For the horse racing buffs on here.. I thought i would set this up. Can anyone name the (national hunt) horse, who 5 of his 11 career wins came at Cheltenham... Hint, he jumped hurdles and not fences. In the last 10 years!
katchit, well done. Small little horse, massive heart. Q. What was odd about Jonjo O'Neill being top jockey at the Cheltenham festival in 1984? no googling
Any chance mod's can take out the 'quiz' in the title of this thread please? See Flemenstar has left peter caseys yard, i feel sorry for the old man but it was the right thing to do..... He is now with Tony Martin, which was perhaps not the right thing to do - rogue trainer. But his chances at grade 1 level this season will benefit now no doubt. http://www.rte.ie/sport/racing/irish/2013/0920/475415-casey-confirms-flemenstar-exit/
confirmed today- http://www.racingpost.com/news/hors...1550167/latest/#newsArchiveTabs=last7DaysNews HUNT BALL is to join Nicky Henderson when he returns to Britain, further strengthening the hand of a trainer bookmakers believe is a near certainty to retain the title he won for a third time last season. Henderson already has a star-studded list of chasers that, besides brilliant two-miler Sprinter Sacre, already features another exceptional young talent in Simonsig as well as Gold Cup winners Long Run and Bobs Worth. Hunt Ball will go into quarantine next week before joining Henderson and the trainer, 1-5 with Ladbrokes for the title, said: "I am delighted to have been asked to train him and am looking forward to the challenge. "No decisions have been made about this season. After his quarantine we may give him another break when he gets here, we'll see. "You can only say ‘yes' when asked to train a popular horse like him. The American project was a great idea, but my feeling is that he is better suited to an English fence than American obstacles." Hunt Ball was sold by colourful owner Anthony Knott in May and left the yard of Keiran Burke to be trained in the US, but the move has not worked out and the news he is returning to Britain this year came after another dismal effort in the $250,000 Grand National at Far Hills at the weekend. Hunt Ball will continue to race for US-based syndicate Atlantic Equine.
Imperial could make comeback in Hennessy By Peter Scargill 1:14PM 21 OCT 2013 A SLIP down the handicap could result in former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander making his return in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury next month. Trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies for the Our Friends In The North syndicate, Imperial Commander returned from nearly two years off with injury to finish a gallant second in the Argento Chase at Cheltenham in January. RELATED LINKS Gold Cup betting Grand National betting The 12-year-old missed the Gold Cup, won by last year's Hennessy winner Bobs Worth, with a lung infection and was pulled up on his final outing in the Grand National. However, refreshed after his summer break, Imperial Commander is back in training with Twiston-Davies and a shot at the Hennessy on November 30 is under strong consideration by connections, although the Betfair Chase at Haydock, the last race Imperial Commander won in 2010, is another option. Carl Llewellyn, assistant to Twiston-Davies, told At The Races: "He's been back in for a couple of months now and it's all going smoothly so far. We got him back earlier this year than we have done previously. So far so good, he hasn't missed a day. "There's [the Betfair Chase] or maybe the Hennessy. There's talk about the Hennessy because his handicap mark has dropped now. He's on 153, so he might go there." Should the Betfair Chase be the preferred option for Imperial Commander, it is likely he will clash with another former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner in Long Run. Long Run has finished second in the Betfair Chase for the past two seasons and could warm up for the race this season in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on November 2. Robert Waley-Cohen, owner of the eight-year-old, wrote on Twitter: "Long Run well forward and did good work on grass [on Saturday]. Contemplating running first at Wetherby in [the] Charlie Hall before going to Haydock." Set to line up against Long Run in the Charlie Hall is Unioniste. Trainer Paul Nicholls said of the December Gold Cup winner: "He has done very well over the summer and is in good shape. He is year older and wiser now and we are very happy with him, but he has got to step up on what he has accomplished so far." Nicholls also plans to send Tidal Bay to Wetherby to defend his crown in the bet365 Hurdle. The 12-year-old has not been seen since winning the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown in December due to a stress fracture of the lower cannon bone on his right hind leg, but Nicholls said: "Tidal Bay is in good form. He has come back from his injury well and I am very happy with him. "I am going to get Wetherby out the way first and then make a plan after that." http://www.racingpost.com/news/hors...1550283/latest/#newsArchiveTabs=last7DaysNews
http://www.racingpost.com/news/live.sd?event_id=1107882&category=0 Gold Cup hero Denman recovering from infection By Racing Post staff 12:45PM 23 OCT 2013 RETIRED Gold Cup winner Denman is recovering from a life-threatening infection after spending five months in veterinary hospital, his owner Paul Barber has revealed. The 2008 Gold Cup winner spent five months in Newmarket Equine Hospital but has now been released and is making good progress, Barber said. However, the 13-year-old was in a "touch and go" situation while receiving treatment. Speaking to BBC Somerset, Barber said: "He's not been particularly well and I've had him in Newmarket veterinary centre for five months. "He got an infection in the bone, that's why he had to go to Newmarket. Once we cured this bone problem, he had a problem with his blood, an infection in the blood. "He is making headway. I can only hope for everybody who loves Denman he makes it to the other end." Denman, 13, has been released from hospital and returned to the care of Charlotte Alexander, the rider with whom he was based prior to his hospitalisation. "I was up to see him the other day and he is making head way. He has a horrible piece of swelling around his fetlock joint which is going down every week, Charlotte tells me now. I can only pray and hope that he will make a full recovery," Barber added. Alexander told the Racing Post that she was working with veterinary surgeon Ian Wright on returning Denman to good health. "We are aiming to get him fit to go hunting and so far he's responding extremely well to exercise," Alexander said. "He's in very good form and is bucking, he's out of the pen and back out in the field with the other horses. It's a slow road to getting him fit because he takes an enormous amount of getting fit. "He's walking out really well and I've just got to harden his legs, it always takes time. I get horses fit the old fashioned way with lots of road work. So far he is doing extremely well and looking extremely well. We're hoping that he'll make a full recovery." In addition to his Gold Cup victory, Denman, trained by Paul Nicholls, won a total of 13 races under rules including two Hennessy Gold Cups and a Lexus Chase in the course of a glittering career. He became famous for a punishing galloping style, which earned him the nickname 'The Tank', and a long-running rivalry with his next-door neighbour at Nicholls' Ditcheat yard, Kauto Star. He was successfully treated for an irregular heartbeat in 2008 and was retired from racing in December 2011 after a minor tendon injury was discovered.
A horse called Pendra won a beginners chase at Carlisle for Charlie longsdon today. This fello was classy over hurdles, and is bred to be better over fences. He's one to watch this season. 2 miles today looked a bit on the sharp side for him, but he flopped over 2m 5f at Cheltenham in March. Which makes me think he's more of an aintree horse. Be interesting to see what trip he runs over though. PENDRA