Former Champion Hurdle hero State Man has been retired, while Ryan Moore has sided with Benvenuto Cellini over Diamond Necklace for Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Turf. Aintree has come to the rescue of the West Country Weekend, and Heart Wood steps back up in trip in the Champion Chase at Down Royal.
Here is the racing news today, rounded up for Wednesday.
State Man retired after 12 Grade 1 wins
Willie Mullins has called time on the career of State Man, who has not been able to return to training after tearing a tendon on the gallops at Closutton last November. The nine-year-old retires with 14 wins from 20 starts, 12 of them at Grade 1 level, and more than £1.5 million in prize-money for owners Joe and Marie Donnelly.
The highlight came in the 2024 Champion Hurdle, when he beat Irish Point by two lengths in the absence of Constitution Hill, two years after landing the County Hurdle on his first trip to Prestbury Park. Ireland was where he did most of his damage, though, with three Irish Champion Hurdles at Leopardstown and a hat-trick in the Punchestown Champion Hurdle. His bid to retain his Cheltenham crown in 2025 ended with a fall at the final flight, as 25/1 shot Golden Ace went on to win, but the son of Doctor Dino bowed out a winner with his third Punchestown success.
“State Man was a wonderful horse to train,” said Mullins. “He won 14 races, 12 of them Grade 1s and was a fantastic servant to Closutton. Unfortunately we haven’t been able to bring him back into training following the injury he sustained.”
Moore sides with Benvenuto Cellini in the Breeders’ Cup Turf
Ryan Moore has overlooked Diamond Necklace for the second race running, choosing to partner Irish Derby winner Benvenuto Cellini in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland. That leaves Christophe Soumillon to keep the ride on the dual French Classic winner, who finished third in the Arc on her final start.
The draw did Diamond Necklace few favours. She was eased from 6/4 to 2/1 after landing stall 12 of 14, while Benvenuto Cellini was cut from 7/1 to 5/1 after drawing stall two. The Frankel colt was third in the King George at Ascot in July, but there would be a neat symmetry to victory for him at Keeneland, as his dam Newspaperofrecord won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in 2018.
West Country Weekend heads north to Aintree
The dry summer has claimed one of the early-season highlights, with Exeter and Wincanton unable to provide safe ground for their West Country Weekend fixtures on 6 and 7 November. Instead, Aintree will stage a two-day meeting featuring the BetMGM Haldon Gold Cup and the Badger Beers Chase at their original prize-money levels, alongside the William Hill Molyneux Hurdle, which had already been switched from Wincanton. Prize-money across the two days totals £480,000, and Sandown’s card on 8 November will become an all-hurdle affair.
Andrew Morris, the Jockey Club’s director of racing and industry relations, said it was “obviously disappointing for the teams at Exeter and Wincanton to lose these two fixtures”, adding: “Our priority will always be to provide safe ground for our participants.” It is a quick change of fortune for Aintree too, having lost Sunday’s Old Roan Chase card to high winds.
Heart Wood steps up in Envoi Allen’s race
Ryanair Chase winner Heart Wood will return in Saturday’s BetVictor Remembering Envoi Allen Champion Chase at Down Royal, where Henry de Bromhead will use the Grade 1 to test his stable star over three miles. “We want to step him back up to three miles and see how we get on,” said de Bromhead, who would “love to see him become a three-miler this season”, with a Gold Cup tilt potentially to follow.
The eight-year-old won the Ryanair comfortably at 9/2 in March before finishing third as the 6/5 favourite in the Melling Chase at Aintree, and the race carries extra meaning for the Knockeen handler, having been renamed in honour of his three-time winner Envoi Allen. Seven remain in contention, including Gordon Elliott’s Romeo Coolio, last year’s Savills Chase winner Affordale Fury, former King George winner Banbridge and Danoli Chase winner Fleur In The Park.
Racing today
Nottingham — first race: 12:46 · last race: 15:46
Huntingdon — first race: 13:06 · last race: 16:06
Newton Abbot — first race: 13:21 · last race: 16:21
Dundalk — first race: 14:00 · last race: 17:30
Kempton — first race: 16:15 · last race: 20:15
[View today’s racecards] · [Latest non-runners] · [Today’s results]