Racing UK to show Caulfield action under new RMG deal

Racecourse Media Group (RMG) has been appointed as the Melbourne Racing Club's (MRC) distribution partner with Saturday's Caulfield Cup (6.40am) set to be shown on Racing UK as well as being streamed by UK bookmakers for the first time.

RMG, the parent company of Racing UK, along with partners SIS and sports media company Perform will deliver exclusive coverage from the MRC's three racecourses Caulfield, Ladbrokes Park and Mornington to Racing UK, betting shops and online operators. A deal has also been done with Thoroughbred Racing South Australia's 25 tracks.

SIS will distribute the content to betting shops across Europe, while Perform will distribute the racing to online bookmakers exclusively through Racing UK’s streaming service. Content will be launched in betting shops from November.

Flat racing returns to Thurles

An all Flat card will take place at Thurles on Thursday, replacing the jumps card scheduled for the same date, which has been cancelled due to firm ground. It will be the first time Flat racing has taken place at the track since March 2007 when three races were run on a mixed card.

Matchbook to sponsor Ascot's Clarence House Chase

Betting exchange Matchbook are the new sponsors of the Clarence House Chase at Ascot on January 19. They have signed a three-year deal to sponsor the Grade 1 chase which has been won for the last three years by the Willie Mullins-trained Un De Sceaux.

The company is also backing four races at Cheltenham's opening meeting of the jumps season, including the £60,000 Matchbook Betting Exchange Handicap Chase next Saturday as it expands its sponsorship portfolio in British racing.

Chief executive Mark Brosnan said: "We are thrilled to be extending our UK horseracing sponsorship portfolio to include two of the world’s premier racecourses."

Matchbook's sponsorship at Ascot will also cover three races on the supporting card – the Grade 3 Holloways Handicap Hurdle, the juvenile hurdle and amateur riders' chase – while they will also be official betting partner for Cheltenham's Showcase meeting next weekend.

Matchbook's other sponsorships have included an official betting partnership at Glorious Goodwood and sponsoring the Brigadier Gerard Stakes meeting at Sandown.

Road To Respect to reappear at Down Royal

Grade 1 winning chaser Road To Respect, who missed the Irish Daily Star Chase at Punchestown on Wednesday due to the fast ground, will reappear in the Grade 1 JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal on November 3.

The Noel Meade-trained seven-year-old finished second in the Down Royal event a year ago before winning the Grade 1 Leopardstown Christmas Chase. He also finished fourth in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham and then third in the Punchestown Gold Cup on his final start of the season.

Meade said: "We were hoping they’d get rain overnight at Punchestown but it didn’t happen, so we took Road To Respect and Snow Falcon out of the race.

"The plan now is for both horses to go to Down Royal next month as long as we’re happy with them. Road To Respect will be put in the Champion Chase while Snow Falcon will run in the Grade 2 two-and-a-half-mile conditions chase on the same day."

Snow Falcon won the Guinness Kerry National at Listowel on his most recent start last month.

IJF issues Christmas card and calendar

The Injured Jockeys Fund has released its annual Christmas card and calendar, which are vital to the organisation's fundraising efforts.

In its 54th year of production, the design of the card features a painting by renowned equine artist Daniel Crane, Silent Footfall, which depicts horses walking in the snow.

The charity's Legends of the Turf calendar focuses on racing's greatest living jockeys and their best moments, with the cover dedicated to Richard Johnson's Gold Cup win on Native River.

In their own words, the likes of Sir AP McCoy and Lester Piggott describe why their chosen race or horse is special to them.

The calendar, which costs £7.50, contains all UK, Irish fixtures and UK point-to-points and is available in a slimline or desk version.

Christmas cards are available in packs of ten (£7.50) and can be bought with the calendar here.

Clerk of the course Tracey O'Meara to move back to Ireland

Tracey O'Meara is to join the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board's team of racecourse officials from December 1 and will work as clerk of the course at Down Royal, Downpatrick, Kilbeggan and Sligo.

O'Meara, 34, who will be the first female clerk of the course in Ireland, is currently clerk at Brighton and Fontwell. Before that she worked as a racing executive at Lingfield.

Originally from Waterford, O'Meara worked on racedays at Tramore for ten years before moving to Britain.

She said: “I am delighted to take up the role of clerk of the course with the IHRB and I am looking forward to moving back to Ireland to work in one of Ireland's most iconic industries".

Death of Christopher 'Kit' Stobbs

Christopher 'Kit' Stobbs, who won the Scottish Grand National in 1961 and served for many years as head lad to trainer Arthur Stephenson, has died aged 87.

Stobbs teamed up with Kinmount Willie, trained by Stephenson, to win the Scottish Grand National, then run at Bogside near Irvine, less than four years after his first ride in public at the age of 26.

He also rode a winner over the Grand National fences when partnering Mr Jones to success in the 1962 Becher Chase. That same year, he finished third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Cocky Consort.

Those two horses were also trained by Stephenson and after Stobbs's retirement from riding he remained as head lad at Crawleas, near Bishop Auckland.

Former jockey Andrew Thornton, who started his career riding for Stephenson, said: "He was an incredible man. In a morning he would feed 76 horses, then muck three out, ride out three or four, fix a few doors and then more besides.

"I remember one day he was riding when he got crushed against a wall. He broke his jaw but was still in for work the next day. He was as hard as nails."

The funeral is at St John's Church in Shildon, County Durham, at 12.45pm on Wednesday, October 24.

Thurles races transferred

Four races originally scheduled for Thurles on October 25 have been transferred following the cancellation of the fixture due to firm ground.

The 2m2f mares' novice chase and the He'llberembered Hurdle, increased in distance from two miles seven furlongs to three miles, will be run at Galway on October 27 and October 28 respectively.

The 2m Leugh Handicap Hurdle moves to Wexford on October 28 and the Premier County Mares Hurdle will be run at Wexford on October 29 with the distance reduced by a furlong to two and three-quarter miles.