Big entry for £500,000 Bahraini race
THERE are 11 Irish-trained entries for the £500,000 Bahrain International Trophy on November 19th. A total of 78 entries from 10 countries have been received for the 10-furlong turf race at Sakhir Racecourse. Last year’s edition was won by the locally trained Simsir, just ahead of the John Gosden-trained Global Giant and Aidan O’Brien’s Sovereign.
John and Thady Gosden could run recent Newmarket Group 3 winner Mostahdaf in this year’s edition. Saeed bin Suroor’s Real World, William Haggas’ Dubai Honour, Jim Goldie’s Euchen Glen and William Knight’s Sir Busker are other familiar names with the option.
Aidan O’Brien has entered Amhran Na Bhfiann, Horoscope, Khartoum, Lough Derg, Military Style and The Mediterranean. Other Irish entries are Bopedro and Cadillac (Jessica Harrington), Insinuendo (Willie McCreery), Saltonstall (Ado McGuinness) and Thundering Nights (Joseph O’Brien).
Bahrain’s Rashid Equestrian and Horse Racing Club have appointed Weatherbys to develop and deploy a world-leading digitally integrated racing administration and stud book system.
The Weatherbys platform will transform the Bahrain Horseracing Authority into one of the world’s premier digitally integrated racing and breeding organisations.
The system is designed and built in the ‘cloud’ allowing it to be continuously updated on the Weatherbys ‘Power’ Platform. The system is configured on a secure central data model, providing seamless management operations, stakeholder engagement and distribution of data.
Alongside the new racing and stud book platform the Bahrain Horseracing Authority will also be adopting the Weatherbys ePassport – the new equine digital lifetime document for traceability, welfare, health, biosecurity and anti-doping that is now in use in Ireland and Britain.
Alex Murdoch
passes away
ALEX Murdoch, landowner for the North Down point-to-point at Comber, passed away last Saturday. He was 82.
He and his late wife Dorothy bred 2007 Galway Plate winner Sir Frederick.
In the 1960s they were associated with several high-class racehorses including Castle King, Greek Lad and Snow Marshall. The last-named won the Sweet Afton Cup at Dundalk and Joseph O’Reilly Trophy at Fairyhouse.
In the 1980s, Wolitico was a multiple point-to-point winner for the family and Highlight Lad was a high-class bumper horse partnered by Alex.
The Murdoch family have for decades grown vegetables and produced barley at the Castle Lane Farm.
Alex was always ultra-fair in his dealings and, having bought the Unicarnval estate to extend his farming interests, immediately offered any farmers with adjoining land the opportunity to buy bits of ground at cost price they wished to purchase.
Alex is survived by his sisters Eleanor and Nan, son Andrew and daughter, Julia.
O’Callaghan winner
NOEL O’Callaghan is the Connolly’s Red Mills The Irish Field Breeder of the Month winner for September. He bred No Speak Alexander, winner of the Group 1 Matron Stakes at Leopardstown.
Winners added
FIVE winning point-to-pointers and two recent racecourse winners are among 24 supplementary entries for next Thursday’s Goffs UK Doncaster Autumn Sale.
Full details are available on the goffsuk.com website and a preview of the original catalogue appears on page 39.
Appeal success
JACK Gilligan, the 7lb claiming professional jump jockey, was partially successful in his appeal against a 10-day suspension he received at Navan on September 18th.
On the day Gilligan was found to have used his whip unnecessarily when his chance was gone aboard the Jimmy Finn-trained Shamrock’n Roll in a bumper.
After hearing the instructions given to the rider, the Appeals Body reduced the suspension to six days.