FEBRUARY 2018 The Irish Trainer THE NEWSLETTER FOR MEMBERS OF THE IRISH RACEHORSE TRAINERS ASSOCIATION Road To Respect heads Gigginstown House 1-2-3 in Christmas Chase “The horses are more developed, more relaxed & more successful using the ReinRite Equestrian Training Aid” used by Joseph O'Brien t: +353 86 4543466 e: [email protected] www.reinrite.com FRIDAY 30 MARCH 2018 WITH £1 MILLION PRIZE MONEY UP FOR GRABS! To qualify, your horse must run three times on an all-weather surface in Great Britain, Ireland or France or win one of the remaining Fast Track Qualifiers. Entries close at the five day stage on Saturday 24 March. For more information on the All-Weather Championships, along with travel and accommodation options for Good Friday, please contact Lingfield Park’s Clerk of the Course, George Hill on [email protected] or +44 (0)7581 119 984. REMAINING FAST TRACK QUALIFIERS 3-YEAR-OLD 21 FEBRUARY NEWCASTLE 5F CONDITIONS 3 FEBRUARY LINGFIELD 6F LISTED (CLEVES) SPRINT 6 MARCH CHANTILLY 6F (PRIX ANABAA) 17 FEBRUARY CAGNES-SUR-MER 8F LISTED (PRIX SAONOIS) MILE 10 MARCH WOLVERHAMPTON 7F LISTED (LADY WULFRUNA) 21 FEBRUARY KEMPTON 16F CONDITIONS MARATHON 10 MARCH CHELMSFORD 16F CONDITIONS 9 FEBRUARY CHELMSFORD 8F CONDITIONS FILLIES’ & MARES’ 2 MARCH DUNDALK 7F CONDITIONS 3 FEBRUARY LINGFIELD 10F LISTED (WINTER DERBY TRIAL) MIDDLE DISTANCE 2 MARCH DUNDALK 10F GROUP 3 (WINTER DERBY) PROUDLY SPONSORED BY OFFICIAL PARTNER THE IRISH TRAINER / FEBRUARY 2018 FRIDAY 30 MARCH 2018 Foreword With the New Year upon us now the Flat programme for 2018 will be printed soon. If any trainers have any issues or categories in the programme that they feel are not being catered for, we will welcome any suggestions for discussion. Also, with our first publication of the new-style diary, we hope all trainers have received their copy and are happy. If any trainers have any feedback about the layout of the diary or comments and suggestions, your views will be much appreciated and taken on board. Take note of the upcoming courses detailed in this issue, which are sure to be of interest and value. CARE, in association with Heartsafety Solutions, the ISSA and the IRTA are continuing the series of Health & Safety and Manual Handling courses which are available at a subsidised rate to stud and stable staff, and the courses will take place at various WITH £1 MILLION PRIZE MONEY racecourses around the country. A reminder that trainers without runners wishing to travel to the Cheltenham Festival UP FOR GRABS! need to apply to our office in advance of the meeting. Trainers will have to produce their licence at the desk in person in order to collect their tickets on the day. To qualify, your horse must run three times on an all-weather surface in Great Britain, Ireland or France or win one of the remaining Fast Track Qualifiers. Entries close at the five day stage on Saturday 24 March. Kind regards, For more information on the All-Weather Championships, along with travel and accommodation options for Good Friday, please contact Lingfield Park’s Clerk of the Course, George Hill on [email protected] or +44 (0)7581 119 984. Michael Grassick / Irish Racehorse Trainers Association REMAINING FAST TRACK QUALIFIERS CONTENTS 3-YEAR-OLD 21 FEBRUARY NEWCASTLE 5F CONDITIONS Obituaries ......................................................................................4 Winners Abroad ..........................................................................5 3 FEBRUARY LINGFIELD 6F LISTED (CLEVES) SPRINT Interview: Mark Bird, Handicapper ................................6 6 MARCH CHANTILLY 6F (PRIX ANABAA) Rule changes regarding non-runners .........................10 17 FEBRUARY CAGNES-SUR-MER 8F LISTED (PRIX SAONOIS) MILE Wind op rules for runners in Britain ............................12 10 MARCH WOLVERHAMPTON 7F LISTED (LADY WULFRUNA) COVER PHOTO: Owner: Gigginstown House Stud Occupational health training ............................................13 Trainer: Noel Meade Breeder: Miss Ivy Rothwell 21 FEBRUARY KEMPTON 16F CONDITIONS MARATHON Cheltenham info and French EHV rules .....................14 Jockey: S W Flanagan Photographer: Caroline Norris 10 MARCH CHELMSFORD 16F CONDITIONS 9 FEBRUARY CHELMSFORD 8F CONDITIONS FILLIES’ & MARES’ 2 MARCH DUNDALK 7F CONDITIONS Irish Racehorse Trainers Association – Curragh House, Dublin Road, Kildare Chief Executive: Michael Grassick Council Members: 3 FEBRUARY LINGFIELD 10F LISTED (WINTER DERBY TRIAL) MIDDLE DISTANCE Chairman: Noel Meade Jim Gorman Eoin Griffin 2 MARCH DUNDALK 10F GROUP 3 (WINTER DERBY) Vice Chairman: Michael Halford Jessica Harrington Tom Hogan Andrew McNamara Eric McNamara Tel: 045 522 981 Fax: 045 522 982 Aidan O’Brien Andy Oliver PROUDLY SPONSORED BY OFFICIAL PARTNER Mob: 087 258 8770 email: [email protected] Patrick Prendergast Jnr. Dermot Weld Published monthly by Anderson & Co Publishing Ltd. For all advertising