Cash injection for Red Mills day at Gowran Park

The Red Mills Chase has already being billed as one of the races of the season by champion trainer Willie Mullins, with stars like Footpad and Presenting Percy in line to contest the Gowran Park showpiece a week on Saturday, and now the race will have a prize fund more in keeping with its status.

It will be worth €60,000 this year, representing a 33 per cent rise on 2018.

The Red Mills Hurdle has also been boosted to €60,000 as part of a new initiative launched by Horse Racing Ireland to help racecourses build upon the success of feature races.

Gowran Park manager Eddie Scally said: “We are delighted that both Red Mills and Horse Racing Ireland have come together to increase the prize-money on offer for what is one of our biggest fixtures at Gowran Park.

“Our partnership with Red Mills has seen unbroken sponsorship for almost 40 years and Gowran Park really appreciates this investment from the Connolly family and the support this fixture enjoys from the Red Mills clients and staff. We are really looking forward to what is shaping up to be one of the biggest Red Mills days ever.”

Andrew Lynch set for spell on the sidelines after dislocating shoulder

Multiple Grade 1-winning rider Andrew Lynch will be out of action for the foreseeable future after dislocating his shoulder in a fall from Castlegrace Paddy in the Dublin Chase at Leopardstown on Saturday.

Lynch, who revealed the news on Monday, will not know the full extent of the injury until he goes for a scan next week. He said: "I've dislocated my shoulder. I'm going for a scan next week and I'll know more then.”

Jefferson honoured at Kelso

Kelso will be honouring Malcolm Jefferson, the late Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer, by naming a race for him on Morebattle Hurdle day on February 14.

Jefferson enjoyed notable success at Kelso, including in the track’s two most prestigious hurdle prizes in 2017. He landed the Premier Novices' Hurdle with Mount Mews and the Morebattle Hurdle with Cyrus Darius.

Kelso managing director Jonathan Garratt said: “Malcolm was universally admired by fellow trainers in the north and by racegoers. It’s fitting he should be honoured with a staying race of serious quality, which is why we’ve chosen to name our three-mile level weights Class 2 event the Malcolm Jefferson Memorial Chase.”

The contest was run in previous years as the Ivan Straker Memorial Chase.