake! As he is getting back up, Ballycasey storms over the jump and clatters into King... I thought the worst. I had lost my bet, but that was the last thing on my mind. I thought I had just witnessed the death of one of my favourite horses. The screens go up and the vets come rushing.

Many fallers, brought downs and pull ups over the next 2 1/2 miles! One still going markedly strong is Many Clouds! He needs it after his poor run in the Gold Cup!

Final fence, he clears it easily, on the run in you can see he is never going to get caught! Beautiful win, 2nd National in a row for Leighton Aspell, first national win for Oliver Sherwood!

http://img.rasset.ie/000a6c47-642.jpg

Balthazar King is surviving currently. He is suffering a concussion and 4 broken ribs. He looks like he will pull through. He is an incredibly tough horse, so I have full faith in him doing so. Heart goes out to the Philip Hobbs team and all connections of Balthazar.

Lastly, but most importantly, an update on the Robbie McNamara situation. He took a massive fall at Wexford on Friday. 8 broken ribs, punctured lung, bleeding in the lungs and chest cavity and a broken T11 vertebrae.

He went into surgery on Saturday for the spinal issues, which are now stabilised. The other injuries will recover in time, but really don't help with his recovery of the back problem. Only 26 years old. Here's to a full recovery! Good Luck Robbie!

http://img.rasset.ie/000a6c62-642.jpg

Hope to see you like this again one day soon!

Today has been a good day! I have won a few bets and have some more to look forward to currently.

Even better, Balthazar King is doing very well. Confirmed broken ribs and some pretty nasty bruising, but no internal bleeding or any other injuries of note. Hope he will come out of this as great a horse as he was before!

Also, Robbie McNamara is recovering very well after surgery on his spinal injuries! This is great news, providing the after care is okay, he will be good to race again!

My horse has a race coming up, got an eye on 5 races that we can enter him in. First ever run, will be nice to get him on the track and see what he can do!

Well. We have had the trials for the two big races coming up, not too sure what anyone has really learned from it.

Tiggy Wiggy, a star over the sprint distances as a two year old was moved up to 7 furlongs to see if she could go further an possibly compete in the 1000 guineas. She was third, was coming back at the front two in the end, so maybe a mile will suit.

The 2000 guineas is wide open, I am a big fan of Ivawood, and he has won me some money too. He also came third in the 2000 guineas try out but hey, it was a seasonal reappearance so we will let it slide.

The last week of AP McCoy's career is drawing up. He has been doing interviews left right and centre. Will be strange not seeing his name in the racecard or in his normal spot, glued to the top of the Champion jockey standings! Will be a sad day at Sandown, his last race. Can't really believe it to be honest, but everyone has their day, and he was lucky enough to get his through choice and not injury or worse.

Hopefully he doesn't take a tumble in these coming days and can retire in peace!

Edit: Balthazar King, the horse who got clattered by another in the National is doing fine. 4 broken ribs so he is uncomfortable but getting on well, out to grass and walking fine. Great news!

Okay! The Conditional Jockey Championship is heating up! As of right now, Sean Bowen is on 46 and Nico De Boinville is on 43. Hopefully both will attend Sandown Park on Saturday and finish of their little feud there!

Sean is only 17, unreal that he has hit nearly 50 over the jumps at that age! He has a bright career in front of him! Nico Has had 20 less rides than him however, mainly due to being 2nd choice behind Barry Geraghty, but he has had his time to shine since Barry broke a leg recently.

Some pundits are calling AP McCoy the greatest sportsman ever... I thought it was a stretch but 'To be at the top of his profession for over 20 years and yet to undergo the injuries and falls, I think generations to come will look back and say there has never been anyone like AP McCoy.'

That is pretty impressive. 20 years champion jockey, hundreds of horrific injuries, and over 4,350 winners over jumps... When the next closest hasn't even topped 3,000 yet! That is very special!