enquiries please call: 041 971 2000 www.anderson-co.com VISIT WWW.IRTA.IE FOR THE LATEST NEWS AND UPDATES 03 THE IRISH TRAINER / FEBRUARY 2018 Obituaries Vivian Kennedy Curragh-based former jockey and trainer, Vivian Kennedy, passed away in hospital at the age of 75, leaving behind wife Kathleen, and children Nicola, Sylvia, Niall and Will. He had been visiting his family in the UK for the Vivian and Kathleen Kennedy at the 2015 IRTA Flat Awards Christmas period when admitted to hospital. Originally apprenticed to Tommy Burns, Vivian won the Irish Cesarewitch three times among Maria O’Grady other notable successes before turning to training in 1983, when his big-race successes We were shocked in late November by the included the 1986 Kerry National with Flute tragic loss of Maria O’Grady, aged 54, from Player. He was noted for his meticulous care injuries sustained in a riding accident while and attention to detail. Tragedy struck the out hunting. She leaves behind two daughters, family when son Vivian jnr died as a result of a Mimi and Rosie Mae, and her step-children fall at Huntingdon, but he remained supportive Jonathan, Amber and Lucy, and beloved and encouraging when Will became a jockey husband of 18 years, Edward. A member of and took great pride in his success. the Tipperary Hunt, Maria was a lady of many talents and interests and was a respected television producer, among those involved Noel in the formation of music channel MTV and later the popular programme “Waterways”. O’Brien She was also a qualified teacher of yoga. As an owner and breeder, she enjoyed success We were saddened to lose with Sheltering, trained by Edward, and had Noel O’Brien, at the age homebred success on the Flat with Bouquet of 57, who was admitted Garni and Fair Game. to hospital with oesophageal cancer last June Maria with husband Edward O’Grady and daughters Mimi and Rosie Mae. and sadly did not leave the intensive care unit following surgery. An integral part of the racing family, Noel was much respected and liked by all and he was a diplomat at all times, despite the controversy sometimes courted by his job as handicapper. He began as a junior handicapper in 1981 and became Senior NH Handicapper in 1995. He worked closely on the racing programme with HRI and was instrumental in the establishment of the Anglo-Irish Classifications. Noel is survived by brothers Paul, Ger, John and Joe, and sisters Ann, Breda, Josephine, Martina and Mary. 04 Winners Abroad 2017 closed out with winners for Gordon To Stuart Crawford went the honour of being Elliott in the Glenfarclas Cross-Country at first out of the blocks in 2018 on the National Cheltenham with Bless The Wings, Coney Hunt front when Elusive Theatre scored at Island in the Graduation Chase at Ascot Ayr on the 2nd of January. Gavin Cromwell for Eddie Harty and Mullaghmurphya then produced 13yo Raz De Maree to gain Blue for Jim Dreaper and Rancher Lass an excellent victory in the Welsh National for Karl Thornton, both at Musselburgh. at Chepstow. The Flat closed out with Mercury at For the Flat, Jonny Levins got proceedings Chelmsford for Adrian Joyce, Complicit underway when Complicit obliged at also at Chelmsford for Jonny Levins, Hello Lingfield, followed by Bachelor at Kempton Brigette at Wolverhampton for Michael for Joseph O’Brien. O’Callaghan and Art Nouvelle at Lingfield for Joseph O’Brien. Congrats. UPCOMING SALES DATES 1-2 TATTERSALLS 7-9 GOFFS FEB February Sale FEB February Sale 2017 15 TATTERSALLS (IRE) CHELTENHAM 15 TATTERSALLS (IRE) CHELTENHAM FEB Cheltenham February Sale MAR Cheltenham Festival Sale 28 TATTERSALLS (IRE) ASCOT 5 TATTERSALLS (IRE) ASCOT MAR Ascot March Sale APR Ascot Two-Year-Old Breeze-Up Sale 9-10 GOFFS UK 12 GOFFS UK APR Breeze-Up Sale 2018 APR The Aintree Sale 2018 17-19 TATTERSALLS 19 TATTERSALLS (IRE) CHELTENHAM APR Craven Breeze Up Sale APR April Sale 05 THE IRISH TRAINER / FEBRUARY 2018 Michael Grassick in conversation with Mark Bird Handicapper MICHAEL: The recent review of the ratings of the Flat season in November and published has led to some confusion. Could all horses before the beginning of the new season in March. be dropped the same amount throughout With the advent of the Winter Series in Dundalk the season? in 2011, the review process has had to take place immediately at the end of the Turf season and MARK: As handicappers, we aim to maintain the completed by the end of December. Horses level of the official ratings at broadly the same that are entered for Dundalk in November and level from year to year to ensure consistency. December are reviewed first and can run off their The number of horses in training and races run new marks from November onwards. This is not has increased and without checks and balances ideal for a limited period of time, we hope that there would be inevitable uppage in ratings trainers are aware of the process and know which over time.