COLIN and Joe Tizzard were back down to earth at Exeter yesterday with their first winner since last week’s memorable Cheltenham Festival double.
The Dorset father and son combination celebrated their biggest success so far when Cue Card strode clear in the Ryanair Chase, and trainer Colin also saddled up Brendan Powell junior to take the JLT Specialty Handicap Chase with Golden Chieftain.
The Carter Dawes Financial Planners 10th Anniversary Handicap Hurdle on a wet afternoon at Haldon Hill was not quite such an illustrious affair but Buckhorn Tom (2-1) showed plenty of fight to lose his maiden tag.
Allowed a clear lead, he was joined by the 6-4 favourite Umberto D’Olivate over the final three flights but was ignited by having company and went ahead again to collect by a length and a quarter.
“We ran him over two and a half but we thought this track suited so we came back to two,” said Tizzard senior.
“I was surprised to see him jump off, but he idled and when the other one passed him, he stayed on.
“I imagine he’ll be out again in a fortnight if the ground hasn’t gone too quick.”
Conditional jockey Ciaran McKee has found a bit of a niche with trainer John O’Shea and is hoping to kick on from a decent week.
His mount My Viking Bay (4-1) had struggled in novice and handicap event, found her level to emerge a winner of the Watch Racing UK On Sky 432 Novices’ Selling Hurdle.
Read more: Wales Online www-walesonline-co-uk/sports/sports-news-round-up/2013/03/20/horse-racing-exeter-success-for-the-tizzards-91466-33022983/#ixzz2O4ELI9Cb
The finish-line may still be a speck on the horizon, but the Lakeshore Horse Raceway group feels they’re at least ready to bolt from the starting gate after a meeting Tuesday with officials from the Transition of the Ontario Horse Industry committee and the Ontario Racing Commission.
“There’s a definite shift in the government’s position,” said Dr. Paul Branton, an ORC veterinarian race supervisor and member of the Lakeshore group.
“It’s clear they intend to have more tracks open than they have signed up so far for live racing. We’re making progress, but there’s a lot of work to do.
“I’m feeling much more optimistic and strongly believe we’ll be having more racing at Leamington.”
The bulk of the discussion centered on getting Leamington up and running, teletheatre betting and tapping into stranded slot money from Windsor Raceway and available transition funding. “They recognized our group as the leaders down here,” Branton said. “They acknowledged we’re working within the framework of how they envision the industry.”
Lakeshore Mayor Tom Bain added officials also encouraged the non-profit group to go after some of the $10-million in transitional funding for purses the Liberal government is offering to help the industry through this massive restructuring.
The Lakeshore group is also still pursuing the millions of dollars of slot revenue left stranded when Windsor Raceway closed last August that was intended for area horsemen.
“We’re going after both funds,” Bain said.
“We certainly will attempt to meet with the premier to put our case forward.”
The keys to the group’s plans revolve around getting at least 10 race days at the Leamington Fairgrounds this summer. That would then allow them to pursue a licence to establish a teletheatre for betting.
The plans are to open the first one in Windsor and gradually expand their network throughout southwestern Ontario in legions, restaurants and bars. The share of the funds the group would receive from the teletheatre betting on races from Ontario and around the world would be set aside towards the construction of new multi-use track facility in Lakeshore.
Bain said the group’s share from teletheatre betting would fall in the 21/2 to 5 per cent range.
The next step will be securing a compliance list from the ORC of the items required to get the Leamington track open.
However, the Slots-for-Racing Program ends March 31 and many tracks have no new agreements in place to start the season April 1 forcing the two administrative bodies to focus on their short-term problems first.
“We’re the only application in Ontario they’ve got to open a new track, everyone else is just trying to hang on,” Bain said. “Dealing with us is a little different, so we have time.
Bain said the the ORC and transition board want to see an agreement in writing with the Leamington Agricultural Society to hold races at the fairgrounds. They also want the facts and figures to back up Windsor’s historical claim of being the second best per capita wagering area in the province.
The other component requested is to get more formal agreements with the groups willing to become part of the teletheatre network.
If all goes well, Bain said the group hopes to begin racing at Leamington in mid-June and will run races once a week for 10 weeks.
“None of the hurdles they’ve given us are insurmountable,” Bain said.
“It’s still a question of money. If we don’t get those stranded funds or transition money, it won’t happen.”
Lakeshore horse racing group optimistic after meeting | Windsor Star
The amateur rider fractured two vertebrae in his neck during a fall last Wednesday and had to have surgery on his broken neck.
However, the rider's family have released a statement saying that no brain injuries have been detected and that while he remains in an induced coma, the level of sedation is being reduced.
"His wife Caroline and family very much appreciate all the messages, cards and letters that have been received," the statement continued.
"There will be no further update this week."
The 37-year-old was riding Galaxy Rock for trainer Jonjo O'Neill in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup on Wednesday when the pair fell at the first fence.
An air ambulance landed at the racecourse to treat the injured rider, who was conscious after the fall but had difficulty breathing, and he was taken to the hospital.
Horse Racing - Jockey McNamara escapes brain damage - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
One sure thing about Saturday’s $150,000 Pan American Stakes (Grade 2) at Gulfstream Park is that the odds on Mucho Mas Macho will be lower than 41-1.
The 4-year-old gelding was sent off at that price on Jan, 12 when he rallied from ninth place entering the stretch and won the Fort Lauderdale (Grade 2) at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. The $85.20 payoff was the highest on a $2 win ticket in a Gulfstream stakes race this season.
“We decided to give him a break until the Pan American,” said Henry Collazo, the trainer of Mucho Mas Macho. “We have been pointing to this race since last fall.”
The Pan American is 1 ½ miles on turf, a distance Collazo feels is a good fit for Mucho Mas Macho’s running style.
Juan Leyva, Mucho Mas Macho’s regular jockey, has the mount,
The race has 10 entrants, including seven that have won at least one stakes race since the start of last year.
