Schedule / Editor / 01 November 2008 / Leave a comment

11.30am Bob Adams and Terry Norman are on duty this Saturday for a busy day's racing. There are meetings at Ascot, Ayr, Newmarket and Wetherby.

The evening meeting at Great Leighs will be available via our phone service. The number to dial is 08720 101 101. Calls cost 10p per minute from the UK and 15c per minute from the ROI,

This service is available anywhere in the world, but please remember to check with your network provider regarding additional charges.

Ascot

Type Jump

First Race 12.30pm

Notable Jockeys Barry Geraghty - top Irish jockey previous winner of Gold Cup, he has been newly appointed as stable jockey to Nicky Henderson.

Robert 'Choc' Thornton rode over 100 winners last season & won the 2008 Champion Hurdle. Tom O'Brien - top 10 rider this season & nephew of the all-conquering Irish trainer Aiden O'Brien.

Tony McCoy - perennial Champion Jump Jockey & leading rider this season
Timmy Murphy - 2008 Grand National winner.

Notable Horses The Wicketkeeper won the feature race last year trained by former Grand National winning rider Michael Scudamore.He bids for a repeat performance this year at 1.05pm and he is now trained by Michael's grandson also called Michael.

2.05pm Harris Bay bids for a repeat victory but might find it tougher this time with Racing Post Chase winner Gungadu and Grade 1 winner Air Force One in the field.

You shouldn't miss Mad Max in the 2.40pm as he is one of the biggest horses in training. He is also very good having won both his races last season.

Feature Race Byrne Group Handicap Chase (Listed Race) (Class 1) 1.05pm

Admission Premier £25, General Admission £15. Children free.

Other Information Family Day - United House Day featuring a charity firework event.

Ayr

Type Flat

First Race 12.50pm

Notable Jockeys Tom Eaves - top 10 rider this season. Micky Fenton, a Classic-winning rider, having won the 1,000 Guineas with Speciosa.

Paul Hanagan - lies 5th in the title race with 89 winners. Frederik Tylicki - young German rider based with Richard Fahey is one to watch for the future.

Notable Horses Fire Up The Band (2.35pm) has won a Group 3 race on soft ground before.

Jockey Tom Eaves goes for his third consecutive win in the 12.50pm race for a third different trainer - this year he rides Linda Perratt's Hard Luck Story.

In the feature race at 1.25pm one to watch is Wind Shuffle as he won at his previous visit to Ayr but he takes on Spinning who beat him at this track 12 months ago.

Wednesdays Boy in the 4.20pm enjoys it here & goes for a treble at Ayr.

Feature Race Kelburne Construction Ltd Handicap 1.25pm

Admission Club Enclosure - £20 Grandstand - £14 Children free.

Other Information Flat Season Finale. People with a Club Badge will have access to the Live Band which plays for up to 3hours after racing in the Princess Royal Suite.


Newmarket

Type Flat

First Race 11.50am

Notable Jockeys Top 10 riders in action include: reigning champion Jamie Spencer 4th, Dane O'Neill 7th, Jimmy Fortune 8th & Jim Crowley 9th.

Breeders Cup Classic winning jockey, Frankie Dettori rides for his employers, the powerful Godolphin stable. William Buick keeps his campaign going to claim the Champion Apprentice title by riding at two race meetings.

Richard Mullen - having his best ever season for 13 years.

Notable Horses Oscar winning actress Dame Judi Dench owns Smokey Oakey in the 2.50pm - he has already won the Lincoln and a Group 3 race this season.

Another famous owner - the Queen - will also be hoping for a winner today - her Enticement is unbeaten and runs at 2.10pm.

Virtual goes for a hat-trick of wins in the 3.55pm for Breeders Cup Classic winning trainer John Gosden. He takes on Bankable, on a frustrating run of five consecutive second places - ranging from being narrowly beaten by Group 1 winner and Breeders Cup Classic hero Raven's Pass to being turned over as favourite by a 50/1 shot and a 33/1 shot!

Zero Tolerance (3.20pm) won this race in 2004 and 2005.

Purus (1.30pm) tries to defend the race he won last year.

Feature Races bet365 James Seymour Stakes (Listed Race) (Class 1) 2.45pm

bet365 Ben Marshall Stakes (Listed Race) (Class 1) 3.55pm

Admission Premier £22, Grandstand & Paddock £16. Children free.

Other Information Final day of the flat season at racing's HQ.


Wetherby

Type Jump

First Race 12.40pm

Notable Jockeys Richard Johnson, 2nd in Jump Jockey Championship and one of only four jockeys to ride over 100 winners in the previous season. Andrew Thornton - previous winner of the Gold Cup.

Denis O'Regan, stable jockey to Howard Johnson & owner Graham Wylie. Paddy Brennan rode over 100 winners last season.

Notable Horses Pettifour enjoyed an exceptional first season over timber, winning in novice events at Hereford and Newbury before a stunning triumph in the Grade 1 Sefton Novices' Hurdle at Aintree on his latest start in April & is one to watch in the 3.00pm.

Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, who saddled Redemption to win the John Smith's Hurdle in 2006, hopes that Pettifour can make the step up from novice company and prove himself against some of the top staying hurdlers this season. Redemption runs again.

Ollie Magern returned to Wetherby last season to notch his second bet365 Charlie Hall Chase triumph following his initial success in 2005,& the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained gelding is on target to return this year to defend his crown.The 10-year-old looks set to face another tough challenge this season as both State Of Play and Monkerhostin, who finished second and third in last year's race, are likely to return to Wetherby to contest the race once again. They take on Snoopy Loopy whose trainer Peter Bowen has high hopes that can gain the biggest victory of his career in the 10-year-old chaser comes into the race on the back of a fine run staying on third in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree. Prior to that excellent effort, Snoopy Loopy had enjoyed superb summer campaign, winning the Listed Summer Plate Handicap at Market Rasen in July and following up with success in the Listed Lord Mildmay Memorial Handicap Chase at Newton Abbot at the end of August.

Feature Races John Smith's Hurdle 3.00pm (a £42,500 Grade 2 race for staying hurdlers whose ultimate target could be The Ladbrokes World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival)

£90,000 Grade 2 bet365 Charlie Hall Chase (3.30pm)

Both races are once again included in the British Horseracing Authority's 'Order of Merit' Series, which draws attention to the top races over Jumps during the British season. It includes a prize fund of £300,000 based on a points system which operates during the series, concluding on the final day of the Jumps season - Bet365 Gold Cup Day at Sandown Park on Saturday, April 25.

Admission Premier £21, Paddock £14, Course Enclosure £4. Children free.

Other Information The Charlie Hall Chase commemorates the local Champion Hurdle-winning trainer who recorded a remarkable 169 winners at Wetherby from his base at nearby Towton. In all, he trained 584 winners over Jumps, plus some 100 winners on the Flat. He passed away in 1977, aged 75.

Musical entertainment is provided in the Paddock Enclosure on Saturday by the LA Jazz and Ceilidh House Band. The giant screen, situated opposite the stands, is in operation both days, with an additional screen located by the parade ring during the meeting.Prior to racing on Saturday (at approximately 11-30 a.m.), there's a flying display in the parade ring by birds of prey from Lightwater Valley Birds of Prey Centre.