23 February 2023 - Flipbook - Page 71
HORSEWEEK
FARMWEEK
MARCH 04 2021
71
Tattersalls Ireland announce rescheduled
date for February National Hunt Sale
D
UE to the continued Covid-19 Level 5 restrictions,
Tattersalls Ireland have no choice but to postpone
the February National Hunt Sale to a later date. The
Sale is now scheduled to take place at Fairyhouse
on Wednesday, April 7.
It is hoped that by this time, restrictions will have
eased allowing the sale to proceed at Fairyhouse, whilst
also utilising the Online Bidding platform and Telephone
Bidding to assist purchasers who cannot attend. Entries
have now closed for the February National Hunt Sale and
the catalogue is available to view online.
Announcing the postponement, Tattersalls Ireland CEO
Simon Kerins commented: “It was hoped that we would
be in a position to hold the February National Hunt Sale
in March and we have been planning as such since our
announcement earlier this month. It is disappointing that
we have been forced to reschedule the sale yet again, but
with the current scale of the pandemic and the continued
Level 5 restrictions, it is necessary to do so.
“We have received feedback from vendors, who
understand the situation we are facing, but all have a
common objective, to sell their stock as soon as it is safe
to do so. We hope that this revised schedule gives some
clarity to our clients and we thank them for their patience
and understanding during these extraordinary times. Rest
assured that we will work tirelessly to provide the best
possible opportunity to sell and buy as soon as possible.”
To view the catalogue for the February National Hunt
Sale, go to www.tattersalls.ie
DATES
Tattersalls Ireland Sales Dates 2021
February National Hunt Sale: Wednesday, April 7
May Store Sale: Tuesday, May 11
Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze Up Sale: Friday,
May 21
Derby Sale: Wednesday, June 23 and Thursday, June 24
NEW July Store Sale Part I: Wednesday, July 14
NEW July Store Sale Part II: Thursday, July 15
September Yearling Sale: Tuesday, September 21 and
Wednesday, September 22
September Yearling Sale Part II: Thursday, September 23
November National Hunt Sale: Friday, November 5 to
Friday, November 12
November Flat Foal & Breeding Stock Sale: Saturday,
November 13 and Sunday, November 14
Hamilton has family success at Punchestown
By Shaun O’Dea
‘STOCKDALE’ supplied a family
success when recording a 50/1
victory
at
Punchestown
for
Downpatrick trainer, Brian Hamilton
on Monday. The local winner was
always handy and travelling well
prior to leading before the last and
keeping on in game fashion to prevail
by a neck, as ‘Merry Doyenne’ laid
down a determined challenge in the
mares maiden hurdle.
Hamilton said: “She has just
improved with every run. The last
day she ran here, she was a wee bit
novicey jumping. She jumped a bit
better there today. The bit further
just helped with her jumping. Even
though her price was 50/1, we did
expect her to run respectable. I
thought she would nish closer to
Gordon’s mare (‘Humble Glory’),
but I wasn’t expecting her to win to
be honest. Her jumping was a bit
slicker there today and the trip has
obviously helped her too.
“Jonny (Moore) was saying the
ground wasn’t just as dead as you
might have expected. He rode wide
the whole way, which was probably a
help to her too. I think she would be
better on a wee bit of better ground,
but I haven’t looked any further than
today.”
The winner, while owned by the
trainer, was bred by his father, Brian
Senior and Hamilton added: “My
father has had that family for about
50 years through various mares and
she’s only ve and not many of the
produce have won at that age, so
hopefully she’ll go on and improve
again.”
Moore added: “She ran well here
the last day and took a big step
forward from Leopardstown in
December. I thought the trip would
suit, but that it might be too hot a
race on paper. I went very wide the
whole way - I thought I was too wide,
but it probably ended up being the
best position, as it was lovely fresh
ground. In fairness to the mare, she
toughed it out and hopefully she can
continue to progress in the future.”
I
RISH racehorse trainer
Gordon Elliott is under
investigation by the Irish
Horseracing
Regulatory
Board (IHRB) after a
picture of him sitting on a
dead horse was circulated
on social media. He has
been banned by the British
Horseracing
Authority
(BHA) until it is completed.
“It is an interim decision
which the BHA regards
as proportionate in these
circumstances,” it said.
