Longtime Lambourn stable lad Jack Nelson dies at age of 88

Jack Nelson, a longtime stable lad in Lambourn, has died at the age of 88 following a short illness.

Nelson, a regular racegoer at Newbury moved to the village in the 1950s and worked, among others, for Peter Nelson, Nick Gaselee and Charlie Brooks, looking after the latter's 1995 Hennessy winner Couldnt Be Better.

"I came here in 1960 from Ireland and he picked me up from Newbury station," said his friend Jumbo Heaney. "I served my time with Bryan Marshall, who rode Early Mist and Royal Tan to victory in the Grand National, and Jack was there then as well.

"He was very old school and I watched him for six months, as a young kid coming into the yard would have back then. I was his apprentice and he taught me everything.

"He was a real good racing man and when I posted the news on Facebook there were plenty of likes and comments. He was very popular and looked after a lot of good horses."

Bangor Sunday meeting lost to waterlogging

Bangor's meeting on Sunday has been cancelled due to waterlogging at the track. Rising river levels have caused flooding after heavy rainfall in recent days.

The meeting's cancellation means there are two fixtures in Britain on Sunday at Fakenham and on the all-weather at Southwell, while Thurles hosts the action in Ireland.

Magic Of Light could take in Gold Cup en route to Aintree

Jessica Harrington has raised the possibility of Wednesday's runaway Newbury winner Magic Of Light tackling the Magners Gold Cup at Cheltenham en route back to Aintree.

The 2019 Grand National runner-up has won the Newbury Listed race she won at short odds on Wednesday three times, and next month she will attempt to complete the same feat in the Grade 2 hurdle at Ascot she won in 2018 and 2019.

Cheltenham's new mares' chase could then be on the agenda, although the 2m4f trip might prompt a more audacious prep for Aintree.

"We'll go to Ascot with her for the 3m hurdle she has won the last two years and then to Cheltenham, whether it be for the mares' chase or possibly even a run around in the Gold Cup before Aintree, which is the number one objective," Harrington said.

"She too high in the ratings for handicaps and the mares' chase might just be a little bit short for her, so I will give her an entry in the Gold Cup and we'll see."

Maurice Barnes fined for cobalt positive

Maurice Barnes has been fined £3,500 by the independent disciplinary panel after pleading guilty to a charge relating to a positive cobalt test above the threshold level following Lady Samback's victory at Perth on May 15 2019.

Lady Samback was also disqualified by the panel at a hearing in Barnes's absence on Wednesday.

Barnes was not charged with a more serious breach of the rules on banned substances associated with administering the mineral, which was contained in a supplement for copper deficiency for which, unbeknown to the trainer, the recipe had changed.

Cobalt is a naturally occurring mineral within horses but has been used illegally in an effort to increase blood-oxygen efficiency in racehorses, notably in Australia.

New sponsor for Grade 1 Challow Hurdle at Newbury

The Grade 1 Challow Hurdle, Newbury's sole top-level jumps race, has a new sponsor for the next two years in online betting operator MansionBet.

First staged in 1971, the Challow has a rich history having been landed by the mighty Denman, while Bindaree, Wichita Lineman and Champ are other notable winners.

David Murphy, chief marketing officer at Mansion, which will also back two other racedays at the Berkshire venue next year, said: "We are delighted to continue our support of British racing in 2021, which includes Newbury. We are particularly excited to be taking over the sponsorship of the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle in 2020 and 2021.

"We've taken huge strides forward with our racing product over the last year and continue to make significant improvements to deliver the best offering to our customers."

This year's Challow takes place at Newbury a week on Tuesday.

Awards for Jockey Club and Sky Sports Racing

The Jockey Club and Sky Sports Racing were among the winners at the Sports Business Awards held on Wednesday.

Jockey Club Services took first prize in the Best Business Serving Sport category, seeing off opposition including Formula 1.

Sky Sports Racing won the gold award for Best in Sports Media, a category which also included Liverpool FC's LFC Media.

The Jockey Club's Cheltenham racecourse also landed the silver award for the Best Operations Team, with Ascot filling the same spot in the Best Sports Club/Sports Event Hospitality category.

Death of owner Chris Mallinson aged 73

Chris Mallinson, owner and long-time trustee of the National Horseracing College, has died from cancer at the age of 73 at his home at Blyth, near Bawtry.

Mallinson, who founded Doncaster Cables, the largest British-owned general wiring manufacturer in the UK, in 1984, and his wife Andrea originally had horses trained by Jeremy Glover, and on his retirement with David Nicholls.

The best was Daawe, bought out of Maktoum Al Maktoum’s ownership for 5,200gns in 1995 and subsequently a winner 15 times.

Daawe retired as an entire after a career total of 101 races, and Mallinson arranged for him to stand as a stallion at the-then Northern Racing College to give students experience of the breeding side of racing.

