Non-standard race times to become permanent on busy days

Race times such as the 1.03 at Wetherby and 3.57 at Naas will become a permanent fixture on busy days after the BHA and Horse Racing Ireland revealed non-standard race times would be introduced next month.

The decision came after a four-week trial on 11 racedays in February, with non-standard race times to be used when there are four or more fixtures in Britain or Ireland in one afternoon or evening, or when the afternoon and evening meetings overlap.

Richard Wayman, chief operating officer of the BHA, said: “We appreciate the efforts of all those involved in attempting to ensure that races go off on time and there will, of course, still be occasions when unavoidable clashes and delays occur.

"However, this decision will help to minimise the frequency of unavoidable clashes and delays and ultimately allow us to schedule races in the best possible way for followers of the sport.”

Hollie Doyle odds cut for major award

Hollie Doyle has been cut to 25-1 (from 100) by William Hill to be crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year after becoming the first female jockey to ride a five-timer at a British meeting on Saturday.

Doyle achieved the feat at Windsor and added three more winners the following day at Yarmouth, taking her total for 2020 to 95.

It has been a landmark year for the jockey, who recorded her first Royal Ascot win on Scarlet Dragon and a month later won at Group level for the first time with Dame Malliot at Newmarket.

Doyle has five rides at Salisbury on Thursday, including the Colin Tizzard-trained Colden's Passion. She has ridden for the trainer only once before, winning on Padleyourowncanoe in January.

BBC Sports Personality Of The Year 2020 19-10 Tyson Fury, 3 Lewis Hamilton, 4 Ronnie O’Sullivan, 5 Marcus Rashford, 16 Jordan Henderson, 25 Hollie Doyle, 50 Frankie Dettori

Historic racehorse paintings to be auctioned

Portraits and paintings of racehorses dating back to the 18th century are to be sold at auction, including a painting of Herod which is estimated to fetch as much as £250,000.

Herod, who was the leading sire for eight years from 1777, produced outstanding horses such as Highflyer, and the painting of him by John Wootton is one of the leading lots in the Cheffins Autumn Sale on October 1.

Other lots include another Wootton painting of top sprinter Flying Childers, estimated to fetch between £80,000 and £120,000, and The Bloody Shouldered Arabian, which is predicted to go for as much as £50,000.

It is the first time some of the paintings have been available for more than 100 years. The auction is made up of 20 pieces from a private collection started in 1849 by John Dunn Gardner and added to by his son Algernon.

Replacement Irish meetings scheduled

Following the recent cancellation of the Tipperary meeting scheduled for Thursday, August 27, Horse Racing Ireland announced that a replacement Flat meeting will be held at the same venue on Tuesday, September 15.

This meeting will close for entries by 12 noon on Thursday, September 10 with declarations to run to be made by 10am on Sunday, September 13. A full programme of races will be published in due course.

In addition, following the recent announcement of the cancellation of the BoyleSports Irish Grand National for 2020, the three-day fixture at Fairyhouse in late November will revert to a two-day meeting, with racing taking place on Saturday and Sunday, November 28 and 29.

The fixture that had been scheduled for Fairyhouse on Friday, November 27 has been transferred and will now be run on Friday, November 13. This meeting will be run on the inside course.

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