Monday, July 30, 2007

MONDAY JULY 30 2007 OFFICIAL LAUNCH DAY FOR THE NEW BRITISH HORSERACING AUTHORITY (BHA)

The long wait is now over because today, Monday July 30 2007 is the date that the British Horseracing Authority the (BHA) are to take over the rein’s of both governance and regulation for British horseracing, under new Chairman Paul Roy and new chief executive Nic Coward; at 151 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8AL Tel: 020 7189 3800 Fax: 020 7189 3801 Email: info@thebha.org (Note: Paul Roy and Nic Coward were both internally chosen)

Personnel employed within Jockey Club Regulation (JC) the British Horseracing Board Governance (BHB) and the Horseracing Regulatory Authority (HRA) ‘the old guard’ have
been reallocated employment within this new British Horseracing Authority with new ‘hats’ and with a ‘new name’ ….

The ever present danger within such an office environment as this, is that many employed therein whilst acting out in theory in a comfortable warm office environment, have little or no knowledge of the practical and highly skilled professional horsemanship side of British Horseracing.

Culminating in failed muddled leadership which inflicts an unrealistic false and unbalanced and ever more dangerous outcome to the daily running of such a specialist professional sport. Where horse and man compete as one in all preperation for the track, and in all competition on the track, AS ONE.
ENDS

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JOHN GOSDEN'S POSSIBLE RUNNERS AT GLORIOUS GOODWOOD 2007


GOODWOOD RACECOURSE RELEASE
JOHN GOSDEN’S POSSIBLE RUNNERS AT GLORIOUS GOODWOOD 2007

TUESDAY, JULY 31

In the £50,000 Group Three Gordon Stakes (2.50pm), Raincoat is a likely runner. Winner of his sole start at two, Raincoat made a winning return to action in the Blue Riband Trial Stakes at Epsom before finding Authorized four lengths too strong in the Dante Stakes at York. His latest outing came in the French Derby on June 3, when he was beaten seventh lengths into 11th place behind Lawman.

John Gosden commented: "He goes for the Gordon Stakes all being well. The Prix du Jockey Club was all a bit sharp for him and he wants a mile and a half. He is in the St Leger as well as Lucarno."

Royal Oath and Racer Forever are both possible starters in the £150,000 Group Two Betfair Cup (3.25pm). Royal Oath enjoyed his finest hour when taking the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot by fourth lengths on June 20. He subsequently stepped up to Pattern class to contest the Group Two Summer Mile at Ascot on July 14, only finding Cesare a length and a quarter too good. Racer Forever, a Listed winner at Epsom in 2006, has run two good races under big weights in handicaps on his latest two appearances, finishing eighth under 9st 10lb in the Buckingham Palace Handicap at Royal Ascot and fifth under 9st 3lb in the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket.


WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1

Raven’s Pass could line up in the Group Two Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes (2.50pm). The two-year-old Elusive Quality colt was successful on his sole start to date, scoring at 20/1 in a seven-furlong maiden at Yarmouth on July 17. He is also in a Listed race at Ascot.

Pipedreamer, Guiseppe Verdi, Bergonzi and Idle No More are all possible starters in the £85,000 BGC Heritage Handicap (4.05pm), a mile and a half contest for three-year-olds. Pipedreamer was successful in a mile maiden at Goodwood on May 19 and then scored at Pontefract. He ran well on his latest start to finish fourth in the competitive Kleinwort Benson Handicap at the Newmarket July Meeting. Guiseppe Verdi has won three times in lesser company so far this season, most recently scoring over 10 furlongs on the Polytrack at Kempton on June 20. Bergonzi has already won over a mile and a half this season, winning a Windsor handicap on May 21, while Idle No More is the least experienced of the quartet, having won a maiden easily at Southwell before finishing out the frame in a Sandown handicap.


THURSDAY, AUGUST 2

Opal Haze could start in the Group Three Lillie Langtry Fillies’ Stakes (2.15pm). The daughter of With Approval has run twice before, most recently landing a mile and a half maiden at Kempton on July 17 by four lengths.

Pipedreamer is likely to run in the £100,000 Alphameric Vase Heritage Handicap (4.00pm) over a mile and a quarter and maybe also Novikov, successful in a mile maiden at Newmarket on May 23 before finishing second in a handicap over the same distance at York on July 13, when he possibly found the ground too soft, Guiseppe Verdi and Cold Quest.


