Christmas Eve edition

THE next edition of The Irish Field will be in the shops on Friday, December 24th. This bumper Christmas Eve issue will include runners and riders for all Irish meetings on December 26th and 27th, plus all the British cards for the 26th. The paper will also contain extensive reviews of the year in racing and equestrian sport, plus festive quizzes, along with all your favourite regular features.

Micro-shares for sale

JESSICA Harrington is the latest trainer to offer the public an opportunity to purchase micro-shares in racehorses in training. Under the Omega Racing banner, the trainer is selling 0.4% shares in five-time winning chaser Exit Poll for €402 each. The seven-year-old gelding is being considered for a number of races over the Christmas period.

Web: jessicaharringtonracing.com

Zarak share sold for €380,000 online

ARQANA sold four stallion shares online on Thursday for a total of €587,000. A share in leading first-crop sire Zarak was bought for €380,000 by Michel Zerolo of Oceanic Bloodstock on behalf of Martin Schwartz Racing. Didier Krainc of Ecurie Vivaldi paid €160,000 for a share in Almanzor, who has had eight individual winners in his first crop so far. Bidding on behalf of Guillaume de Saint Seine, Thierry Delègue (Pegase Bloodstock) bought a breeding right to Territories for €26,000, while Hyperion SARL purchased a share in Dariyan for €21,000.

Tattersalls wins court case

TRAINER Tom George and bloodstock agent Alex Elliott have been ordered by a London court to pay £95,000 to Tattersalls over a disputed sale. In 2019, the trainer and agent bought a three-year-old colt named Lariat at Tattersalls for 90,000gns.

The horse was returned when the trainer’s veterinary surgeon found the horse to have breathing issues. Vets for Tattersalls also examined the horse and, while they found evidence of laryngeal disfunction, they said the horse did not make a respiratory noise at exercise and so did not meet the criteria for a cancelled sale.

Jumps winner for Fascinating Rock

FASCINATING Rock has sired his first winner over jumps. Recently relocated to Victor Connolly’s Burgage Stud, the dual Group 1 winner was responsible for Halite, who won a three-year-old hurdle at Cagnes-sur-Mer. The stallion’s only other runner over hurdles has been placed in Britain.

Mullins selects Asterion Forlonge for Kempton

HOPES of an Irish-trained winner of the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Sunday week have increased with the news that Willie Mullins plans to run Asterion Forlonge in the three-mile contest.

The gelding looked to hold every chance in the John Durkan Punchestown Chase when making a bad mistake and unseating his rider at the third last.

The Henry de Bromhead-trained Minella Indo is the general 3/1 joint-favourite along with previous two-time winner Clan Des Obeaux. Last year’s winner Frodon is 5/1 and Asterion Forlonge is priced at around 6/1.

Owen and Dascombe split

THE 12-year association between trainer Tom Dascombe and owner Michael Owen has ended. The pair’s biggest success came with Brown Panther in the 2014 Irish St Leger. In a statement Owen said: “After more than 12 years as trainer, Tom Dascombe will be leaving Manor House Stables in the new year. Colin Gorman and the rest of the MHS team will naturally oversee things once Tom departs and it will be very much business as usual until we appoint Tom’s replacement.”

The 48-year-old Dascombe said the news took him by surprise: “I have absolutely no plans – I have no idea what I am going to do next, but I will be training next year from somewhere and we will train winners. The fact that they don’t want me to be here any more, that’s their choice – it is not mine.”