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This Saturday sees the inaugural running of the Irish EBF Pat Smullen Stakes at Naas, with the Listed contest having attracted eight runners from seven different stables.  Run over a mile, the race is part of the Smullen Series, launched this year by the Irish EBF and consisting of 18 middle-distance races for two- and three-year-olds. Daytona (Wootton Bassett), a winning debutant last month at Gowran Park, is among the field and his trainer Aidan O'Brien was keen to target the race which is named in honour of his late brother-in-law, the nine-time Irish champion jockey. O'Brien said of Daytona, “He won nicely in Gowran the first day when Jack [Cleary] rode him. Wayne [Lordan] rides him in Naas. We think he's a nice horse and we think the trip should suit him. “Obviously, it's in memory of Pat and that makes it very special for us and we're delighted to be running what we think is a nice horse in the race. We like him, we think he's a classy horse.” Joe Foley, chairman of the Irish EBF Chairman, said, “The new Irish EBF Pat Smullen Stakes is the launch pad for the Smullen Series and an opportunity to celebrate the legacy of an Irish racing hero, Pat Smullen. The Smullen Series showcases the Irish EBF's commitment to middle-distance horses where two-year-olds now have a range of races from July to the end of the season each worth €25,000 over a mile and a mile-plus. “For the following season they can link into the existing Spring Series of middle-distance races creating a pathway to the €200,000 Gowran Classic as a three-year-old. The objective of the series is to provide breeders, owners and trainers of middle-distance horses with valuable races for two and three-year-olds while promoting the breeding and racing of stamina horses. We are delighted to have Frances [Crowley] and her family to the races on Saturday to present the new Pat Smullen perpetual trophy.”   The post Pat Smullen Stakes Spearheads Series for Middle-Distance Youngsters appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Andrea Atzeni thinks a return to Sha Tin could pay dividends for Colourful King when he lines up in the Class Two Philip Chen Trophy (1,200m) at Sha Tin on Saturday evening. The Blue Point galloper was a two-time winner from five starts in Australia before arriving in Hong Kong, where he has won twice for trainer David Eustace. Beaten on debut at Sha Tin, he has subsequently gone from strength to strength at the Valley, winning a pair of Class Three races over the 1,000m trip before two near...View the full article

In this monthly BH interview, Karen M. Johnson profiles young racing personalities.View the full article

Well ENTAIN is 74th on the FTSE 100 and a market capitalisation of €6billion.

Ya dreaming…. As for shares, well I have not heard anyone say they will spend their overseas spend now in NZ…. and no way will Entain be allowed to take Aus greyhound races for betting…. the Greenies will see to that….. so not gonna be too good for Entain…. 

Gamma, problem is that it HRNZ have been given more money than they can handle and I personally believe from what is going on, that there is no one making decisions that have financial intelligence! They are blowing the future of harness racing when they were thrown a life buoy but are treating it like they were thrown an anchor! It is not going to end well for our once great harness industry!

Godolphin's G1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes hero Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder) will face five opponents after a select half-dozen were confirmed for Saturday's £1-million G1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown. The John and Thady Gosden trainee, who has drawn stall five, encounters fellow four-year-old Sosie (Sea The Stars), who will bid for a fourth success at the highest level for the Andre Fabre stable from the neighbouring stall four. The Classic generation enjoys strong representation and features G1 2000 Guineas hero Ruling Court (Justify) and G1 Prix du Jockey Club victor Camille Pissarro (Wootton Bassett). The TDN Rising Stars have been allocated stalls one and two, respectively. The field is completed by last term's G1 Futurity Trophy first and second Hotazhell (Too Darn Hot) and Delacroix (Dubawi), who will renew rivalry from stalls six and three. The post Six Confirmed For Saturday’s Eclipse, Ombudsman To Undergo Sosie Test appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Do you live in a bubble?  The plan to ban has been on the agenda for over a decade.  I can't be bothered listing the complete timeline BEFORE ENTAIN pitched up.  ENTAIN didn't ask for it is was always on the table.  What was up for negotiation was how much ENTAIN would pay for it  I suggest you ditch your anti-ENTAIN bias and buy some shares.

What I meant was most Persons are more interested in their investments and race turnovers etc than the racing result from the owner/trainer or even horse prestige point of view.  For example Brodie often posts along with many others the type of thing he literally just posted above this post. The horse has to be Certain odds for example to even get a little of BIT of Enjoyment from the racing.  you and I watch a LOT of races without investment on them , Whereas MOST people won't . so we appreciate the tactics and racing more than them because we don't need 'money on' to achieve some enjoyment.  just different perspectives of the action tiz all.   . I have no problem that in a gambling industry that people worry about the gambling dollar. I don't . and often you get the feel that a Lot of folk  Are not Recognising the Participants in a Post like that above ? . Can't be bothered and all this sort of thing 🙄 . His (and hers) perogatives , But it  just seems a lack of Appreciation of the main Players in a way. This is not uncommon at all. It's a reason Harness racing is struggling to get a following.  Hope that explanation Helps explain that view of appreciation a little better.    well that's what happens I spose . for the Punter. a money making exercise. But there's still history and tradition and a living made by some,  to be had as well,  if you can dig beneath the almighty turned over Dollar . People are still making a living out of the sport and They (and I ) couldn't give a rats what the turnover is. They are presenting their pride and joy horse at the races .  For as  long as someone Is putting races on that is. race for $3000 a race  if you're struggling then? . There's an easy solution.  save you a 'buck' of importance.