Page 32 - March 2005 The Game

32 The Game, March 2005 Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
AL DYMON - CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31
Having proven to be an essential component of a successful organization and being able to resolve many conflicts and challenges, Al proceeded to become the Manager of Operations at Woodbine and Mohawk where he oversees the parking, mutuel, and admissions depart- ments. He meets daily with the respective department managers to make sure everything is running smoothly.
Al also offers input to the mutuel department and is also a frontline guy of the money department and a trouble shooter for the facility itself.
Al will retire on April 25 and says that he has plans to enjoy himself.
He has a planned trip to Las Vegas scheduled for July and also has plans to purchase a mobile home allowing him to enjoy summers at Pike Lake.
But old habits die hard and for that reason you will likely find him on any given day enjoying early morning training along the rail with longtime friend Danny O’Callaghan.
Top grade racing on the flat is not taking
place in Europe at this time and only the
three English all weather tracks are operat-
ing on the level. However, the prize money
on offer is very poor at these fixtures which
are obviously run just to facilitate the major betting chains.
With first prize money averaging around the equivalent of 2,500 Canadian dollars it is obvious that owners, trainers and jockeys are not making much of a living from their endeavors. This is why so many of the top European riders are currently riding in Dubai where the racing is gradually building up to the World Day meeting at the end of March.
Top Irish trainer Dermot Weld notched up the 3,000th winner of his career at Nad Al Sheba on February 17 when King Jock landed a handicap worth approximately 70,000 Canadian dollars to the winner. Weld's winners have come in ten different countries and on four Continents.
He also keeps a small number of horses on the jumping circuit and has a very good strike rate with them. While no final decision has yet been taken Weld may have a few runners in England's great jumps meeting at Cheltenham in the middle of March.
This year the Gold Cup will be run on the new fourth day of the fixture and will see the Henrietta Knight trained Best Mate attempt to land the top chase of the season yet again. He suffered a rare defeat on his last appearance in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup in Ireland but was unable to show his best form having travelled by ferry with rough seas causing him to sustain a head injury which necessitated stitching the day before the race.
In addition the ground was very soft and this good actioned horse was unable to travel at his usual high cruising speed and could not jump as quickly as he likes. He nevertheless took the runner up spot behind the local hope Beef Or Salmon which was third to Best Mate at Cheltenham last year.
Best Mate will be ridden by Irishman Jim Culloty and he is confident of reversing the placings with the Irish challenger who will have to do the travelling for the March 18 race.
While Best Mate should take the big chase for the English team there is likely to be a very different
outcome to the Smurfit Champion Hurdle for which the ante post betting lists have the first six horses in the order being Irish trained.
This unprecedented situation is down to the fact that in recent years prize money in Ireland has gone way ahead of that on offer in England and consequently the top class young horses are not being sold on to English trainers as much as in the past. Top horses in Ireland now have many opportunities to go for big prizes, not necessarily in graded company.
Outside of the graded races there are many lower class handicaps with first prize money of approximately 60,000 Canadian Dollars.
Hardy Eustace captured the race for the Irish last year and despite two cracking efforts in grade one events in the past two months the reigning Champion is currently only third favourite behind Harchibald and Back In Front, two of the strong Irish team. Then comes Macs Joy and Brave Inca, both of which have beaten Hardy Eustace twice this season, and Accordion Etoile.
Irish racing fans are divided as to the likely winner but Dessie Hughes, trainer of Hardy Eustace says "my fellow is stronger and better than he was last year, he now travels more easily through his races, is a Spring horse and will have the blinkers back on for the first time since he won the Champion
~ The Scribe ~
European Update
in 2004"
The Arkle Chase, a two mile event for novice
chasers is also dominated by the Irish with War Of Attrition, Watson Lake, Ned Kelly and Mariah
Rollins dominating the betting market.
Top English two mile chaser Azertyuiop is in
terrific form and his trainer Paul Nicholls is confident he
will take all the beating in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
However, he is preferred in the betting market by Moscow Flyer which is trained by top Irish female handler Jessica Harrington, a former International show rider.
Moscow Flyer, a former top class hurdler, has been impressive since going over the bigger jumps and indeed is unbeaten in all the races he has completed over fences. He beat Azertyuiop already this season and while just scraping home in his final prep race for the big one Harrington was not perturbed as the gelding only ever does enough to win his races and pulls himself up when he hits the front.
