I'm confused. What has The Duke and Kandidate got to do with Fremen? Please, be slow with me today...... i woke up and left my brain in bed, i think.

The Cambridgeshire is a race held at Newmarket later on this month.

Rested Reverence out of
Prix de l'Abbaye

by Jon Lees
.

REVERENCE, whose sprint campaign this year has been blighted by setbacks, will miss Sunday's Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp after connections decided not to run him again this year.

Last year's Nunthorpe and Betfred Sprint Cup is free of injury but owner Gary Middlebrook and trainer Eric Alston agreed at the weekend to give the gelding the rest of the season off and start afresh next year.

Reverence was beaten a neck by Desert Lord at Longchamp last year and would have appreciated the likely yielding conditions in Paris, but after three starts this term, the latest in the Nunthorpe Stakes in which he burst a blood vessel, his next race will be in 2008.

Alston said on Monday: “We've decided to leave the Abbaye and start again next year. There's nothing wrong with him. He's certainly been working well and the ground there would have suited but with him bleeding last time we thought it best to wait.
“He will go back to Gary's for a couple of months and then come to me before Christmas. Everything went to pot from the start this year with him getting an injury early on but hopefully he will come back stronger than ever.”

Reverence did not get back onto the racecourse until July and finished last at York in which the two-year-old Kingsgate Native beat Desert Lord, Dandy Man and Red Clubs, who could all feature in the 5f Abbaye.

**********

I know you like him, mmsc...... but i really am glad he won't race again this year. I hope he has a good long winter break and comes back next Spring better than ever.

He deserves a break. :)

Welcome back, Nell Gwyn!


Naas - Sunday 14 October
Going: N/A



17:00
17 Run Castlemartin Stud Ebf Garnet Stakes (fillies Listed)
Class 1, £75001.00 added, 3yo plus, £48825.00 penalty 1m
Back to Top

Form Horse Trainer Age Wgt Jockey
1(12) 28-7112 Cheyenne Star (IRE) Ms F M Crowley 4 9 6 J A Heffernan
2(2) 311715 Baby Blue Eyes (IRE) P J Flynn 4 9 4 D M Grant
3(1) 306961 Deauville Vision (IRE) M Halford 4 9 4 J P Murtagh
4(17) 114-060 bush maiden (IRE) Mrs S Hayes 7 9 1 D J Condon
5(15) 045303 Crossing W J Fitzpatrick 6 9 1 D J Moran
6(7) 356810 Impetious E Tyrrell 3 9 1 W J Lee
7(14) 080830 Lee Applause E P Harty 5 9 1 R P Cleary
8(16) 391034 Mooretown Lady (IRE) H Rogers 4 9 1 P Shanahan
9(10) 152223 Akua'Ba (IRE) J S Bolger 3 8 12 K J Manning
10(13) 229536 Dimenticata (IRE) K Prendergast 3 8 12 C D Hayes
11(5) 016-300 Divine Night (IRE) D Wachman 3 8 12 W M Lordan
12(11) 147 Dressmaker (USA) J M Oxx 3 8 12 M J Kinane
13(6) 125200 In Safe Hands (IRE) C G Cox 3 8 12 W J Supple
14(9) 170-020 Nell Gwyn :) (IRE) A P O'Brien 3 8 12 D R McCabe
15(8) 454414 Regalline (IRE) K Prendergast 3 8 12 D P McDonogh
16(4) 51350 Sandtime (IRE) J M Oxx 3 8 12 M C Hussey
17(3) 21814 Thoughtless Moment (IRE) D K Weld 3 8 12 P J Smullen


Betting Forecast: 3/1 Deauville Vision (IRE), 7/2 Cheyenne Star (IRE), 7/1 Baby Blue Eyes (IRE), Dimenticata (IRE), 8/1 Crossing, Thoughtless Moment (IRE), 12/1 Nell Gwyn (IRE), 14/1 bush maiden (IRE), Dressmaker (USA), Sandtime (IRE), Regalline (IRE), Divine Night (IRE), Lee Applause, Akua'Ba (IRE), Impetious, In Safe Hands (IRE), Mooretown Lady (IRE)

It was good to see Gold Edition win the Schillachi Stakes yesterday, what an amazing sprinter she is.

I'm not the first to say this, but I don't approve of the way her career has been managed. She's only 2 months in to her four year-old season and she's raced 34 times.

Not only has she, in my opinion, been raced far too many times, she has also started many times at distances beyond her preferred sprint distances.

She's won 17 races as it is, but I think if she'd been raced more sparingly and over her favourite distances she could be close to undefeated.

But maybe I'm mistaken, maybe she thrives on work. I apologise to her connections if that is the case, and I certainly hope it is.

That's a fair point.

But I do believe that more than 10 starts a year is too many...somewhere in between the two would be ideal obviously, somewhere around 7 or 8.

:(

dream passport
and
yukino sun royal
were retired.


ysr will be
a lead pony now.

Ummm, who?

Thanks for the Dream Passport news.....

