Cloudy Dream to tackle Sunday's Old Roan on debut for Donald McCain

Cloudy Dream is set to have his first run for Donald McCain in the Grade 2 Monet's Garden Old Roan Chase at Aintree on Sunday.

The classy eight-year-old, who was third in the Ryanair Chase last season, has been switched to McCain by owner Trevor Hemmings from Ruth Jefferson's yard.

He heads nine declarations for Sunday's jumping highlight, with his rivals including Javert, Theo and Frodon, who heads the weights for the limited handicap chase.

While Aintree's feature looks a good race for each-way backers, the same cannot be said for Wincanton's card the same afternoon, when no contest has drawn more than six declarations – there are only 36 in total, with the track having been one of the worst sufferers of the prolonged dry spell of weather.

The ground at Wincanton on Friday was described as good to firm, firm in places.

Management changes at Arc revealed

Tim Banfield, executive director at Doncaster racecourse since November 2016, is leaving Arena Racing Company after next month’s closing Flat turf meeting for family reasons.

His replacement as general manager will be Russell Smith, who has been holding the fort at Bath since August last year during executive director Jo Hall’s maternity leave, having joined Arc in April 2016 in a similar role at Newcastle.

Banfield’s predecessor Mark Spincer, who also worked at Newcastle and is now Arc’s group operations director, will spend two days a week at Doncaster during Smith’s early period at the track. Spincer said: "Russell has done well with the group but Doncaster is a big site and we believe he will benefit from some senior support in the first few months."

Spincer has also overseen managerial changes at Ffos Las, which Arc took over earlier this this year, and Sedgefield.

Simon Rowlands, previously catering manager at Chepstow, has been appointed general manager at Ffos Las, reporting to Arc’s south west executive director Phil Bell.

Emma White, general manager of the promotions group Go Racing in Yorkshire since April 2015, has taken on a similar role at Sedgefield, replacing Jill Williamson, who left in the summer, and reporting to Arc’s north east executive director David Williamson.

National Racecourse Cattering Awards

Musselburgh racecourse’s troubled year has taken a turn for the better by its gaining one of the top honours in the National Racecourse Catering Awards, which were celebrated at Doncaster on Friday. The Scottish track was named overall winner in the Catering Excellence category.

Announcing the judges’ decision, event co-organiser Ivor Spreadbury said: “This is an award for all-round team effort but it would be inappropriate not to mention one individual in Craig Bonner, Musselburgh’s catering manager, who has done so much to advance the racecourse’s catering service over the years.”

Musselburgh’s stock and logistics manager Steven McFall was also recognised as winner of the people’s educational award for outstanding service.

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Ascot’s private dining manager Osman El Tahlawi, who started in racecourse catering with Sodexho in 2000. A commendation from racecourse chairman Johnny Weatherby said: “Osman epitomises everything we try to achieve at Ascot, because he makes all our guests feel at ease and special.”

RoR Heart Awards finalists

The 12 finalists for the 2018 Retraining of Racehorses Heart Awards have been named after an online public vote.

RoR patron Clare Balding will choose the winner in the four categories and the final winners will be revealed at the RoR end of season party on Saturday, November 17.

The 2018 RoR Heart Awards were open to all RoR eligible former racehorses who have raced or been in training, and 24 made the initial RoR shortlist for the public vote from nearly 300 nominations.

Each RoR Heart Award winner will be presented with a RoR Heart Award trophy and a RoR rug for their former racehorse.

The finalists are:

RoR Biggest Heart Award – Best Temperament

• Magical Lasso – owner Sally Bentley (Lancashire)
• Elsie’s Star – owner Helen Corner (Durham)
• Great Choice – owner Jodie Burdett (Devon)

RoR Healthy Heart Award – Best All-rounder

• Polish Paddy – owner Jane Gordon (Devon)
• Society Sam – owner Sarah Hudgins (Derbyshire)
• Native Caption – owner Karen Harrison (Cheshire)

RoR Heart Stopper Award - Overcoming Adversity

• Seraph – owner Charlotte Bruton (Essex)
• Danish Blues – owner Stacey Barr (North Lanarkshire)
• Chilli Boy – owner Beth Roberts (Lancashire)

RoR Heart Throb Award – Best Looking

• Stilo Blue Native – owner Samantha Osborne (North Yorkshire)
• Steel Rain – owner Jenni Savolainen (Herefordshire)
• Cool Doctor – owner Tracey Russell (Durham)

Photos and full stories of each of the finalists at https://ror-events.org.uk/heart-awards-finalists/

Champions to be unveiled at Naas

Some of the biggest names in international racing will be honoured at the closing meeting of the Irish Flat season at Naas on Sunday, November 4, on a day when the course will also show its support to the local community.

Aidan O’Brien, Donnacha O’Brien and Sue Magnier will be officially named champion trainer, jockey and owner on November 4, when the Flat season ends with an eight-race card.

