Durcan retires

TED Durcan has announced his retirement after a highly-successful 25 years in the saddle which saw him win more than 1,000 races. The Mayo man, who turns 45 this month, was champion jockey in Dubai on many occasions and won two British classics.

His two classic triumphs came on Light Shift for Sir Henry Cecil in the Oaks at Epsom in 2007 and the St Leger at Doncaster on Mastery for Godolphin and Saeed bin Suroor in 2009. He also won the 2003 Haydock Sprint Cup on Somnus.He served his apprenticeship with Jim Bolger and moved to Britain in 1997 to work for Jack Berry initially. Based in Newmarket in recent years, he plans to remain as part of Sir Michael Stoute’s team.

“I’m in my third year there and you’re surrounded by some lovely horses and excellent staff as well,” he said.

“I help them out in any way I am able to and I’m also hoping to explore some other avenues in the industry as well. I find the breeding and bloodstock world fascinating and really interesting. That’s an avenue I’d like to explore more.”

Kempton closure deemed ‘unlikely’

THE Jockey Club’s plan to sell Kempton Park for housing has been stalled by the local council which wants the racecourse to be maintained as part of the green belt. A council report described Kempton Park as “strongly performing” and unlikely to be considered for housing, despite the chronic accommodation shortage in London.

The Jockey Club had hoped to build 3,000 houses on the site and invest the money in other tracks, such as Sandown and a new all-weather track at Newmarket.

Sligo stallion

WEST of Ireland breeders have a new well-bred stallion in the area. Eddie Meehan’s Longwood Stud in Ballymote, Co Sligo, will stand Mootaharer, a Dubawi half-brother to four-time Group 1 winner Muhaarar. His fee is €3,000. Bred by Shadwell, Mootaharer is a half-brother to three other blacktype performers. Like Muhaarar, Mootaharer was trained by Charlie Hills and was an impressive winner of a Newmarket maiden as a two-year-old.

He did not race at three due to a recurring sinus problem and did not show his former sparkle as a four-year-old last season.

Cheltenham

clues at Naas

RACEGOERS at Naas on Sunday will be treated to a preview of the day’s racing in the Circle Bar at 12.45pm. Discussing the day’s races will be Thom Malone, Kevin O’Ryan, Tom Nugent from Paddy Power, Danny Mullins and Joseph O’Brien.

The panel will also discuss the upcoming Cheltenham Festival and some leading trainers and jockeys will also be interviewed during the day in the parade ring on their Cheltenham chances.

Breeder win

PAUL Rothwell is the winner of the Connolly’s Red Mills The Irish Field Breeder of the Month competition for January. He bred Grade 1 winner Summerville Boy at his family’s Lacken Stud in Bunclody, Co Wexford, which he also manages.

David Barons passes away

FORMER trainer David Barons, who saddled the 1991 Grand National winner Seagram, has died at the age of 81. He also enjoyed back-to-back wins in the Hennessy Gold Cup with Broadheath in 1986 and Playschool in 1987. Both were ridden by Paul Nicholls, who was a stable jockey and assistant to Barons in the 1980s and subsequently became a champion trainer.

ITM sponsors UK mares’ races

IRISH Thoroughbred Marketing (ITM) is extending its ongoing promotion of the National Hunt filly by sponsoring mares-only bumpers at Plumpton next Monday and at Taunton and Sedgefield in April. ITM will host hospitality at each racecourse for all owners and trainers. The sponsorship for each race will include a €2,000 voucher awarded to the winning owner, redeemable on a filly at an Irish store sale, as well as flights and accommodation for the winning trainer to the sale.

Mares’ raceday at Cheltenham

CHELTENHAM will host a raceday devoted exclusively to races for fillies and mares on Thursday, April 19th. The seven-race programme will carry £190,000 in prize money. The richest races are a £40,000 listed novices’ handicap chase, a £40,000 juvenile handicap hurdle, a £25,000 novices’ hurdle and a £25,000 handicap hurdle. The two-day April meeting gets underway on Wednesday, April 18th when the highlight is the £60,000 Grade 2 Silver Trophy Chase. Overall prize money at the fixture is £372,500.

Diesel price could rise

THE racing and bloodstock industry is bracing itself against a proposed rise in the cost of diesel.

This week the Economic and Social Research Institute said that an increase in the excise duty rate on diesel was justified and would raise over €500 million per year. Currently motorists pay 48 cent per litre of diesel in excise duty compared to 59 cent for petrol.