Bellewstown sponsor

BELLEWSTOWN Racecourse has secured a three-year sponsorship commitment from Bar One Racing.

The betting company will support a feature day during Bellewstown’s July festival that will include the Bar One Bellewstown Hurdle and a special €25,000 bonus if the winner of this race goes on to win the Galway Hurdle.

Claisse steps down

SIMON Claisse, the long-serving clerk of the course at Cheltenham, is to step down at the end of the year, with the track’s October meeting to be his last in the role. Revealing plans to “seek new challenges within racing or business,” he said:

“By the time our new season begins in October, I will have worked for the Jockey Club for 32 very fulfilling and rewarding years, with over two decades at Cheltenham, where it has been an honour and a privilege to have played a part in the development and ongoing success of the racecourse and in particular the Festival.”

Arqana role for Lanigan

AMY Lanigan has been named as Arqana’s representative in the United States following on from Tony Lacy, who spent 12 years in the role before becoming vice-president of Keeneland Sales.

Born in America, she is married to Irishman David Lanigan who trained in Newmarket for over 12 years before the couple moved to Kentucky last year.