Newsdad, the winner of last year’s Pan American is the 2-1 favorite in Gulfstream’s morning line,
Teaks North is listed second at 3-1. On the Gulfstream turf this year, he won the Sunshine Millions Turf at 1 1/8 miles on Jan, 19 and finished second in the Mac Diarmida at 1 3/8 miles on Feb, 16.
Mucho Mas Macho is next at 5-1.
The Pan American also has the third through fifth place finishers from the Mac Diarmida.’
Those horses are Ioya Bigtime, Twilight Eclipse and Bebo Acteon.
Belo Acteon and Ioya Bigtime can be expected to challenge Teaks North for the lead.
That could produce a solid pace that might help Newsdad and Twilight Eclipse, who usually are in the second pack of horses, as well as Mucho Mas Macho and fellow closer Empire Builder.
Mucho Mas Macho had just three wins in 16 career starts until Sept. 17, 2012, when he won the Needles on turf at Calder
“He was starting to mature and figure out what it’s all about,” Collazo said. “He became very comfortable with Juan, who knows how to time his moves,”
In his race prior to the Fort Lauderdale, Mucho Mas Macho was sent off at 39-1 and finished second to Twilight Eclipse on Nov..24 in the W.L. McKnight (Grade 2) at 1 ½ miles on turf at Calder.
“I expect the odds will be lower this time, but I can’t predict how much,” Collazo said. “He’s been good in training and the race might set up well for him,”
Gulfstream Seeks More Dates
Gulfstream on Friday asked the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering for permission to have racing on Mondays and Tuesdays from April 8 through June 25 this year.
Gulfstream, in Hallandale Beach, will end its 2012-2013 meet on April 5.
Calder, eight miles west of Gulfstream in Miami Gardens, does not have racing scheduled any of those 24 days,
Gulfstream wants the additional days to enable trainers to keep running horses there until July 6, when it will begin year-round racing on Saturdays and Sundays, the track’s president Tim Ritvo said several days before its filing.
July 6, the first Saturday in that month, will be the start of Gulfstream and Calder racing head-to-head every Saturday and Sunday between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014.
Gulfstream’s new request is for a schedule expansion during the state’s current fiscal year.
Thus it was required to obtain written approvals from the other seven pari-mutuels within its 50-mile radius,
Earlier this month, Calder, Mardi Gras Gaming and Isle Casino & Racing at Pompano Park did not give approvals. They cited competitive financial reasons,
In its filing on Friday, gulfstream noted the tax revenues that the state would gain from its extra racing days.
The Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering does not have a deadline for issuing a ruling on Gulfstream’s request.
Read more here: Pan American Stakes has a field of winners - Horse Racing - MiamiHerald-com
Hunter's Light is the best hopefor Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid's herd of stallions at this year's Dubai World Cup. The horse combines both sides of the emirate's investment in the business - the sporting success of Godolphin's stables and the pedigree of Darley's lucrative breeding operation. Colin Randall, Foreign Correspondent, writes
Amid the thundering hoofs in Saturday's Dubai World Cup, those belonging to one of the most fancied runners will bear witness to a mighty operation combining commercial savvy and sporting excellence.
Hunter's Light is among the favourites at the world's most valuable race, with prize money on offer of US$10 million (Dh36.7m).
He is a product of the second crop of foals from Dubawi, one of the world's most valuable stud stallions and a fitting standard-bearer for the global breeding business of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Sheikh Mohammed's involvement in the sport of kings - passionate but also founded on the logic of heritage - has two components.
There is the racing arm, Godolphin, and behind that the Darley breeding operation with its headquarters at Newmarket, the heart of international thoroughbred racing situated north of London.
From low-key origins, Darley has grown in three decades into a major force, standing stallions in seven countries.
In an industry where performance provides the pedigree that trainers demand, this translates as big business. The market is estimated to be worth billions of dollars a year.
"It is like a wheel," says John Ferguson, Sheikh Mohammed's bloodstock adviser. "The foal is born, becomes a yearling, goes into training, hopefully becomes one of the chosen few as a winner, then retires to stud at great value. And the wheel continues to turn."
Even top prize money can pale in insignificance to the value a champion stallion may acquire in later life.
Simon Crisford, the racing manager for Godolphin, expects to have 15 to 20 runners in the six events in Dubai.
Looking on will be key racing figures from all corners of the world, including members of the Qatari royal family and owners and breeders from the United States, Great Britain and Australia.
Staged annually since its launch by Sheikh Mohammed in 1996, the Dubai World Cup is established as a headline event in the horse racing calendar.
Prize money for its six races reaches $21m, $10m of that for the World Cup alone. These are figures unsurpassed anywhere in the world.
"Under the lights with the magnificent grandstand and fabulous horses ridden by the best jockeys, it is a big, wonderful and exciting sporting occasion," says Mr Crisford. "It's the richest day's racing in the world and the Dubai Gold Cup is the richest race.
"It represents Dubai to the world and that world is watching in its millions. It is an event that fits comfortably into a sporting calendar with the tennis, golf and powerboat championships that makes Dubai the sporting capital of the Middle East."
Echoing Mr Ferguson, he says that while the event is essentially about the sport of horse racing of the highest quality, it also represents "a business that is about winning races and increasing the value of bloodstock".
Godolphin's success is illustrated by the list of more than 200 Group 1 race winners to have carried its blue silks.
Last year's Dubai World Cup was won by Monterosso, another thoroughbred sired by Dubawi.
This year, Mr Crisford freely concedes that Monterosso's sibling Hunter's Light may need to produce extraordinary form to beat one of the strong US contenders.
Particularly stiff competition is expected from Animal Kingdom, owned by the Kentucky Team Valor stable and winner of the 2011 Kentucky Derby. Sired by the Brazilian-bred Leroidesanimaux (meaning "the king of animals" once the French words are separated), the horse enjoys a nominal differential of up to four lengths over Hunter's Light.
Even so, Hunter's Light, trained by Saeed bin Suroor, is a noble example of Darley's power to influence the outcome of major races in every continent.
The business value is easily demonstrated. Stud fees for Dubawi, a winner of the Irish 2000 Guineas and the Prix Jacques le Marois in its racing career, weigh in at £75,000 (Dh418,000). And no wonder; a success rate of one foal in every 25 winning a Group 1 race is described by Mr Ferguson as world-beating.
