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Storm Eunice Forces Cancellations in UK/Ire

The approach of Storm Eunice, which will impact Ireland and the United Kingdom on Friday, has caused some racecourses to cancel their cards as a precautionary measure. Fakenham was called off on Thursday due to the severe weather warnings, and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board has cancelled Dundalk's Friday card, too. The storm is expected to bring high winds and, in some cases, snow.

“We discussed the situation with Jim Martin of Dundalk Stadium and Met Eireann this morning and again this afternoon and we felt with the current forecast for tomorrow it was prudent to make an early decision and cancel the fixture,” said IHRB Clerk of the Course, Brendan Sheridan via Twitter. “Many parts of the country are subject to Orange and Red Weather Warnings in the morning which would make travel unsafe and Met Eireann are also forecasting gusts with speeds in excess of 80km/h during race time.”

Kelso, one of three UK courses still set to race on Friday, will hold an inspection at 8 a.m. on Friday morning.

“We're only a yellow warning at the moment up here and we are getting nothing like the wind speeds down in England,” said clerk of the course Matthew Taylor. “Our concern would be snow more than anything and access to the racecourse maybe and the surrounding areas on high ground if they got heavy snow. We are in a trickier situation than most because it literally is just the waiting game.

“The problem as well is that the forecast is changing by the hour. We were supposed to be getting 10 centimetres of snow and then this afternoon it's changed back to rain so we don't know exactly what we're going to get.”

“We've got an 8 a.m. inspection so hopefully we can make the right call early.”

Lingfield and Southwell are both set to race as of Thursday evening, with Lingfield set to be inspected at 8 a.m. and Southwell, which is expecting 60-70mph winds, due for inspection at 10 a.m.

Kirkland Tellwright, clerk of the course at Haydock, is hoping by Saturday that the storm has weakened in advance of the course's Saturday meeting.

He said, “The main concern has been wind, which would be a problem on a raceday but shouldn't be the day before. There will be a lot of damage to repair, no doubt. Saturday is expected to be blustery, gusts of wind and more rain. Having walked the course a couple of times today, I'm pretty optimistic we'll get through.

“The hurdle course is heavy, soft in places, and is not in a bad place. The chase course is heavy, and very heavy in one or two places so we might be bypassing them. I've taken the second fence out in the back straight mainly as a precaution because it gives us more options in terms on how we get past that location.”

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Appleby Quartet Lined Up For Saudi

Trainer Charlie Appleby is preparing a team of four for next weekend's Saudi Cup card: 3-year-olds Noble Truth (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) and Sovereign Prince (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) for the G3 Saudi Derby, Siskany (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) for the Red Sea Turf H. and Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) for the Turf Sprint.

Noble Truth and Sovereign Prince will be trying the dirt for the first time, and Appleby said, “they have never raced on dirt before but judging by what we have seen in their gallops at home, they will have no problems handling it. They have been training on the Marmoom track in Dubai, which has a surface very similar to what they will experience in Saudi. I'm very happy the way they have been training on it.”

Noble Truth, winner of the Listed Flying Scotsman S. in September, has not raced since finishing fourth in the G3 Horris Hill S. in October. He was previously second in the G1 Prix Jean Luc Lagardere.

“He was slightly disappointing in the Horris Hill on very soft ground, but he put up such a great performance in the Lagardere [on heavy], it took the edge off him for Newbury,” said Appleby. “He was sent to Dubai in November purposely to be aimed at the Saudi Derby, and if he brings his best 2-year-old form to the race, he'll be a very live contender. He's adapted well since embarking on a more American-style training programme in Dubai since travelling over.”

Sovereign Prince, who broke his maiden at Epsom in September, is two-for-two this season at Meydan, including a most recent win in the Listed Jumeirah Classic going a mile on the turf on Feb. 4.

“He has earned his stripes following two creditable performances at Meydan,” said Appleby. “He's a typical Dubawi in strengthening and moving forward at a rate of knots as he gets more mature. He's had plenty of racing experience in the UK and Dubai.”

The 4-year-old Siskany was likewise a listed winner at Meydan last out, taking the Al Khail Trophy going a mile and six on Jan. 28.

“Siskany was a progressive middle-distance handicapper who showed marked improvement at 2800 metres,” said Appleby. “We are hoping that in stepping up to extreme trips he can take it to another level. He has come out of his last race really well, and the second and third have franked the form by being placed subsequently behind Global Storm at Meydan. We are looking to him to run a big race.”

