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Dr. Jerry Hill Awarded MBE

Dr. Jerry Hill, chief medical adviser for the British Horseracing Authority, has been awarded an MBE for services to horse racing during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Following racing's suspension on Mar. 18, 2020, Dr. Hill worked tirelessly with colleagues across racing and medical professionals to develop protocols to help the sport chart a safe course through the pandemic and facilitate its resumption.

Dr. Hill's expertise was recognized by the DCMS when he was invited to agree guidance on the resumption of elite sports in the UK, and he took the lead on drafting stage three of the return, which was quickly agreed by the public health authorities and allowed the return of all elite sport in the UK from June 1, 2020.

Dr. Hill has compiled a noteworthy body of work on medical provision in British racing over the last six years, which has also included expansion of physiotherapy provision to all British race meetings; facilitating academic research into jockey nutrition and mental health and concussion protocols.

Annamarie Phelps, chair of the BHA, said, “This award recognises Dr Hill's remarkable achievements on behalf of the racing industry. Jerry's priority throughout the COVID crisis has always been to put the health of racing's participants, racegoers and the general population first. This has similarly been the case throughout his six years as BHA Chief Medical Adviser, during which the sport has made significant progress in the field of participant health and wellbeing.”

Hill said, “I am genuinely humbled by this award. British racing's response to the coronavirus pandemic has been a truly collaborative one, and the industry has shown what it can achieve when it pulls together. I believe that this award reflects the hard work and commitment of many people across the sport.”

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Walsh Seeking Ascot Redemption

Brendan Walsh was assistant trainer to Mark Wallace when Benbaun (Ire) (Stravinsky) finished second, beaten a short head, in the 2006 edition of the G1 King's Stand S. Now a Grade I-winning conditioner in his own right, the Irish-born, Kentucky-based Walsh is looking for his G1 Al Quoz Sprint victor Extravagant Kid (Kiss The Kid) to go one better in next week's King's Stand.

Despite being eight years of age, Extravagant Kid is in the form of his life.

“I think the travel and a different track, when you get to an age like him–an eight-year-old–you are trying to find something a little different,” Walsh said. “They have pretty much seen it all before, and this for him suits his character and it's really picked him up–maybe that's what most of his improvement is accredited to.

“My assistant Charlie Lynch is with him. He says he hasn't missed a beat since he got there, pretty much like he was doing in Dubai. You can't beat that. We've prepared him for it, and it looks like it's all going to plan.”

In addition to his Newmarket stint, Walsh spent time working in Dubai for Godolphin, so traveling horses is nothing new.

“The Dubai thing was in my mind for a couple of years. I travelled a lot of horses with Godolphin back in the day and I thought this was the right year to go with Extravagant Kid,” he said. “He thrived in Dubai when he got there, and he seems to be thriving in Newmarket since he got there. I've got no real hang-ups about it. I think it's as we would want it, and if we get a good trip we will see if he's good enough or not.”

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Sibila Spain To Be Supplemented To Diane

'TDN Rising Star' Sibila Spain (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) will be supplemented to the June 20 G1 Prix de Diane and will be the first Classic starter for trainer Christopher Head.

Head is the son of hugely successful jockey and trainer Freddy Head, while other members of the historic racing family include Freddy's sister Criquette and father Alec.

Sibila Spain was bred by Coolmore and races for Yeguada Centurion. She suffered her first career defeat when fourth, beaten a length, in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary on May 24, and looks to give her sire another Classic winner on the season following the Derby exploits of Adayar (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

“Sibila Spain will be supplemented for the Diane [a week on Sunday], that's for sure,” said Head. “I think she will have a leading chance. The filly is really good. The only question mark against her would be the [possible] good to firm ground.

Sibila Spain was a nine-length maiden winner at Saint-Cloud on Mar. 25 over heavy going and followed up with a conditions win at Lyon Parilly prior to the Saint-Alary.

“Her race at Lyon-Parilly was the only time that she had raced on anything nearing good ground, and we might not have seen the best of her,” Head added. “I can't think of any reason why she wouldn't handle this type of ground, however.”

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Serpentine Supplemented To Gold Cup

Last year's G1 Derby winner Serpentine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has been supplemented at a cost of £30,000 to next week's G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

Serpentine has been beaten in three starts since his 25-1 upset in the blue riband last July, including a last-out seventh in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh on May 23, and he goes a full mile further in the Gold Cup than he has gone in his seven-race career to date.

Serpentine's trainer Aidan O'Brien also has last year's Derby third Amhrann Na Bhfiann (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and last year's G1 Irish Derby and G2 Queen's Vase winner Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) engaged in the Gold Cup, and chief among their rivals will be Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who looks to become just the second four-time Gold Cup winner, joining the Aidan O'Brien-trained Yeats (Ire) (Sadler's Wells); and Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}), the winner of his last two starts including the G2 Dubai Gold Cup on Mar. 27.

Trainer John Gosden issued an update on the 7-year-old Stradivarius on Thursday, saying, “This boy is very vociferous and an absolute riot to be around. He has always been very entertaining and has a great personality. I just tend to let him enjoy himself and, as long as he is enjoying himself, that's all that matters.

“Stradivarius has won four Goodwood Cups, as well as Yorkshire Cups, Doncaster Cups, Lonsdale Cups. They put up the £1 million bonus two years running, thinking nobody would do it, and he knocked it off both years and finished the insurance company off. He has been remarkable. I think the toughest race of his life was actually his first Gold Cup against the great French stayer Vazirabad.

“He worked on the July Course last Tuesday and, touch wood, we are ready to go again. Frankie [Dettori] gave him a little canter this morning in front of the TV cameras and that all went smoothly.”

“I have a lot of respect for the new boy on the block Subjectivist,” Gosden added. “And I have a lot of respect for Alan King's horse Trueshan if he runs, although he may prefer a downpour. But there is no doubt Subjectivist adds a lot of spice to the race.”

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