Horse owners the world over buy breeding rights for their mares. At the lowest level, the process can cost about Dh5,500, with veterinary and other charges included, or less.
But Dubawi and comparable champion stallions are in a different league.
In the US, WinStar Farm's Distorted Humor can boast, from five crops, winners with total prize money reported to exceed $30m. Despite the effect on stud fees of the global financial crisis, Distorted Humor still commands $100,000.
Bernardini, a winner of the Preakness Stakes, stands at Darley's Kentucky stables for $150,000, the highest figure among US stallions.
Before the world recession, the numbers were markedly higher.
In the 1980s, the Canadian thoroughbred Northern Dancer, often described as the 20th century "sire of sires" with offspring that went on to become multiple champions on US and British racecourses, stood for $1m with none of the guarantees that normally apply.
Among Northern Dancer's 147 stakes winners was Nijinsky II, which won England's Triple Crown. The now-defunct Kentucky newspaper, Thoroughbred Times, once reported that the horse had at least 11 sons that became "truly outstanding" sires.
Northern Dancer was also the grandsire of Storm Cat, an American thoroughbred with stud fees that in 1999 and 2000 reached $500,000 as North America's leading sire.
Even the scaled-down stud prices of today represent a world that could hardly be more different than the small farm from which Darley grew. Its headquarters, Dalham Hall at Newmarket, date from 1928
How important is it that the area residents enjoy live horse racing when Hollywood at Mahoning Valley Race Course is built? When the Ohio State Racing Commission meets Wednesday, members have the opportunity to put the racing experience ahead of, or at least in line with, the gaming experience.
Our belief is Penn National Gaming (“PNGI”) does not view horse racing as a priority. It wants to trade its Beulah Park location, with seating for several thousand, for the proposed location in Youngstown, where seating will be limited, hindering the experience for the racing fans.
Additionally, PNGI is cutting corners on the barns and stalls, as well as dorms for the horses’ caretakers and is not even providing jockeys with access to nutritional foods.
The Jockeys’ Guild has serious concerns, which have been expressed to the commission.
PNGI’s focus is gaming. However, since it must offer horse racing, the commission should require a greater emphasis on the safety of jockeys and horses, as well as the facilities for its fans.
We are confident the commission is looking out for the future of racing in Ohio. We hope PNGI will do the same, and not let safety and the fan experience be overshadowed by the luxuries of the VLT area.
Terence J. Meyocks, Lexington, Ky.
The writer is national manager of the Jockeys’ Guild.
The Victoria Racing Club has tightened the exemption clause for the Melbourne Cup to avoid horses with 'old form' qualifying for Australia's greatest race.
The Victoria Racing Club has tightened the exemption clause for the Melbourne Cup to avoid horses with 'old form' qualifying for Australia's greatest race.
In recent years a glut of either European-trained or imported stayers have secured a position in the Melbourne Cup due to winning qualifying races up to 27 months before the race.
But a later sunset clause of 20 months plus a tightening of the schedule will mean it will be much harder for out-of-form European or former European stayers to secure a coveted spot in the race.
The VRC have also introduced a discretionary ballot to be awarded to any horse which has won a Group One worth more than $1 million over more than 2000m in a race held within 21 days of the Melbourne Cup.
The VRC have stripped ballot-free status from the Irish St Leger, run in mid-September; the Tenno Sho, run in Japan in April and the AAMI Victoria Derby, while greater ballot order consideration will be given to horses who have won prizemoney in staying races over more than 2300m.
"The VRC Board and Club management team worked closely with Racing Victoria Ltd in developing the changes to the 2013 Emirates Melbourne Cup race conditions, to ensure the fairest opportunity possible for Cup aspirants and eventual participants, while assembling the best available field for this iconic event," VRC chief executive David Courtney said.
Pennsylvania horse racing enthusiasts put more money down at the track in 2012, state regulators say.
Money wagered on horse racing tracks rose 12 percent in 2012 compared to the year before, according to a new report the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board released Wednesday.
Statewide, players bet $776.9 million on horse racing in 2012, up from $690.3 million the year before. While a noteworthy jump over 2011, it's only a little higher than the previous few years. Nonetheless, the overall wagering figure for 2012 marks the highest figures since slots gambling began in Pennsylvania in 2006.
The horse racing industry gets much of its juice from slot machine gambling. When lawmakers agreed to allow slots gaming in Pennsylvania nearly a decade ago, they directed that some of the tax revenue was to be used to bolster the struggling horse racing industry.
In 2012, more than $272 million in slots revenue was generated for the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development Fund. The money goes to fatten prizes for races and aids breeding operations.
"The horse racing industry continues to benefit from the revenue that casinos generate here in Pennsylvania," said William H. Ryan Jr., chairman of the state gaming board.
Pennsylvania operates six horse racing tracks, including the Penn National Race Course in East Hanover Township, Dauphin County. Last summer, Penn National celebrated its 40th anniversary.
The opening of Hollywood Casino has put more of the spotlight on Penn National's horse racing. Penn National pays out $36 million in purses, up from $13 million before the casino opened.
The gaming board report noted that betting through simulcast wagering declined again in 2012, a trend indicating diminished interest in betting on races outside of Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania horse racing sees increase in betting | PennLive-com
Since opening its doors in 2010, the Meydan Racecourse and its all-weather surface has not been kind to American horses in the $10 million Dubai World Cup.
They have never won the world's richest horse at Meydan despite sending several top horses including Game on Dude last year and three-time Eclipse Award winner Gio Ponti in 2011. American horses regularly won on the old dirt track, taking eight of the first 14 races.
But Saturday's race could be different.
Led by 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, the American entrants in the 13-horse field are the strongest ever. Trainer Bill Mott has returned with two-time Eclipse winner Royal Delta, and Pacific Classic winner Dullahan is entered.
High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email [email]ftsales-support@ft-com[/email] to buy additional rights. Dubai exports horseracing nous to China - FT-com
As the international glitterati descend on Dubai for the world’s richest horse race this weekend, the emirate aims to export the event’s blend of marketing and racing nous to an equestrian market with enormous potential: China.
