Schedule / Editor / 25 October 2008 / Leave a comment

12.30pm Alan Dudman and David Cleary bring you racing from Aintree, Chepstow, Doncaster, Newbury and Stratford.

5.30pm Chris Barnett and Kieran Packman are on air until midnight to talk you through racing from Wolverhampton and Santa Anita.

Aintree

Type Jump.

First Race 1.05pm.

Notable Jockeys Denis O'Regan, stable jockey to Howard Johnson & owner Graham Wylie.

Top Northern rider Graham Lee is in action.

Tom O'Brien - 7th in the jockeys championship and nephew of the all-conquering Irish trainer Aiden O'Brien.

Ruby Walsh - returns to the scene of some of his finest rides - Papillon and Hedgehunter, both winners of the Grand National. He faces another Grand National winning opponent in Graham Lee.

Notable Horses The extended three-mile contest at 2.05pm for horses aged 10 years and older, has attracted good entries, including Fundamentalist, Rambling Minster & D'Argent, all previous chase winners.

Black Jacari in 2.40pm is one to watch as he has been running on the flat this season & won at Goodwood. He was 2nd in first run over hurdles & he bids to go one better.

Feature Race £30,000 intercasino.co.uk Veterans' Handicap Chase (2.05pm)
Admission prices Admission prices are £19 for adults & accompanied children under 16 are admitted free.

Other Information The top 30 racing ponies and riders in the country will be battling it out in the prestigious 2008 Charles Owen Pony Racing Finals at Aintree.

Many of the riders, aged 11 - 16 years, are set to pursue a career in the saddle professionally and being crowned 2008 Charles Owen Pony Racing Champion is the perfect stepping stone to a career in racing.

Some of them have already progressed from Pony Racing and are now riding against me professionally [eg. Hadden Frost, Rhys Flint and Felix de Giles] and it's a great initiative to encourage race riding from a younger age.


Chepstow

Type Jump

First Race 1.20pm.

Notable Jockeys Tony McCoy - perennial Champion Jump Jockey & leading rider this season.

Robert 'Choc' Thornton rode over 100 winners last season & won the Champion hurdle.

Richard Johnson, 2nd in Jump Jockey Championship & only 1 of 4 jockeys to ride over 100 winners in the previous season.

Sam Thomas, winner of the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup on Denman, second jockey to the Paul Nicholls stable.

Notable Horses The Grade 2 race for young horses at 1.20pm has attracted entries from across the country, including the American-bred Gray Mountain stabled with Scottish trainer Lucinda Russell who bids for a hat-trick.

The Pertemps Handicap Hurdle winner four years ago was subsequent Coral Welsh National heroine L'Aventure. The same trainer Paul Nicholls has entered his Grand National runner Mr Pointment in the equivalent race this weekend at 2.50pm.

Feature Race totesport.com Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle (Listed Race) (Class 1) 1.50pm.

Admission Premier Enclosure £22, Grandstand & Paddock £17, Under 16s admitted free of charge. Senior citizens and students with appropriate identification get a £5 discount; and one carer is admitted free with a disabled badge holder.

Other Information The totesport.com 'Silver Trophy' day is a big event in the National Hunt calendar in the west of England and Wales.


Doncaster

Type Flat

First Race 1.55pm.

Notable Jockeys A host of Classic jockeys are in action at Doncaster: Jimmy Fortune, Mick Kinane, Ted Durcan, Seamie Heffernan and Philip Robinson.

Notable Horses The final Group One of the British flat season has a rich tradition in providing clues for future Classic success, with recent winners including subsequent Epsom Derby victors Authorized (2006), Motivator (2004) and High Chaparral (2001) as well as French 2,000 Guineas scorer American Post (2003) and Brian Boru (2002), who returned to Doncaster the following season to take the Ladbrokes St Leger.

This year's line up is set to include Sri Putra, whose trainer Michael Jarvis saddled Beldale Flutter to Racing Post Trophy glory in 1980. The Oasis Dream colt won the Group Three Solario Stakes at Sandown at the end of August before finishing eighth on good to firm ground in the Tattersalls Timeform Million at Newmarket on his latest start on October 4.

Peter Chapple-Hyam, himself no stranger to Racing Post Trophy glory having saddled Commander Collins (1998) and Authorized (2006) to victory in the race, is set to be represented this year by Gibb River, who finished a staying-on seventh on his only racecourse appearance in a competitive maiden at Newbury.