The 4-year-old Naval Crown, who was fourth in last year's G1 2000 Guineas, looks to give his trainer back-to-back wins in the Turf Sprint, following on from Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) last year. Naval Crown returned from almost six months on the sidelines with a win in the G2 Al Fahidi Fort on Jan. 21.

“We deliberately finished his season early last year to get ready for this,” said Appleby. “He was a model of consistency as a 3-year-old and he has come back in great form. It was a nice performance to win the Al Fahidi Fort and he has come forward for that run.”

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UK Racing Raceday Covid Restrictions to Lift at The End of February

Plans for easing the remaining COVID-19 raceday restrictions were announced by British racing on Thursday. The weighing room resting requirements would lift by the end of February as a result. The provisional timetable agreed by the industry's COVID-19 Group is as follows:

From Monday, 28 Feb., Weighing Room attendees will no longer be expected to show evidence of a negative lateral flow test prior to entry.
From Monday, 14 Mar., racecourses will no longer be required to configure the Weighing Room complex for the purposes of COVID-19 infection control.

These changes are possible due to encouraging trends in both the national data and the BHA's pre-raceday testing, together with anticipated government announcements on self-isolation requirements–all of which help reduce the business continuity risk to racing. Weighing room access will continue to be restricted to essential personnel only. Anyone testing positive for or exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 should not enter the weighing room complex until they can demonstrate evidence of a negative test. Regular self-testing with lateral flow devices will still be encouraged for all weighing room personnel and raceday attendees, as will completing a full course of COVID-19 vaccinations, including the booster jab. Announcements from the UK and Scottish Governments on the easing of COVID rules, anticipated for early next week, are unlikely to delay racing's proposed timetable, but the final plans will be considered in line with government publications.

BHA Chief Medical Adviser, Dr. Jerry Hill, said, “It is with cautious optimism that we are able to publish a provisional timetable for the removal of the remaining racecourse mitigations, starting with the testing requirement for Weighing Room entry.

“We are satisfied that the data continues to move in the right direction, and that with the UK Government likely to rescind the legal obligation to self-isolate, the risk of COVID-related disruption is further diminished.

“This decision is only possible thanks to the continued efforts of industry colleagues both on and off the racecourse, who have prioritised the health, wellbeing, and livelihood of others. It is through your collective efforts that we have thus far managed to avoid interruption to the racing schedule.

“We will of course continue to monitor the situation over the next few weeks. COVID has not gone away, and therefore racecourse attendees should continue to exercise the necessary vigilance: vaccination and regular testing are still highly advisable.”

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Oisin Murphy Hearing Set For Tuesday

Oisin Murphy, the three-time champion jockey in Britain, will face the independent disciplinary panel of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) on Tuesday, Feb. 22 for five alleged rule breaches.

Members of the panel will consider whether Murphy misled the BHA regarding his travel destination in order to circumvent Covid rules and failed to comply with those restrictions. Further charges relate to two separate incidents, on May 5, 2021 and Oct. 8, 2021, when the jockey failed breath tests for alcohol at Chester and Newmarket racecourses respectively. The hearing will also determine whether Murphy has brought racing into disrepute by breaching the rule pertaining to “acting in a manner which is prejudicial to the proper integrity, conduct and good reputation of the sport”.

Murphy was crowned champion for the third time in October following a closely-fought battle with William Buick which was only decided on the final day of the jockeys' championship on QIPCO British Champions Day. He has not been seen in action this year having voluntarily relinquished his licence in December 2021. At that time the BHA took the unusual step of releasing a statement on the jockey's behalf within its own press release announcing the charges levelled against him.

Murphy stated on Dec. 16 last year, “On returning from abroad last September in 2020 I failed to follow the Covid protocol set out by the BHA. In breaking these rules, and attempting to mislead the BHA, I've let my governing body down, along with trainers, owners, staff, sponsors and family for which I wish to apologise.

“In addition to this there have been two racecourse incidents linked to alcohol during 2021. It became obvious to me and to everyone else that I needed to seek serious help. In recognition of this I have relinquished my licence and will now focus on my rehabilitation. I am grateful to the BHA for agreeing to postpone the disciplinary hearing until I have been able to take these steps.

“Whether I deserve it or not, many kind people have stood by me and I really appreciate their support . I'm deeply embarrassed and regret my actions.”

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