SALEEMAH STAYS THE DISTANCE IN THE ROYAL CAVALRY OF OMAN PREMIER HANDICAP

The Arabian Racing Organisation (ARO) enjoyed a warm welcome at Doncaster yesterday for the Royal Cavalry of Oman Premier Handicap, won by Saleemah, ridden by Will Pettis, in the colours of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Trained by Phil Collington, the four year old filly contested the lead with Forta Stud’s Aurora Forta, finally gaining a length advantage in the 2 mile contest. The two finished well clear of the third, Almareekh, also trained by Collington for His Highness.

Photo courtesy: Andrew Kelly Photography

Collington was slightly surprised by the result saying: “She’s by Madjani, out of a miler, so this wasn’t an obvious race for her. We were a bit disappointed with her run last time at Wolverhampton, but she obviously wants a bit of cut and this ground definitely helped her.”

Pete Hammersley who trained Aurora Forta was delighted with her performance saying: “She ran a cracking race. Munbaher probably went off a bit too quickly on that softish ground, but I’m impressed with the way she kept up with him. Obviously I hoped she would hang on at the finish, but Saleemah just got the edge. It was a gutsy performance from her and also Majid Bin Krayaan who finished fourth.”

This stamina test is just one of a range of single races supported by The Royal Cavalry run on thoroughbred cards, from the lower levels to the highest, of which the Doncaster race is the first this season.  It also includes The Royal Cavalry of Oman Clarendon Stakes, a Group 3 run over 5 furlongs at Newbury on August 19.

ARO Racing Operations Executive Gemma Cobb commented: “That was a brave performance from two fillies on soft ground. We are very grateful for the continued support from the Royal Cavalry of Oman, who have been part of Arabian racing in the UK for many years now.

She concluded: “We thank all the team and racegoers at Doncaster, for a very warm reception, and we also thank the racecourse teams at Taunton, Bath, Newbury for their support of the Royal Cavalry’s single race sponsorship in 2017.”

ARABIANS RETURN TO DONCASTER IN THE ROYAL CAVALRY OF OMAN PREMIER HANDICAP

The Arabian Racing Organisation (ARO) was pleased with the 11 runners declared for the Royal Cavalry of Oman Premier Handicap to be run over 2 miles at Doncaster this Saturday, June 3. A long term supporter of Arabian racing in the UK, The Royal Cavalry of Oman have maintained their UK sponsorship for 2017, having increased their support last year.

This stamina test is just one of a range of single races supported by The Royal Cavalry  run on thoroughbred cards, from the lower levels to the highest, of which the Doncaster race is the first this season.  It also includes The Royal Cavalry of Oman Clarendon Stakes, a Group 3 run over 5 furlongs at Newbury on August 19.

ARO Racing Operations Executive Gemma Cobb commented: “With a mix of seasoned handicappers and unexposed young horses, it promises to be an interesting contest. ARO welcomes the continued support of The Royal Cavalry of Oman who have been part of Arabian racing in the UK for more than ten years.

“Their sponsorship got off to a successful start with six of eight races at our Taunton fixture last month. In addition, since returning to the UK training ranks, they have had winner and horses placed at each meeting, and we wish them continued success throughout the year.”

Photo: KARAR – 2 June 2016, Doncaster Racecourse

She concluded: “We look forward to running at Doncaster, where we always receive a warm welcome, and we also thank the racecourse teams at Taunton, Bath, Newbury and for their support of the Royal Cavalry’s single race sponsorship in 2017.”

ARC PUTS MARSTON’S BACK IN THE SADDLE

Marston’s Beer Company and Arena Racing Company (“ARC”), the UK’s largest racecourse Group, with 15 racecourses, are delighted to announce a three year beer supply agreement.

The agreement includes beer supply to all racecourses, sponsorship of three feature races and a wide range of exciting events across the group. Key to the agreement will be supply of specifically selected brands to suit each racecourse within the ARC Group. Marston’s will also be headline sponsor of The Wainwright Flying Childers at Doncaster Racecourse, The Marston Pedigree Summer cup at Uttoxeter Racecourse, and The Hobgoblin Brighton Mile at Brighton Racecourse.

