Ombudsman will not be heading to the Breeders’ Cup after all, though the Japan Cup could yet provide a swansong, while Storm Austen has claimed Newbury’s Friday card. Dan Skelton warmed up for Cheltenham with a four-timer at Worcester, and the Showcase meeting gets under way on Friday with Saturday’s declarations due this morning.
Here is the racing news today, rounded up for Thursday.
Ombudsman skips the Breeders’ Cup with Japan Cup in mind
Ombudsman will not travel to Keeneland for the Breeders’ Cup Turf, with John Gosden deciding the race comes too soon after his brilliant Champion Stakes success at Ascot on Saturday. The five-year-old had been in line to step up to a mile and a half for the first time, but the trainer has had a rethink. “It’s very simple, the horse ran four days ago at Ascot and he would have to work tomorrow, get on a plane for a cross-Atlantic flight, quarantine and it’s not fair to ask him to do that then ask him to run back within 14 days with a long journey in the middle,” said Gosden.
That does not mean his season is over, though. The Japan Cup in Tokyo on 29 November is now under consideration, although Gosden stressed it is “a tentative plan and no more than that”, adding: “After that we’re probably talking retirement.” It would be a fitting farewell for a horse whose Champion Stakes win also lifted him into the top five of the Cartier Horse of the Year standings.
Waterlogged Newbury abandons Friday’s card
Friday’s meeting at Newbury has been abandoned because of waterlogging. Officials brought forward an inspection to this morning, but with parts of the track unraceable after just over 42mm of rain since last Friday, and Storm Austen set to bring a further 15 to 30mm from this evening, there was no way the card could go ahead.
Saturday’s fixture, the Berkshire track’s final Flat meeting of the year, is now in serious doubt too. It features two Group 3s, the St Simon Stakes and the Horris Hill Stakes, and another inspection will take place at 8am on Friday. Connections of Constitution Hill will feel vindicated, having opted for Milan on Sunday instead of the St Simon.
Dan Skelton lands Worcester four-timer
Dan Skelton is in red-hot form heading into Cheltenham after saddling four winners at Worcester on Wednesday. Brother Harry got the ball rolling on Albie Littlewood (5/1) in the opening handicap chase, before Talk To The Man (15/8) asserted from two out to win the beginners’ chase half an hour later.
Lune Brillante (9/4) completed Harry’s treble when running on strongly to win the second division of the mares’ novices’ hurdle, and Kielan Woods made it four for the yard on Leaumec De Mee (5/2) in the sprint handicap hurdle. Anyone who combined all four would have collected at roughly 195/1.
Cheltenham’s Showcase meeting begins on Friday
The new jumps season at Cheltenham starts on Friday, and Skelton will be mob-handed on a seven-race card that starts at 1.15pm. The highlight is the Grade 2 Sharp Novices’ Hurdle at 3pm, where Planters Punch heads a ten-runner field, while JPR One takes on defending champion Calico in the £100,000 handicap chase, one of several Friday runners to note.
Declarations for Saturday’s card are due at 10am this morning. The seven-race programme runs from 1.10pm to 4.40pm and includes a Pertemps Hurdle qualifier, the four-year-old Masterson Holdings Hurdle and a novices’ chase, and there are plenty of novices to keep an eye on.
Racing today
Ffos Las — first race: 12:51 · last race: 16:53
Newmarket — first race: 13:10 · last race: 17:15
Carlisle — first race: 13:17 · last race: 17:20
Clonmel — first race: 13:35 · last race: 17:05
Southwell — first race: 16:26 · last race: 20:30
[View today’s racecards] · [Latest non-runners] · [Today’s results]