I really doubt we will see another... He is a true legend.

http://img.rasset.ie/000a7999-642.jpg

Yesterday was a sad day. AP was very obviously upset walking into the 3rd place spot in his final race! He did say he was crying behind the goggle crossing the line and you can understand why! 25 years of his life, spent bleeding and sweating for the sport he loved!

16,000 rides, 4,348 wins, an estimated 1,000 falls! Incredible stats! If you do not follow the sport it may not sink into you how incredible of a person he is! It is going to be so incredibly strange looking at a racecard and NOT seeing AP at the top!

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/image...tive_weeks.png

He is in my opinion, one of the greatest sportsmen to have ever lived. His level of dedication is unrivaled, his passion is unmatched! I hope to see him in a position of power soon, be it trainer or pundit! Words can't really express how much of a loss he is to racing. He has played a hugeeee part in its popularity in the UK, his last day sold out Sandown Park, just to see him turn up! I don't really know what to say.. Apart from WATCH THESE!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUSejn6im44

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12M7lu4K5mM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPK6XsWgQiE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0xbT81CYTk

Mountain Tunes and Tony McCoy! Now launching a tremendous attack on the outside! HE'S DONE IT! What a Hero, What a sportsman, What a jockey! 4,000 up for AP McCoy!

I will never, ever forget that moment! Thanks for the trip AP x

http://www.colorsport.co.uk/media/cm...nationa-26.jpg

I doubt any has followed this, but I enjoyed doing it haha! It has been an awfully long time since I last updated it.

Much has changed! Jumps have stopped, ground is too hard to be safe, so we are well underway with the flat!

Two horses have emerged as the best around! Golden Horn and Gleneagles!

http://e2.365dm.com/15/06/768x576/ho...20150606175851

Golden Horn is a stunning horse and well deserved of his success! He is going for the Coral Eclipse at Sandown Park on Saturday, and I cannot wait to watch him do what he does best!

Wonderful for his jockey too, Frankie Dettori, known the world over and has now got his career back on track again! Banned for 6 months after a positive Cocaine test, not riding much and when he was riding, it was never a winner! Such a great character to have back in the spotlight and back in the winners enclosure!

Fun time Frankie is back for good!

I will keep this short, as far too much has gone by now, I will try keep on top of it again.

Here are the best races of the year so far:

Investec Derby: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eygquDTqRHo

2000 Guineas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVQF_Md-dLU

1000 Guineas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuuDtiLACdY

Northumberland Plate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMrygLrJhdw

Awful news.

The horse who started it all for me, Kauto Star has had to be put to sleep.

Last Wednesday, in the paddock where he is currently being retrained for dressage, he suffered a fall and broke some vertebrae and his pelvis. He was treated at the Veterinary hospital nearby, but the decision was taken by his owner today, at 9am to put his to sleep. He had deteriorated over the week and was likely to never be able to walk again, after the back/neck injury. This is something that is just not possible for a horse.

https://retiredracehorseblog.files.w...94639092_o.jpg

Here he is (Near side, Green/Yellow spotted silks) doing what he does best!

The horse who set numerous records, 16 grade ones over fences, 2 Gold Cup wins, 5 King Georges, 4 Betfair Chases! All of these successes along with the Tingle Creek make him racing's poster boy! Wins over 2 Miles all the way up to 3 1/4 Miles, this horse had it all! I have posted multiple times about him, I cannot express to you what he means to me and many other who follow racing. Honestly devastated about this.

I take great pride in part owning his nephew, a horse who also bears the instantly recognisable Kauto name! Kauto Riko!

RIP Kauto Star, you won't be forgotten.