Meydan, which operates the ostentatious racetrack that hosts the Dubai World Cup, has partnered the government of Chengdu to help its Wenjiang district develop a world class horseracing meeting. High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email [email]ftsales-support@ft-com[/email] to buy additional rights. Dubai exports horseracing nous to China - FT-com
Saeed al-Tayer, chief executive of Meydan, said Dubai will provide the expertise gained since it hosted the first World Cup in 1996 in a bid to encourage the nascent Chinese racing scene in the southwestern Sichuan province.
“The effort will entail breeding, sales,” he said. “The whole industry will go there.”
Dubai on Saturday hosts its 18th World Cup, with a prize pot of $27.25m over a nine-race card, including the $10m Dubai World Cup.
The highlight of the emirate’s social calendar, the event’s 80,000 guests come from all segments of the population, from the turf-loving ruling family to partying Brits more interested in champagne and millinery than horses.
The event, a barometer of Dubai’s economic health, is expected to be busier than the past couple of years as the city’s economic recovery takes root, fuelled by its haven status for tax exiles and Arabs fleeing regional instability.
Mr Tayer said the agreement signals closer co-operation between the United Arab Emirates and China, saying the deal will encourage other regional businesses to trail-blaze other opportunities.
Chengdu could have chosen partners in Hong Kong, Singapore or Australia, Mr Tayer said, but instead chose Dubai’s ability to organise racing without betting.
Gambling is banned in China, as it is in the UAE.
“Dubai has long experience in horseracing and equestrian sports, and all of it without gambling,” said Yu Shili, the president of Guangsha Middle East Construction, which built the car park at the Meydan racetrack, and a partner in the Meydan-Chengdu project. “So Dubai was the best choice for us.”
Mr Yu hopes closer ties will generate further construction contracts in Dubai and the rest of the Gulf. The Meydan-Chengdu partnership is not Dubai’s first attempt to break into the potentially lucrative Chinese market, opening up since the government legalised racing in 2008.
In 2010, Meydan announced plans for a $4bn racetrack in Tianjin, but has since withdrawn from the ‘Horse City’ project as its private sector partners “changed course,” Mr Tayer said.
Many other international investors have tried to develop racing in China in the past two decades, with little success. The sport was banned after the 1949 Communist revolution and it retains a bourgeois, colonialist stigma that has made it hard for officials to provide the overt government support that is usually essential for success in the market.
Adding a sporting element to bilateral ties will boost tourism links, Mr Tayer said. The Chinese are the fastest-growing nationality of visitors arriving in the emirate via its airport, now the second busiest in the world after London’s Heathrow.
Dubai uses the World Cup as a showcase for inward investment, inviting dozens of overseas businessmen – including a large contingent from China – to hobnob with the city’s elite over the weekend.
“This is not just about horseracing,” Mr Yu said. “It will bind relations and help cultural understanding.”
SHEIKH JOAAN has strengthened his hand for the Qipco 2,000 Guineas with the purchase of Richard Hannon's unbeaten Group 2-winner Toronado. A 12-1 shot for the Guineas at Newmarket, Toronado will now run in Sheikh Joaan's colours, along with stablemate Olympic Glory and William Muir's Purr Along, who Sheikh Joaan has a half share in.
The purchase is another signal of intent from Sheikh Joaan, a son of the Emir of Qatar and half-brother to Pearl Bloodstock's Sheikh Fahad, who will have Dubai World Cup hope Planteur running in his colours for the first time at Meydan on Saturday night.
Speaking from Meydan, assistant trainer Richard Hannon junior confirmed the sale as said: "Toronado has been bought to race for Sheikh Joaan. He's a very nice horse and the Sheikh wanted a horse for the Classics this year and hopefully that's what he's got.
"The previous owners [Fiona Carmichael and Chris Humber] are very happy and wish him every success."
Considered as a prime candidate for the Investec Derby by the Hannon's and stable jockey Richard Hughes, Toronado is unbeaten in three starts including the Group 2 One Call Insurance Champagne Stakes.
Sheikh Joaan buys top Classic contender Toronado | Horse Racing News | Racing Post
ANIMAL KINGDOM is set to weave his magic at Royal Ascot in the summer after seeing off the gallant challenge of Red Cadeaux to lift the Dubai World Cup.
The 2011 Kentucky Derby hero was given a no-nonsense ride by Joel Rosario, who always had crack mare Royal Delta just in front of him as she set the early pace.
Making his move two and a half furlongs out, Animal Kingdom showed a very smart turn of foot to effectively put the race to bed.
Ed Dunlop’s Red Cadeaux came out of the pack for a comfortable second place.
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NATHAN Tinkler has put his entire Patinack Farm horseracing operation on the market as the embattled coal entrepreneur continues to shed his trophy assets to focus on "core operations".
The Tinkler Group will put the operation - which includes over 1000 racehorses, broodmares and stallions and his Sandy Hollow training facility in NSW's Hunter Valley - up for sale via an "international marketing program".
The move will allow Mr Tinkler to focus on core operations "spanning resources, port and rail infrastructure and property", the group said.
''As I am spending more time overseas, I do not have the time to manage the business,'' Mr Tinkler said in a statement.
''Patinack Farm represents a terrific opportunity for a local or international owner to develop the business to be a world leader.''
The sale is to be conducted formally by Magic Millions horse racing auction group and financial services firm Ernst & Young. The ordered sale is at odds with the recent rollercoaster of asset sales and collapses to face the group and suggests Mr Tinkler is executing a considered strategy to recover from the financial tail-spin he entered mid-last year when coal prices tanked.
Through various auctions late last year Mr Tinkler had already sold several hundreds of the broodmares and racers in the Patinack Farm empire.
Early last year Mr Tinkler is understood to have approached Sheik Fahad al-Thani, a Qatari royal well connected to horse racing, seeking to sell the entire racing group for $200m.
The sale result for the current offering is expected to be well below that figure and is likely to book substantial losses for Mr Tinkler.
