Dubai Golden Shaheen Continues International Flavour In Global Sprint Challenge

US$2m Race Enters Second Season As Part Of Elite Worldwide Race Series

The Group 1 US$2m Dubai Golden Shaheen, sponsored by Gulf News, is to continue its inclusion in an elite list of races as part of the Global Sprint Challenge (GSC) series in 2013

Run on an all-weather surface on March 30, 2013 as part of the $27,25m Dubai World Cup day card, the Group 1, 1200m dash joined the GSC roster in 2012.

The Golden Shaheen was first run in 1996 and represents the third stop in the series of ten Group 1 races on the GSC.  Australia’s Lightning Stakes in February marks the start of the Challenge which then moves on to Japan’s Takamatsunomiya Kinen and on to Dubai for the Dubai Golden Shaheen.

The world’s sprint stars then take in the Singapore’s Krisflyer International, the Kings Stand Stakes, Diamond Jubilee Stakes and the Darley July Cup in the UK before rounding off the year with Japan’s Sprinter’s Stakes, Australia’s Patinack Farm Classic and the Hong Kong Sprint.

As well as the significant prize money at stake for each race, the GSC separately offers a $1m bonus to any horse which claims three GSC contests in any three different racing jurisdictions.

Last season two horses came close to the bonus. Black Caviar, the all-conquering Australian mare, claimed the Lightning Stakes and the Diamond Jubilee Stakes while Japanese star, Lord Kanaloa took out the Sprinters Stakes and the Challenge-ending Hong Kong Sprint.

The 2012 Dubai Golden Shaheen was won by Krypton Factor, trained by Bahrain’s Fawzi Nass. Krypton Factor beat the fancied Rocket Man, who was defending his 2011 Golden Shaheen title into second.

“Ever since the Dubai World Cup was inaugurated in 1996, Dubai has been synonymous with truly international horse racing,” said Frank Gabriel, CEO, Dubai Racing Club. “The inclusion of the Dubai Golden Shaheen as part of the Global Sprint Challenge only adds to the international flavour of racing at Meydan Racecourse. Over the years the Golden Shaheen has attracted runners from 15 countries; evidence of its strong worldwide appeal.”

“The Dubai Racing Club and Meydan are extremely proud that the 2013 Dubai Golden Shaheen will be featured as part of the prestigious Global Sprint Challenge.

“The growth and popularity of the Dubai World Cup racing program is one of the greatest success stories in international racing.”

Krypton Factor, trained by Fawzi Nass, winning the 2012 Dubai Golden Shaheen under Kieren Fallon

Al Tayer Motors Sponsors Season’s First Group Race at Meydan Racecourse

Al Tayer Motors continues its long association with racing in Dubai by putting its name behind the first pattern race of the season, the Group 2 Dh150,000 Mazrat al Ruwayah at Meydan Racecourse for Purebred Arabians on Thursday December 20, 2012.

A further five races continue the evening’s action with Al Tayer Motors supporting all contests including two Conditions races for Thoroughbreds, both run over 1,400m and worth Dh110,000.

“Al Tayer Motors is a long standing supporter of sporting events and has been associated with equestrian racing in Dubai for many years. Together with Ford we are pleased to be a part of this world-class event, and look forward to an entertaining evening at the superb Meydan Racecourse,” said Ashok Khanna, Chief Executive Officer, Al Tayer Motors.

Chairman of Meydan Racing Committee, Malih al Basti, said: “Over the years Al Tayer Motors has demonstrated an unfailing commitment to horseracing and the UAE’s equine tradition. I am pleased to welcome such a valued partner back to Meydan for our 2012/13 season. We also look forward to the Al Tayer Motors Dubai World Cup Carnival card on February 14, 2013, which is highlighted by the UAE 2,000 Guineas.”

Al Tayer Motors was established in 1982 and represents major European and American automobile manufacturers including Ford, Lincoln, Maserati, Land Rover, Jaguar, Spyker and DAF Trucks across the UAE.

