With this issue of Racing World we complete our 6th year of publication, covering the exciting world of Equine sport – horse racing, polo and other equestrian events. Having moved into unchartered territory in August 2003, we are happy to have established ourselves in this niche market providing enthusiasts of the sport with comprehensive information, detailed reviews, timely previews, profile interviews, news and views, breeding and pedigree updates, racing statistics and lots of interesting racing information. Polo has been an intrinsic part of Racing World and we have tried to cover as many events as possible during the polo season. Over the past six years we have had writers from around the globe show interest in writing for Racing World and this has added a new dimension with an international perspective. Promoting all aspects of equine sport is our objective and we hope that those connected with the sport will contribute with ideas that will invoke more interest to those already involved with the sport as well as to attract new entrants to the game. We take this opportunity to thank all our supporters, advertisers, subscribers, contributors and the racing fan in general who have supported us this far. As we commence our 7th year of publication we look forward to your continued support.
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RACING NEWS : FEBRUARY - MARCH 2010
Meydan lights up for the
Dubai International Racing Carnival 2010
Meydan held a trial race night at the world’s largest integrated racing facility; the Meydan Grandstand and Racecourse with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in attendance. The successful and well-received trial is a precursor to the Dubai International Racing Carnival (DIRC ), beginning on January 28. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed was on hand to tour the facilities which included the racecourse and
associated facilities, including the paddock, grandstand and jockey’s changing rooms. Consisting of four races, the trial saw 44 horses with a total of 16 jockeys racing over distances between 1200m and 2000m. Champion jockey Frankie Dettori, Ted Durcan, Richard Hills, Pat Smullen, Kevin Shea and Kieren Fallon were amongst the first to ride at Meydan...
Storm Chispazo continued his good form in Argentina’s threeyear- old male division with an upset victory in the Gran Premio Nacional (Arg-G1) (Argentine Derby) at Palermo. Ridden by Jose Ricardo Mendez, the Bernstein colt completed a last-to-first rally to defeat 15 opponents for a threelength...
Red Ransom, the veteran sire of 98 stakes winners, died at Vinery Australia from complications related to abdominal surgery. He was 22. By Roberto out of the winning Damascus mare Arabia, Red Ransom began his career at stud in 1991 at Vinery Kentucky after winning two of three starts for owner-breeder Paul Mellon’s Rokeby Stable and trainer Mack Miller. His career was cut short due to injury. Red Ransom stood his first season at $7,500, which increased tenfold in ten years due to the success of his progeny, such as 2000 ...
The Irish flat racing season drew to a close at Dundalk Racecourse. In the jockey’s championship Johnny Murtagh came out on top from Pat Smullen. Murtagh rode 93 winners to Smullen’s 88 and the new Champion Jockey was delighted to pick up his trophy and conclude his duties as Horse racing Ireland’s first Flat Ambassador. This was Murtagh’s fourth championship, but his first since 1998. The apprentice championship was taken by 19 year old
jockey Gary Carroll from Kildare who had a clear lead ahead of his nearest rival Shane Foley. The trainer’s championship was once again won by Aidan O’Brian. This year’s title saw him become Irish Champion trainer for an impressive fifteenth consecutive time (1995-2009). The 2009 Owners Championship was won by Derek Smith, followed by Michael Tabor, HH the Aga Khan, Mrs John Magnier and Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum.
Sea The Stars – Europe’s Horse of the Year
Multiple Group 1 winner Sea The Stars was honoured as Europe’s Horse of the Year and champion three-yearold colt at the annual Cartier Racing Awards in London. The Cartier Racing Awards was established in 1991 to recognize the achievements of racehorses. The three-year-old bay Cape Cross (Ire) colt won all six of his starts this season, becoming the first horse in two decades to win both the Stanjames.com 2000 Guineas (Eng-G1) and the Investec Epsom Derby (Eng-G1). Christopher Tsui’s homebred Sea The Stars followed his double...