Elliott, who has won
the Grand National three
times, as well as numerous
other high class victories,
said in a statement that
he received a phone call
and sat down on the horse
“without thinking”. He has
apologised
“profoundly”
for the photograph and
told the Racing Post it was
“indefensible” and that
he will accept whatever
measures
the
racing
authorities put in place.
“It was a moment of
madness that I am going to
have to spend the rest of
my life paying for and that
INVESTIGATION: Trainer
Gordon Elliott is currently
under investigation by the
IHRB. (FW09-541NN)
my staff are suffering for,”
Elliott said.
“It absolutely breaks my
heart to read and hear
people say that I have no
respect for my horses. That
couldn’t be further from
the truth.”
With the Cheltenham
Festival due to start on
March 16, the BHA interim
ban may mean that Elliott
is unable to participate and
the Grand National meeting
at Aintree, scheduled for
April 8-10 may also be in
doubt. However, owners
of horses in training with
Elliott are allowed to
transfer them to another
trainer, in order to run
Crawford produces
another star at Fairyhouse
By Shaun O’Dea
L
VICTORY: Downpatrick trainer,
Brian Hamilton, pictured with his
son Jake, recorded a 50/1 victory
at Punchestown with ‘Stockdale’.
(FW09-540SO)
Elliott under investigation after dead horse photo
By Bree Rutledge
RESCHEDULED: The Tattersalls Ireland February National Hunt Sale
has been rescheduled again to take place at Fairyhouse on Wednesday,
April 7. (FW09-501NN)
them at a British race
meeting “providing they
comply with the relevant
rules”.
The photograph raises
questions
in
relation
to horse welfare, with
the BHA saying it was
“appalled” by the picture
and that Elliott’s behaviour
“deeply undermined” the
welfare values of the racing
industry.
“I can categorically state
that the welfare of each and
every horse under my care
is paramount and has been
central to the success that
we have enjoyed,” Elliott
said.
“The photo in question
was taken some time ago
and occurred after a horse
had died of an apparent
heart attack on the gallops.
“At what was a sad time,
which it is when any horse
under my care passes away,
my initial reaction was to
get the body removed from
where it was positioned.
“I was standing over the
horse waiting to help with
the removal of the body, in
the course of which, to my
memory I received a call
and, without thinking, I sat
down to take it. Hearing a
shout from one of my team,
I gestured to wait until I
was nished.
“Such
background
information may seem
trivial at this time and will
not allay the concerns of
many people both within
and outside the world of
horse racing.”
Many of the owners of
horses in training with
Elliott
are
choosing
to support him at this
stage, with some waiting
for the outcome of the
investigation
before
commenting further.
A spokesman from IHRB
stated: “The investigation
is ongoing and will be
dealt with as quickly as
possible.”
Horse Racing Ireland
has also condemned the
picture and supported the
IHRB investigation, adding:
“From
a
disciplinary
perspective, the matter is
in process, so any further
comment on the matter
or the detail of the case
at this time would not be
appropriate.”
OCAL trainer,
Stuart Crawford
looks to have
unearthed another
high class horse
in ‘O’Toole’. The
point to point
season having been
cancelled, the Larne
based handler opted
to start the son of
‘Mahler’ - runner up
in the 2007 St Leger
and third in the
Melbourne Cup - in a
Fairyhouse bumper
on Saturday.
The trainer’s
brother, Ben had
been declared
to partner the
debutante, but
failed to complete
the advance Covid
check-in procedure
and was replaced in
the saddle by the in
form Jordan Gainford
- the rider having
recently turned
professional jockey.
The local horse
(25/1), which is
also owned by the
trainer, was always
in the leading trio
prior to going to the
front a quarter of a
mile from home and
scoring very easily
by 15 lengths in the
testing conditions.
Crawford said:
“We thought he
was a nice horse
and should have
been going point-topointing, as that was
the plan. He’s a very
good jumper, but he
was ready to run and
we had to get him
out somewhere. My
brother (Ben) has
done all the work
on him and I’m just
sorry he wasn’t on
him today. He was
condent he’d go
BUMPER WIN: ‘O’Toole’ won the bumper at
Fairyhouse on Saturday for owner and trainer,
Stuart Crawford. (FW09-531SO)
well. He’s a lovely
horse and he’s for
sale.”
Crawford added:
“Jordan gave him
a good ride and
did everything I
asked - hopefully I
can get him again,
if he keeps getting
winners, he’ll be
hard to get.”
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