Happy retirement.:)

Didn't know where else to put this, but i had to give Kitty Matcham a mention somewhere. Horatio's little half sister keeps improving and won the Rockfel today, which was won by none other than Finsceal Beo last year :)

Just to let anyone who is interested know that Alexandrova's half brother (by Montjeu) makes his debut at The Curragh tomorrow.

He goes by the names of Washington Irving.

Very happy Kitty won!

you start to see some classy O'Brien maidens at this time of year. had a nice winner today.. Kitty did very well yesterday, i was just about to back her and went against it thinking they were just hoping for a black type placing at 2..

Sorry, mmsc.....

Connections contemplate retirement for Maraahel



by Neil Morrice
.

CONNECTIONS of multiple Group-race winner Maraahel are contemplating retirement for the six-year-old following his defeat in the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained entire finished tenth of 12 starters in the Group 1 contest, beaten some 24 lengths by the winner Literato. He remains £9,065 short of £1 million in earnings from a 30-race career that has yielded seven Pattern-race wins but defeat at all 14 attempts at Group 1 level.

Although Maraahel was unable to adopt his favoured forcing tactics after missing the break for Richard Hills, owner Hamdan Al Maktoum's racing manager Angus Gold is not putting that forward as an excuse.

Gold said: "It didn't help, but we're certainly not using it as an excuse and you have to remember he's not getting any younger."

Maraahel, who in June beat Scorpion half a length in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, contested last season's Hong Kong Vase but is unlikely to be making any more forays abroad.

Gold added: "He hasn't run well the last two times and is not performing well enough to go to Hong Kong. I shall talk to Sir Michael and Sheikh Hamdan and we'll make a decision on his future after that."

Washington Irving only managed fourth. Being a Montjeu half brother to Alexandraova, he will no doubt require a stiffer test of stamina.

As a side note, King Jock won today. I'm not sure if a certain member here will like that news or not :p

I was actually gonna post the field and wish him luck.

NO hard feelings.... he's pretty damned good to have beaten my Ace-ie.:D

Good for him!

Will address the Maraahel (*sigh*) post later..... gotta go.

Maraahel isn't ready to be reitred..... hope they decide against it.

Thanks for posting the lovely pic of my good boy.

Silver Birch out for the season with a leg injury :(

Sad news. Gave her a thread in The Paddock section.




Stack filly Alexander Tango killed in freak accident


by Tony O'Hehir



ALEXANDER TANGO, winner of the Grade 1 Garden City Stakes at Belmont Park on September 8 for trainer Tommy Stack, has been killed in a freak accident while in quarantine in Kentucky.

Fozzy Stack, son of the filly's trainer, said Tuesday: "The accident happened during the night. The filly was out in a paddock at Woods Edge Farm, which is owned by Paul O'Callaghan, a nephew of Alexander Tango's owner, Noel O'Callaghan, when something frightened her and she jumped rails, fatally injuring herself."

Stack added: "It is a shame, as she was such a good filly, and we were all looking forward to racing her again next year."

Alexander Tango, a daughter of Danehill Dancer, won four of her 12 starts.

She won over 7f at the Curragh in 2006 before enjoying a successful three-year-old campaign, during which she landed the Group 3 Derrinstown Stud 1,000 Guineas over 1m at Leopardstown, the Listed Kilboy Estates Stakes over 1m1f at the Curragh, and the aforementioned Grade 1 over 1m1f in the US.

On what proved tobe her final start, she finished seventh of nine in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes over 1m2f, also at Belmont, three weeks after her career-best success at the same track.



Rest In Peace, good girl.

That's horrible, sorry to hear. :(

In a piece of good news, it doesn't look like I'm going to have to post a tribute to one of my favourite horses in the Angels thread any time soon:

Things were looking really bad a few days ago for Joker: http://www.racingandsports.com.au/ra...asp?NID=115179

But I've heard a recent update from the team that says he's "on the improve" and "veterinary team are hopeful". What a fighter he is.

Get well soon Joker.

Can any of the Aussie racing fans on here tell me if David Nolan is riding out there at the moment?

He is banned from racing here and i've heard he is working over there.

Can anyone spread any light on this?

Jesus I hope he'll be okay.

Poor boy.

Tragic about Alexander Tango.

Robert Alner (trainer of The Listener) is still in a critical condition in hospital this evening after the car he was driving left the road and hit a telegraph pole. The accident happened around 5am on Thursday morning as Alner was travelling to catch a train to France where he was due to inspect a horse with a view to purchase.

This evening he was due to undergo surgery to realign a broken bone in his neck, which was suffered in the crash. This was meant to take anywhere between three and five hours.

He is a very underrated trainer over here and fingers crossed he pulls through with no lasting effects from this accident.

i am looking
for news
on daves best.

did anyone hear
anything?

did u hear
about invasor
mmsc?

Yes.

What's happened with Invasor....... i feel slow

Mountain High retired to be NH stallion.