FRIDAY, AUGUST 3

Imperial Star could run in the Listed Coutts Glorious Stakes over a mile and a half.

Costume will go for the Group Three Oak Tree Stakes (2.50pm). Fourth in the French 1,000 Guineas in May, she was last seen out when finishing third in Listed Sandringham Handicap at Royal Ascot.

John Gosden said: "The plan is to go to the Oak Tree Stakes with Costume and then take her to America to race. She is from the last crop of Danehill. You have just got to face the fact that prize money is not good enough to hold horses here. Tybalt and Royal Oath will also probably be going to America later in the year."

Two possible contenders for the six-furlong Group Two Richmond Stakes (4.05pm) are Master Chef and Legal Eagle. Master Chef showed promise on his first three starts before easily winning a six-furlong maiden at Ascot on July 13. Legal Eagle has run twice, finishing third on debut over six furlongs at Newbury before winning comfortably over the same course and distance next time out on June 5.

John Gosden said: "Master Chef won in good style at Ascot the other day. I just popped on a little semi-blinker which concentrated his mind. He had previously run a bit timidly, being more worried about the other horses rather than getting on with the job - he has always shown speed.
"He is genuine - it is just a question of helping him to concentrate. When you think they are herd animals, they spend a lot of time looking at each other and moving in a herd by instinct and in a sense it is not necessarily natural for a horses to burst three or four lengths clear. Master Chef and Legal Eagle want different ground so it will be one or the other."

Fortuity will bid to follow up on his recent Kempton nursery victory in the seven-furlong Royal & SunAlliance Nursery (4.40pm).


SATURDAY, AUGUST 4

Cold Quest, Idle No More and Guiseppe Verdi and Bergonzi are all possibles for the opening Blue Square.com Handicap (2.05pm), while in the Listed Blue Square Poker.com Thoroughbred Stakes (2.35pm), Tybalt and Asperity could line up.

Tybalt was the ready winner of the Ritz Club Handicap at Newmarket on July 13 - the handicapper raised him 11lb for that success - while Asperity was successful in the Group Three Prix Paul du Moussac at Chantilly on June 10 before finishing sixth to Lawman in the Group One Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly on July 8.

Nannina (see info) is being aimed at the Group One Blue Square Nassau Stakes (3.10pm).

ENDS

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JOHN GOSDEN'S 25 GOODWOOD FESTIVAL WINNERS

John Gosden’s 25 Goodwood Festival winners

2006 Blue Square.com Stakes (Numeric)

2004 Oak Tree Stakes (Phantom Wind)

2004 Blue Square Telebet EBF Maiden Stakes (Jonquil)

2003 Alphameric Vase Heritage Handicap (Tiber)

2002 Tatler Summer Season EBF Maiden Stakes (Foss Way)

2001 De Boer Handicap (Venturer)

2000 Betfair Cup (Observatory)

2000 Richmond Stakes (Endless Summer - disqualified nearly 4½ years later)

1999 Invesco Perpetual Goodwood Handicap (High And Mighty)

1999 Richmond Stakes (Bachir)

1999 Weatherbys Bank Fillies’ Handicap (Untold Riches)

1998 Tatler Summer Season EBF Maiden Stakes (Threat)

1998 Coutts Glorious Stakes (Sabadilla)

1997 Detica Summer Handicap (Media Star)

1997 Blue Square Poker.com Thoroughbred Stakes (Cape Cross)

1997 Blue Square Nassau Stakes (Ryafan)

1997 Turf Club Rated Stakes (Liffre)

1995 Gordon Stakes (Presenting)

1994 Weatherbys Bank Fillies’ Handicap (Island Of Silver)

1994 Surplice Maiden Stakes (Muktabas)

1993 ABN Amro Goodwood Cup (Sonus)

1993 Blue Square.com Stewards’ Cup (King’s Signet)

1992 Detica Summer Handicap (Daru)

1992 Royal & SunAlliance Nursery (Marillette)

1990 Blue Square Poker.com Thoroughbred Stakes (Thakib)

He has had 75 other winners at Goodwood.

ENDS

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JOHN GOSDEN FACTFILE

JOHN GOSDEN FACTFILE

John Gosden was born on March 30, 1951, the son of trainer Towser Gosden. Towser Gosden trained at Lewes, close to Goodwood, before moving to Heath House in Newmarket. He combined training both flat and jump horses, with his best performer being the 1960 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes victor Aggressor, while he also handled the 1966 Derby winner Charlottown during his juvenile career.

