Former BBC racing director Steve Docherty dies aged 60

Steve Docherty, who directed the final years of the BBC's television racing output, including multiple Grand Nationals, has died aged 60.

Docherty was a recognised master across numerous sports, including snooker, rugby, football and cycling, his magnum opus being as the director and producer of Tour de France coverage on ITV and before it Channel 4, stretching right back to the 1980s.

Former BBC racing commentator Jim McGrath said: "Steve, who was universally known as 'Doc', was an outstanding director, whose knowledge and experience across numerous sports enhanced all racing output in his time.

"He was also a great bloke, humble and very personable. His loss is being felt deeply by all those who knew him and worked with him."

Lyons gives backing to hugely popular Ballyhane Stakes at Naas

The second running of the €200,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes, the richest race at Naas, has attracted a whopping 278 entries at the latest forfeit stage with leading trainer Ger Lyons heaping praise on the sponsors for the initiative.

The race is confined to two-year-olds that are EBF eligible and whose sire established a median price of not more than €75,000 at the 2020 yearling sales.

There is also the added incentive for 19 of the remaining entries as sponsors Ballyhane Stud have posted a €50,000 bonus if the winner of the race is by a sire standing at Ballyhane.

Lyons said: "The Irish EBF are brilliant as the primary sponsor of Irish racing. They have put a huge amount of money into the sport, recently announcing an all-time-high allocation of €2.6 million in prize-money for the year. Everyone in Irish racing should be very thankful to them for that."

He added: "I will always want to have entries in a race like the Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes with such a substantial pot. Any contest that puts sizeable prize-money up for the owners has to be greatly appreciated and has to be supported. I'm only too happy to back it because it is beneficial to our owners in the long term."

HWB makes key appointments to drive welfare strategy

The Horse Welfare Board (HWB) has made three key appointments charged with implementing its 'A Life Well Lived' strategy, including Olympic Eventing course designer Mike Etherington-Smith.

The five?year plan to ensure the highest standards of racehorse welfare was announced in February 2020, less than a month before coronavirus forced the shutdown of racing in Britain.

Etherington-Smith will join the programme team as equine safety advisor, alongside Helena Flynn as programme director and Stephen Wensley as welfare data projects lead.

HWB's independent chair Barry Johnson said: "We are enormously excited and encouraged by the formation of this impressive team. Not only are their skills and experience truly world class, they have also demonstrated a strong ability to work collaboratively.

"This was essential, as we wanted a team who would support racing and its people to fulfil our collective ambitions in relation to horse welfare."

The report initially made 20 recommendations and 26 specific projects were put forth across four different themes associated with welfare – quality of life; lifetime responsibility; safety; and the growth and maintenance of public trust.

Irish Barrier trials to return in June as trio of Dundalk dates are announced

Hot on the heels of producing Group 1 National Stakes hero Thunder Moon last season, Irish barrier trials are set to return later this summer, with a trio of dates announced for Dundalk.

Run by Irish Thoroughbred Marketing (ITM) since 2018 - with the backing of the Irish European Breeders' Fund and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board - the trials are scheduled to take place on Monday June 28, Wednesday August 18 and Monday September 13.

The mock races, held in accordance with Covid-19 protocols, will again be restricted to unraced two-year-olds and three-year-olds, held over five, six and seven furlongs.

ITM's Jeremy Greene said: "The trials are being run primarily to meet significant demand, both locally and abroad, for quality unraced horses. Last year, two dates staged at Dundalk in July and September attracted 143 entries from 40 different stables.

A Case Of You (near side): Commonwealth Cup hope started his career in a barrier trialCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

All horses entering must be named, returned in training and hold a stalls' certificate, while connections will be asked to declare for both Monday dates on the preceding Thursday to allow more time for crosschecking vaccinations and stalls certificates.

As previously, IRIS will film each heat and upload the clips to YouTube and social media channels immediately afterwards. The possibility of airing the trials live through YouTube or another channel is also being explored.

New date for abandoned Gowran meeting

Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) has announced Monday, June 14 as the replacement slot for Wednesday's abandoned Flat fixture at Gowran Park.

The original meeting was cancelled after parts of the track remained unfit for racing after 52mm of rain from the card's entry stage.

Entries for the new afternoon fixture – due to start at 1.45pm – will close at 12pm on Wednesday June 9, with declarations to be made by 10am on Saturday, June 12.

Race programme details for the meeting will be published in due course, according to HRI.

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