Jumps owner Julian Taylor announced as new Huntingdon chairman

Huntingdon has announced Julian Taylor will replace Paul Taiano as the track's chairman.

Taylor, who has been on Huntingdon's committee since January last year, is an owner with Venetia Williams, Harry Fry, Lucy Wadham and Henry de Bromhead and has ridden in point-to-points and hunters chases.

Recently retired from a 40-year insurance career in the City, he takes over from Taiano, who had held the position for nine years.

Taylor, who lives close to Huntingdon, described his delight at the appointment and also announced a number of other changes to the venue's leadership team.

He said: "I pay tribute to the enormous contribution made by my predecessor Paul Taiano over nine years as chairman and 24 years on the committee of the racecourse. We are also saying farewell to Joey Newton who has also been a most valued member of the committee.

"I am very pleased to welcome as new members both Jane Wallace, a most experienced horse woman and a former Olympic selector, and Philip Would, who brings extensive business experience in the field of investing in infrastructure projects."

Zonderland passes away

Zonderland, a Group 3 winner when trained in Britain by Clive Cox and Cheveley Park Stud, has died aged six.

The news was reported by Jim Gorman, assistant trainer to Luke Comer, who snapped up the son of Dutch Art for 140,000 guineas last October.

Gorman explained: "He had an successful colon entrapment operation but unfortunately on recovery he shattered his knee. It's a huge blow and we loved the horse."

Elegant Escape Gold Cup bid

Elegant Escape, an impressive winner of the Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow last month, will head straight to the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup without another run.

The Colin Tizzard-trained gelding, who also finished second in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury this season, will have a short break before joining stablemates Thistlecrack and last year's winner Native River in the 3m2½f contest.

Elegant Escape: last seen winning the Welsh Grand NationalCredit: Harry Trump

Tizzard said: "Elegant Escape is now rated 159 and is only about 7lb away from being a Gold Cup horse. He might make a Grand National horse as well because he is a tough stayer.

"I think his next race will be the Gold Cup, because he has had three hard races and we are only around two months away from the festival. If he'd only had one run, we would have gone again."

The Dorset-based trainer also revealed that last season's Albert Bartlett winner Kilbricken Storm will revert to hurdles after disappointing behind Santini at Newbury over fences in December.

"Kilbricken Storm is going to go down the Stayers' Hurdle route. He was not quite right after his last run over fences. He will have one more run, then go for the Stayers'."

Lagrange conscious after fall

Mathilde Lagrange, the jockey who was placed in a coma after a fall at Cagnes-sur-Mer on Monday, regained consciousness at Nice hospital on Tuesday.

Lagrange is reported to be breathing without aid and has moved her limbs.

Rise in jockey fees

The Professional Jockeys Association and Racehorse Owners Association have agreed to a 2.2 per cent increase in riding fees for this year.

The new fees will be £127.14 for Flat races and £173.59 for jumps, while the non-runner fee (for horses declared a non-runner after 9am on the day of the race) will be £50.86 for the Flat and £69.44 for jumps.

The jockeys on the PJA board also agreed to raise the valet's fees by 2.2 per cent, which are shown below:

Flat fees
From £15.71 to £16.05 for the first ride on a card
From £10.04 to £10.26 for the second ride on a card
From £8.18 to £8.36 for every subsequent ride

Jumps fees
From £17.16 to £17.54 for the first ride on a card
From £12.86 to £13.14 for the second ride on a card
From £8.58 to £8.77 for every subsequent ride

Bill Elsey funeral date

The funeral for Bill Elsey,who died last Thursday aged 97, will be at All Saints church, Settrington, near Malton YO17 8NP, at noon on Thursday, January 17.

Dual Classic-winning trainer Elsey was arguably the most successful Yorkshire trainer of his generation. Victories in the Oaks with Pia in 1967 and the St Leger with Peleid in 1973 were the highlights of a career that started when he took over the licence from his father Charles at Highfield Stables in Malton in 1961.

He also won the Eclipse, Lockinge and St James's Palace Stakes plus numerous top handicaps before his retirement in 1996.

Towcester move

The fixture scheduled for Towcester on February 13 has been switched to Musselburgh, the BHA announced on Monday. The January 29 fixture has already been moved and will be held at Warwick.

The Northamptonshire track entered administration last summer.

British Racing School receives top recognition

The British Racing School in Newmarket has been awarded the outstanding grade by Ofsted.

Receiving the status is quite a coup for the BRS, which provides training for young people entering the racing industry, and chief executive Grant Harris lauded the staff at the facility.

"The award of outstanding from Ofsted is nothing less than the hard-working and dedicated staff here at the BRS deserve," he said.

"They work tirelessly to inspire young people 365 days a year, year in year out. Hundreds of young people every year get their start in racing here at the BRS and go on to have long and successful careers."

BHA chief executive Nick Rust said: "The British Racing School provides excellent training and development facilities for our industry, and we are delighted that their work has been recognised with an outstanding report from Ofsted. Congratulations to Grant and his team."

Death of former racehorse owner Gerry Cooper

Gerry Cooper, a long-time owner with the Watts family, has died peacefully at the age of 88.

Former trainer Bill Watts said: “Gerry had horses with father and myself for 30 years. He inherited Super Sam who went on to win at Glorious Goodwood and then land the Brigadier Gerard Stakes in 1966.

“Ovaltine won the Ebor for him the following year and the Goodwood Cup in 1968. He also had a share in Coup de Feu, winner of the 1974 Eclipse when trained by Duncan Sasse.”

Perth gets new trainee clerk

Matthew Taylor, lately racecourse services executive at the Racecourse Association head office in Ascot, has become trainee clerk of the course at Perth.

Taylor, who graduated in economics, did his placement on the 2016 BHA Graduate Development Programme at RCA head office and was offered a job there.

Most recently he was responsible for coordinating the RCA side of a survey conducted through the National Trainers Federation, which revealed that the ability to win or be placed in a race outranks prize-money on offer by around 70-30 as the main motivation for trainers in deciding where to run.

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