The final Jumps fixtures of the season at both Doncaster and Catterick take place in the opening week of this month, followed on a national basis by the prestigious Cheltenham Festival – showcasing the champions of the Jumps season – while it’s back to Doncaster for the traditional start of the new British Flat season on turf. Wetherby’s campaign over Jumps also continues with a couple of meetings.
The 2014 British Flat season on turf gets off to a full weekend’s start on Doncaster’s Town Moor with a two-day meeting on Saturday and Sunday, 29th & 30th. The principal race on Saturday is The William Hill Lincoln Handicap. This highly-competitive Heritage Handicap over the straight mile is the first major race of the new campaign on the Flat, with the maximum number of 22 runners competing for a total prize fund of £100,000 as owners, trainers and jockeys attempt to begin the new campaign in the best possible way.
Yorkshire-trained horses have won the last two runnings of this race, with Levitate, trained at Malton by John Quinn taking the honours last year, returned the 20/1 winner. He could well take part in this month’s renewal.
The Lincoln Handicap has been held at Doncaster since 1965 following the demise of racing at Lincoln racecourse the previous year. The origins of the race can be traced back to 1853 at the now-defunct Lincolnshire track.
The main supporting races on a fine Saturday card at Doncaster are The William Hill Spring Mile (a valuable ‘consolation’ race for those horses entered for, but balloted out of the ‘Lincoln’) and a pair of Listed races – The Cammidge Trophy for sprinters and The Doncaster Mile. Apprentice jockeys take part in the First Round of the ‘Go Racing in Yorkshire’ Future Stars Apprentice Series; it’s the second year of this special series of races for young riders on the Yorkshire courses and which culminates in a Final at Doncaster in November. Gary Mahon was the winner of last year’s inaugural series.
The action on Sunday at Doncaster includes attractions for children and the feature race is The Doncaster Shield – a Conditions race over one mile and a half.
On the opening day of this month (Saturday, 1st) Doncaster’s Jumping season concludes with a classy programme, featuring The William Hill Grimthorpe Chase over three and a quarter miles and offering prize money of £50,000 along with a trio of £20,000 races. The ‘Grimthorpe’ could attract some Grand National contenders. After racing on Saturday, there will be a free Cheltenham Festival preview with a specially-selected panel located in the main Lazarus Stand.
Catterick’s Jumps season finishes on Wednesday, 5th, featuring the course’s only Hunter Chase while there’s action over Jumps at Wetherby on Tuesday, 18th and Friday, 28th ( ‘Wear A Hat Friday’ in aid of Brain Tumour Research).
For Jump racing fans, this month’s Cheltenham Festival represents the apex of the sport – four days of tremendous action beginning on Tuesday, 11th. Some of the best-known and prestigious prizes in Jumping will be fought over at the famous Gloucestershire venue – a natural amphitheatre for racing over Jumps. Yorkshire-based trainers such as Sue Smith, Brian Ellison Malcolm Jefferson and John Quinn could have contenders at the Festival.
The Stan James Champion Hurdle is featured on the first day of the Festival. The 2011 and 2013 hero, Hurricane is in the mix to retain his crown against a clutch of young pretenders such as The New One and My Tent Or Yours. Former Doncaster winner, Sprinter Sacre is fancied to land Wednesday’s BetVictor Queen Mother Champion Chase for a second successive year – provided he has overcome an irregular heartbeat which occurred in a race over Christmas. On Thursday, the brilliant Big Buck’s attempts to win The Ladbrokes World Hurdle (a contest for the best staying hurdlers) for a remarkable fifth time. He missed last year’s race because of injury and it remains to be seen whether or not he has retained his brilliance at this level.
On the final day of the Festival – Friday – the ‘Blue Riband’ of Jump racing, The Cheltenham Gold Cup is very much the centre of attention. The current champion, Bobs Worth heads the ante-post betting market, followed by Silviniaco Conti, a former winner of Wetherby’s most prestigious race of the season, The bet365 Charlie Hall Chase.
As far as international racing is concerned, the world’s richest race, The Dubai World Cup takes place on Saturday, 29th at the magnificent futuristic Meydan racecourse.
- York has announced record prize money of £6 million during the 17-day season on the Knavesmire which begins with the three-day Dante Festival on Wednesday, 14th May.