SANDRACER.COM ~ ALL WEATHER RACING BLOG

The latest stage of Patrick Mullins' quest to conquer British racing comes in Kelso on Saturday but already he is plotting ahead to a summer with sticky toffee pudding....

Fourteen were originally declared for tomorrow's renewal of the Grimthorpe but King Turgeon is now a non-runner, leaving thirteen to face the starter at 3.15; the going on the chase course is currently described as good, good to soft in places.

King Turgeon was one of three runners I thought might...

Hugo Palmer’s Roaring Legend could now have lucrative options overseas after sauntering to victory in the BetUK AWC Marathon Trial Handicap at Lingfield. The five-year-old joined Palmer after a National Hunt campaign with Olly Murphy and hit his stride instantly with a six-length triumph on his stable debut at Wolverhampton...

Fergal O’Brien’s Horaces Pearl could be in line for a step up in grade having maintained his unbeaten record in sublime fashion at Newbury on Friday. The seven-year-old won all three outings in bumpers last term, finishing his season with Grade Two success at Aintree’s Grand National meeting in the...

Gavin Cromwell has nominated Sixandahalf and Stumptown as his best chances of getting on the scoresheet at the Cheltenham Festival. Sixandahalf has only had one run over hurdles but looked a natural and with a 94 rating on the Flat, comes right into the reckoning for the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’...

Irish raider Vischio could put herself in line for a Cheltenham Festival windfall with victory in the bet365 Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso on Saturday. The eight-year-old has already proved a shrewd purchase by Jack Cantillon on behalf of successful ownership group Syndicates.Racing, having recouped her purchase fee of €52,000 in...

The Aintree-bound pair of Grey Dawning and Iroko do battle in an intriguing renewal of the bet365 Premier Chase at Kelso on Saturday. A Cheltenham Festival winner in the now defunct Turners Novices’ Chase last season, Grey Dawning headed into the current campaign with Gold Cup aspirations, but that particular...

Sam Thomas was a whisker away from claiming two of the biggest races last weekend and he is seeking more Saturday riches with Vincenzo in the £100,000 BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup at Newbury. On the mark with easy winner Katate Dori in the valuable Ladbrokes Trophy at Kempton, he was...

Jockey Jack Kennedy will make his return to horse racing at Leopardstown after recovering from a broken leg....

Dedicated Hero is out to give Sandy Thomson the one major race he is missing from Kelso’s biggest day when he runs in the bet365 Premier Novices’ Hurdle. Back in 2023, Thomson and Grand National winner Ryan Mania won both the Premier Chase and Morebattle Hurdle on the corresponding card,...

We’ve had better LIVE Saturday ITV race days, but with the Cheltenham Festival on the horizon then it’s no surprise the quality is slightly down – Newbury, Kelso and Doncaster provide the LIVE ITV action this week, and, as always, here at GEEGEEZ we've got all the races covered from...

Ben Pauling’s Twig will book his spot in the Randox Grand National by running in the Virgin Bet Grimthorpe Handicap Chase at Doncaster on Saturday. Second to Chianti Classico in the Ultima at Cheltenham last season, he also ran with credit at Aintree afterwards. With a handicap mark of 146,...

Charlie Appleby’s Derby-entered Ruling Court is set to return to action on Saturday in the Jumeirah 2000 Guineas at Meydan. The Godolphin-owned son of Justify was a €2.3million breeze-up purchase who made a winning debut in a Sandown maiden in July before coming home third in a hot renewal of...

Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Friday's meetings at Lingfield, Newbury, Ffos Las and Southwell....

Cheltenham will honour Michael O'Sullivan by renaming the opening race of next month's Festival in honour of the late jockey.  The Irishman, 24, died on February 16, 10 days after a fall at Thurles....

The opening Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival will be renamed in tribute to jockey Michael O'Sullivan, who died after a fall....

Welsh jockey James Bowen has lodged an appeal against the seven-day suspension handed to him by the whip review committee which rules him out of the Cheltenham Festival....

Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Thursday's meetings at Newcastle, Ludlow, Tauton and Chelmsford City....

Australian and New Zealand horse racing has been rocked by the death of Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Mike Moroney. The 66-year-old was dealing with health concerns the past year....

Michael Owen gave a very Michael Owen response as he admitted that jumps racing makes him ‘miserable’ when he was asked whether he would attend the Cheltenham Festival...

RACING CONFIDENTIAL: Ben Pauling speaks to Harry Redknapp each day but he still can't forget the morning he scrolled through his phone, looking for his name, with a sense of dread....

Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Wednesday's meetings at Wincanton, Bangor-On-Dee, Wetherby and Kempton....

DOMINIC KING: It was almost 12 months to the day that Henderson's hopes and dreams for Constitution Hill caved in, after an awful gallop at the same course....

All the weights and entries for the Grand National at Aintree on 5 April....

Irish trainer John 'Shark' Hanlon can make his comeback to racing from Saturday after having his licence suspended for transporting a dead horse in public view in an open trailer....

Trainer Nicky Henderson praises Constitution Hill's 'frightening' form in an impressive pre-Cheltenham Festival gallop at Kempton....

Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Tuesday's meetings at Leicester, Catterick and Wolverhampton....

Katate Dori wins the Ladbrokes Trophy at Kempton while Forever Young beats Romantic Warrior in an epic Saudi Cup duel....

Eighteen have been declared for tomorrow's Eider Chase (2.10 Newcastle) with the going currently described as good to soft, soft in places. 

Collectors Item carries top weight; I've still to forgive myself for missing him in the Somerset National at Wincanton last time - he won at odds of 14/1 -...

In a world where making changes to race-names is hardly revolutionary, the title of Haydock’s Grand National Trial last weekend has remained resolutely the same for some time now.

Even though it absolutely isn’t one: the redoubtable Vieux Lion Rouge is one of the few recent winners (2017) to have even gone on to line-up at Aintree, and, in the past, although legends like Red Rum and Party Politics were successful, it wasn’t in the same season as their victorious Liverpool exploits.

Irish jockey Michael O'Sullivan has died aged 24 after a fall at Thurles earlier this month....

Jockey Sean Bowen rode his 1,000th winner despite being allergic to horses....

Everybody agrees - this race isn't a trial for the Grand National in April, so it's time to call it something else.

Ten have been declared to run over the extended three and a half mile trip; the going at the Lancashire track is currently described as good to soft but...

Time is clearly running out to take in a final race before Cheltenham, but the £175,000 Ascot Chase (3-37) offers a late Grade One chance. Though that’s not the case for last year’s winner, and course specialist, Pic D’Orhy which usually has a trip to Aintree for the Melling Chase...

Last year's winner I Am Maximus is allocated top weight for the Grand National, which takes place at Aintree on 5 April....

What's this? William Hill sponsoring the Betfair Hurdle?

It used to be the Tote before that, didn't it? And, before that, Schhh... You Know Who.

Anyway, the final field of eighteen for tomorrow's William Hill Hurdle (3.35) has some notable absentees including Tellherthename, Hansard and Bo Zenith.

It occurred to me that there might have been mischief afoot when Schweppes was announced this week of all weeks as ‘Official Mixer of Ascot and Royal Ascot’ (no, nor did I), thereby prompting a timely reminder of how the tonic water brand was once, as original sponsor, synonymous with...

Twelve have been declared for tomorrow's Scottish Champion Chase run at Musselburgh over a trip of two miles four and a half furlongs. 

In a week when several meetings have been abandoned on account of waterlogging, officials at the Scottish track have indicated they have watered to maintain the current going,...