After Cambridge University, John Gosden served as assistant to Sir Noel Murless from 1974 to 1975 and Vincent O’Brien from 1976 to 1977, where he was involved with great horses such as The Minstrel.

In 1980 he then embarked a successful training career in America, winning the 1984 Breeders’ Cup Mile with Royal Heroine and sending out Bates Motel to Grade One victories in the Monmouth Handicap, San Antonio Handicap and Santa Anita Handicap among many big-race wins.

In 1988 he took out his first licence in Britain and established himself as a leading trainer on these shores at Newmarket, having his best season in 1992 when he recorded 113 wins. Gosden has made a notable impression in the Vodafone Derby, filling two of the places in 1995, training subsequent St Leger winner Shantou to finish third in 1996 and then having a first success in the Classic courtesy of Benny The Dip in 1997.

His third British Classic success was with Lahan in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in 2000, the first season that Gosden trained at the famous Manton Estate in Wiltshire. He was previously based at Newmarket in Stanley House Stables and returned to headquarters after the 2005 season and is now settled at Clarehaven Stables on the Bury Road.
His initial Goodwood winner came at the Festival meeting when Thakib was successful in the Surplice Stakes on August 4, 1990. Exactly 17 years later he will be hoping for his biggest success at Goodwood when Nannina runs in the Group One Blue Square Nassau Stakes on Saturday, August 4, 2007.

The race looks like being a hot one, with French challenger Mandesha and the two fillies who have fought out the finish of the English and Irish Oaks, Light Shift and Peeping Fawn, also among the likely participants in the near 10-furlong event.

Gosden won the Blue Square Nassau Stakes in 1997 with Ryafan when it was a Group Two event. He has had 25 winners at Glorious Goodwood and 100 winners in all at the Sussex track.

Other good horses to have been trained by Gosden include the champion sprinter Oasis Dream, Irish Champion Stakes winner Muhtarram, Queen Elizabeth II Stakes victor Observatory, Prix Maurice de Gheest heroine May Ball, Golden Jubilee Stakes scorer Malhub, Coronation Stakes victor Nannina and Challenge Stakes winner Sleeping Indian. His list of owners includes Sheikh Mohammed, Hamdan Al Maktoum, the Sangster family, George Strawbridge, Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, William Farish, Khalid Abdulla, Princess Haya of Jordan, Cheveley Park Stud and Lady Lloyd-Webber.

He is married to Rachel Hood, a barrister and vice president of the Racehorse Owners’ Association. The couple have four children.
ENDS

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BLUE SQUARE NASSAU STAKES

BLUE SQUARE NASSAU STAKES

Class1, Group One, £200,000 total prize fund, 9f 192 yds, Saturday, August 4, 2007, for three-year-olds and upwards, fillies and mares only Weights: three-year-old 8st 10lb, four-year-old and upwards 9st 5lb. Entries announced Tuesday, July 17, 2007 (26 entries). Final declaration stage 10.00am Thursday, August 2, 2007 Form supplied by Weatherbys and is correct up to and including the racing of Sunday, July 22. May not include some overseas form.

