Jonjo O’Neill Jnr landing his biggest prize as a jockey with Big Time Dancer taking the Grade 1 Unibet Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle
Richard Johnson returning to race-riding after being unseated and trampled on at Fontwell and off for two days with a treble at Ludlow
A three-day Northern jumps festival being introduced next year on 20-22 March at Carlisle, Kelso and Musselburgh – as well as race fixtures the Racing Post backed event will see tours of local stables, and the Kelso meeting will be covered by ITV Racing
Owner-breeder Jane May, recovering from a fractured knee and ligament-ri damage after being knocked over by a dog, defying doctor’s orders and attending Lingfield and Plumpton on consecutive days and seeing her Potters Midnight winning at the Surrey venue and then Potter Hedger winning the next day in Sussex
Trainer Gordon Elliott enjoying a purple patch in the past week with a double at Punchestown and trebles at consecutive meetings at Fairyhouse
The Coral-backed From the Horses Mouth racing column returning to the freebie Metro newspaper
STEWARDS ROOM
…and what hasn’t been so good
Just three declared for the Matchbook Clarence House Chase at Ascot, the lowest turnout for a Grade 1 race in five years Noel Fehily requiring key-hole surgery to remove his appendix after complaining of stomach pains at Kempton and being rushed to hospital
Tom O’Brien receiving a seven-day ban for failing to weigh in resulting in the disqualification of third-placed and joint-favourite
Shaw’s Cross at Lingfield – O’Brien said he forgot to weight in due an on-going enquiry into his ride in an earlier race with his explanation noted by the stewards
Various sectors of racing, not least bloodstock, bracing themselves for the potential chaos of a no-deal Brexit
Continuing delays in the installation of the power, nt supply meaning that four more Southwell floodlight fixtures have to be transferred to other courses
The use of Regaine shampoo by two members of Suzi Best’s yard resulting in cross-contamination and positive tests on two subsequently disqualified horses – the BHA panel said it would be hard for a trainer to know that a shampoo could result in a positive test but, because gloves were not used in its application, Best was fined at the entry level of £1,000 per positive test
Chantilly having to cancel five races due a protest by a 500-strong ‘gilets jaunes’ anti-government group which has been causing widespread disruption across France
Newbury blocking off an area for a “fast-track” in its Berkshire Stand which is hardly ever open and barely used when it is]
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“We had to go easy with them after Acey Milan, who we thought was a certainty, was beaten at Plumpton in December. When he turned for home he laterally curled up and walked over the finishing line”. Anthony Honeyball on the problems his yard faced over Christmas which now seem to be at an with the stables now back sending out winners