His most successful produce from a small number of mares was Daaweitza, who raced in Andrea Mallinson’s colours for Brian Ellison and won 12 of his 94 races, amassing almost £100,000 in prize-money.

As well as his wife, Mallinson leaves two sons, of whom Neil is managing director of Doncaster Cables.

BHA announces stop-race procedure changes

The BHA has announced that a new set of procedures for when jockeys must stop riding in races will be introduced in the new year.

The new procedures, which include a change in the design of the stop-race flag to yellow and orange quarters as well as flags to be waved at multiple locations or multiple flags at one specific place in case jockeys must stop riding, will take effect on January 4 to ensure better safety and clarity for riders and racecourse staff in those instances.

The colour of the stop race flag will be changed as part of new procedures to alert jockeys to stop ridingCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Cathy O'Meara, head of raceday officials at the BHA, said: "It is of paramount importance for the safety of all those involved, whether riding in the race or officiating the stop race procedures, that there is absolute clarity about what to do when the stop-race flag is deployed.

"We’ve also added in more clarity for those watching on course or via broadcasters, which we believe will work for everyone and ensure that all the relevant parties are clear about what to do if a race has to be stopped."

The yellow stop-race flag was a matter of debate following the void London National at Sandown last December, an incident which saw seven jockeys initially banned before their suspensions were overturned, with the disciplinary panel satisfied they had not seen it being waved in the closing stages of the race. The BHA announced it would review the void-race procedure in the aftermath.

Paul Struthers, chief executive of the Professional Jockeys Association, said: "By their very nature, stop-race procedures are implemented at short notice, so clarity and consistency is essential in minimising any risk to riders, horses, and racecourse staff.

“We believe the use of multiple flags, deployed at the earliest possible stage, will serve this purpose and hopefully prevent some of the incidents we have seen previously.”

Celtic Media Print and Racing Post extend print contract

Celtic Media Print Limited and Spotlight Sports Group, publishers of the Racing Post, have extended their print contract for the Irish edition of the newspaper.

The Racing Post and its Betting Shop Display edition for bookmakers have been printed on a seven-nights-a-week basis at the Navan plant since early 2016. The contract also includes the printing of the Racing Post Weekender and the weekly Racing and Football Outlook and means the titles will be printed in Navan up until December 2025.

Frank Mulrennan, chief executive of Celtic Media Print, said: “We are delighted that the quality of service provided by our print team in Navan over the past five years has resulted in the renewal of this important contract for a further significant number of years.”

“The Racing Post is a bible for the racing industry, and we are proud to be printing its Irish edition and related publications in the heart of the Irish bloodstock industry in County Meath.”

BGC chief welcomes reopening of Scottish betting shops

The reopening of betting shops in Scotland as part of an easing of coronavirus restrictions in the country has been welcomed by the Betting & Gaming Council (BGC).

Non-essential retail, including 400 betting shops, were closed in 11 local authority areas in Scotland but were reopened on Friday after the regions were downgraded to level 3 from level 4.

Michael Dugher, BGC chief executive

Michael Dugher, BGC chief executive, said: "Betting shops' contribution to horseracing cannot be overstated. Scotland's five racecourses have taken a huge hit due to the pandemic and we are delighted that revenue from shops can now flow through to the racing industry."

While welcoming the reopening of betting shops, Dugher urged casinos to be allowed to follow suit under level 3 measures.

Horse Racing Ireland Awards to be broadcast free-to-air on Racing TV

HRI has announced that the 2020 Horse Racing Ireland Awards will be broadcast free-to-air on Racing TV at 10am on Tuesday, December 15.

The 50-minute programme, presented by Gary O'Brien, will also be available to view on HRI.ie and on all HRI social media channels.

Members of the Irish racing media have determined the winners in seven categories and a public vote has chosen the winner of the Ride of the Year Award. HRI will also present a Contribution to the Industry Award and an Irish Racing Hero Award.

Racing Welfare reaches £500,000 target for COVID19 Emergency Appeal

Racing Welfare are celebrating after their Covid-19 Emergency Appeal reached its target of £500,000 in donations three weeks ahead of schedule.

As with other charitable organisations, Racing Welfare's appeal was launched when the pandemic hit to make up for the huge income deficit that they missed out on due to the cancellation of regular fundraising events and the plan was to reach £500,000 by the end of 2020.

The announcement comes in the same week the charity has sent out nearly 600 Christmas boxes to retired racing staff who in normal times would be joining together for Christmas lunches staged at racecourses across the country.

Racing Welfare chief executive, Dawn Goodfellow said: “I can honestly say that we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the racing community. The news that we have hit our target is a great boost as we head towards the end of 2020 and is a wonderful reflection of the unwavering support we have received this year. I cannot say thank you enough to everyone who has donated during what has been a tough time for so many. "

She added: "I very much hope everyone in the industry is able to enjoy the festive period and remind anyone who needs support that Racing Welfare remains available 24/7 throughout this time.”

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