Honour and Glory will stand the 2010 breeding season at Ghost Ridge Farms in Felton, Pennsylvania. Honour and Glory won or placed in 11 graded stakes and was a decisive winner of the 1996 Metropolitan Handicap (G1) as a three-year-old against older horses. A 16-year-old by Relaunch, Honour and Glory is the sire of 26 group or graded stakes winners, with progeny earnings of more than $48-million. Sire of 116 stakes performers worldwide, including 2000 champion two-yearold filly Caressing, 2008 Naboodah United Arab Emirates Derby (UA E-G2) winner Honour Devil (Arg), and multiple graded stakes winner Keyed Entry. Honour and Glory ranks second in Pennsylvania by 2009 progeny earnings, behind only Jump Start, who also stands at Ghost Ridge Farms.
Bobby Frankel
Trainer of Champion Horses dead
Bobby Frankel, Racing Hall of Fame trainer and one of the most successful American thoroughbred trainers of the last 40 years, whose horses included the champions Bertrando, Ghostzapper and Empire Maker, the winner of the 2003 Belmont Stakes, died at his home in Pacific Palisades, California, USA. He was 68.
Frankel started his career in racing as a hotwalker at Belmont Park and Aqueduct during the mid-1960s and took out his trainer’s license in 1966 and soon gained a reputation as “King of the Claimers” for his ability to develop claiming horses into stakes runners. He...
Vivek Jain got the maximum number of votes in the RWITC elections and was unanimously elected the Chairman of the RWITC. He drew 887 votes, which sums to 83 per cent clean sweep. This is the sixth time that Vivek has topped the list, again the maximum for any contestant ever. This is also the only occasion that a father (Dr S C Jain) and son have held the post of the Chairman of the club. Mr Shivlal Daga was elected the chairman – Stewards of the club. Mr Adi Narielwalla remains the Chairman of the Appeal Board.
The following members were declared elected: (Total number of votes polled: 1068) - Mr Vivek Jain – 887 , Mr Jaydev Mody – 791, Mr Champaklal Zaveri – 715, Mr Shyam Ruia – 713, Dr Sashi Jain – 642, Dr Ram Shroff – 582, Mr Gautam Lala – 570, Mr Shivlal Daga – 552 and Mr Mohan Thakur – 548 votes. Board of Appeal: (Total number of votes: 1056) - Mr Dady Adenwalla – 587 and Mr Byram Jeejeebhoy – 545 votes.
Reigning Japanese Horse of the Year,Vodka
wins Japan Cup
Race fans at Tokyo Racecourse witnessed Vodka charge toward victory in the $5,561,556 Japan Cup (Jpn-G1), the world’s richest turf race. The five-year-old Tanino Gimlet mare, trained by Katsuhiko Sumii for owner Yuzo Tanimizu, surged to a commanding lead in the deep stretch and appeared destined to nail down a career defining win. Oken Bruce Lee uncoiled an explosive rally with ground-devouring strides as 98,811 fans roared in anticipation of...
At a meeting of the Stewards of the RWITC with representatives of the Owners’ and Jockey’s Associations, it was decided the new notification on the norms of participation of foreign jockeys would not be implemented at least till the end of December. From 2003, foreign jockeys were permitted to declare themselves in up to 50 per cent of the races on each race day. This replaced the earlier norm where the Handicapper would open up to 50 per cent of races as “foreign jockeys eligible.” Since the last season the Indian jockeys have felt the new norms to be unfair as virtually every race was open to foreign jockeys but with the restriction that no individual jockey would be declared in more than 50 per cent
of the races. In order to comply with the request of the Indian jockeys and as there was a licensing condition to this effect, the RWITC Stewards decided to revert to the old norms from the start of the Mumbai Season. The Stewards, in conjunction with acceptance from the jockeys, also decided to continue with the practice of opening all races to foreign jockeys on all grade 1 race days and in case of an odd number, for example if there were 9 races, foreign jockeys could ride in five. Is pressure from the Indian jockeys likely to see these rules change? Further all graded and million races would be open to foreign jockeys and not be counted in the 50 per cent calculation.
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