17 August 2017

Hollie Triumphs

Less than a week after replacing Michelle Payne at the last minute in the Shergar Cup at Ascot, this twenty-year-old apprentice claimed her first victory at Listed level. Hollie Doyle rode the Richard Hannon-trained Billesdon Bess to victory in the British Stallion Studs EBF Upavon Stakes at Salisbury yesterday, marking the biggest triumph of her career to date. Hollie Doyle kept the Dick Turpin filly handy as they tracked the leading pair, biding their time until a gap opened about a furlong out when they went into the lead inside final furlong and won by a comfortable length.

Luca Gooda!

This Luca Cumani-trained four-year-old has been in in top form this summer and looks set to make it three in a row at Salisbury today. Pacharana demolished a strong field in the Rainbow Casinos Cardiff Fillies' Handicap at Bath in July so it must have been tempting to up the ante and promote this daughter of Oasis Dream to Listed class but the four-year-old filly stays with handicap company for today's Class 2 EBF Breeders' Series Fillies' Handicap. Thes £30,000 prize money was clearly too much to resist and it is interesting to note that the newmarket trainer has made a special effort to recruit the services of Ryan Moore. As one might expect, the good money on offer has lured a number of other up-and-coming other fillies but Pacharana could be the one to come up trumps.

New Rules. A Non-Runner?

Yesterday the BHA published ten recommendations aimed at tackling the three categories that account for 90 per cent of non-runners after declaration time :– self-certificates, vets' certificates and going alterations. These new measures, following on last Wednesday's modern-day record of more than 100 non-runners on the day, are designed to even punish what the BHA considers to be a small number of repeat offenders, who, according to CEO, Richard Wayman do not “operate within the spirit of the rules”. These recommendations have received varying degrees of support from bookmakers, punters, trainers and jockeys. The Racehorse Owners Association, however, has criticised both the review process and at least one of the proposals that jockeys should be fully compensated for the loss of income incurred for a late non-runner.