Admission is free to the public areas of Meydan Racecourse, gates open at 5pm and the first race starts at 6.30pm. For dining and ticketing details please, contact: +971 4327 2110 or ticketoffice@dubairacingclub.com.

TARTAK RUNS AGAIN AT CHELTENHAM ON NEW YEAR'S DAY

Meeting: New Year's Day

Dates: Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Gates Open: 10.30am

First Race: 12.15pm

Admission prices from £12. Go to www.cheltenham.co.uk for further information

Tartak is on course for a third consecutive outing at Cheltenham as his trainer Tim Vaughan eyes a tilt at the £50,000 Grade Three New Year's Day Handicap Chase, the highlight of an exciting seven-race card on New Year's Day, Tuesday, January 1, 2013.

The nine-year-old won the two mile, five furlong contest in 2011 when in the care of Tom George and has performed admirably at Cheltenham this season, finishing sixth in the betvictor.com Handicap Chase on his seasonal reappearance at The Showcase in October and fourth in the Paul Stewart IronSpine Charity Challenge Gold Cup at The International on December 15.

Vaughan said: "Tartak has come out of his recent start at Cheltenham fantastically well. He had a quiet couple of days but enjoyed his first stretch this morning up the canter and the New Year's Day Handicap Chase is the target. I am looking forward to it because his run on Saturday will have brought him on a little bit.

"Since he arrived with us he was fifth at The Festival, sixth on his reappearance and fourth at the weekend, and as a result he is becoming very well handicapped. Hopefully, one day everything will come right for him and we will be able to get a nice win into him.

"I think soft ground is fine for him. It was extreme conditions at Cheltenham on Saturday and I wouldn't be overly worried about the ground for him but a bit of better ground would be nice."

The action on New Year's Day at the home of Jump racing could feature a mouth-watering clash between dual Grade One winner Oscar Whisky and 2011 Stan James Champion Hurdle runner-up Peddlers Cross in the £25,000 Cheltenham & Three Counties Race Club Hurdle (3.05pm) over an extended two and a half miles.

Racing gets underway at 12.15pm and also includes the Grade Two Cheltenham Pony Club Raceday Novices' Chase (1.20pm) over an extended two and a half miles.

The £32,000 contest witnessed a superb front-running performance from Champion Court last season, who went on to finish second behind Sir Des Champs at The Festival, while past winners also include subsequent Grade One scorers My Way De Solzen and The Listener.

A large crowd is expected to welcome in the New Year at Cheltenham Racecourse. The advice for those racegoers intending to buy tickets on the day is please arrive early or, even better, buy online using print@home and save money as well as time.

The price for the combined Club/Tattersalls Enclosure is £25 if bought online using print@home, even on the morning of New Year's Day, as against £30 for those purchasing on the day at the racecourse.

Racegoers aged under 18 are admitted FREE, while FREE car parking is also available.

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HELPSTON AND ALVARADO HANDED WETHERBY BOXING DAY OPTIONS

Helpston, runner-up in last year's renewal of the Betfair. Don't Settle For Less Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase, could bid to go one better in this year's £40,000 contest at Wetherby on Wednesday, December 26, the first day of the Welcome To Yorkshire Christmas Meeting.

The eight-year-old, who is trained by his owner-breeder Pam Sly, has failed to complete in two runs this season but was well in contention at Doncaster last Saturday (December 15) when falling at the 13th fence.

 

Sly revealed: "The Betfair. Don't Settle For Less Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase is definitely a race I am looking at for Helpston.

"He was travelling well at Doncaster last time when he fell and I think that maybe was a result of jockey error - asking him to take off a stride too soon.

"Obviously, the horse ran a great race at Wetherby last year in the Rowland Meyrick when he was runner-up. Gina Andrews rode him last year and I have promised she can have the ride on him at Wetherby again this time around." 

