A welcome return, welcome first-timers, welcome winners, welcome Walliams and unwelcome visitors
WINNERS ENCLOSURE
What’s been good in racing…
- Past Smullen making his first return to the racecourse after being diagnosed in March with a tumour on his pancreas – everyone wishes him will in his fight
- Curragh-based trainer Ken Condon landing the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas with 25-1 surprise victor Romanised, ridden by Shane Foley, giving him both his first classic victory and his first win for nearly a year…
- … and Jessica Harrington training her first classic winner when Alpha Centauri, ridden by Colm O’Donoghue, hauls in long-time leader Could It Be Love to take the Irish 1000 Guineas
- A 5lb penalty and a slow start failing to prevent Battasah taking Haydock’s Temple stakes, holding off a dashing challenge from Washington DC
- A host of close finishes making for good Saturday afternoon’s viewing on ITV Racing, not least Sands Of Mali fending off Invincible Army by a nose in the Sandy Lane stakes- five races went to Racing Hub selections
- At The Races presenter Hayley Moore bravely ducking under the running rail at Chepstow to grab the reins of runaway Give Em A Clump, being dragged to the ground but still holding on to the horse until help arrived
- Silvestre de Sousa riding a four-timer at Ripon
- ITV racing getting a very healthy 400,000 viewers for its coverage of Sandown’s Brigadier Gerard evening fixture
- J P McDonald riding a treble at Carlisle’s opening fixture of the Flat season
- The Racing Post’s Horse Welfare Week
- Arc and Jockey Club Racecourses putting in bids to take over management of Musselburgh
- Newbury posting an 11% increase in attendance for 2017 at 196,000, and a 5% percent increase in turnover to £17.8m
- Chelmsford City leapfrogging Sandown to stage the richest evening meeting next month with a seven-race card worth £233,640, with a new feature race, the £75,000 Queen Charlotte Fillies Stakes over 7f for older fillies
- Sponsors Investec’s Derby homage advertising campaign (above) “Winners run a different race”
- Sixteen-year-old Ben Coen taking a day off school to ride John Honeyman to victory at Ayr, his 11th winner
- Flat racing returning to Ayr after an eight-month interval for ground repair work after the abandonment of last year’s Ayr Gold Cup meeting, albeit the maximum number of runners is set at 12
- Richard Hoiles writing in the Racing Post Weekender that the horse should be the centre of attention for an enjoyable day at the races
- BHA investigating ways to track racehorses from birth to after their racing career as part of its horse welfare strategy
- David Walliams starring in a series of videos for Great British Racings Under-18 Race Free campaign
STEWARDS ROOM
…and what hasn’t been so good
- The BHA needing to find a new chairman after Steve Harman steps down from the post following an investigation into possible conflict of interest in dealings with the chief executive of the Tote-investing Alizeti consortium – a compromise means Harman will have a consultancy position liaising with Westminster on behalf of racing
- Barraquero nearly unshipping jockey Tom Marquand on an erratic, out-of-control journey to the start of Haydock’s Sandy Lane Stakes, being allowed to run but being pulled-up after losing touch after two-furlongs and needing considerable time for post-race recovery
- Thirsk Racecourse suffering two nights of vandalism when thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused by a toilet block being vandalised and the panoramic windows and metal framework of the under-construction owners’ and trainer’s building being smashe
- Paddy Power running an ad during ITV Racing coverage of last week’s Sandown’s evening meeting offering money-back on losing bets if, er, Aiden O’Brien trains the winner of the 1000 and 2000 Guineas!
- Goodwood charging £6 for a pint of lager, albeit that it could deter some from excessive drinking
- Point-to-point jockey Sam Lee receiving a six-day ban for shouting obscenities at an uncooperative horse resulting in the horse bolting