Marston’s local brand strategy was a key part of its proposal to supply to the network which stretches from Newcastle to Brighton. Beers from Jennings in the north to Ringwood in the south, along with national brands including Hobgoblin, Wainwright and Pedigree all form part of the new supply agreement.

Paul Riley of Marston’s Free Trade commented: “This is a great supply win for Marston’s. We worked closely with the ARC team finding plenty of common ground in our business goals. Marston’s local brands allow the racecourses to keep local supply close to them. We are also delighted to be welcoming back former customers with whom we had long standing relationships stretching back over 20 years.”

ARC hosts more than 500 race days a year while also being a multi-functional events company with its racecourses putting on outdoor music festivals, family events, Christmas parties and corporate events throughout the year. Every September Doncaster Racecourse hosts the world’s oldest Classic horserace, the St Leger Stakes, which attracts over 60,000 people across the four-day festival.

ARC Director of Operations, Mark Spincer, said: “This is the beginning of an exciting partnership and we are delighted to be working with Marston’s across our racecourses. We are constantly striving to improve the customer experience and we are confident our partnership with Marston’s will help provide a great choice of beverages for every visitor who comes to our racecourses. Marston’s will be leading on a number of different initiatives and offerings, with the full support of the ARC team at each racecourse, as we look ahead to an exhilarating summer of racing.”

At each racecourse the local teams are developing specific activity relevant to their customers and aims to target wider customers groups who visit the racecourses for a huge selection of different activities, from parties and events to outdoor summer festivals, as well as special race meetings such as Ladies Day.

Marston’s beer brands will benefit from high level exposure with the vast amount of TV and online coverage horseracing receives. This is an exciting return for Marston’s to the racing arena as it was a long-standing sponsor of the Marston’s Pedigree Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter from 1997- 2004.

ARC launches the Silks Series for female jockeys

On the eve of International Women’s Day, Arena Racing Company (“ARC”) is delighted to announce further details about the forthcoming Silk Series – an exciting new race series exclusively for female jockeys.

The Silk Series is a new initiative which will see female jockeys, both professional and amateur, compete in races hosted at nine Ladies’ Days across ARC racecourses in 2017.

The nine races will have total prize money of £100,000. The first eight races in the series will be Class 4 Handicaps worth £10,000 each and the final race, on Ladies’ Day of the St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse, will be a Class 3 Handicap worth £20,000. Full details of the conditions for each race will be published by British Horseracing Authority (“BHA”) in due course as part of the programme of races for the year.

The dates of the races are listed below:

Racecourse	Date	Prize Fund
Lingfield Park	Friday 12 May	£10,000
Chepstow	Friday 14 July	£10,000
Great Yarmouth	Wednesday 19 July	£10,000
Newcastle	Saturday 29 July	£10,000
Royal Windsor	Monday 31 July	£10,000
Brighton	Thursday 10 August	£10,000
Wolverhampton	Friday 18 August	£10,000
Bath	Saturday 19 August	£10,000
Doncaster	Thursday 14 September	£20,000

Leading apprentice jockey Hollie Doyle is the official ambassador of The Silk Series and will be seeking to compete in the series over the summer. Hollie said: “The Silk Series is a wonderful opportunity for female jockeys to showcase their talents to a wide audience. In the long run, I hope it can help encourage owners and trainers to use female jockeys more often on their horses. I am really looking forward to taking part in The Silk Series.”

Jockeys will be awarded points for winning and being placed in each of the nine races. The points system will be as follows:

1^st Place:  20 points

2^nd Place: 16 points

3^rd Place: 12 points

4^th Place    8 points

5^th Place:   4 points

6^th Place:   2 points

If there is a dead heat for first place the two jockeys will each receive 18 points (based on splitting the points available for first and second) and the third jockey to cross the line will receive 12 points.

The leading female jockey at the end of The Silk Series will be awarded ‘The Tufnell Trophy’ in memory of Meriel Tufnell MBE who was Great Britain’s first Female Champion Jockey in 1972, a feat she matched in 1973 along with also becoming European Female Champion Jockey. In addition to her success on the racecourse she also founded the Lady Jockeys’ Association – the first such body in the world.  The presentation of The Tufnell Trophy will take place on the afternoon of Thursday 14 September at Doncaster Racecourse.

