Features

The thirty-five event British Champions Series will kick off on 30 April 2011 with the Newmarket Rowley Mile. This year, however, there will be a massive change in regard to purses, as a two year contract has been signed with Qatar International Investment & Projects Development Holding Co. to sponsor the series. This is set to have a historical impact on British horse racing. British Champions Day will also be a landmark experience, with three million pounds in prize money being made available.

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In 1959, the Queen Mother Champion Chase was inaugurated and forms part of the annual Cheltenham Festival, hosted by the Cheltenham Racecourse. It is National Hunt Chase, and is a Grade 1 event for horses that are five-years-old or older. There are twelve fences for the horses to cross during this 3 219 meter race. After failing to finish due to a strained back injury during the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2008, Sizing Europe came back on Tuesday, 15 March 2011, to add his name to the list of winners.

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A great racehorse, foaled in April 1957 and passed away in May 1970, will be remembered as one of the most magnificent steeplechase horses of our life time. Arkle, who was owned by the Duchess of Westminister, Anne Grosvenor, left a huge legacy behind, and today his name is synonymous with one of the Cheltenham Festival’s toughest events. The first race was run in 1946 under the name the Cotswold Chase, but was changed to the Arkle Challenge Trophy in 1969 to pay tribute to the iconic horse. Trainer Alan King firmly believes that he has a horse that will be an ideal candidate to win the 2011 Arkle Challenge Trophy.

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Smiling Tiger is a four year old colt, sired by Hold That Tiger, that is owned by Alan Klein and Philip Lebherz. He is trained by Jeff Bonde and is a horse that seems to now be getting into his racing gear. Although he is a horse that is known for being kept either in the lead or near the race leader, unforeseen circumstances forced the colt and his jockey to change strategy, and Smiling Tiger did not disappoint. Ridden by Joel Rosario for the first time, both horse and jockey were able to keep their eye on the prize, remain calm and deliver a breathtaking performance at Santa Anita.

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The residents of Dayton are excited about Penn National Gaming’s proposal to construct a horse racing track in the town. Even though the residents are already sold on the idea, it will be up to the Ohio Racing Commission to accept the proposal. Penn National Gaming to close down the track in Columbus, Beulah Racecourse, if their proposal for Dayton is approved. Dayton locals see the pending racecourse as an income generating opportunity for their community, and are supporting the proposal one hundred percent.

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The Presidents Cup is a Group 1 event for pure bred Arabian horses and was hosted at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club over the weekend. It has a purse amount of Dh1 million and is seen as one of the most prestigious events for Arab horses. Numerous worthy contenders took on the 2 200 meter challenge, but only one horse could reign supreme, namely Seraphin Du Paon. Even though this talented five-year-old is undoubtedly a very successful athlete, participating in such a huge event was still a gamble as it was only his sixth career start.

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Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town, South Africa, came alive this weekend with color, fashion, entertainment and outstanding live horse racing action at the annual J&B Met. It is an event that brings approximately fifty thousand horse racing enthusiasts together each year and is seen as one of the country’s most prestigious events. This year, it was held on Saturday, 29 January 2011, and the air was thick with anticipation, excitement and breathtaking victories. It was a day that was enjoyed by all and created a festive atmosphere throughout the entire city.

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It is said that Zenyatta will more than likely go down in the annals of horse racing history as one of the greatest female horses to have ever graced the industry. Retiring from racing uninjured is testament to her spectacular racing ability and care given to her by her owners and trainer. To top it off, she has only been defeated once in twenty career starts. But just when you thought it could not get any better for this filly, she goes on to win the 2010 Eclipse Horse of the Year Award, and is the first horse to receive the new Secretariat Vox Populi (Voice of the People) Award.

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The headquarters of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities is located in Paris, and was founded in 2003. Horse racing industry members from around the world belong to this establishment, and one of its duties is compiling the World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings each year. These rankings are the “official assessment of the top performers”, and since 2004, Sea The Stars, foaled in Ireland, has been the top performer of all time, with a points total of 136. This year, a newcomer to the list has been the closest to dethroning Sea The Stars.

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Even when a trainer has unshakable confidence that his efforts will pay off with a win, there are so many variables in horse racing that a 'sure thing' can sometimes turn out to be more than disappointing. But then there are times when a 'sure thing' is just that, and this proved to be the case for trainer Willie Mullins and owner Douglas Taylor when Final Approach proved his trainer and owner's confidence to be valid by claiming first place in the Grade B MCR Hurdle on at Leopardstown on Sunday. This race is run over a distance of two miles and is open to racehorses of age four and above. Superbly coaxed to victory by jockey Paul Townend, Final Approach delivered a superb performance, holding off a field of twenty-six very strong contenders in this prestigious event.

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