Cause for Newnham celebration with Beer Palace December 24, 2023 IT WILL be good to see legendry Australian jockey Hugh Bowman back in action at Sha Tin on Boxing Day, with three booked rides on the 10-race programme. Bowman, who suffered a nasty fall at Sha Tin on November 11th, fracturing his scapula and three vertebrae, returns to the saddle just six weeks later, proving [...]
Wise to back Dragon to land a Gorgeous first Win December 24, 2023 RACEGOERS better make the most of supporting reigning champion jockey Zac Purton before he takes a leave of absence for three race meetings at the beginning of January. Purton, a runaway leader in the jockeys’ championship table with 46 victories, has already accumulated 14 wins this month, and will be very short odds to improve [...]
EP: 244 Ascot, Haydock & Hong Kong December 22, 2023 The Long Walk Hurdle is the feature race at Ascot on Saturday, with Haydock also staging an afternoon meeting just before this year’s Christmas celebrations get underway. We also preview both the King George on Boxing Day at Kempton and the Welsh National the following day at Chepstow. City AM Racing editor Bill Esdaile previews [...]
Prepare for a Royale rumble on Boxing Day December 19, 2023 FOR AVID racing fans, Christmas Day is not the main event, that comes 24 hours later on Boxing Day with the feature race of the Christmas period, and second most important jumps race in the calendar, the King George (2.30pm). Kempton Park will be packed to the rafters for the festive spectacle and, looking at [...]
Fry’s Belli looks worth a tickle in Ascot’s Exchange Trophy December 19, 2023 POOR old Harry Fry is suffering from a bit of a bout of seconditis at present. Enhanced by hitting the crossbar three times with four runners at Cheltenham last weekend, his silver medal strike-rate now stands at 31 per cent for the season. Whether or not ALTOBELLI is the horse to buck the trend remains [...]
High-flying Ng to strike again with Banner December 19, 2023 WHEN racegoers arrive at Happy Valley today, they will surely be mindful that with only a few more shopping days left before Christmas it’s paramount they can provide the all-important turkey on the table for next Monday. With the stable of trainer Pierre Ng continuing to roll out the winners and showing no signs of [...]
Atzeni and Maverick should leave punters on Giddy high December 19, 2023 IT IS difficult to oppose fast-improving SIMPLY MAVERICK in the Uranus Handicap (1.45pm) over the extended mile. This son Sebring ran away from his opposition when delivering an emphatic victory over the course and distance a fortnight ago and despite a 10-pound penalty is clearly capable of successfully following-up. Having shown encouraging signs of ability [...]
Caspar Fownes hoping for some good Karma at Sha Tin December 15, 2023 RACING is back at Sha Tin on Sunday with a 10-race programme on both the all-weather and turf and features the £280,000 Lukfook Jewellery Cup (8.10am), a Class Two handicap over five furlongs. The city still seems to be on a high following last Sunday’s hugely exciting and highly emotive success of Golden Sixty in [...]
In-form Ng’s Jumbo could win punters a Fortune December 15, 2023 TO SAY 40-year-old trainer Pierre Ng has taken his profession by storm in Hong Kong this season would be an understatement. The second-season handler has bounded clear in the trainers’ title race, putting clear daylight between himself and his rivals with 32 wins, 10 victories clear of his nearest pursuer. Ng, who always catches the [...]
EP: 243 Cheltenham, Doncaster & Hong Kong December 15, 2023 The two-day Cheltenham ‘Christmas Meeting’ culminates on Saturday with a host of competitive races, the highlight being the December Gold Cup Handicap Chase, run over an extended two and a half miles. Doncaster also stages jumps racing in front of the TV cameras on Saturday afternoon where Rare Edition is due to line up for [...]