Andrew Nelis racing

  Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Minella Indo remains on course for the newly-sponsored Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup on April 28. The eight-year-old led home stablemate A Plus Tard to provide trainer Henry de Bromhead with a one-two in last month's blue riband. With A Plus Tard a possible runner at Aintree next week, Minella Indo will be a hot favourite to claim another big-race success in the 250,000 euro feature on day two of Ireland's end-of-season meeting..               Andrew Nelis racing news 

  Unibet ambassador Nicky Henderson gives his thoughts on the performances of some of his stable stars at the Cheltenham Festival and their plans for the rest of the season. The Seven Barrows handler spoke about his leading lights ahead of the 2021 Virtual Peter O’Sullevan Lambourn Open Day. Video tours and entertainment will be free-to-view throughout the Easter weekend, Friday 2nd April through to Monday 5th April, on the  Lambourn Open Day website. Racing fans across the globe will be able to see behind scenes at some of the UK’s leading training operations, with each Lambourn trainer’s page having a 360-degree stable tour, with horses of interest listed underneath. There will be a number of short videos and insight from some of the top names in Lambourn, including from Nicky Henderson and Oliver Sherwood. CHAMP We had two pretty good chances in the Gold Cup and that was very, very disappointing. To be fair it was all over after five fences with both horses. They were all r...

  Philip Hobbs has confirmed Thyme Hill is on course for this weekend's Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot. The six-year-old showed his well-being over five furlongs on the woodchip gallop at Hobbs' Minehead yard on Tuesday as he fine-tuned preparations for Saturday's Grade One. Thyme Hill staked a big claim for honours in the staying division when winning the Long Distance Hurdle on his seasonal debut at Newbury last month, with runner-up Paisley Park set to renew rivalry at Ascot.

Malone Road, one-time favourite for the 2019 Champion Bumper, made a winning return from a 642-day absence at Kilbeggan on Friday, overcoming an injury-hit period to get off the mark over hurdles at the first attempt. The talented Gordon Elliott-trained six-year-old hadn't been seen since beating Mt Leinster by eight and a half lengths in a Punchestown bumper in November 2018, but showed his wellbeing at the Midlands summer track, scoring comfortably at 1-5...                        Andrew Nelis Racing 

Owner Philip Reynolds has confirmed his star chaser Presenting Percy will be trained by Gordon Elliott this season, after being moved from Pat Kelly's yard. The nine-year-old is a dual Cheltenham Festival winner, having supplemented his victory in the 2017 Pertemps Final with a brilliant display in the 2018 RSA Chase that saw him move to the head of ante-post lists for the following year's Cheltenham Gold Cup. However, Presenting Percy raced just once prior to his bid for Gold Cup glory - winning the Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park - and finished a disappointing eighth in the blue riband, after which he was diagnosed with a back problem..

Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer Tom Taaffe has hailed  Barry Geraghty  “a top man and a top rider” following the leading jockey’s retirement from the saddle. Taaffe and Geraghty combined to land steeplechasing’s blue riband event with the great Kicking King in 2005, a horse Geraghty rode throughout his 26-race career over jumps. The same combination also landed back-to-back renewals of the King George VI Chase, as well as the Punchestown Gold Cup and the John Durkan Memorial Chase on home soil. Geraghty rode another Festival winner for Taaffe and Kicking King’s owner Conor Clarkson, with Finger Onthe Pulse landing the Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase of 2008....                        Andrew Nelis Racing 

Nicky Henderson  and Sir Tony McCoy led the tributes to  Barry Geraghty  following his retirement from the saddle. The 40-year-old has brought the curtain down on a glittering riding career that spanned more than two decades and included 43 winners at the Cheltenham Festival and a Grand National victory aboard Monty’s Pass in 2003. Following the enforced retirement of Mick Fitzgerald in 2008, Geraghty was appointed stable jockey to Henderson, and the pair formed a formidable partnership – winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Bobs Worth and the Queen Mother Champion Chase with Sprinter Sacre in 2013..

