Haydock Park

Aintree Racecourse

racing_news/

All The Way Becher Success for Black Apalachi 23/11/08
Black Apalachi prevailed under Denis O’Regan as he galloped resolutely all the way to the line to secure success in the £120,000 Listed totesport.com Becher Chase. [more]

Snoopy Loopy Takes Betfair Chase at Haydock
22/11/08
Snoopy Loopy will not be resting on his laurels, despite handing connections a surprise payday when taking the £225,000 Betfair Chase under Seamus Durack. [more]

16 for Betfair Fixed Brush Handicap Hurdle
20/11/08
The main supporting action at Haydock Park on Saturday is the £100,000 Betfair “Fixed Brush” Handicap Hurdle (1.40pm), which has received 16 declarations. [more]

Walsh Looking for National Clues at Northwest Racing Masters with Southern Vic 19/11/08
Trainer Ted Walsh could be on the John Smith’s Grand National trail once again as Southern Vic is set to contest the £120,000 Listed totesport.com Becher Chase (2.50pm), run over three miles and two furlongs of Aintree’s famous Grand National fences on Sunday, November 23, day two of the Northwest Racing Masters. [more]

Jefferson Mulling Options Ahead of Northwest Racing Masters 18/11/08
Trainer Malcolm Jefferson is looking forward to seeing According To Pete take his chance in the £100,000 Betfair “Fixed Brush” Handicap Hurdle (1.05pm), run over three miles at Haydock Park on Saturday, November 22, the first day of the Northwest Racing Masters. [more]

Smith Hoping for Kauto Hat-Trick in Betfair Chase at Haydock Park 17/11/08
Owner Clive Smith is optimistic over the chances of Kauto Star completing a hat-trick of victories in the £225,000 Grade One Betfair Chase (2.15pm) at Haydock Park, highlight of the first day of the Northwest Racing Masters on Saturday, November 22. [more]

Mangan Primes Himalayan Trail for the totesport.com Becher Chase 17/11/08
Jimmy Mangan scaled the heights of John Smith’s Grand National glory when Monty’s Pass won the world’s most famous steeplechase in 2003 and the County Cork trainer is plotting further Aintree success with Himalayan Trail, who is among 28 entries for the fantastic £120,000 Listed totesport.com Becher Chase on Sunday, November 23. [more]

Third Time Lucky for Bowen at Northwest Racing Masters with Souffleur? 13/11/08
Trainer Peter Bowen is hopeful that Souffleur can rise to the occasion in the £100,000 Betfair “Fixed Brush” Handicap Hurdle (1.05pm), run at Haydock Park on the first day of the Northwest Racing Masters on Saturday, November 22. [more]

Fitzgerald Looking for totesport.com Becher Chase Glory 11/11/08
Irish trainer Davy Fitzgerald could be double-handed in this year’s £120,000 totesport.com Becher Chase (2.50pm) with both Mister Top Notch and Operation Houdini set to be entered in the prestigious chase over the Grand National fences at Aintree on the second day of the Northwest Racing Masters, Sunday, November 23. [more]

The Countdown to North West Racing Masters has Officially Begun... 10/11/08

Following its successful inauguration in 2005, the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, November 22 and 23, 2008, sees the fourth running of the Northwest Racing Masters.

An exciting addition to the jumping calendar, the Northwest Racing Masters involves top-class racing at both Haydock Park and Aintree. The weekend has quickly established itself as a popular event with the racing fraternity and the public. Haydock Park hosts the £225,000 Grade One Betfair Chase on the first day of the Northwest Racing Masters, which was won in great style by Kauto Star for the second year running in 2007.

He brushed aside a high class field in 2006 to come home 17 lengths clear of Irish raider Beef Or Salmon. Kauto Star remained unbeaten all season and captured the Betfair Million bonus for also winning the Stan James King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day and the totesport Gold Cup at Cheltenham in March.

Exotic Dancer, who finished two and a half lengths behind Kauto Star in the Gold Cup, reduced that margin to half a length in the 2007 Betfair Chase but was always being held, with Beef Or Salmon another 18 lengths back in third and horses of the class of Turpin Green and My Way De Solzen further in arrears.

A cracking first Betfair Chase in 2005 also attracted a high-class field and the Robert Alner-trained Kingscliff beat the Irish pair of Beef Or Salmon and Kicking King, who started favourite and had won the Cheltenham Gold Cup the previous season.

The second day of the Northwest Racing Masters takes places at Aintree with a thrilling race programme that includes the £120,000 totesport.com Becher Chase and the £80,000 totesuper7 Grand Sefton Chase, both run over the Grand National course. This makes the day unique as it is the only raceday to feature two races over the Grand National fences.

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls has dominated the totesport.com Becher Chase for the past two years, scoring with Eurotrek in 2006 and Mr Pointment last year. Both horses went on to contest the John Smith’s Grand National.

Subsequent John Smith’s Grand National winners Amberleigh House (Becher 2001, GN 2004) and Silver Birch (Becher 2004, GN 2007) both won the totesport.com Becher Chase prior to landing the world’s greatest chase while the 2003 victor Clan Royal finished second behind Amberleigh House in the Grand National. The 1998 winner Earth Summit had won the Grand National the previous season.

THE 2008 NORTHWEST RACING MASTERS
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22 & 23

The exciting Northwest Racing Masters, at Haydock Park and Aintree, offers two of the very best jump racing days of the year.

Haydock Park took centre stage on Saturday, November 22, when the highlight was the £225,000 Grade One Betfair Chase won by outsider Snoopy Loopy in a dramatic climax.