Feature Race The Racing Post Trophy 3.35pm.

The concluding race on Saturday is the Final of this season's Pertemps People Development 'Hands and Heels' Apprentice Series - a Handicap contest for young riders. This is the culmination of twelve races throughout the UK in a series which encourages riders not to resort to the whip. Going into Saturday's Final, the title is between three apprentice jockeys - Declan Cannon, Ashley Morgan and Billy Cray.

Admission Premier £50, County £35, Grandstand £22, Family enclosure £10, Children free.

Other Information Britain's final Group 1 race of 2008.

Guests in the Premier Suite will be entertained by the George Grant Jazz Duo, while free attractions for youngsters in the Family Enclosure on Saturday include a bouncy castle, fun bus and face painting.

A shuttle bus service will be in operation from the railway station (£2 return).


Newbury

Type Flat

First Race 1.10pm.

Notable Jockeys The Hills family are out in force today: jockeys Richard and Michael take rides for their trainer father Barry and trainer brother John.

Arc-winning rider Christophe Soumillon takes some rides for Sir Michael Stoute with Ryan Moore being absent at the Breeders Cup.

Notable Horses A number of horses are chasing hat-tricks today they include: Rileyskeepingfaith (2.10pm), Granary (3.20pm) & Honest Quality (3.55pm).

Ask (2.45pm) had its last race in the Arc de Triomphe in Paris two weeks ago - in that race Ryan Moore and Ask had a different view of Christophe Soumillon and Zarkava from the rest of us watching on television: they were well behind it! Ask has the form to win this race easily.

Honest Quality represents trainer Henry Cecil in the 3.55pm race - the horse has won two of its three starts and should give both him and us something to look forward to next year with a filly who already features in the markets for next year's 1000 Guineas.

Feature Race intercasino.co.uk St Simon Stakes (Group 3) (Class 1) 2.45pm.

Admission Premier Enclosure - £22, Grandstand Enclosure - £15, Picnic area £7, Under 18s free (must be accompanied by an adult. Premier Enclosure only - 50% reduction for those aged between 18 and 21 years old (proof of age required). Parking: All Coach & Car parking free (other than picnic area).

Other Information Armed Forces Day. To help celebrate the end of Newbury's 2008 Flat season,they have offered free Premier entry (worth £22 per ticket) to all members of the Armed Forces.

To obtain the badges call 01635 40015 and quote your Military ID number and you will be entitled to a maximum of two free tickets per person. Newbury have also teamed up with the Tote to offer a free £2 totepool bet with every free ticket. There will also be live music.


Stratford on Avon

Type Jump.

First Race 2.00pm.

Notable Jockeys Timmy Murphy - 2008 Grand national winning rider.

Barry Geraghty - Gold Cup winning rider.

Jamie Moore - racing runs in the family as his brother is leading flat jockey this season, Ryan.

Another family connection is the Scudamores - were Tom rides for trainer brother Michael.

Notable Horses Red Admiral chases a hat -trick of wins in the 3.05pm.

Feature Race 3.40pm The totepool A Better Way to Bet Handicap Steeple Chase for The John H. Kenny Memorial Cup.

Admission Club Enclosure £18.00, Tattersall Enclosure £14.00, £8.00 for the Centre Course/Picnic Area Enclosure. Accompanied Children under 16 admitted FREE, Car Parking: Main Car Park £3.00, Centre Course/Picnic Area Parking £5.00.

Other Information Free entertainment for the children in the Centre Course, including Face Painter and Bouncy Castle.


Wolverhampton

Type Flat on the All Weather surface

First Race 6.15pm

Notable Jockeys Both William Buick & David Probert make the journey from earlier rides around the country to fight it out to win the Champion Apprentice Jockey title. William is 2 winners behind David.Liam Jones - the rider from Liverpool is having his best season in the saddle.

Dane O'Neill is a top 10 rider in Britain.

Chris Catlin - Champion jockey on the All Weather surface.

Notable Horses Italian trained Gasat in the 6.15pm attempts a hat-trick of wins in a row and his first run & win in the UK.

Feature Race Bet Now With Ladbrokes On 0800 777 888 Handicap 8.50pm
Admission Premier £20, Grandstand £12 Children admitted free. There is an additional cost of £5.00 per person for the live entertainment following racing on Saturday evenings.

Other Information Queen Tribute Night which features live band Monarchy, plus disco, and race goers will either need to purchase a dining package or Premier +entertainment badge to enjoy the after race entertainment.