June, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Bolger Invited To Discuss Doping Claims At Parliamentary Hearing

After he expressed concerns in the press earlier this month about alleged doping practices in Irish racing, this year's G1 2000 Guineas and G1 Irish 2000 Guineas-winning trainer Jim Bolger has been invited before an Irish parliamentary committee on July 6 alongside representatives of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, Horse Racing Ireland, the Department of Agriculture and the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association to discuss the matter.

Bolger last autumn described the use of performance-enhancing substances as the “number-one problem” facing Irish racing, and expanded on those claims in a series of interviews with Paul Kimmage in the Sunday Independent recently, where he said he thinks “there will be a Lance Armstrong in Irish racing.”

Agriculture Committee Chairman Jackie Cahill said it is “hugely important” that Bolger's claims are investigated.

“We're seen as the world leaders in horse racing,” he said. “For a small country our success is phenomenal. We really punch above our weight and for a lead trainer, Jim Bolger, to say that there would be a Lance Armstrong incident in Irish racing is extremely serious. It just can't be ignored it must be dealt with. In my view, he has to either confirm it or withdraw it. It's doing serious reputational damage.”

A spokesperson for the IHRB said on Tuesday, “we would welcome the opportunity to meet with the deputies on the Oireachtas Committee and explain details of what we do in terms of equine anti-doping and our strategies as well as the advances that have been made in this area over the last number of years and more recently.”

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Discover Newmarket Launches New Tours

Discover Newmarket will later this year launch two new tours. “On The Trail of Dick Francis” will take in many of the spots in the town that the late former champion steeplechase jockey used as plots in his acclaimed novels. “Newmarket's Racing Royalty” reveals the town's royal heritage. Visitors on the tour will hear stories about the royals who have frequented Newmarket down the centuries and call by places with royal connections.

The Dick Francis tours are available on Aug. 6, Oct. 1, Nov. 5 and Dec. 3, and the Royal tour Sept. 3, Oct. 22, Nov. 19 and Dec. 17. Each costs £25 per person.

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Tattersalls Unveils New Sale Race

Tattersalls and Newmarket Racecourse will stage the inaugural Tattersalls Somerville Auction S., for 2-year-olds over six furlongs worth £100,000, in August 2022 on the July Course. The race is restricted to graduates of this year's Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale, which is set for Newmarket's Park Paddocks on Sept. 7, and prizemoney will be paid down to tenth place, with £55,000 allocated to the winner.

The Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale will be held under its new guise for the first time this year; the sale was previously known as the Tattersalls Ascot Yearling Sale, and when the 2020 renewal staged in Newmarket due to COVID-19 restrictions returned records across the board, the decision was made to make it a permanent fixture at Park Paddocks. The sale places an emphasis on forward, athletic yearlings and last year's sale has already produced 17 individual 2-year-old winners headed by Chipotle (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}), winner of the Listed Windsor Castle S. at Royal Ascot last week. Chipotle cost 10,000gns last year.

Graduates of the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale will be eligible for the Tattersalls Somerville Auction S. and the £150,000 Tattersalls October Auction S.

“Our commitment to rewarding owners in as many innovative ways as we can has resulted in over £6,100,000 in bonus prize money being paid out by Tattersalls in the last five years,” said Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony. “The £100,000 Tattersalls Somerville Auction S. will provide an opportunity for graduates of the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling sale to run for substantial prize money, and further enhance the appeal of the sale which has quickly established a reputation as a consistent source of top-class juvenile talent.”

Chipotle's trainer Eve Johnson Houghton said, “Having bought Chipotle for only 10,000gns at last year's sale, the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale is already in the diary and finding the winner of the new £100,000 Tattersalls Somerville S. will be the aim–as well as another Royal Ascot winner, of course.”

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Extravagant Kid On Course For July Cup

G1 Al Quoz Sprint winner and G1 King's Stand S. third Extravagant Kid (Kiss The Kid) has stayed on in Newmarket following his Ascot exploits, and the American raider will target the G1 July Cup on July 10.

After placing in three stakes races in America earlier this year, the 8-year-old gelding Extravagant Kid hit a new level of form when winning the Al Quoz Sprint over six furlongs at Meydan under Ryan Moore, and put in an admirable performance at Royal Ascot under Frankie Dettori when dropped down to five furlongs. He goes back up to six furlongs for the July Cup.

“I don't think going back up to six furlongs will be a negative,” Walsh said. “Although it is a little stiffer than Dubai, you are going downhill a lot of the way. It is probably as far as he needs to go but I think he will be fine. We gave him plenty of time to get over his travelling turnaround [after Dubai] but you would think he would be in a better position now having had that run at Ascot.”

Dettori's services have become available for the July Cup with the news on Tuesday that G1 Commonwealth Cup winner Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) would skip the race, but Walsh said a decision on a jockey has not been made.

“I'm not sure yet who will be riding him as we haven't looked into it yet and I will know more next week,” Walsh said. “We only decided to leave him in the race at the start of the week. It would be fantastic if we could get Frankie as he is always good to have.”

Walsh attributes Extravagant Kid's purple patch at age eight to the horse's enjoyment of traveling.

“Travelling with him is a new dimension and he seems to like it,” he said. “It has brought out the best in him. As an older horse, travelling just adds something a bit different. He is eight now and is probably in his prime. He is not going to be up to this standard forever so we will just enjoy it.”

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