Barry Geraghty is looking forward to the next chapter in his life and career after announcing his retirement from the saddle. The 40-year-old took to Twitter late on Saturday evening to confirm his illustrious career had come to an end, having ridden a whole host of big-race winners - including the Grand National aboard Monty's Pass in 2003 and a massive haul of 43 victories at the Cheltenham Festival. Geraghty feels injuries have finally caught up with him, and the time has come for him to call it a day..                       Andrew Nelis racing 

Nicky Henderson  is considering treading the same path he did with Altior following his victory in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – by sending this year’s winner of the race, Shiskin, over fences next season. It was a move which worked perfectly with Altior, who won the Cheltenham Festival opener in 2016 and then famously extended his unbeaten sequence over jumps by 14 further races – including the Arkle Challenge Trophy and two successive Queen Mother Champion Chases. Although a final decision has yet to be made on  Shishkin ’s next move, he is already as short as 4-1 for the 2021 Arkle – and Henderson admits he is “tempted” by a switch to fences. Since falling on his debut over hurdles at Newbury in December, the talented six-year-old – who runs in the colours of Joe Donnelly, also owner of dual Gold Cup hero Al Boum Photo – has improved with each run, culminating in a head victory from Abacadabras at the Festival. Henderson said: “Joe is a great man and he leaves it...

Topofthegame could try to emulate Denman by winning the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury en route to a possible Cheltenham Gold Cup run. Denman famously shouldered top-weight to win the Newbury feature in 2007, before going on to beat fellow Paul Nicholls inmate Kauto Star in the Festival showpiece the following spring. Like Denman, Topofthegame won the RSA Chase at the 2019 Festival, but he missed the whole of the last campaign due to a leg injury.

Multiple Grade One-winning chaser Un De Sceaux left the yard of Willie Mullins for the final time on Monday. The hugely popular 12-year-old was retired in February after a ligament problem was discovered in the wake of a piece of work in preparation for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. He finished outside of the first two just once in 21 completed runs over fences – the majority of which were in Grade One company – and ended his career having won 23 of 34 races under rules and more than £1.5 million in prize-money. He ran at five Cheltenham Festivals, winning the Arkle in 2015 and the Ryanair in 2017. Mullins tweeted: “Un De Sceaux is leaving us today for his new life in France. A horse with a remarkable attitude & a will to win like no other, he will be really missed around the yard.” Saluting his charge on the day his retirement was announced, Mullins had said: “You can’t replace horses like him – it’s impossible. He was a once-in-a-lifetime ...

More Rust: Racing will be ready when time comes for resumption Suspension of racing extended but ‘daily discussions’ taking place. Thursday 16 April  2020 News Share this         bet365 Sign up to bet365 using bonus code ATR100 British Horseracing Authority chief executive Nick Rust has reiterated that racing will be ready to resume as soon as it is safe to do so. Fixtures last took place in Britain on March 17, behind closed doors at Wetherby and Taunton, before meetings were initially put on hold until May 1 at the earliest. That suspension has now been extended, to an as yet unspecified date, and crowds will not be expected on racecourses until at least June, with a phased reintroduction on the Flat taking place behind closed doors. Rust told Sky Sports Racing: “As soon as we are clear in our daily discussions with Government that we are able to return we will be ready to do so. “When we have the right co...

Nicky Henderson will do all he can to get Altior to the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase after revealing the brilliant two-miler was found to be lame on Sunday morning. Altior suffered his first career defeat over jumps at Ascot in November, but bounced back on his return to his favoured two miles in the Game Spirit at Newbury last month. All had been set fair for an eagerly-awaited showdown with Defi Du Seuil and Chacun Pour Soi at Cheltenham on Wednesday. But Henderson told the PA news agency: “Unfortunately Altior was lame this morning, due to an old splint that has been dormant. It’s never bothered him before and typically it rears its ugly head now. “We are working away and there’s lots we can do, we have two days, but it’s an uphill battle. We have the treadmill he can go on and it’s very cold water, which helps these things a lot. “We have to keep going. We’re working away and we’ll either get lucky or we won’t.” He added: “He was sound as a pound yesterday – yo...

Shishkin and Asterion Forlonge are two of 16 runners declared for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday. Since making it no further than the second flight on his hurdling debut, Nicky Henderson’s Shishkin has proved himself a top-class prospect with two facile victories at Newbury and Huntingdon – propelling him to favouritism for the traditional Festival curtain-raiser. Henderson also runs Chantry House and Allart in his bid for a fourth Supreme success. Willie Mullins has won the race more than any other trainer, saddling four of the last seven winners and six in all, with Tourist Attraction providing him with his very first Festival success when striking gold in 1995. His chief contender this time around is Asterion Forlonge, who like Shishkin carries the colours of owner Joe Donnelly. The grey is unbeaten in three starts under rules and ran away with a Grade One at Leopardstown last month. Like Henderson, Mullins fires a three-pronged assault, ...

