Yes, the Cheltenham festival has come and gone for 2009 but the business of trying to find winners must go on regardless and this Saturday, the main meeting cross-channel is at Uttoxoter with the John Smith’s Midlands Grand National occupying centre stage. Howard Johnson didn’t experience the best of luck...
Author: Neil O Donnell
Cheltenham 2009: let battle commence
Cheltenham 2009: let battle commence
■□■ View Photos For many the long wait is finally over as the start of the Cheltenham festival is almost upon us. Commencing next Tuesday, March 10th, the four-day Gloucestershire meeting will attract its usual influx of Irish visitors. The question most will be wanting to know is whether we will be able to beat last...
‘Invader’ in form for Thurles
‘Invader’ in form for Thurles
Trainer Willie Mullins should continue his present purple patch by saddling Irish Invader to land the Cashel Chase over two and a quarter miles at Thurles this Thursday (1.45 pm start). Irish Invader has won his two most recent starts and indeed the son of Bob Back was most impressive when beating Carrigeen King by a...
Ruby looks to be on another winner
Ruby looks to be on another winner
The Cheltenham festival may well be looming fast on the horizon, but there’s still some excellent racing action to set the pulse going a couple of notches faster this weekend. The most prestigious race cross-channel on Saturday takes place at Kempton in the form of the Grade 3 Racing Post Chase, a three-mile...
Clonmel’s turn this Thursday
Clonmel’s turn this Thursday
The mid-week racing action takes place at Clonmel this Thursday with the first of a planned seven-race card scheduled to get under way at 2.15. It’s safe to say that Vintage Oak is one of the best bets of the entire afternoon in the Demense Maiden Hurdle. The Ciaran O’Brien-trained Vintage Oak created a...
Clonmel, Powerstown Park meetings
Clonmel, Powerstown Park meetings
Clonmel will be a hive of activity this week for the three-day greyhound coursing meeting which, of course runs from Monday through to Wednesday. On Thursday, the Powerstown Park venue will the venue for mid-week racing enthusiasts and the first of a planned seven-race card is scheduled to get under way at 1.35pm....
‘Exotic Dancer’ to hot-step it at Cheltenham
‘Exotic Dancer’ to hot-step it at Cheltenham
There should be some excellent racing at Cheltenham this Saturday where the featured event is the Letheby & Christopher Chase. Competition is likely to be intense in this extended three-mile, one-furlong event and it should prove profitable to row in behind Exotic Dancer. This Jonjo O’Neill-trained...
Thyestes meeting at Gowran Park
Thyestes meeting at Gowran Park
This Thursday, there’s just one place to be and that’s at Gowran Park for the annual ‘Thyestes’ meeting. Proceedings commence at 1.05pm and the featured race is of course the Ellen Construction Thyestes Handicap Chase. It could well happen that in-form handler Gordon Elliot will attain his initial...
‘Hurricane’ to blow opposition away at
‘Hurricane’ to blow opposition away at
The mid-week racing action takes place at the ever-dependable Thurles circuit this Thursday with proceedings scheduled to get under way at 1.05 pm. The featured event is the Rock Of Cashel Handicap Chase over two miles six furlongs and it should pay to row in behind Hurricane Carter. This Thomas O’Leary-trained...
Thursday racing
Thursday racing
Following on from the Christmas and New Year race meetings, normal service resumes at Thurles this Thursday where the first of a planned seven-race card will get under way at 12.45pm. It could well be a case of the best winebeing left until last for Chargen holds outstanding prospects in the closing Templemore INH...
‘Imperial’ to answer call for Command performance at Cheltenham on Saturday
‘Imperial’ to answer call for Command performance at Cheltenham on Saturday
Can Imperial Commander land the Paddy Power Gold Cup/Boylesports.com Gold Cup double at Cheltenham this Saturday? The answer is yes he can. A former Irish point-to-pointer, the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Imperial Commander brought himself to the attentions of a wider audience by capturing the Paddy Power Gold Cup...
Early start at Thurles
Early start at Thurles
The ever-dependable Thurles circuit will once again be the venue for racing enthusiasts this Thursday with the first of a planned seven-race card getting under way at 12.30pm. Finger Onthe Pulse is an extremely interesting proposition in the Glen Chase. Trained by the in-form Tom Taaffe, Finger Onthe Pulse posted one...