Tote Guarantee popular

THE Tote is encouraging customers to take advantage of its ‘Tote Guarantee’ this weekend. The initiative ensures that the Tote win dividend will always match if not better the starting price.

Since its introduction in Britain last November, win bet turnover has gone up by approximately 40%. The guarantee was added to Irish racing at the end of March.

Tote spokesperson Michael Cummins said: “The trial of Tote Guarantee is now continuing in the UK, well beyond the initial three-month period, because it is being so well received and this is being recognised by racecourses in the numbers and the positive feedback from racegoers.

“All Irish Tote customers are now benefiting from always receiving the SP or more on win bets and we expect this to have a positive uplift but it is early days and we will want to see how it performs on the major racedays. We have received very positive feedback so far.”

ThoroughBid taking entries

ONLINE auction house ThoroughBid will stage another sale on Sunday, May 1st. The sale will provide vendors the chance to offer horses in training, point-to-pointers and breeding stock to prospective buyers, all the while knowing they will receive 100% of the hammer price. Entries close next Friday, April 22nd and bidding will begin at 6pm on Sunday, May 1st.

Tattersalls Ireland May Sale

THE catalogue for the Tattersalls May Store Sale is now online. A total of 230 stores will be offered on Tuesday, May 10th in the newly renovated sale complex at Fairyhouse.

Recent May Store Sale graduates in the news include Grade 2 winners Lookaway and Shantreusse, and Grade 3 winners Party Business and Suprise Package. All horses catalogued for the May Store Sale are eligible for the €100,000 Tattersalls Ireland George Mernagh Memorial Sales Bumper 2023.

Goffs UK Spring Store Sale

THERE are 313 stores catalogued for the Goffs UK Doncaster Spring Store Sale which takes place on Monday and Tuesday, May 16th and 17th. The sale expanded to two days last year and produced record average and median prices.

Curragh Group 2 entries

DUAL Group 1 winner A Case Of You is one of 34 entries for the Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday, May 21st. Other entries for the Group 2 race over six furlongs include Romantic Proposal, Mooneista, Power Under Me, Make A Challenge, last year’s winner Gustavus Weston and Art Power. The 18 entries for the Group 2 Lanwades Stud Stakes on Sunday, May 22nd are headed by Mother Earth and Pearls Galore.

Julie Cecil passes away

JULIE Cecil, former trainer and wife of the late Sir Henry Cecil, has passed away. Aged 80, she lived in Newmarket. A daughter of famed trained Sir Noel Murless, she married Henry Cecil in 1966 and was an important part of the stable’s success until 1990 when the couple divorced. She later trained under her own name and saddled Alderbrook to win the Group 2 Prix Dollar in 1994.

Sir Mark Todd regains

training licence from BHA

SIR Mark Todd has had his training licence returned by the British Horseracing Authority after serving a two-month ban.

The New Zealander, a dual Olympic champion three-day eventer, was charged with conduct prejudicial to the reputation of racing in February after a video emerged on social media of him striking a horse with a branch in August 2020.

Fakenham joins Racing TV

ALL meetings at Fakenham from May 1st will be broadcast on Racing TV rather than Sky Sports Racing after the Norfolk jumps track joined the Racecourse Media Group.