Jamie Codd will renew his association with Le Breuil when the pair go in search of a second successive victory at the Cheltenham Festival. The leading Irish amateur teamed up with Ben Pauling's charge to claim a narrow success in the National Hunt Chase last March and will this year bid to steer him to Festival glory in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup. Codd has won the Kim Muir on a record four occasions - aboard Character Building (2009), Junior (2011), The Package (2015) and Cause of Causes (2016) - and Pauling is hopeful Le Breuil gives him a good chance of adding to his tally.

Paisley Park is the star name among 18 horses still in contention for the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on Thursday. Emma Lavelle’s stable star is widely regarded as one of the bankers of this year’s Festival as he bids for back-to-back victories in the day three feature. The eight-year-old is unbeaten in his last seven starts in all and is odds-on across the board to continue his winning sequence on his return to Prestbury Park. Willie Mullins has three remaining contenders in 2018 Stayers’ hero Penhill, Bacardys and the brilliant mare Benie Des Dieux. The latter is expected to bid for a second in in Tuesday’s Mares’ Hurdle, but retains the option of taking on Paisley Park. There are three other Irish-trained hopefuls, in Gordon Elliott’s Apple’s Jade, who is set to wear blinkers for the first time on what could be her swansong, Martin Brassil’s Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle winner of last season City Island, and Matthew Smith’s Ronald Pump. Tom George looks set t...

A Plus Tard, Frodon and Min are three of 13 horses confirmed for the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday. The Paul Nicholls-trained Frodon brought the house down when triumphant in last year's renewal under a jubilant Bryony Frost, but arguably faces a tougher test this time around, with a couple of top-class Irish raiders in opposition. Henry de Bromhead's A Plus Tard made light work of his rivals in handicap company 12 months ago and proved himself a genuine top-class performer when claiming the notable scalp of Chacun Pour Soi on his latest appearance, at Leopardstown in December.

Altior, Chacun Pour Soi and Defi Du Seuil remain on course for a fascinating clash at the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday, after the trio featured among 11 horses confirmed for the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase. The Nicky Henderson-trained Altior is bidding to become only the second three-time winner of the two-mile showpiece, after Badsworth Boy racked up a hat-trick in the 1980s. However, despite having suffered just one defeat in 21 starts over jumps, the 10-year-old is unlikely to have things all his own way on his return to the Cotswolds, with two formidable rivals taking him on. Defi Du Seuil has been the star of the division in Britain so far this term, winning each of his three starts for trainer Philip Hobbs and owner JP McManus, including the Tingle Creek at Sandown and the Clarence House at Ascot. The lightly-raced Chacun Pour Soi beat Defi Du Seuil at the Punchestown Festival – and while he suffered a surprise defeat on his return to action at Leopardstown ...

Gordon Elliott has said “there’s every possibility” Envoi Allen could contest the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival rather than lining up on day two. The six-year-old has dominated the market for the two-mile-five-furlong Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle on the second afternoon of action, but testing ground could prompt Elliott to rethink his plan and drop back to two miles instead. Envoi Allen won the Champion Bumper at the meeting last year and he arrives unbeaten in seven starts, including three over hurdles this term. Having won at Grade One level over two miles as well as two and a half, Elliott would have no qualms about switching back in distance. Speaking at a Betfair preview on Thursday evening, Elliott said: “There’s every possibility I’ll switch him back to the Supreme Novice. “I’ve been speaking to (trainer) Olly Murphy over the last few days, he doesn’t live that far from Cheltenham and he says it hasn’t stopped raining. We g...

Cards Tomorrow's Cards Top Offers Ante-Post ATR App Replays Market Movers More Cheltenham banker Russell in Festival mood again Top jockey bidding to add to 22 winners at showpiece meeting. Thursday 05 March  2020 News Share this         ladbrokes Get £20 in free bets If a poll was taken on the best riders at Cheltenham over the past couple of decades, Davy Russell would surely be somewhere near the top of the list. It is remarkable to think the former leading point-to-point rider did not even turn professional until the autumn of 2002, after the then 23-year-old was plucked from relatively obscurity by the late Ferdy Murphy to become his stable jockey in the north of England. While that spell did not last much more than a year, the pair remained on good terms, with Murphy later providing Russell with a couple of Festival successes through Joes Edge and Naiad Du Misselot. Russell’s first Cheltenham tr...