Retail giant Gerry Harvey, who is also chairman of Magic Millions, spruiked the asset yesterday.
"Nathan has built a truly world class operation in Patinack Farm, which includes superb facilities, along with leading racing and breeding stock," Mr Harvey said.
"He has had considerable success in a relatively short period of time, winning races like Caulfield Guineas, Chipping Norton and the Champagne Stakes."
Mr Harvey last year lent Mr Tinkler a large sum of money - widely rumoured to be about $20m - to stave-off receivers and it is understood the coal entrepreneur has yet to repay that loan.
An arm of Patinack Farm, Patinack Farm Administration, was liquidated in November owing creditors $5.5m.
That company was a linchpin in the group's operation because it employs all Patinack Farm staff.
Mr Tinkler was able to prevent that collapse from infecting the entire Patinack Farm group by creating a phoenix company, Thoroughbred Administration, which now employs most of the group's staff.
The key asset in the offering is the 3300 acre breeding facility in the Hunter Valley, which accommodates Patinack's "stallions, broodmares and young stock", the Tinkler Group said
Ontario’s premier is standing behind the Province’s plan to transform horse racing into a self-sustaining industry.
Premier Kathleen Wynne’s visit to Peterborough on Tuesday (April 2) came only days after transitional funding was announced for Kawartha Downs, which had scheduled its last day of racing for March 30. The last-minute funding agreement, which coincides with the end of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s (OLG) Slots at Race Track program, will see the local track transform into a not-for-profit facility.
Premier Wynne says she’s pleased with the plan.
“We want to see a sustainable horse racing industry in the province,” she says, adding the Ontario government has worked with race tracks over the last few months to come up with a suitable plan to transition.
With reduced race days reduced from 96 to roughly 25 in 2014, and reduced purse sizes expected for the 2013 season, Dave Gibson, area president for the Ontario Harness Horse Association calls the funding a Band-Aid solution for a larger problem.
Ontario’s NDP leader Andrea Horwath, who also made a stop in Peterborough on April 2, agrees.
“The Slots at Race track program got torched with no plan in place to transition the industry and now the government is scrambling to put out that fire they started about a year ago,” she says, calling the move irresponsible. “…It is patch work and it was the government’s attempt to pull something out of the fire they created and it has created all kinds of confusion and difficulties in communities across Ontario, largely in small and rural communities that can’t afford to lose work.”
Jeff Leal, Peterborough MPP and minister of Rural Affairs, was on-hand to announce the new funding deal at Kawartha Downs on March 30. He says he understands the importance of horse racing to the rural economy, particularly at Kawartha Downs, and the basis of the transition plan came from board community consultation across the province.
“The only people who would call this a Band-Aid solution are the people who didn’t want to participate in the solution,” he says.
Moving forward, Minister Leal says it’s up to everyone in the industry to promote horse racing.
“We have to put people in the seats,” he says.
Premier Wynne says she’s willing to start the conversation to have horse racing re-integrated with the OLG, to ensure a steady revenue stream for the industry.
Over the next year, at least two local groups will work with the Peterborough County Federation of Agriculture to create a board of directors and apply for a new racing license.
As the OLG moves forward with its plan to get away from partnerships with racetracks and focus more on casinos and electronic gaming, Cavan Monaghan Township has expressed interest in hosting a gambling facility at the track. Despite concerns from community members over bringing in a casino, the City of Peterborough is also a willing host, with three potential locations on the table for a private operator.
During lengthy delegations to City Council, several residents called on the City to hold a referendum on the matter. The City has declined to put the issue to a community-wide vote and Premier Wynne says she won’t force it.
“I think there are many ways for municipalities to consult with the people who live in their jurisdictions. A referendum is not the only way,” she says, adding she believes in the autonomy of municipalities to make decisions on casinos and similar issues.
“They can also do other forms of consultation before council decides...my position has been that we need to have more local autonomy around those kinds of decisions. That means better up-front processes -- it means getting the community involved in those kinds of decisions.”
Ms Horwath says the Liberals “quietly” took away the necessity to have a referendum on casinos.
“Even though there are some municipalities that want to do that, they have to do it in the most affordable way, which is through the municipal elections process but the OLG is putting pressure on communities to say ‘We can’t wait that long’ and that’s unacceptable.”
Ms Horwath says the NDP recently put forward a motion on April 28 to freeze changes in both the horse racing sector and the OLG’s shift from racetracks to casinos. The move would allow municipalities who’d like to include a referendum in the next municipal election to do so and would allow a true repositioning of the horse racing industry.
“I think it is the best thing to do,” she says. “A casino will change the face of a community. It will change the way a community looks, the way it breathes…so at the very least let’s allow the people of those communities to have a voice and have a say.”
Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak says his party also doesn’t agree with the Liberal’s plans to tackle gaming and horse racing issues across the province.
Adding more casinos and “mowing” down race tracks and throwing 65,000 people out of work, isn’t the way to address economic challenges, he says.
“I don’t think it’s something they’ve thought through,” he says, adding he assumes most people in Peterborough and across the province agree.
Mr. Hudak says he’d like to see legislation calling for referendums on casinos, put forward by Lambton-Kent-Middlesex PC MPP Monte McNaughton last year, calling see a final reading. In all, seven Liberals voted in support of the bill, including Minister Leal. The private members’ bill was killed when former Premier Dalton McGuinty shut down the House of Commons when he resigned.
If anything, Mr. Hudak says it only makes sense to implement table games where gaming facilities are set up, which in Peterborough, would mean introducing a casino at Kawartha Downs.
MyKawartha Article: Premier talks up new horse-racing policy
Animal Kingdom's commanding victory in the $10 million Dubai World Cup on Saturday might compel his owners to keep on racing, rather than retire the 5-year-old chestnut son of Leroidesanimaux to Arrowfield Stud, an Australian breeding farm.
The accolades are rolling in for the winner of the 2011 Kentucky Derby. Campaigned by Barry Irwin and Team Valor International -- which includes Youngstown's Bruce Zoldan, owner of Phantom Fireworks and the Youngstown Phantoms hockey team -- trainer Graham Motion had Animal Kingdom in top shape for the world's richest race.