Golden Horn does it again! This horse is so incredible. One of the best flat horses I have ever seen, and it makes it even better that Frankie Dettori is riding him and John Gosden is training him! The trainer who gave the jockey his first wins, now reunited on the back of 3 grade 1 successes in a row! The owner has said that Golden Horn will be retired at the end of the year. This is a real shame. He is horse that has great potential as a 4yo. Problem is, the stud value of these horses is so high right now, if he loses on race then that could be £25k wiped off his stud fee in one race. Even worse, god forbid the horse get injured!

http://c.files.bbci.co.uk/C1F7/produ...694_golden.jpg

Here he is, in his famous colours, being chased home by The Grey Gatsby, who showed what a class horse he was! Very brave, lasted very long under a clever ride by Jamie Spencer!

Word on the street is Golden Horn will now be rested and will go to the Prix De L'arc De Triomphe, and try to stop Treve from winning it a record 3 times!

Bit of an update! Golden Horn is now rated 130 by the BHA! This is only the second time in history a horse has reached this rating as a 3yo, and that was the best horse in history.

Frankel.

Golden Horn probably has two races left in, the King George and the Prix De L'arc De Triomphe, providing the ground suits on both occasions!

As he currently stands, he is the highest rated horse in the world, he is even 2lbs heavier than American Triple Crown hero, American Pharaoh. His rating will progress if he does well over the next two races, but I cant see him doing any better than 135, far from Frankels 140 rating. I personally don't think there is any doubt that he is the best horse in the world, and he has been a pleasure to watch these past two years!


http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/...2_3332505b.jpg

Has been far too long since I updated this...

Jump racing is well underway. And one of the prime jumps meetings is only a few days away. The Christmas Festival at Kempton Park! Some real juicy Grade 1's up for grabs here! The King George... Can Conti win it 3 years in a row? Probably not. Well beaten by Cue Card in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in Nov. So happy to see Cue Card firing again. As sad as it was seeing the colours of Silivinaco Conti lowered at Haydock, I am so happy it was by Cue Card... Does Cue Card Stand a chance in the King George? I'd say a similar chance as Conti does.

Now onto the favourites. The Irish raiders. Don Cossack and Vautour. I don't subscribe to Vautour. Jumps right, jumps poor and I think he will be found out here. I've been wrong in the past, but I am firm in my belief of this. Don Cossack, he needs to beat a field like this to be considered as good as he is. Don't think much of the Irish string if I am honest. And if Smad Place shows up in the mood he di at Newbury for the Hennessy Gold cup then none of them will pass him. That performance was astonishing. Against a good field too, Bobs Worth, Saphir Du Rheu, Fingal Bay, The Giants Bolster, Houblon Des Obeaux. He ran from the front, jumped like a demon and stayed on... Brave ride form Wayne Hutchinson. He is such a striking horse, I felt so much emotion as he jumped the last and kept on. Amazing day!

http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/...8/11677247.jpg

Find me a better looking horse than that! Memories of Desert Orchid? Oh yes!

Then the Christmas Hurdle. Faugheen. Not the same air of brilliance as previously seen. He has been defeated. Nicholls Canyon tucked him in with great determination. Faugheen did nothing wrong, just met a better horse on the day! I have no doubt that Willie will have him in better shape now than a month ago, but this is against a good field. The New One, who I cannot believe that Sam Twisotn-Davies has given his ride up on, Old Guard, the horse Sam has chosen to ride. It is between them three really, don't see Hargam or Sign Of A Victory coming close.

http://lbnewsng.s3-eu-west-1.amazona...71826276-1.jpg

Should be an excellent days racing.

Real shame about Coneygree getting that injury for the season. That was another balls to the wall front runner with no fear. Sad he won't be fit in time to defend his Gold Cup crown!




Also, a special mention to a true Racehorse. Red Cadeaux. Globe Trotter, Australian hero, Fan favourite. Excellent horse, such a sad end to an excellent and decorated career. So sorry for the connections of the horse, and a big thanks to the vets for the work they did. Real shame it ended how it did.

http://1v1d1e1lmiki1lgcvx32p49h8fe.w...ed-Cadeaux.jpg