As part of hosting The Silk Series ARC is excited to partner with Cancer Research UK to raise money for the charity’s pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. From the sale of each ticket sold for ARC’s 2017 Ladies Day series, 75 pence will be donated to the charity.  Cancer Research UK will have a presence at all nine Ladies’ Days fixtures with racegoers having the opportunity to engage with and support the charity.

ARC Group Director of Partnerships, David Leyden Dunbar said: “We were delighted with the support we received in October when we announced that The Silk Series would be part of our summer flat racing programme.  On the eve of International Women’s Day, we are pleased to be able to confirm further details about the series ahead of it commencing in May at Lingfield Park.”

Executive Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships at Cancer Research UK, Frances Milner, said: “We’re delighted to be working with ARC and The Silk Series. It’s a brilliant opportunity to raise awareness of our life-saving work and the money raised at these races will help fund vital research into beating cancer sooner.”

By way of background the timeline below shows some of the major milestones for female jockeys in the last 45 years:

• 1972 – First ever race for female jockeys at Kempton Park which was won by Meriel Tufnell
• 1972 – Meriel Tufnell becomes Great Britain’s first Female Champion Jockey
• 1973 – Meriel Tufnell becomes European Female Champion Jockey
• 1976 – Diana Thorne ­becomes the first woman to ride a winner under National Hunt rules
• 1982 – Geraldine Rees becomes the first female jockey to complete in the Grand National finishing 8^th on Cheers
• 1987 – Gee Armytage becomes the first female jockey to win at the Cheltenham Festival winning the Kim Muir Challenge Cup and Mildmay of Flete Challenge Cup in the same year
• 1987 – Gay Kelleway is first woman to win at Royal Ascot on board Sprowston Boy in the Queen Alexandra Stakes
• 1993 – Julie Krone is the first female jockey to win an American Classic at the Breeders’ Cup on board Colonial Affair in the Belmont Stakes
• 1997 – Alex Greaves became first woman to win a Group 1 when dead-heating in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York on board Ya Malak
• 2008 – Hayley Turner becomes the first woman to ride 100 winners in the UK
• 2011 – Fourteen years after Alex Greaves’ success Hayley Turner becomes only the second women to win a Group 1 on board Dream Ahead in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket
• 2011 – Carlisle Racecourse hosts the first ever race meeting solely for female jockeys
• 2012 – Katie Walsh remains the highest place female jockey in the Grand National finishing 3^rd on Seabass
• 2015 – The Girls team claims its first victory in The Shergar Cup at Ascot Racecourse and Sammy-Jo Bell wins the Silver Saddle as the leading jockey at the race meeting
• 2015 – Michelle Payne becomes the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup in Australia on board Prince of Penzance at odds of 100/1
• 2015 – Lizzie Kelly becomes the first female jockey to win a Grade 1 over jumps riding Tea For Two to victory in the Feltham Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day
• 2017 – ARC launch The Silk Series – a pioneering new £100,000 race series for female jockeys

 

Sun Bets – Fancy a Flutter?

It’s time for a fresh face on the racing scene and here at Sun Bets we have assembled a top tipping stable.

The Sun’s top man Templegate will be on hand to bang in the winners, with ITV’s new star signing Matt Chapman weighing in with his fair share of expert tips and advice.

We’ve taken a different approach to most bookies – offering punters a host of top offers with a cheeky slice of The Sun’s trademark banter thrown in for good measure!

We are best odds guaranteed on all UK and Irish horse racing – meaning if you back a winner at a price shorter than the SP, you’ll still be paid out at the bigger odds.

Not done there, here at Sun Bets we will be backing our chat and offering industry top price on any horse selected by Templegate in a live Channel 4 race.

Not signed up yet? We will be giving new customers a £10 free bet when they bet their first fiver on any market*.

So if you’re ready to join our stable and get stuck into the action, Sun Bets can’t wait to have you on board.

Raring to go? You betcha!