Trainer Fergal O'Brien could be represented by improving performer Alvarado, who is unbeaten in two starts around Wetherby.

The seven-year-old made an impressive return at the West Yorkshire track when powering home to win the Bobby Renton Handicap Chase in October and was last seen coming home fifth in a competitive handicap chase at Newbury on November 29.

O'Brien said: "The Betfair. Don't Settle For Less Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase is a race we are looking at for Alvarado.

"He is very well and has been in good form since his run at Newbury. It was a good run there and he was staying on nicely at the finish. He definitely wants three miles and better ground but there isn't much of that around at the moment.

"He has a good record at Wetherby and he won nicely there first time out so we are looking forward to getting him back out again."

Alvarado's first success at Wetherby came in a novice chase in January, 2011.

The Betfair. Don't Settle For Less Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase, run over three miles and a furlong, was first staged in 1957 and boasts an excellent roll of honour with subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Forgive' N Forget (1984) and The Thinker (1986) among the winners.

Yahoo, who chased home Desert Orchid in the 1989 Cheltenham Gold Cup, scored in 1987, while the Ferdy Murphy-trained Truckers Tavern, second to Best Mate in the 2003 Cheltenham Gold Cup, took the spoils in 2004. Local handler Malcolm Jefferson captured last year's renewal with 33/1 chance According To Pete.

An exciting six-race card on Boxing Day, day one of the Welcome To Yorkshire Christmas Meeting, gets underway at 12.35pm and also features the £10,000 Read Donald McCain's Column On Betfair Handicap Chase (2.55pm) over an extended two and a half miles.

The £16,000 Castleford Handicap Chase (2.20pm) over two miles is the highlight on Thursday, December 27, 2012, the second and final day of the Welcome To Yorkshire Christmas Meeting. Gates open at 10am on both days.

There will be a real Christmas atmosphere on both days of the Welcome To Yorkshire Christmas Meeting with mulled wine and mince pies on offer for the early birds, as well as live music from LA Jazz Band and Endeavour Ceilidh Band.

Racegoers will also have the opportunity to interact with reindeer on both days courtesy of Rigmore Reindeer & Co, while, 12 months on from his 'official' retirement, Mister McGoldrick will return to his beloved Wetherby, where he won eight races during a glittering career, thanks to locally-based racehorse retraining centre New Beginnings.

Paul Hanagan Makes Local Debut For Sheikh Hamdan Tomorrow

Double British Champion Jockey Holds Live Chances At Jebel Ali

Paul Hanagan touched down in the UAE at 4am on Tuesday morning ahead of his first ride of the season for new boss, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, tomorrow (Friday).

The double British Champion jockey was set to ride out once before he hits the famous uphill dirt at Jebel Ali Racecourse and, happily for him, he has a number of live chances among his first five rides.

“I had the chance to look at the form and two stand out,” said the 32-year-old rider, who as Sheikh Hamdan’s first jockey has the pick of the owner’s powerful string. “I’m looking forward to riding Funon in the first.”

Funon, who claimed two handicaps while trained in France by Freddie Head, won over 1,800m on his UAE debut at Jebel Ali on November 30 under Sheikh Hamdan’s second jockey, Dane O’Neill. Trained by Musabah Al Muhairi, the four-year-old claimed a two-length victory over the Ali Rashid Al Raihe-trained Enjoy Today.

“He will have a good chance I reckon, he won last time out and I think he’ll be right there.”

Hanagan also rides the fancied Haatheq in the third race.

“I’m looking forward to him,” said the 32-year-old. “He was third behind Barbecue Eddie [trainer Doug Watson’s dual winner this season] the last two times and that form has worked out well so I’m hopeful there too.”

Hanagan may be embarking on his first UAE season as Sheikh Hamdan’s first jockey, but this is not his first time in Dubai.

