Sunday 26th October

Schedule / Editor / 26 October 2008 / Leave a comment

12.30pm (GMT) Lorna Bradburne and Jeremy Grayson are with you live for racing from Aintree, Towcester and Wincanton.

Aintree
Type Jump

First Race 1.00pm

Notable Jockeys All the top jump jockeys head for this prestigious early season meeting: Tony McCoy, Robert 'Choc' Thornton, Ruby Walsh, Paddy Brennan.

Notable Horses The unbeaten On Raglan Road runs in the 1.00pm for owners Graham & Andrea Wylie.

Monet's Garden bids for back-to-back victories in the £70,000 Grade Two Old Roan Chase (3.15pm). The two and a half-mile contest is the first race in the 2008/2009 Order of Merit.The popular Nicky Richards-trained grey saw off the mighty Kauto Star to land the spoils 12 months ago, having won the Grade One John Smith's Melling Chase over the course and distance the previous April. He takes on last season's Grade One John Smith's Melling Chase victor Voy Por Ustedes & Exotic Dancer, third in the race last year, won in Grade Two company over 3 miles and a furlong at the 2007 John Smith's Grand National Meeting.

Pierrot Lunaire (2.40pm) won a Grade 2 novice event at the Aintree Fesival last season and is being targeted at next year's Champion Hurdle.

Classy hurdlers Kicks For Free and Special Envoy make their chase debuts in the 2.10pm race.

Feature Races £50,000 intercasino.co.uk Four-Year-Old Hurdle (2.40pm) and £70,000 Grade Two intercasino.co.uk Old Roan Chase (3.15pm)

Admission £19 for adults & Children are admitted free.

Other Information Aintree's annual family fun day with lots of entertainment on offer for all members of the family.

The Old Roan Chase is the first race in the Order of Merit initiative, a league covering all non-novice Grade 1, 2 and 3 races from October to April over the jumps. The horse with the most points at the end of the season takes the £200,000 prize. Kauto Star has won it for the last two seasons.


Towcester

Type Jump

First Race 12.50pm

Notable Jockeys Andrew Thornton rides for employer Mr & Mrs Alner. Timmy Murphy - 2008 Grand National winner. Kevin Tobin, Hands & Heels Series winner.

Notable Horses Jonjo O'Neill has won the feature race on two consequetive occasions and goes for the hat-trick this time with Native City at 2pm.

Feature Race Ron Folwell 90th Birthday Handicap Chase 2.00pm

Admission Free entry.


Wincanton

Type Jump

First Race 1.15pm

Notable Jockeys Richard Johnson, 2nd in Jump Jockey Championship & only 1 of 4 jockeys to ride over 100 winners in the previous season. Sam Thomas - 2008 Gold Cup winning rider of Denman teams up with Gold Cup winning trainer Paul Nicholls. Local boy Joe Tizzard rides for his father Colin. More family connections see Tom Scudamore riding for his younger brother Michael

Notable Horses Phillip Hobbs and stable jockey, Richard Johnson won the feature race at this meeting last year & go for it again this time with Hermano Cordobes (3.30pm). However he takes on old campaigner I Hear Thunder who won the same race in 2005. Chasing a hat-trick of wins is Charles Street in the 2.55pm

Look out for Paul Nicholls' Conflictofinterest in the 4.35pm - he was a stylish winner of an Ayr bumper last season and is already being talked of as a Cheltenham Festival horse by his trainer.

Feature Race Desert Orchid Handicap Chase (For the Desert Orchid Silver Cup) (Class 2) 3.30pm

Admission Premier £18, Grandstand £12, Course £6, Children free

Other Information Charity Day - Supporting Spinal Injuries Association and St Margarets Hospice Somerset