*Details correct at 28.09.16. Subject to availability. Please see sunbets.co.uk for the latest offers.

 

Win £1,000 Personal Shopper Experience at Robinsons of Bawtry

The Ladbrokes St Leger Festival is one of the year’s most anticipated events and it’s never too early to start planning an outfit that’ll make you feel a million dollars.

Ladies and Gents designer fashion boutique Robinsons of Bawtry have teamed up with Doncaster Racecourse to offer one lucky person the chance to win a fabulous prize at this year’s iconic 4 day Festival.  Every customer who makes a purchase at Robinsons of Bawtry  between 1^st – 31^st August 2016 will be entered into a prize draw to win two County tickets to Gentleman’s Day on Friday 9^th September 2016 including lunch in The Old Weighing Room Restaurant & Bar plus a fantastic £1,000 Personal Shopping Experience at Robinsons of Bawtry.

Robinsons of Bawtry, who are celebrating 30 years in business this year, are  official stockists of Armani, Hugo Boss, Eton Shirts, Jeffery West, Jacob Cohen, Mulberry, Moschino, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, True Religion, Versace, Wolford and many more top designer brands. And with a  range of over 50 styles of gents suits & jackets in sizes 38″ Slim to 48″ Classic in store (with bigger sizes to order) they have something to suit all tastes and sizes.

So to be in with a chance of winning this fabulous prize pop into Robinsons of Bawtry today and let them help you find the perfect look for this year’s Ladbrokes St Leger Festival.

• The competition winner will be drawn and notified on the  1^stSeptember 2016 and the voucher for the Personal Shopping experience at Robinsons of Bawtry will be presented on Gentleman’s Day.

Robinsons of Bawtry, 2 South Parade, Bawtry, Doncaster DN10 6JH Tel: 01302 711477 www.robinsonsofbawtry.com Open 7 days Mon-Sat 9.30 am – 5.30 pm, Sunday 11 am – 4 pm

 Terms and Conditions:-

The £1,000 Personal Shopping Experience prize is non-transferable and no cash alternative can be given, it cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. The prize must be redeemed within 14 days of the competition closing date. The prize must be claimed in store only at 2 South Parade, Bawtry, DN10 6JH. The prize can only be used to purchase items at full original prices and cannot be used on ‘sale’ or discounted goods. Exclusions apply. Over 18’s only. Winner must agree to have their picture taken and allow us to use this in future promotional materials.

 

Coast’s Shifting Tide

WHEN she took the helm at Coast almost 18 months ago, Kate Bostock, previously head of clothing at Marks & Spencer, had a clear plan for the brand’s evolution: more separates, less of a focus on occasion-wear, concentration on fit and quality. Now, a year and a half later, those decisions are beginning to bear fruit – leading to the brand enlisting its biggest campaign star to date:Arizona Muse.

“She’s a great step forward for us and exemplifies our new, more confident approach,” Bostock told us today. “We decided this time to take the budget that we would usually spend on a big location shoot and instead do something you might not be expecting. We wanted to put a beautiful model on a studio set and let the product talk. Arizona was our first choice; she was the one we wanted. She fits the brand very well; she’s glamorous, but in a contemporary way – she’s very relaxed.”

Focusing on creating separates for a new shopper keen to “dress up for all occasions”, rather than targeting the brand’s core wedding-guest and race-goer customer base, has opened Coast up to a new consumer. Blessed with a broad demographic – from teens buying their first formal dress ahead of a school prom to those ubiquitous mothers of the bride – the company is used to catering to a wide range of body shapes and ages, and the addition of a petite range, as well as a more expensive limited-edition offering, has helped take the brand forward – but Bostock is mindful of its limitations.

“The new collection is very feminine and relaxed, but it’s still dressed-up; we’re not interested in the casual-wear market,” Bostock explained. “There have been rumours that the occasion-wear market was in decline, but that’s not the case – recent research shows that socialising is actually on the rise – it’s just that the approach is starting to relax. We still have customers who come to Coast for what we’re famous for – looking for a head-to-toe outfit for an event – but there are also customers who are looking for something they can wear several times in different ways. It just feels cooler to look like you didn’t try that hard.”