The World Stayers Hurdle sees Baracouda attempt to win this race once again and the French trained Irish owned galloper is a hot favourite with odds of 10/1 being offered against any of his opponents.
Soon after Cheltenham the English turf racing will commence and while Michael Stoute, Saeed Bin Suroor and Mark Johnston look set to again dominate the graded races with Ballydoyle's Aidan o'Brien sending over a constant stream of raiders to England many will hope to see an upturn in the for- tunes of Henry Cecil.
He was in charge of the top English racing stable in the mid 80's and early nineties and at one stage
had many classic winners among his team which often numbered over 200 horses in the season. However, in recent years he has not had much luck either on the track or in his personal life and last year saddled only twenty four winners.
Cecil was once the best trainer of fillies in Europe but of course also trained colts to win most of the top classics including the Epsom Derby. Many of his original owners bred their own runners but in recent years they have disappeared from racing and Cecil has suffered. Yet he is hoping for a good 2005 season with such as Khalid Abdulla among his patrons.
The Irish racing fans were shocked recently with the announcement that Jamie Spencer would no longer ride as stable jockey for Ballydoyle. He suddenly departed and while the true reason for his break has not been disclosed the jockey has publicly praised John Magnier and Michael Tabor who own most of the horses in the stable but has not com- mented on his feelings towards trainer Aidan o'Brien.
Last year was a poor one by O'Brien's usual standard but he still ended up as champion trainer in Ireland and with a number of very promising looking second season performers to go to battle with in 2005 it will come as no surprise if he bounces back on the International scene.
It is possible that Ballydoyle will not engage a stable jockey but will rely on local rider Seamus Heffernan and employ the best available for the graded races around the World. John Murtagh and Kieren Fallon when available may ride some of the best of the Ballydoyle horses in Europe while the top American riders will be considered for the Breeders Cup races.
Can-Am Equine Emporium 2005
At the 3rd annual Can-Am All Breeds Equine Emporium, March 17 thru 20, 2005, at the Western Event Centre in London Ontario, we will be presenting a 4 - day exposition and trade show, like no other produced in Canada, and now in their new home, “The Agriplex “
On the schedule is an exposition, a symposium, trade show, A Musical Tribute to the Equine, Can-Am’s own Extravaganza,& Country Music Legends Concert with all the pizzazz and glitz of Broadway .
It’s estimated the equine industry in Ontario Alone, has more than 325,000 horses and an annual economic impact of $580M.
Let me introduce you briefly to the events:
The Exposition and Trade Fair - an important event for the entire Equine Industry in Canada. More than 50,000 visitors are expected at our Show over the 4 days. There will be over 300 vendors housed in our new home The Agriplex, displaying the latest in goods and services, new and established products, from around the world.
The Symposium, will have 300 speakers from 8 countries addressing over 200 equine related topics in the course of the 4 days, including nutrition, new products, training methods, bylaws and lots more. We‚ll have on hand the best in Equine Clinicians like Chris Irwin, Cleve Wells, Tommie Turvey, Ginger Ryals, Greg Barrington, Gary Trubee, Larry Stewart and Gary Yaghdjian will on hand to give us their unique insights on training and coaching techniques. And Veterinarian practitioners addressing topics like Nutrition, Heat Stress, Vaccinate practices, Stallion Management, Dentistry, Foot Care, Bone Structure, Stem cell in soft Tissue, Breeding, Pasture Care and more.
The All Breeds Presentation Ring will have different breed demos every 15 minutes during the course of the 4 days, from 9.30 in the morning to 7.00 pm in the evening, Over 50 different breeds & disciplines and Associations will be presented.
The Extravaganza Show will present unique entertainment and fun for all the family -16 equine acts in a 2 hour show daily in the Main Show Arena. This will be musical tribute to the excellence of the Horse Industry.
Tickets in Advance $10.00
The Country Legends Concert A two hour musical presentation saluting the greats of country music like Garth Brooks, Allen Jackson, Dolly Pardon, Faith Hill, Reba McIntyre, Shania Twain With a special appearances of Ricky Nelson, Cher and the fab. Jerry Lee Lewis.
Tickets In advance $18.00
Our Show is situated in London, the centre of beautiful South Western Ontario only a short distance from the US border, in the brand new Agriplex pavilion, a part of the Western Event Centre.
Information and details are on our website www.can-amequine.com or call 519-421-1189