The card at Haydock Park on November 22 was entirely sponsored by Betfair and also featured the £100,000 Betfair "Fixed Brush" Handicap Hurdle over three miles which went to According To Pete, as well as the three-mile £50,000 Timeform Betfair Racing Club Handicap Chase won by Possol and the £50,000 Betfair Hurdle, won by Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle 4-1 favourite Binocular (with totesport), for four-year-olds over an extended two miles.

Total prize money for the day came to a massive £505,000 - the richest-ever day for jump racing at Haydock Park and an increase of £50,000 on the 2007 figure.

THE NORTHWEST RACING MASTERS

DAY ONE

HAYDOCK PARK, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2008

Time Race Distance Value TV
12.30pm Betfair Newton Novices' Hurdle (Listed) 2m abt 1/2f £35,000
1.05pm Betfair Hurdle 2m abt 1/2f £50,000 BBC
1.40pm Betfair "Fixed Brush" Handicap Hurdle 3m £100,000 BBC
2.15pm Betfair Chase (Grade One) 3m £225,000 BBC
2.45pm Timeform Betfair Racing Club Handicap Chase 3m £50,000 C4
3.20pm Thanks To Betfair Stevenage Handicap Chase 2m £35,000
3.50pm Timeform Newcomers Standard Open NH Flat 2m abt 1/2f £10,000
Total - £505,000

DAY TWO

AINTREE, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2008

Time Race Distance Value TV
12.30pm Weatherbys Bank Maiden Hurdle 2m 110yds £7,000
1.05pm Weatherbys Handicap Chase 3m 1f £14,000
1.40pm totesuper7 Grand Sefton Handicap Chase 2m 5f 110yds £80,000 BBC
(Over the Grand National Course)
2.15pm toteswinger Handicap Hurdle 2m 4f £30,000 BBC
2.50pm totesport.com Becher Chase (Listed) 3m 2f £120,000 BBC
(Over the Grand National Course)
3.25pm Jackson Lloyd Novices' Handicap Hurdle 2m 4f £14,000
Total - £265,000

NORTH WEST RACING MASTERS - TOTAL PRIZE MONEY £770,000

PAST RESULTS OF MAIN RACES AT THE NORTHWEST RACING MASTERS

BETFAIR CHASE

Year Horse Owner Trainer Age/Weight Jockey SP
2005 Kingscliff Arnie Sendell Robert Alner 8-11-08 Robert Walford 8/1
2006 Kauto Star Clive Smith Paul Nicholls 6-11-08 Ruby Walsh 11/10F
2007 Kauto Star Clive Smith Paul Nicholls 7-11-07 Sam Thomas 4/5F

BETFAIR "FIXED BRUSH" HANDICAP HURDLE

Year Horse Owner Trainer Age/Weight Jockey SP
2005 St Matthew Keith Nicholson Sue Smith 7-11-04 Padgh Whelan 25/1
2006 Halcon Genelardais Ian Payne/Kim Franklin Alan King 6-10-02 Robert Thornton 5/1JF
2007 Millenium Royal J Vasicek Francois Doumen FR 7-11-12 Christophe Pieux 20/1

NB: the contest was run over traditional hurdles in 2005 and 2006. It was run over Fixed Brush hurdles for the first time in 2007.

totesport.com BECHER CHASE
Over the Grand National Fences

Year Horse Owner Trainer Age/Weight Jockey SP
1992 Kildimo Lady Harris Sue Smith 12-10-03 Lorcan Wyer 9/1
1993 Indian Tonic Joanne Richards Nigel Twiston-Davies 7-10-06 Chris Maude 4/1
1994 Into The Red John Huckle John White 10-10-04 Richard Guest 13/2
1995 Young Hustler Gavin MacEchern Nigel Twiston-Davies 8-12-00 Chris Maude 2/1F
1996 Into The Red John Huckle Mary Reveley 12-10-00 Tony Dobbin 9/2
1997 Samlee White Lion Partnership Philip Hobbs 8-10-00 Rodney Farrant 6/1
1998 Earth Summit The Summit Partnership Nigel Twiston-Davies 10-12-00 Tom Jenks 6/1
1999 Feels Like Gold Independent Twine Man. Co Ltd Nicky Richards 11-10-00 Tony Dobbin 9/1
2000 Young Kenny Trevor Hemmings Peter Beaumont 9-12-00 Russ Garrity 9/4F
2001 Amberleigh House Halewood International Ltd Ginger McCain 9-10-09 Warren Marston 33/1
2002 Ardent Scout Alicia Skene & W S Skene Sue Smith 10-9-11 Dominic Elsworth 14/1
2003 Clan Royal J P McManus Jonjo O’Neill 8-10-12 Liam Cooper 11/2
2004 Silver Birch Des Nichols Paul Nicholls 7-10-01 Ruby Walsh 4/1F
2005 Garvivonnian Angela Long Ned Mitchell IRE 10-10-04 Garrett Cotter 33/1
2006 Eurotrek Paul Green Paul Nicholls 10-11-07 Liam Heard 25/1
2007 Mr Pointment Stockton Heath Racing Paul Nicholls 8-11-05 Sam Thomas 15/2

totesuper7 GRAND SEFTON CHASE
Over the Grand National Fences

Year Horse Owner Trainer Age/Weight Jockey SP
2003 Dark Room J P McManus Jonjo O’Neill 6-10-06 Liam Cooper 7/1
2004 Forest Gunner John Gilsenan Richard Ford 10-11-02 Peter Buchanan 7/1F
2005 Hakim T N Siviter John Spearing 11-10-12 Paddy Brennan 18/1
2006 I Hear Thunder Nick Elliott Bob Buckler 8-11-02 Daryl Jacob 12/1
2007 Lampion Du Bost The Dodoz Partnership Jim Goldie 8-9-11 Phil Kinsella 66/1