Opinion: Crypto brands’ sporting land-grab is only just beginning March 29, 2022 As Lionel Messi and Fifa become the latest to do huge deals with cryptocurrency and blockchain-related brands, sports sponsorship expert Henry Nash of Octagon assesses the major new player in the market. I suspect I wasn’t alone in thinking the Nielsen 2022 Global Sports Marketing Report would be a story of Covid’s brutal impact on [...]
EP: 121 Dubai, Doncaster, Kelso & Hong Kong March 25, 2022 There’s a really good mix of racing to look forward to this weekend as the new flat racing season gets underway in the UK. The Lincoln Handicap is the feature race at Doncaster on Saturday, plus it’s a magical night of racing at Meydan racecourse where the Dubai World Cup features a host of international [...]
Life is definitely Good for Dubai favourite backers March 24, 2022 Bill Esdaile’s Dubai World Cup 1-2-3: 1. Life Is Good 2. Hot Rod Charlie 3. Chuwa Wizard WHILE it may no longer be the world’s richest race, the Dubai World Cup (4.30pm) is still a huge draw, and this looks a top-class renewal of the £8.8 million spectacle at Meydan. Form from the best middle [...]
Hong Kong Racing Tips: Charm can give consistent Lui another Win at the Valley March 23, 2022 TRAINER Francis Lui’s stable has been a model of consistency in Hong Kong this season, and with 40 winners already on the scoresheet, he currently sits fourth in the trainers’ championship table. Lui has visited the winners’ circle on a regular basis over the past few weeks, with four winners at the last three meetings, [...]
Hong Kong Racing Tips: Teetan poised for herculean effort on Packing Award March 23, 2022 JOCKEY Karis Teetan is fancied to continue his run of good form when arriving at Happy Valley with a full-book of rides on today’s nine-race programme. Teetan, who needs one more winner to reach his half century for the season, had a day to remember at Sha Tin last Sunday, as he produced Romantic Warrior [...]
EP: 120 Hong Kong Derby Special March 18, 2022 Hong Kong racing expert Wally Pyrah discusses Sunday’s prestigious Hong Kong Derby race meeting at Sha Tin racecourse where the feature race, run over a mile and a quarter, takes place at 8.40am UK time. Local rivals California Spangle & Romantic Warrior head a 14 strong field for one of the major events in Hong [...]
NO DESERTING GALVIN IN GOLD CUP March 17, 2022 Bill Esdaile’s Gold Cup 1-2-3 Galvin Protektorat Royal Pagaille WEDNESDAY’S deluge at Cheltenham has meant the ground for today’s Gold Cup (3.30pm) will be on the soft side and whichever way you look at it, the 3m2f trip is going to take some getting. With that in mind, you’ve got to be looking for horses [...]
Irish pair Banbridge and I A Connect can go well in the Martin Pipe March 17, 2022 ALL THE talk in the build-up to the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (5.30pm) has been around last season’s runner-up Langer Dan who is back attempting to go one better off just a 2lbs higher mark. Dan Skelton’s six-year-old bumped into Galopin Des Champs this day 12 months ago and actually did well to get as close as he did when [...]
BACK BOB TO TURN A DECENT PROFIT IN HUNTERS’ CHASE March 17, 2022 PROPERTY entrepreneur, racehorse owner and amateur jockey David Maxwell isn’t everyone’s cup of tea in the saddle, but he is a huge supporter of horseracing and I think he should be celebrated rather than criticised. His win on Dolphin Square at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day was a dream come true for the jockey who [...]
Fil Dor can Triumph in rematch with Vauban March 17, 2022 ONLY the 12 runners stand their ground for the JCB Triumph Hurdle (1.30pm), the curtain-raiser on Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Day. The betting suggests that the Irish hold all the aces in the juvenile division with five of the top six in the betting. All of Tuesday’s rain will have been music to the ears of [...]