Nicky Henderson has reported the tragic news that his popular stable star Shishkin has died due to an injury suffered at Seven Barrows.
Jimmy Mangan is preparing to take on the big guns once more after he declared Spillane’s Tower among a field of eight to participate in a mouth-watering Dooley Insurance Champion Novice Chase on Tuesday’s opening leg of the Punchestown Festival.
Joseph O’Brien’s Irish raider Al Riffa had to make do with an honourable fourth as Haya Zark claimed a surprise victory in the Prix Ganay at ParisLongchamp.
Horse Racing Ireland have revealed that increased attendances at Horse Racing events in the past year is being driven by 18—34-year-olds.
John and Thady Gosden’s Danielle emerged as a possible Oaks contender after securing a runaway first success at Wetherby.
My Racing StorySponsored By Tote
I'm from a place called Eadestown, just outside Naas, beside Punchestown racecourse. I had a pony when I was younger at home and I was kind of mad for a bit of speed! I got into Michael Halford's when I was 12 or 13. I rode out there on my school holidays and weekends for five years before I left school. There were some brilliant lads in Michael Halford's at the time like Sean Corby, who rode as an apprentice for a while, Shane Foley was stable jockey and Conor Hoban was apprentice there. You can see from Michael Halford's track record, he had some brilliant apprentices over the years including Gary Carroll. It was a great place to learn and I learned plenty. I was still very weak and green and I wasn't quite sure whether I was going to be good enough to be a jockey but, in fairness, it was the route for me. I had a crack at college in Carlow, but I didn't enjoy that - I only lasted about three weeks! I missed the horses a lot.
Weather has always been the number one topic of conversation in Ireland which is most odd considering we don’t actually get extreme weather events like other countries and for the most part we don’t even have seasons.
Up to last Saturday it had rained almost every day since July, but that hasn’t stopped our population discussing the weather incessantly. Weddings, funerals, business meetings, casual encounters in the street, every conversation starter is invariably about the weather.
- HARSWELL DUKE has been kept busy since disappointing in the Spring Mile at Doncaster last month. The latest of his efforts, which came off this mark at Pontefract on Monday, was an excellent second given that he bumped into an improver. With that in mind, this could be the day that the son of Garswood is able to regain the winning thread. Ey Up Its The Boss should step forward from his seasonal return at Ripon, while others to note include Admiral Nelson and Dream Pirate.