Group 1 winner Mountain High joins Coolmore N.H. ranks

Danehill and Hellenic’s Group 1-winning son Mountain High has been retired from racing and will stand under the Coolmore National Hunt banner at The Beeches Stud. Always highly regarded by his trainer Sir Michael Stoute, Mountain High recorded a career best when landing the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in May of this year from triple Group 1 winner Mandesha and Irish Wells with ‘Arc’ runner-up Youmazin back in fifth. He also won races at Chester, Newmarket and Ascot by margins of five lengths, five lengths and four lengths respectively.

Bred by Ballymacoll Stud, Mountain High is out of the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks winner and St. Leger runner-up Hellenic who has also produced two other Group 1 winners in the shape of Islington and Greek Dance.

“Mountain High is a very good-looking horse, with plenty of size and a great walk. He’s a Group 1 winner with a fantastic pedigree so we are extremely confident that he’ll prove to be very popular with breeders,” said Beeches manager Robert McCarthy. His fee will be announced at a later date.

Cheers to Takeover Target!!! :cool:



Takeover Target writes some more history

Saturday, 1 December 2007:

The history books will say Takeover Target carried 61 kilos but in reality he shouldered the weight of a racing industry devastated by equine influenza (EI) and looking to a champion to assure them everything would be alright again.

As he always has been, Takeover Target was up to the task.

The Joe Janiak-trained gelding was billed as the headline act for racing's return to Randwick on Saturday, the first non-restricted meeting in Sydney since the outbreak of EI in August.

In front of a huge crowd on an afternoon boasting a carnival atmosphere, the chunky bay with the white blaze relegated thoughts of the flu to a faraway place when he pinned his ears back and courageously chased down multiple Group One winner Dance Hero to again make the action on the track the centrepiece of racing.

The Arrowfield Stud Sprint (1200m) lived up to its promise with Dance Hero looking set to spoil the party when he scooted several lengths clear of Takeover Target halfway up the straight.

But the champion dug deep for Jay Ford and nailed the 2004 Golden Slipper winner by a long head.

The first two were in a race of their own with Pasikatera another 4-3/4 lengths away third.

"He just keeps amazing," said Ford, who revealed he could hear the crowd roaring in the straight.

"I thought he was vulnerable today. He didn't have race fitness underneath him and now he's older he usually takes one or two runs to hit his top.

"It probably wasn't his best victory but it was an important victory. Carrying 61 kilos, albeit not against the genuine depth of a Group One race, it shows how determined he is."

Trainer Joe Janiak described the win as "tremendous" and said he didn't feel any pressure coming into Saturday's race despite the public's expectations of Takeover Target who has become a cult figure after being bought for just $1,300 by Janiak and going on to become a world class sprinter.

"Not pressure. Just to get racing again is great," Janiak said.

I really wanted to race him in Melbourne over the carnival, there was a good race for him down there (Age Classic).

"It was a big disappointment not to be able to go there and then the match race (with Natural Destiny) got knocked on the head.

"I knew he'd finish his race off today. He's just a great horse."

Dance Hero was brave in defeat and his jockey Nash Rawiller said he thought he had the race won.

"I thought at the furlong (200m) we'd pinched it and a champion ran us down," Rawiller said.

The crowd lined the fence, 10 deep in places to applaud Takeover Target as he returned to scale and Janiak summed the moment up for most.

"It can't get any better can it."

Racing is back and so is Takeover Target.

Well Chief out for the season.

Unlucky horse has had so many little problems over the past couple of years, a great shame to hear the news this morning. He would have played a major part in many of the good two mile chases this season.

This does make things look easier for Voy Por now, and i know he has a few followers on here.

Ex Godolphin boy, Scriptwriter, makes his debut over hurdles for Howard Johnson at Hexham tomorrow.

they got rid
of him?

why are none
of u correcting
the paddock
ppl on the hk
thread?

are u that afraid
or is it not
woth it?

Rumours at the sales were that he wasn't 100% sound, and he didn't make as much as they might have expected either.

I will post you all a replay tomorrow if the race actually goes ahead. Ground at Hexham is already saturated and they are expecting a heavy frost over night.

Correcting, as in how?

Umm, he was never 100% sound, was he?

He did okay this year.... won a couple of nice races.

I'm a little worried... if you post the replay please just let me know that no one got hurt or i won't be watching it.

Good luck to him! Sweet boy.

Why don't you?

Hexham abandoned.....

What are you doing posting at this sort of time :eek:

I know very little about Scriptwriter, but i know they were saying he kept having little problems, hence why he didn't fetch as much as people expected at the sale.

He's gone to a top NH stable though and he should do well if he stays sound.

I was worried about Scriptwriter.....:D

* * *

I remember reading reports after he'd raced, always a lot of caution for lack of a better word, always sounded like they were holding their breath with him. I just got the idea he was especially fragile, that he had had issues.

Of course i could have my head up my.....

Yeah, I think that is the case with him.

He kept having these minor problems over and over again as far as I'm aware. Nothing serious, but they still kept him from racing when he was struck with them.

He has gone to a very powerful stable though, and he should do fairly well over hurdles if he is able to transfer his ability from the flat. Many useful horses don't manage to do that though. Mountain being an obvious recent example.