“I came over in 2000/1 just for a few months and then in 2003/4 I was with Paddy Rudkin,” said Hanagan. “I know Dubai as I’ve been in and out over the last few seasons, but it’s changed a lot since 2003 which is the last time I spent any length of time here.”

Hanagan accepted the Sheikh Hamdan position after former incumbent, Richard Hills, hung up his boots following Dubai World Cup day last year. He comes to the UAE off the back of a highly-successful 17-year association with English trainer, Richard Fahey.

“It was hard to leave Richard but to be honest I felt like I needed a change,” said Hanagan, who also rides at Abu Dhabi on Sunday before taking to the track at Meydan Racecourse on December 20. “I think that after what I went through with the two jockeys’ championships, I was just pretty exhausted. I was covering 90,000 miles, going between racecourses but with this new job my priorities have changed.”

With the pick of Sheikh Hamdan’s classy runners at his disposal, Hanagan is now less likely to have the numbers of rides that won him his two British championships, but more likely to have the quality that could see him add to his two Group 1 victories to date.

“Now I’m number one jockey to Sheikh Hamdan and he comes first before anybody and it would be very hard to go for the championship now,” said the jockey.

Hanagan, rode his first pattern race winner for Sheikh Hamdan in July when steering Alhebayeb to victory in the Group 2 July Stakes at Newmarket in the summer.

“I think it was the name ‘Sheikh Hamdan’ that really swung me,” said Hanagan. “It’s not the kind of chance you turn down, to be part of that history. You look at Sheikh Hamdan and his horses and the races he has won and the trainers who work for him and I knew that this was my chance to take it to the next level.”

Yet Hanagan has not deserted Fahey and was able to squeeze some rides in for the north England-based trainer during the summer.

“I owe Richard so much,” said Hanagan, who holds the distinction of being only the third northern-based rider to pick up the jockeys’ championship in more than a Century, as the distance of the northern yards from Britain’s racing centres in the south has been a hindrance to jockeys based far from Newmarket. “I’d been with him so long and without him I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

TIZZARD TARGETS BETFAIR. DON'T SETTLE FOR LESS ROWLAND MEYRICK HANDICAP CHASE ON BOXING DAY AT WETHERBY

Hey Big Spender is on course to make his seasonal reappearance in the £40,000 Betfair. Don't Settle For Less Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase (1.45pm) on Wednesday, December 26, the first day of Wetherby's Welcome To Yorkshire Christmas Meeting.

 

Colin Tizzard's nine-year-old was last seen shouldering top-weight to victory in the Grade Three Classic Chase at Warwick in January when conceding upwards of 13lb to his 12 rivals. He also captured the Listed Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle under a welter burden in November, 2011.

Tizzard said: "We are looking at the Betfair. Don't Settle For Less Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase at Wetherby for Hey Big Spender.

"He did some fast work yesterday morning and Wetherby should be his first race. He picked up a small injury in February and he came back in a bit later than the others.

"He was getting better and better last season and his win at Warwick was probably a career best performance."

Another likely participant in the Betfair. Don't Settle For Less Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase is Middleham Park Racing's Junior. The versatile nine-year-old, trained by David Pipe, has annexed notable prizes in both spheres and stayed on strongly to win the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle on December 1.

The prestigious Grade Three contest, run over three miles and a furlong, was first staged in 1957 and boasts an excellent roll of honour with subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Forgive' N Forget (1984) and The Thinker (1986) among the winners.

Yahoo, who chased home Desert Orchid in the 1989 Cheltenham Gold Cup, scored in 1987, while the Ferdy Murphy-trained Truckers Tavern, second to Best Mate in the 2003 Cheltenham Gold Cup, took the spoils in 2004. Local handler Malcolm Jefferson captured last year's renewal with 33/1 chance According To Pete.

An exciting six-race card on day one of the Welcome To Yorkshire Christmas Meeting gets underway at 12.35pm and also features the £10,000 Read Donald McCain's Column On Betfair Handicap Chase (2.55pm) over an extended two and a half miles.