Two prominent Irish bookmakers are the new backers of the feature race on the day, the €100,000 Daragh Fitzpatrick & Colm White Local Bookmakers November Handicap.

McAuley Place will carry out a number of fundraising initiatives on the day to help support its work in the town. McAuley Place was established in 2000 and is a voluntary non-denominational, not for profit, housing association with charitable status.

Unibet extend backing

Unibet have extended their sponsorship of Punchestown's Grade 1 Morgiana Hurdle through to 2020, with the prize-fund for the race boosted to €100,000.

Won last year by Faugheen, the Morgiana has received a €15,000 prize-money increase, and could be the returning spot for last season's Punchestown Champion Hurdle winner Supasundae.

Trainer Jessica Harrington said: "We have won the race before with Moscow Flyer so we are certainly due another shot at it at this stage!

"We are delighted to see Unibet further commit to Irish racing through their sponsorship of the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle for the next three years, not to mention the increased prize fund."

BHA ban owner after losing lay bet at Chepstow

Owner Pius Collins has been handed a six month disqualification from running horses following laying one of his horses on the exchanges.

A panel on the BHA heard Collins layed £915.94 on his horse Theregoesthetruth to place in a handicap at Chepstow in 2014, but the bet was lost as the horse finished third.

Collins was a listed person under the ownership of Mrs H Oliver, where he had little involvement with the horse but was kept updated with her progress.

The BHA normally penalise between nine months and ten years, but due to Collins laying the horse on his own judgement rather than inside information, his disqualification period was shorter.

Additional race added to Clonmel card

A 2m3f maiden hurdle race has been addeed to Clonmel's card on Thursday, November 1 following the cancellation of two chase races.

Entries close at noon on Friday with final declarations made on Wednesday October 31.

Kelly given 18-day ban under totting-up procedure

Shane Kelly has been given an 18-day suspension by the disciplinary panel on Thursday under the whip rules totting-up procedure.

Kelly, 39, will be out of action on November 2-3 and November 5-15 inclusive. Six days have been deferred until January 15, 2019.

David Allan also received a 16-day whip ban from the BHA following his ride on Dream Of Honour last week.

He will miss racing between October 26-27, October 29-31 and November 1-3 and November 5-7. A further five days have been deferred until deferred until January 7, 2019.

Fahey successful in non-trier appeal

Trainer Peter Fahey successfully appealed a €2,000 fine for breaching the non-trier rule relating to the performance of Gone Galavanting at Tipperary on October 8.

The appeals body ruled the inexperience of jockey Eric Roche, who did not appeal his five-day ban, deems the circumstances exceptional. Gone Galavanting’s 42-day ban was lifted.

There was no punishment for trainer Joseph O’Brien relating to the improvement in performance from Colfer Me at Down Royal on September 7 with the referrals committee finding no rules had been breached.

Jockey Danny Mullins was out of luck with his appeal against a four-day ban for failing to give Tikkanen Express time to respond to the whip in a handicap chase at Punchestown this month and he was ordered to attend RACE for one day's tuition on the correct use of the whip.

Taunton cancels Wednesday fixture due to hard ground

Taunton's fixture on October 31 has been cancelled with parts of the course hard following the hot, dry summer.

While watering has taken place, there has been insufficient rain at the track over the last month and no measurable rainfall since October 16 to allow racing to take place.

All tickets purchased online in advance will be automatically refunded to the payment card.

Firm ground has also claimed two chases at Clonmel next week, with the course scrapping them from its meeting on November 1.

New role for former Paddy Power boss Breon Corcoran

Former Paddy Power Betfair chief executive Breon Corcoran has been appointed to the same position with digital money transfer company WorldRemit. Corcoran said: “There is enormous potential for WorldRemit’s global expansion and I look forward to leading the company through its next evolution.”

Armed forces raceday at Newbury

Newbury will again stage the Worthington’s armed forces raceday on Saturday. The racecourse, which was used as an internment camp for prisoners of war in 1914 and as a training ground in the Second World War, will be offering free entry for all members of the armed forces, Ministry of Defence and Royal British Legion, booked in advance.

Harriet Collins, Newbury's head of communications, said: “Not only is it a great opportunity to appreciate the efforts of our armed forces personnel and support the work of the Royal British Legion, it’s a great afternoon for all the family to enjoy."

Gates open at 11am with the first race at 1.40pm and the last race at 5.05pm.

Galway in the pink

As part of Galway's race meeting in aid of the Breast Cancer Research Institute on Sunday jockeys riding in the seventh race will wear pink riding breeches.

A spokesman for Galway racecourse said: "This is our way of paying tribute to all those who have survived Breast Cancer, to those who are currently going through treatment and to family and friends who have been affected by it."

The National Breast Cancer Research Institute is an Irish charity that raises funds in support of the breast cancer research team lead by Professor Michael Kerin based at the Lambe Institute, NUI Galway.

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