Jockey Joel Rosario said he was just along for the ride, keeping Animal Kingdom close to the lead until the final turn in the 1 1/4-mile race. Heading into the long stretch Rosario let Animal Kingdom have his head, roaring past early leader Royal Delta to take complete command. He cruised to a three-length victory in 2:03.22 despite the talented international field of 11.
After Animal Kingdom's performance, watched worldwide by millions of horse racing fans, John Messara of Arrowfield Stud seems to have second thoughts about his retirement and the expected demand as a sire. Messara hinted racing at England's Royal Ascot in June is still an option, as well as running in a pair of major stakes races in Australia.
It's probably because Animal Kingdom, an impressive Kentucky Derby winner as a 3-year-old, keeps getting better with age. It's in his bloodlines. Brazilian-bred Leroidesanimaux reached his racing peak as a 5-year-old, winning the Eclipse Award as the leading turf horse. Animal Kingdom's dam is Dalicia, a German-bred stakes winner bought by Team Valor who is a daughter of the great German sire Acatenango, seven times a winner in Grade I stakes.
"The decision has been made to run Animal Kingdom in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes on June 18," said Zoldan. "I've been told it is an amazing experience, so I am definitely planning on attending the Royal Ascot. They just emailed me to give them my size for the English tailored suit I must wear at the race."
The Independent, a British newspaper, described Animal Kingdom "a prototype for the 21st-century international thoroughbred." It praised Irwin for racing and winning on every type of track surface and in races, such as the Dubai World Cup, that ban the use of race-day medications.
Northfield notes: State Of The Union ($11.20) was a wire-to-wire winner of Monday's $5,000 Open Handicap at Northfield Park. Driver Ryan Stahl and trainer Nichole Gagnon co-own the pacer, who notched a 1:55.2 victory. It pushed State Of The Union's career totals to 35 victories and $229,625 in winnings. Norma's Rose ($7.20) scored in the $5,000 Open Handicap Trot on Monday with Chris Page in the sulky for owner-trainer Lee Blodgett of Warren. Also a gate-to-wire winner, the trotter has 33 career wins and career earnings of $261,107.
Northfield begins a free Sunday handicapping series this week with $900 in weekly prizes. Featuring New York's Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga race tracks, the top four handicappers qualify for a $5,000 final on Sept. 1. Players Club membership is required. Entry forms are available at 11 a.m., and must be submitted before the first race post time.
New voice in town: A native of Cambridge, England, with an accent to match, Craig Braddick, 36, is the new track announcer at Thistledown, which opens its season on April 19. Braddick has bounced around a few tracks in recent years. His last stop was at Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M.
"This is the longest meeting I've ever called," said Braddick, getting ready for 122 afternoons of thoroughbred racing. "I'll be on the Thistledown staff all year, becoming the voice of racing and the Horseshoe Casino Cleveland. I've only been in town for a couple of days, but one of the things I'm anxious to do is watch the Cleveland Indians play baseball."
Braddick enjoyed the sport while working at Arapahoe Park in Aurora, Colo., watching the Colorado Rockies in action.
Stall applications have been plentiful this spring, said Braddick, and horsemen are excited about the new season and increased purses driven by Thistledown's racino, which makes its public debut on Monday. A private racino party earlier in the week for employees, friends and relatives helped get the bugs out of the racino system. Earnings were given to three local charities.
Run for the Roses nears: The field is shaping up for this year's Kentucky Derby after last weekend's stakes for 3-year-olds. Lines of Battle won the $2 million UAE Derby in Dubai; Orb captured the $1 million Florida Derby; and Revolutionary nailed the $1 million Louisiana Derby. Orb now leads the standings with 150 points, followed by Revolutionary (110), Lines of Battle (100), Will Take Charge (60) and Itsmyluckyday, Vyjack, Governor Charlies, Black Onyx, Verrazano and Hear the Ghost (50). The AP's top five heading to the May 4 classic at Churchill Downs are Orb, Verrazano, Revolutionary, Vyjack and Itsmyluckyday.
River Downs racing goes north: A transportation bill signed by Gov. John Kasich on Monday included an amendment to grease the wheels for moving 65 racing dates at Cincinnati's River Downs to Beulah Park in Columbus starting May 19. River Downs grandstand and some horse barns were demolished earlier this year by Pinnacle Entertainment to make way for a new race track and racino. River Downs will still be in action, with simulcast wagering and video lottery terminals at the track's clubhouse in Cincinnati.
Zenyatta has a boy: Team Zenyatta confirmed the champion mare has given birth to her second foal on April 1. The 2010 Horse of the year, Zenyatta was matched with top sire Tapit at Lane's End Farm in Lexington, Ky., the young male weighed in at 145 pounds and was described as a "leggy chestnut with a white blaze similar to Zenyatta's." Zenyatta's first offspring was a yearling colt by Bernardini, and has yet to be named.
Katie Walsh's mount Battlefront, trained by her father Ted, collapsed and died during the Fox Hunter's Chase after being pulled up at the 11th fence.
Katie Walsh, who hopes to become the first woman to win the Grand National on Saturday, tweeted of her sadness.
"Very sad to lose Battlefront today. We had many great days and he was a great teacher. He was a gent and I will miss him very much," she said.
Her father had said earlier in the week that horses were treated "better than some children".
The Fox Hunter's is considered the biggest race for amateur jockeys.
"I would like to extend our sympathies to the Walsh family following the sad news," said John Baker, Aintree and North West Regional director for Jockey Club Racecourses.
"You can never remove risk from all horse racing, as with any sport. However, welfare standards are very high [in Britain] and equine fatalities are rare."
The race was surprisingly won by 100-1 shot Tartan Snow.
Fourteen of the 25 starters in the race finished.
It came on the same day that top trainer Jonjo O'Neill hit out at animals rights activists for trying to get the Grand National banned, telling them that they "just don't understand".
Two horses have died in each of the last two years at the race, leading to increasingly loud calls from campaigners to put an end to the world's most famous National Hunt event.
