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The stallion trail is open for registration . Studs are open Friday January 16 and Saturday 17, snow permitting. I believe the big annual racing quiz will be held Friday 16th in Lord Bagenal Hotel if anyone is interested. My plan is to hit Coolmore (pre registration required) Friday morning on...

The horse with the funny name has become the Apache Gold of the Summer jumps scene this past year in case you have missed it. Twenty starts since April 2024 have yielded 5 wins , 3 seconds, 5 thirds and one fourth placing. This horse has been racing at 0-100 level over hurdles and fences but...

Ten runners declared, three from UK. I am a little surprised to see Green Impact among the lot but he may as well take his chance, having little hope against the standard of milers around. Aiden has just the five so his stronghold may be broken this year.

I see HRI have introduced a 25k 2m4f Handicap Hurdle at Killarney for horses that have won /been placed in 110 handicap hurdles since after Punchestown Festival. Hurdle is top weight 120 rated to allow for penalties since any win. A lovely pot for summer hurdlers /I applaud them.

I see Slim has put up Kevin Prendergast's passing on the equine departures thread. Kevin has died 46 years to the day his father "Darkie " passed on, as Ardross failed to pass Le Moss in the Ascot Gold Cup. Kevin was champion Irish Amateur rider a few times in the early 1960s before he started...

Reaching High, owned by Charles and Camilla has it's first run with new trainer W P Mullins at Leopardstown Friday. Whether they spent a night drinking cheap wine in a back street bar hatching this plan is unknown, for now.

Always a good race meeting; I went there in 2002; Zenda and Landseer were victorious. Anyways a nice handicap at 2.15 sees Orandi return to the land of his birth for Tony Martin. Pity he drawn in the Seine as he could be a nice one for Colin Keane , especially if his French Claimer form was...

As I was piking silage to my few cattle this morning this thought struck me. What the racing world needs now is a racing thriller in the Dick Francis mould; far fetched but plausible. It involves a philanthropic gambler turned currency speculator whose racehorse empire has exceeded expectations...

Having heard this story during the summer I decided it is too good not to share; it is the feelgood story of feelgood stories. Names are omitted but educated guesses are welcome. Back in the bad 1980s , when depression was rife and people Ireland's greatest export even the elite in society had...

Racing Post these few days have articles on the headline makers of the first quarter of this century. RPRs of top 25 NH horses has Kauto Star top rated with Bristol de Mai at 25 and ne'er a sign of Hurricane Fly; WPM has only 3 of the top 25. John Randall's list of top 25 history makers has APOB...

Going all ticket for 2025. 35 Euro per day at the moment, weekend ticket for 60 or a punter's package 50 daily including entry, fiver bet, racecard, food voucher and a pint. Place the savings on Straight Home in Paddy Mullins Mares Hurdle Sunday if she makes the cut !

A J Martin looms large over Cheltenham this weekend. A lot of entries for a man just 2 weeks back in the job he could be the key to the weekend. Local lad Daniel King has really come of age as a jockey this year, so knows where to find the lollipop. Paddy Twomey /Billy Lee combine to give the...

So Stan Sheppard goes and writes a book about his racing life . Then he sponsors a race, a 2 mile (0-100) handicap chase at Hereford to promote his book "Slow Two Miler " . Finally he goes and wins the race with Famosa, ridden by his son Stan. Now that's what I call style ! Pity is he stole my...

This race is a hobby horse of mine. My father was a vet student sitting his final exams that week in Dublin. As a teenager collecting cigarette cards was the main past time. Derby winners, Grand National winners, different birds, plants etc were collected and swapped. Dad used his prodigious...

There will be one less WPM trained horse in every race this week owing to his overseas duties. That said , plenty of horses to go around. Rumours abound that Rachel may call it a day this week to start a family and appear on Dancing With The Stars. Whatever happens, it is a week to enjoy and...

Nina Carberry to contest Euro elections this year according to Racing Post. She is standing to represent the rural community to try maintain it. I hope her remit is to continue horse racing and breeding as a rural enterprise. This could be interesting, pity she is not standing in my constituency...

WPM has made something like 102 entries for the weekend, some 90 individual horses involved. Gordon has to settle for 78 or so. Barry Connell has 2 but Marine is one of those. A few non EU entries to add to the mix. Many here coming to join us for what can be quite a weekend ? 40 years almost...

5220 posts and counting, a lot of them are stories and memories from my racing life or what shaped it. Just to see who among you were paying attention the following quiz is a reminder of the fun I have had posting/ reading here, whatever about the rest of you . 1 Name the horse (stallion )...

I see Shark Hanlon has entered Hewick for the race. Ground dependant of course but he would make a proper race of it if back to form. If he could book Bryony Frost it could bring a Festive Cheer to Boxing Day. Imagine Shark and co hunting the wren that evening !

Pigsback.com have a limited offer for this meeting. 2 x Flexi tickets 45 Euro, a saving of 30 Euro.