Today’s racing
Lingfield’s maiden fillies’ stakes (1m) that opens its all-weather meeting today will see the debut of Cheveley Park’s Ocean Pearl, trained by John Gosden.
The daughter of Oasis Dream, who is out of multiple Group/Grade 1 performer Islington, was purchased by the Newmarket operation for 275,000gns during the Ballymacoll Stud dispersal held during the Tattersalls December Foal Sale in 2017.
She is not the only debutante in this contest as Mark Johnston takes the wraps off Peace Treaty, a homebred daughter of War Command for Christine Budden and Partners, and Night Time Girl will make her first start for Ismail Mohammed.
Newcastle also stages an all-weather meeting today while Musselburgh race over jumps.
Peterborough Chase goes Top Notch’s way
Top Notch regained his Peterborough Chase crown at Huntingdon on Sunday when he held off the challenges of outsider Kauto Riko and La Bague Au Roi to follow up his victory in 2017.
Carrying the familiar two-tone green silks of owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, the Nicky Henderson-trained eight-year-old had three quarters of a length to spare over Kauto Riko, the 100-1 outsider of the six runners trained by Tom Gretton for Mr and Mrs J Dale and Partners.
Min retains the John Durkan
Despite a few nervous moments with his jumping, the Willie Mullins-trained Min fended off the challenge of Hardline to win back-to-back editions of the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown on Sunday.
Never settling into a smooth jumping rhythm, Min had to knuckle down heading to the final fence at which he produced a spectacular leap that propelled him to victory. He won by two and a quarter lengths from Hardline with Presenting Percy a further length back in third.
Final auction of 2019 at Ascot
Tattersalls Ascot brings the curtain down on its sales season today when the December Sale gets underway at 10.30am.
A catalogue of 160 lots will go under the hammer including a 13-strong draft from Godolphin featuring the dual Listed scorer Khafoo Shememi and the winning juvenile Strong Power.