Form Horse Age/wt Owner Trainer

50-24141 ALEXANDER TANGO (IRE) 3-8-10 Noel O'Callaghan Tommy Stack IRE

3110 AQRAAN 3-8-10 Hamdan Al Maktoum Kevin Prendergast IRE

(2)-(1)5012 BARSHIBA (IRE) 3-8-10 Jeff Smith David Elsworth

32503 CHERRY HINTON 3-8-10 Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE

62130-5 CUMIN (USA) 3-8-10 Lady Bamford Barry Hills

2-(0)0001 DARRFONAH (IRE) 3-8-10 Saeed Manana Clive Brittain

630056 DIAMOND NECKLACE (USA) 3-8-10 Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE

36(2)3000 DON’T DILI DALI 4-9-05 Peter Webb & Peter Lay Stan Moore

25-1156 ECHELON 5-9-05 Cheveley Park Stud Sir Michael Stoute

11-1210 FINSCEAL BEO (IRE) 3-9-05 Michael Ryan Jim Bolger IRE

3/023-66 FLASHY WINGS 4-9-05 Jaber Abdullah Mick Channon

310-2140 FOUR SINS (GER) 3-8-10 H.H. Aga Khan John Oxx IRE

231-1112 LIGHT SHIFT (USA) 3-8-10 Niarchos Family Henry Cecil

D111-12 MANDESHA (FR) 4-9-05 Princess Zara Aga Khan Alain de Royer Dupre FR

6156 MARZELLINE (IRE) 3-8-10 Karyl Harris Walter Swinburn

345-314 NANNINA 4-9-05 Cheveley Park Stud John Gosden

3213211 PEEPING FAWN (USA) 3-8-10 Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE

4215 PROFOUND BEAUTY (IRE) 3-8-10 Moyglare Stud Farms Ltd Dermot Weld IRE

11112-04 SEXY LADY (GER) 4-9-05 Gestut Ittlingen Peter Rau GER

0(0)1 SHIRLEY A STAR (USA) 3-8-10 Star Crown Stables Brian Meehan

(1)(2)11 SILKWOOD 3-8-10 Sheikh Mohammed Michael Jarvis

011-361 SIMPLY PERFECT 3-8-10 Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier Jeremy Noseda

406-202 SPECIOSA (IRE) 4-9-05 Michael Sly, Dr Tom Davies, Pam Sly Pam Sly

41-0205 SWEET LILLY 3-8-10 Jaber Abdullah MickChannon

041-66 UIMHIR A HAON (IRE) 3-8-10 Michael Ryan Aidan O'Brien IRE

3-1601 YAQEEN 3-8-10 Hamdan Al Maktoum Michael Jarvis

26 entries

9 Irish-trained

1 French-trained

1 German-trained

LATEST BLUE SQUARE PRICES

Peeping Fawn 5/2, Mandesha 5/2, Light Shift 7/2, Nannina 6/1, Silkwood 7/1, Speciosa 10/1, Yaqeen 14/1, Echelon 16/1, Four Sins 20/1, Alexander Tango 20/1, Flashy Wings 25/1, Profound Beauty 33/1, Barshiba 40/1, Cherry Hinton 40/1, Darrfonah 40/1, Cumin 66/1, Diamond Necklace 66/1, Marzelline 66/1, Sweet Lily 66/1, Uimhir A Haon 66/1, Aqraan 66/1, Shirley A Star 100/1, Sexy Lady 100/1, Don't Dilly Dally 100/1 (Finsceal Beo and Simply Perfect not quoted).
ENDS

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GOODWOOD RACECOURSE RELEASE

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GOODWOOD RACECOURSE RELEASE
for immediate release, Tuesday, July 24, 2007


RACECOURSE OPTIMISTIC AHEAD OF GLORIOUS GOODWOOD

After walking the course on Tuesday, July 24, Seamus Buckley, Goodwood’s Clerk of the Course and Grounds Manager, revealed: "We are delighted with the way the course has recovered since our early summer meetings and we have a wonderful covering of grass. The current going is good to soft with a going stick reading of 7.2.

"The thing about Goodwood is that it has a natural drainage system and it is amazing how quickly the course can dry out here on top of the hill.

"It has been a lovely day today, really drying, and a few more dry days between now and the Festival race week, which starts on Tuesday, July 31, would be appreciated.

"I predict the going to be on the soft side of good come next week if we have the necessary dry days, but we are completely in the hands of the weather.

"Both Rod Fabricius and myself cannot remember a time when we haven't had to water for the Festival meeting.

"It seems ironic that at this time last year we worked around the clock to produce good to firm ground. It will be nice to run a Festival in natural conditions."

The last six furlongs on the round course (from the six-furlong marker to the winning post on the far side of the course) have been dolled out to a width of six metres. This will be taken down at some point during the five days of racing, depending on the weather and going. Likewise, the top bend has been dolled out by three metres.

Buckley added: "We are delighted with the early closing entries of our two Group One races, the BGC Sussex Stakes on Wednesday, August 1 and the Blue Square Nassau Stakes on Saturday, August 4.

"The latter race is shaping up to be a cracker with four Classic winners and seven Group One heroines among the entries. We are looking forward to the possible third-round battle of Light Shift versus Peeping Fawn as well as the presence of Nannina (see below)"

For further information, please contact:
Sarah Gollins, Goodwood’s Racecourse PR & Marketing Executive,
on 01243 755000 ext. 1221, or by email,
sgollins@goodwood.co.uk

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