First runner for McNamara

Former jockey Andrew McNamara is excited at embarking on his new career as a trainer at Navan on Sunday. He saddles Val De Ferbet in the Grade 2 Ladbrokes Ireland Boyne Hurdle. The French-bred seven-year-old won a Grade 2 novice chase for Willie Mullins last season but was pulled up in the French Champion Hurdle at Auteuil on his final start for the champion trainer.

“He’s a very exciting horse to get,” said McNamara. “Willie won two chases with him and he won in France before that. I’ve had him about two months. Training’s keeping me busy. I have 11 horses in and they are a mixed lot of point-to-pointers and young horses. I’ve got about three who are ready to go.”

Siyouni share sold to China Horse Club

Irish agent Mick Flanagan secured a second share in leading French stallion Siyouni yesterday on behalf of the China Horse Club.

The share was auctioned online by Arqana and made €330,000. Flanagan paid €360,000 just a few weeks ago for another share in an online auction.

This was the very last opportunity to secure a nomination to the stallion for the forthcoming season, as Siyouni has been fully booked for several weeks.

New meeting for Limerick

The meeting due to be staged last Wednesday at Limerick has been rescheduled for Thursday, March 10th. The card was called off on Monday due to waterlogging. Entries for the new fixture will close at noon on March 3rd, with final declarations to be made by 10am on March 9th.

The ground was described yesterday as heavy both for Gowran Park on Saturday and Navan on Sunday. In England today’s Uttoxeter meeting was lost to waterlogging and Sunday’s meeting at Exeter is subject to a precautionary inspection at 3pm today.

Sunday’s Stonehall Harriers point-to-point fixture at Askeaton in Co Limerick was cancelled last Monday due to poor weather.

EMHF Assembly

Horse Racing Ireland hosted the European and Mediterranean Horseracing Federation (EMHF) General Assembly last weekend in the Osprey Hotel, Naas. The meeting was chaired by HRI chief executive Brian Kavanagh, who welcomed delegates from 19 racing countries. Kavanagh was re-elected as chairman for a further three years, commencing in July.

The meeting opened with a presentation on the overall racing and breeding industry in Ireland along with its administrative structures and key strategic concerns. Delegates then discussed issues affecting the sport internationally and in their home countries, including new betting legislation, EU matters, seminar programme to assist developing countries and regulatory matters.

Brian Kavanagh said: “It is very encouraging to see the growth in the number of countries participating in the EMHF. The General Assembly meeting was an ideal opportunity to showcase Ireland’s leading position as a thoroughbred breeding nation in Europe and to host the delegates at Leopardstown for Irish Gold Cup day”

In addition to Leopardstown, delegates visited Kildangan Stud and the Irish National Stud in Kildare.