O'Neill knows only too well about the regular fatalities at Aintree: last year he watched in horror as his horse Synchronised, who had won the Cheltenham Gold Cup the previous month, suffered a fatal fall.
But the Irishman told The Times that those who criticise British racing's showpiece event do not know what they are talking about.
"It's always been a fantastic race and it still is," said O'Neill, who trained 2010 National winner Don't Push It.
"People saying the National should be stopped just don't understand.
"We are all in racing because we love the horses, but we take things to heart.
"Some of the things said about us are a bloody insult, as if we are animals ourselves.
"There are people out there stabbing and shooting, killing randomly, and sometimes it seems we are being put in the same bracket."
Recent deaths have prompted several changes to the course, and there will be more this year as the start has been moved forward 90 yards while timber frames in the fences have been removed.
But the changes have always seemingly been to little avail: safety improvements began in earnest after the 1989 race saw two horses killed, yet since then horses have continued to die in the race at an average of one a year.
Jockeys in the Fox Hunters' Chase were positive about the changes.
Jamie Hamilton, 18, won the race on Tartan Snow and said: "It's the first time I have ridden over them but they seemed spot on."
Sam Waley-Cohen, who rode Cottage Oak, told the BBC: "They are still big obstacles and are a test for horse and jockey."
Horse Racing - Horse dies over Grand National fences - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
1 IMPERIAL COMMANDER: Big ask off top weight for this former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner but promising comeback run off long injury lay-off shows he retains ability.
2 WHAT A FRIEND: Running in the colours of part-owner Sir Alex Ferguson, this 10-year-old has not produced on the track for a while. Pulled up in the 2011 Grand National.
3 WEIRD AL: Another one badly out of form and fell four out in last year’s Aintree marathon when out of contention.
4 QUEL ESPRIT: Not a complete no-hoper for top Irish trainer Willie Mullins and should stay the distance. Interrupted training programme through injury may be the drawback.
5 BIG FELLA THANKS: Loves the National. Was seventh in 2011, fourth in 2010 and sixth in 2009. Outside chance of finishing in the frame but more likely top 10.
6 SEABASS: Solid contender with Katie Walsh aboard. Had a great spin when third last year but didn’t quite last home. Said to be stronger now and has been specially prepared for the race.
7 ROBERTO GOLDBACK: Should stay and ground will suit. Similar profile to last year’s victor Neptune Collonges. Strong each-way hopes with the services of jockey Barry Geraghty.
8 SUNNYHILLBOY: Desperately unlucky last season when he was headed on the post but a year on and he is carrying more weight which will probably anchor him from going close again.
9 BALLABRIGGS: The 2011 champion and a gallant sixth last season. Not improving at his age though and vulnerable to better handicapped challengers but is at least on a winning mark.
10 TEAFORTHREE: Will stay all day but has had some tough races this year in good company. That could take its toll in the closing stages.
11 ACROSS THE BAY: Another one who should have no problems with the distance but could do with rain to slow down the others and that is not in the weather forecast.
12 JOIN TOGETHER: Good place prospects. Not the quickest of horses, more of a plodder. Last year’s winning jockey Daryl Jacob takes the mount. May lack the zip to win the race.
13 COLBERT STATION: Fast-improving type still not in the grip of the handicapper. Champion jockey Tony McCoy picks it ahead of Sunnyhilboy. A likely winner if he stays out of trouble.
14 FORPADYDEPLASTERER: A former Arkle Trophy Chase winner but appears past his best and there are stamina doubts.
15 ON HIS OWN: An obvious chance after last year’s performance when falling when still in with a real shout. Jockey Ruby Walsh opting to ride gives added confidence.
16 JONCOL: Lost his way lately and I think connections are going here in the hope that he can regain his sparkle. Unlikely though.
17 BALTHAZAR KING: Cross country specialist who was withdrawn at the Cheltenham Festival when the ground went against him. Conditions suit but likely to find a few too good.
18 CAPPA BLEU: This horse may be similar to former stablemate State Of Play in that he is more than capable of repeating last year’s fourth but not getting into the winner’s enclosure.
19 OSCAR TIME: Runner-up to BallaBriggs in 2011 but has been bedevilled by injury since and doesn’t look the force of old.
20 ALWAYS WAINING: Aintree specialist but at shorter distances. Is bypassing an attempt to land a a hat-trick in the Topham Chase so has to be respected.
21 TATENEN: An 100-1 shot when he unseated his rider last year and is likely to be similar odds again. It’s a fair reflection of his chances.
22 TREACLE: Endured a rough race last year before falling. An outsider but possesses ability and will like the conditions.
23 LOST GLORY: Not done a lot wrong in his brief chasing career but this a big step up in grade and needs to prove he can handle the hustle and bustle of a large field.
24 SWING BILL: Veteran grey finished 10th last year and a repeat of that would be a good effort.
25 SAINT ARE: His only two victories have come at Aintree but course form is the only crumb of comfort in an average season for him.
26 CHICAGO GREY: A decent each-way chance for a horse that has been waiting for good ground. Jumping is the name of the game though and he tends to throw in the odd mistake.
27 QUISCOVER FONTAINE: Enjoyed himself last year before falling at the 17th fence. Should enjoy another good spin without troubling the main contenders.
28 RARE BOB: Without a win since January 2011 but often runs well at the top level and is capable of reaching the frame.
29 THE RAINBOW HUNTER: Has struggled a bit whenever stepped up in grade and likely to be the same scenario on the big day.
30 BECAUSEICOULDNTSEE: Second behind Sunnyhillboy at the 2012 Cheltenham Festival but has not progressed since then.
31 HARRY THE VIKING: Sir Alex Ferguson’s second contender has shown nothing this year after a decent novice campaign.
32 MR MOONSHINE: Will like the ground but stamina for the trip is unknown and does not look good enough.
33 MUMBLES HEAD: Comes alive in the spring and summer but not in this class.
34 NINETIETH MINUTE: Worse outsiders than this but maybe needs softer ground to slow down his competitors.
35 AURORAS ENCORE: Capable of running well on good ground and was runner-up in last year’s Scottish National. Inconsistency is his problem.
