Jockeys agent Kevin O'Ryan confirms Jack Kennedy has joined his roster

Jack Kennedy will be managed by Kevin O'RyanCredit: Patrick McCann

Jockeys agent Kevin O'Ryan has announced that Jack Kennedy has joined his roster, which also includes champion rider Davy Russell.

O'Ryan tweeted on Friday: "Delighted to say @jackkennedy15 has joined the team and will be booking his rides with immediate effect alongside @_Davy_Russel_ #jumpsteam."

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board will host a seminar on managing fractures with racehorses from 9.30am until 3pm on Thursday, June 14 before racing at Leopardstown.

The seminar is a part of the Irish racehorse welfare initiative, designed to increase knowledge on the welfare of thoroughbreds and will feature keynote speaker Professor Chris Whitton, head of Equine/Specialist in Equine Surgery at the University of Melbourne.

He is supported by Liam Kearns, partner at Three Counties Equine Hospital and senior veterinary surgeon at Cheltenham, Warren Schofield of Troytown Grey Abbey Veterinary Practice, Liam Sharp of Lisadell Equine Hospital, Peadar O’Scanaill, president of the Veterinary Council of Ireland and IHRB chief veterinary officer Lynn Hillyer.

There will be no entry charge but places are limited. To attend, log on to https://doodle.com/poll/989pgd8628pctqs6.

Legal Right, winner of the 1999 Tripleprint Gold Cup (run last year as the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup), has died at the age of 25 on his owner Russell McAllister's farm in Scotland.

The son of Alleged was retired 13 years ago after being pulled up in the Scottish National when trained by Lucinda Russell.

Legal Right began his career carrying the colours of Robert Sangster and was trained by Peter Chapple-Hyam to win a Chester maiden, in which he beat subsequent Derby third Shantou.

Fourth in the Predominate next time, Legal Right did not win another race on the Flat before joining Jonjo O'Neill in 1997. He landed three races over hurdles in his first campaign as well as two novice chases the following season.

Legal Right hit his heights in the 1999-2000 season as a six-year-old, running up a sequence of four in his seven-win career over fences, including the Tripleprint at Cheltenham and the Tote Silver Cup at Ascot in December.

He finished third to King George winner First Gold in the Martell Cup that season and won the 2001 Grade 2 Tommy Whittle, and ran his last race for O'Neill when second in the Grade 2 Pillar Chase back at Cheltenham.

McAllister said: "I bought him off the Magniers at Jonjo's. He was a great horse who Jonjo got the best out of but he had problems with his feet.

"He retired to our farm and has lived out his retirement happily in our fields."

Derby to be shown in Japan

Saxon Warrior’s performance in Saturday’s Qipco 2000 Guineas will be followed with more interest than usual in Japan, where his next major target, the Investec Derby on June 2, is due to be shown live on national TV for the first time.

Following negotiations opened five years ago by Racing UK chief executive Richard FitzGerald and completed earlier this year by the Jockey Club’s international ambassador Stephen Wallis, the Derby will be transmitted on the Green Channel, the dedicated horseracing subscription service operated by the Japan Racing Association.

Detailed arrangements were discussed between Hiroshi Ito, who switched from the JRA’s international planning division to head the Green Channel’s corporate planning department in March, and FitzGerald in Hong Kong last week. Green Channel will send representatives to Epsom, but production will be handled from a studio in Tokyo using the RUK feed.

For the last two years the JRA has had government approval to simulcast overseas races, including two at Ascot and the Juddmonte International at York, but can go ahead only if the fields include a Japanese-owned runner. Admitting the difficulty of fulfilling the criterion for the Derby, the Jockey Club has used the Deep Impact effect as a lever to agree live coverage without betting.

Ito said: “Japanese owners want to win the Derby in their own country, so as the rules stand at the moment it is would be very difficult to include the Epsom Derby on the simulcasting schedule, but the Epsom Classic is the pinnacle of all Derbys, in my opinion, so the intended appearance of Saxon Warrior presents a good opportunity for the Green Channel to show this year’s race live for the first time.

“We want to demonstrate the quality of British racing and the excitement of the Derby. The timing of the race is good for us. It will be shown at around midnight, which is a good time frame for racing fans to stay up. If it was two or three hours later, it would not be so attractive.”

Goffs Naas sponsorship

Goffs is to sponsor the Group 3 Lacken Stakes at Naas on Sunday, May 20, which is Royal Ascot trials day at the County Kildare track.

The race was won last year by Caravaggio, who went on to land the Commonwealth Cup at Ascot.

The sponsorship deal will run until 2021 and the sales company will also sponsor the track's new owners' and trainers' lounge, known as The Circle, which was built at a cost of €1.7 million and which was opened in January.

The lounge is the first part of a €3.2m Horse Racing Ireland's Capital Development Scheme at Naas.

Henry Beeby, Goffs group chief executive, said: "Goffs is proud to sponsor the owners' & trainers' lounge in The Circle at Naas, which is our local racecourse and one of the most progressive in the game.

"The Circle boasts one of the best views of any racecourse and we look forward to helping further enhance the owners' and trainers' experience at Naas through this partnership."

Lenore Peacock remembered

A memorial service for Classic-winning breeder Lenore Peacock will be held on Tuesday, May 15, at the Church of St Mary and St Alkelda, Middleham, beginning at 2.30pm.

French mile Classics to be backed by Emirates

This year's two mile Classics in France will be run as the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Pouliches in a sponsorship deal which lasts to 2024.

The two races return to Longchamp on May 13 after two years at Deauville, where they were run under the associated banner of Abu Dhabi.

At €600,000 the Poulains is the richest mile Classic in Europe, while the fillies' race, the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, is worth €500,000.

Thanks to the new deal both races will gain an extra €50,000 in prize-money from 2021 onwards.

Downpatrick cancelled

The fixture scheduled for Downpatrick on Friday has been cancelled as parts of the track are unfit for racing following heavy overnight rain and further rain on Wednesday morning.

Dash entries unveiled

Previous winners Caspian Prince, Duke Of Firenze and Desert Law feature among 42 entries released on Wednesday for the £100,000 Investec Corporate Banking 'Dash' Handicap over the world's fastest five furlongs at Epsom on June 2. Unibet have priced up the race, making Duke Of Firenze and Kyllang Rock joint-favourites at 12-1.