The £16,000 Castleford Handicap Chase (2.20pm) over two miles is the highlight on Thursday, December 27, 2012, the second and final day of the Welcome To Yorkshire Christmas Meeting. Gates open at 10am on both days.

It will be a real Christmas atmosphere on both days of the Welcome To Yorkshire Christmas Meeting with mulled wine and mince pies on offer for the early birds, as well as live music from the LA Jazz Band and Endeavour Ceilidh Band.

Racegoers will also have the opportunity to interact with Reindeer on both days courtesy of Rigmore Reindeer & Co, while, 12 months on from his 'official' retirement, Mister McGoldrick will return to his beloved Wetherby, where he won eight races during a glittering career, with locally-based racehorse retraining centre New Beginnings.

CONEYGREE BIDDING FOR MORE CHELTENHAM SUCCESS IN ALBERT BARTLETT NOVICES' HURDLE ON SATURDAY

Meeting: The International

Dates: Friday & Saturday - December 14 & 15

Gates Open: 10am both days

First Race: 12.15pm Friday, 12.10pm Saturday

Admission prices from £9. Go to www.cheltenham.co.uk for further information

Following an impressive victory at The Open, Coneygree is set to return to Cheltenham for the £25,000 Grade Two Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (1.55pm) over three miles on day two of The International, Saturday, December 15.

The Mark Bradstock-trained five-year-old, a half-brother to the 2011 Hennessy Gold Cup winner Carruthers, made all of the running for a emphatic seven-length victory in the Grade Two Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle over two miles and five furlongs on November 18.

He posted a decisive 20-length success on his debut over hurdles at Uttoxeter on November 2.

Sara Bradstock, wife of trainer Mark, commented: "Coneygree is on course for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle. He came out of his run at The Open wonderfully well and he is in great nick.

"The idea of stepping him up to three miles now is to so that we have all of the facts in front of us when we consider which race to go for at The Festival.

"Everything that he does suggests the further, the better for him but we would like to see how he gets on over three miles before committing to the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle in March.

"He has always been similar to Carruthers but with a bit more strength to him. Carruthers was a little first foal who was also a twin so he is not robust and fighting alongside big horses has eventually got to him.

"Coneygree is bigger and he probably has a slightly higher cruising speed, so we hope that it is all going to be slightly easier for him."

The 13 entries for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle also include According To Trev, who was third behind Coneygree at The Open, impressive Ffos Las scorer Boyfromnowhere, Grade Two Persian War Novices' Hurdle third Lienosus and Mon Mome, who won the John Smith's Grand National in 2009.

A seven-race card on day two of The International also features the £100,000 Paul Stewart IronSpine Charity Challenge Gold Cup (2.30pm) and the £130,000 Grade Two StanJames.com International (3.05pm), a key trial for the Stan James Champion Hurdle at The Festival in March.

Day one of The International on Friday, December 14, features the £45,000 Grade Three Majordomo Hospitality Handicap Chase (1.55pm) and the £35,000 Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Steeple Chase (2.30pm).

GOING

The going at Cheltenham has changed to:

GOOD TO SOFT, SOFT IN PLACES on the Chase and Hurdle courses

GOOD TO SOFT, SOFT IN PLACES (frozen in parts) on the Cross Country course

Frost covers have been deployed on both the Chase and Hurdle courses and also on vulnerable areas of the Cross Country course.

There will be an inspection of the Cross Country course at 8am on Friday.

Simon Claisse, Head of Racing at Cheltenham, said today: "We are currently experiencing very cold weather at Cheltenham and the going is now good to soft, soft in places on all three courses.

"The Cross Country course is not currently raceable due to it being frozen in parts and for that reason I have decided to hold a precautionary inspection at 8.00am on Friday.

"However, the forecast for later in the week remains much more positive and the current prediction is for temperatures to reach nine degrees on Friday in the daytime. We are also still due to receive heavy rain from early on Friday morning."

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