Sedgefield contest named after courageous form book guru

Sunday’s opening race at Sedgefield has been titled the Graeme Dand Find Us This Winner Handicap Hurdle after a form book guru who was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Dand, who can be found on Twitter by the handle @theformanalyst, specialises in analysing low-grade handicap hurdles, so this Class 5 eight-runner contest fits the bill perfectly.

On his Twitter, Dand reveals he was diagnosed with metastatic bowel cancer last June with multiple tumours to his liver and lungs and that his account will track his journey "to the end".

Lavelle special guest

Paisley Park’s trainer, Emma Lavelle, will be the special guest at a Cheltenham preview night at London restaurant Boisdale of Belgravia on March 7.

Lavelle, whose stable star will bid to regain the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle crown at the festival, is the latest racing professional to feature in the restaurant’s Starter’s Orders series, in association with Fitzdares.

Previous guests have included Nicky Henderson, Sam Waley-Cohen, Mark Johnston, Andrew Balding and Ben Pauling.

Tickets for the dinner, also featuring fine wines from Berry Bros, are available for £89.50. For more details, contact info@boisdale.co.uk or 020 7730 6922.

Wetherby passes first inspection but second called for Sunday lunchtime

A second inspection has been announced at Wetherby on Sunday lunchtime in advance of Monday's fixture after the track passed an initial check on Saturday morning.

Clerk of the course Jonjo Sanderson reported "standing water all over the place" on Friday afternoon following more than 100mm of rain since the track's last meeting on February 16.

At the time he described the chance of Monday's meeting going ahead as "slim" but the areas of standing water had reduced by Saturday morning.

The forecast is generally dry, but a second precautionary inspection will take place at midday on Sunday in case any unforeseen rainfall arrives.

Legendary jockey Stan Mellor to be remembered at service next month

A memorial service to honour three-time champion jockey Stan Mellor will be held on April 10 at St Mary’s Church in Ashbury, Oxfordshire.

Mellor was the first jump jockey to ride 1,000 winners and was awarded an MBE for services to racing in 1972, after which he sent out over 750 winners during his training career.

The service, which will begin at 3pm, will pay tribute to the legendary jockey, who died aged 83 in August 2020.

Chelmsford boosted by new partnership with Irish Thoroughbred Marketing

Chelmsford's prize-money pot for 2022 has been boosted by £120,000 after a new link up with Irish Thoroughbred Marketing involving bonuses and sales incentives across 12 races.

The new partnership will include ITM becoming the official sponsor of the first of two Listed race staged at the Essex track, the Chelmer Stakes on April 28.

The ‘IRE Incentive’ scheme forms a part of a series of races with a €10,000 Irish Sales voucher attached for the owner, if the winner is Irish-bred and foal levy compliant. The €10,000 sale vouchers can then be used when travelling to Ireland to purchase similarly ‘IRE qualified’ stock.

Judge, steward and owner Sandra Arkwright dies at the age of 76

Sandra Arkwright, a leading figure in racing in the north-west for many years, has died at the age of 76.

Arkwright worked as a racecourse judge, initially for the Jockey Club then the HRA and the BHA, before becoming a steward, starting at Haydock but going on to officiate at many courses.

She was married to Philip Arkwright, who was clerk of the course at Haydock until he retired in 1999, and owned horses with him and her sister, notably Listed bumper winner Flirtatious Girl.

Current Haydock clerk Kirkland Tellwright said: "Sandra was an indomitable steward and she and Philip were a very happy partnership and great company."

Ralph Beckett appointed new president of trainers' federation

Ralph Beckett has been confirmed as the new president of the National Trainers Federation (NTF) following its annual general meeting on Monday.

He succeeds Emma Lavelle, who served two terms between 2020 and 2022. Beckett will be joined in a presidential triumvirate by trainers Nick Alexander and Hugo Palmer, who was elected last week.

"We're in the middle of a testing time for horsemen," Beckett said on Monday. "But I'm optimistic about the future if the racecourses and the bookmakers are willing to play ball."

Following the meeting, the BHA's chief regulatory Brant Dunshea and Tim Naylor, the regulator's director of integrity and regulation, summarised the BHA regulation strategy and answered questions.

BHA caution for Carson

Jockey William Carson has been cautioned by the BHA after a urine sample given in December tested positive for alcohol.

The caution was handed out after 33-year-old's sample was found to be 4.5milligrams per 100millilitres over the accepted levels at Kempton's evening meeting on December 8.

Carson was booked for one ride on the Wednesday card in the opening fillies' novice stakes, where he finished 12th of 14 on the Bill Turner-trained By Pass.

The jockey was previously handed a six-month ban for failing a drug test when testing positive for cocaine in April 2019.

Watch the Racing Post Cheltenham preview show from 6pm on Sunday, March 6, live on the Racing Post YouTube channel. With expert opinion and top tips from guests including Tom Segal, Paul Kealy, David Jennings and Katie Walsh, it's the ultimate preview for the biggest four days of the year.