36 TARQUINIUS: Has endured a long winter campaign and needs softer ground to figure.
37 ANY CURRENCY: Will stay and that is half the battle around here. Would be a surprise if he figured in the finish.
38 MAJOR MALARKEY: Similar to Any Currency, will stay but does not appear to have the class to be a National winner.
39 SOLL: Connections have aimed high this year with runs in the Hennessy and the Welsh National. Didn’t disgrace himself on both occasions and not likely to do here either.
40 VIKING BLOND: Didn’t make it past the first fence last year. Revels in muddy conditions and won’t get that in this year’s renewal.
41 PENTIFFIC (Reserve) Prefers soft ground. If he gets in will run from six pounds out of the handicap. Slim chance.
Verrazano enhanced his status as the likely favourite for next month's Kentucky Derby with a narrow win in Saturday's $1 million Wood Memorial, one of the key lead-up races to the annual Run for the Roses.
The unbeaten three-year-old made it four wins from as many starts when he held off Vyjack and Normandy Invasion to win the nine furlong race on dirt at the Aqueduct track in New York.
Verrazano's trainer Todd Pletcher said the colt would not race again before the Derby, at Churchill Downs on May 4.
The 20-horse field is selected by a point scoring system from specific lead-up races. Verrazano is guaranteed of his place after winning the Tampa Bay Derby and the Wood Memorial, which has produced 11 Kentucky Derby winners.
Meanwhile, Doug O'Neill, who trained last year's Kentucky Derby winner I'll Have Another, ensured he would have another starter in this year's big race when he saddled up the winner of Saturday's Santa Anita Derby.
The O'Neill-prepared Goldencents outstayed the favourite Flashback to win the $750,000 event in California and secure his place in the Derby as the field starts to take shape.
The build-up to the 139th Kentucky Derby continues next weekend with the running of the Arkansas Derby and Toyota Bluegrass.
Horse Racing - Verrazano looming as Kentucky Derby favourite - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
Australian champion sprinter Black Caviar's bid for a 25th successive win could be put on hold if there is more torrential rain in Sydney this week.
The six-year-old mare is scheduled to race in the T.J. Smith Stakes at Randwick on Saturday but trainer Peter Moody has reiterated his stance that 'The Wonder from Down Under' would not run on a heavy track.
"I wouldn't be that keen to see her on a wet track," Moody told the Sydney Morning Herald on Monday. "I'm going to be up there all week for the (yearling) sales, so will know how the weather is and if the track is improving."
A week of wet weather meant the Randwick track was listed as "heavy" on Sunday and more showers are forecast for the rest of the week before Saturday's Derby Day meeting, which is already a sell-out for general admission.
Australia's most famous horse since 1930 Melbourne Cup winner Phar Lap, Black Caviar narrowly won the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot last June for her 22nd win in 22 races.
Since her return to Australia, she has won comfortably over 1,000 metres at Flemington in Melbourne and then over 1,200m at Moonee Valley to match the Australian record of 14 Group One wins.
Saturday's race at Randwick could be more of a challenge for her with inter-state rivalry also playing a part in motivating her rivals.
"It won't just be a trot and canter like some of the races that Black Caviar has been in," rival trainer Joe Pride, who has entered two horses for the race, told the Daily Telegraph.
"If she wins she will certainly earn it ... she's an icon in Melbourne, but nobody seems to want to get in her way. It'll be different up here."
Black Caviar had a gallop in Melbourne on Monday and was on sufficiently good form for Moody to dismiss Pride's comments as a "bit ridiculous".
"They are all fast until she is around," Moody told the Herald Sun. "She is going as good as she ever has. We are amazed that at this stage of her career is has never been as sound, certainly as far back as her three-year-old days."
Horse racing-Rain could delay Black Caviar's bid for 25th win
The horses aren’t leaving Flamboro Downs entirely, but the reduced racing season — including a shutdown in June, July, August and September — compounds the uncertainty in the industry.
It’s true the deal reached earlier this year between the province and Flamboro Downs’ owner, Great Canadian Gaming, keeps racing alive in Hamilton for the next three years. And that is certainly better than nothing, given the March 31 end to the revenue-sharing deal with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG), which essentially kept the horse-racing industry thriving in Ontario.
But for those involved in the industry — such as breeders, veterinarians, blacksmiths and equipment suppliers — this is a temporary relief at best. It does not secure the long-term viability of the industry and it means layoffs among those who work at the track.
Premier Kathleen Wynne has said she will find a solution to restructure the industry without decimating it. The three-year deal provides some breathing space for the industry, but restructuring will be a big job.
The Dorset father and son combination celebrated their biggest success so far when Cue Card strode clear in the Ryanair Chase, and trainer Colin also saddled up Brendan Powell junior to take the JLT Specialty Handicap Chase with Golden Chieftain.
The Carter Dawes Financial Planners 10th Anniversary Handicap Hurdle on a wet afternoon at Haldon Hill was not quite such an illustrious affair but Buckhorn Tom (2-1) showed plenty of fight to lose his maiden tag.
Allowed a clear lead, he was joined by the 6-4 favourite Umberto D’Olivate over the final three flights but was ignited by having company and went ahead again to collect by a length and a quarter.
“We ran him over two and a half but we thought this track suited so we came back to two,” said Tizzard senior.
“I was surprised to see him jump off, but he idled and when the other one passed him, he stayed on.
“I imagine he’ll be out again in a fortnight if the ground hasn’t gone too quick.”
Conditional jockey Ciaran McKee has found a bit of a niche with trainer John O’Shea and is hoping to kick on from a decent week.
His mount My Viking Bay (4-1) had struggled in novice and handicap event, found her level to emerge a winner of the Watch Racing UK On Sky 432 Novices’ Selling Hurdle.
Read more: Wales Online www-walesonline-co-uk/sports/sports-news-round-up/2013/03/20/horse-racing-exeter-success-for-the-tizzards-91466-33022983/#ixzz2O4ELI9Cb