Today’s racing
Having won both of his hurdle starts by a combined 57 lengths, Gary Moore’s exciting youngster Goshen will bid to make it three from three when he lines up in the juvenile hurdle at Huntingdon today.
The four-year-old, who races for Steven Packham, had been progressing rapidly on the Flat before his switch to the National Hunt sphere, and will face three rivals in the two-mile contest including previous winners Lord Lamington and Building Bridges plus hurdling debutant Greek Kodiac.
Also staging jumps meetings today are Sedgefield and Thurles (Ireland) while all-weather action comes from Lingfield, Wolverhampton and Dundalk (Ireland).
O’Brien to saddle first runners
Donnacha O’Brien takes the next step in his nascent training career when he sends out his first runners at Dundalk this evening.
The 21-year-old, who announced his retirement from riding in November, will be represented by Mythologic and Flower Garland, both of whom will carry the colours of his mother, Anne-Marie O’Brien.
Mythologic bids to get on the board at the ninth attempt in the mile maiden while Flower Garland looks to build on her second-placed effort at the end of last season in the seven-furlong apprentice handicap. Both horses will be ridden by Gavin Ryan.
Altior scratched from Kempton
Nicky Henderson’s stable star Altior has been officially ruled out of running in the Grade 2 Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton on Saturday.
On Tuesday, Henderson revealed through his Unibet blog that the ten-year-old would not be running in the 2m4½f contest, which followed a morning when Altior’s odds for the race drifted markedly. The reason for withdrawal was because of an abscess on the horse’s withers.
However, Altior remained among the entries for the Silviniaco Conti Chase, which prompted the BHA to send a vet to Seven Barrows to examine the Champion Chase hero.
A tweet from the BHA Press Office account said: “A BHA vet has examined Altior this morning. He was found to be showing no clinical abnormalities and is recovering from an abscess on his withers.
“The BHA notes that the horse has now been scratched from his engagement at Kempton Park on Saturday.”
