Cesarewitch ‘consolation’ race on next month

THE Curragh will stage a new €60,000 handicap over an extended two miles on Saturday, October 8th, to cater for horses who failed to get a run in Sunday’s Irish Cesarewitch. A total of 43 horses were balloted out of tomorrow’s €600,000 contest. The new race will be confined to horses rated 90 or lower.

The Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden over six furlongs, originally scheduled for October 8th, will now be run at the Curragh fixture scheduled for Thursday, October 13th.

McNally case adjourned

THE Referrals Committee hearing involving trainer Ronan McNally and a number of “improvement in form” cases has been adjourned for a month. A spokesperson for the IHRB said: “An adjournment was sought by Mr McNally, which was granted by the Referrals Committee with a new hearing date set for October 17th. We will have no further comment until the hearing is concluded and the press release is issued.”

National Stud loses stallion

THE Irish National Stud stallion National Defense has died in Australia. Aged just eight, the Group 1 winning son of Invincible Spirit got off to a promising start at stud when his first-crop daughter Twilight Gleaming won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

National Defense did not stand at the INS this year due to an injury he sustained while covering mares in Australia.

ITBA NH Fillies Scheme deadline next Friday

THE closing date for applications to enlist filles in the Weatherbys ITBA NH Fillies Bonus Scheme is next Friday, September 30th. For a €200 fee, owners and breeders can make their unraced fillies eligible to win up to €15,000 in bonuses. To-date the scheme has paid out over €2.6 million to owners, with a record €490,000 paid out in 2021.

Further information is available from Una Tormey at the ITBA offices. Tel 045 877543 or email utormey@itba.ie.

Group 1 winner for sale

LA Petite Coco, who gave trainer Paddy Twomey his first Group 1 winner when landing the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh in June, is yet another Group 1-winning filly in training to be confirmed for the forthcoming Tattersalls December Mares Sale, taking place from November 28th- December 1st.

The four year old daughter of Derby winner Ruler Of The World promises to be amongst the highlights of a stellar line-up in the new Sceptre Session on Tuesday, 29th November.

Breeder of the Month

TIM and Timmy Hyde of Camas Park Stud and Summerhill Farm have won the Connolly’s Red Mills The Irish Field Breeder of the Month award for August. They bred Little Big Bear, winner of the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes, and sold him for €320,000 at the Arqana August Yearling Sale.

Pony racing fixture shelved

THE proposed pony racing fixture at Borris, Co Carlow, next weekend has been cancelled.

Tony Martin loses winner

TRAINER Tony Martin has been fined a total of €1,750 and lost a winner over a failed post-race test. Patsy’s Honour tested positive for triamcinolone acetonide (TCA) after winning a bumper at Down Royal on January 22nd. TCA is a corticosteroid anti-inflammatory medication commonly used in equine practice but a prohibited substance on racedays. Unlike other medications, TCA does not have a published detection time and can remain in a horse’s system for longer than expected, depending on where the injection is given. The Down Royal race was awarded to Pats Choice, trained by Gordon Elliott and ridden by Jamie Codd.

Sean Levey cleared to ride

JOCKEY Sean Levey returned to the saddle yesterday at Haydock after missing 10 days due to a saliva test which gave a false positive result for a prohibited substance. A urine test taken at the same time subsequently returned negative but the ordeal has angered Levey who almost certainly missed out on a £20,000 Racing League prize due to the ban.

Levey has called on the British Horseracing Authority to investigate the circumstances of his case and to ensure it does not happen again. He rode a double on his comeback yesterday, the second leg aboard the Nicky Henderson-trained Pentland Hills.