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Hardy Eustace
Hardy Eustace is a retired thoroughbred racehorse, best known for winning the Champion Hurdle in 2004 and 2005. He was trained in Ireland by Dessie Hughes and owned by Laurence Byrne. Early career Hardy Eustace made his debut in a National Hunt flat race at Punchestown in March 2002, where he finished an eleven-length fifth of seventeen runners. He improved for his debut run in his next start as he won the valuable Goffs Land Rover Bumper at Fairyhouse in April. He had one more run in his debut season, where he finished sixth in the Grade 1 Champion INH Flat Race at Punchestown. Hardy Eustace began the 2002/03 season with a warm-up run in a flat race at Navan, where he finished fifth. In his next race, which was his first over hurdles, he finished first in a maiden hurdle at Punchestown but was disqualified. He was moved to Grade 1 class for his next start in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle, which he won by one and a half lengths from Back In Front. He then won another novice hur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gelding
A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male equine to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and generally more suitable as an everyday working animal. The gerund and participle "gelding" and the infinitive "to geld" refer to the castration procedure itself. Etymology The verb "to geld" comes from the Old Norse , from the adjective 'barren'. The noun "gelding" is from the Old Norse . History The Scythians are thought to have been the first people to geld their horses. They valued geldings as war horses because they were quiet, lacked mating urges, were less prone to call out to other horses, were easier to keep in groups, and were less likely to fight with one another. Reasons for gelding A male horse is often gelded to make him better-behaved and easier to control. Gelding can also remove lower ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Group Races
Group races, also known as Pattern races, or Graded races in some jurisdictions, are the highest level of races in Thoroughbred horse racing. They include most of the world's iconic races, such as, in Europe, the Derby, Irish Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, in Australia, the Melbourne Cup and in the United States, the Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup races. Victory in these races marks a horse as being particularly talented, if not exceptional, and they are extremely important in determining stud values. They are also sometimes referred to as Black type races, since any horse that has won one of these races is printed in bold type in sales catalogues. By country Australia In Australia, the Australian Pattern Committee recommends to the Australian Racing Board (ARB) which races shall be designated as Group races. The list of races approved by the ARB is accepted by the International Cataloguing Standards Committee (ICSC) for publication by The Jockey Club (US) in The Blue B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gowran Park Racecourse
Gowran Park is a horse race course in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the Annely Estate near the village of Gowran.The first meeting was held in 1914. and the first ever racecourse commentary in Ireland took place here in 1952. Gowran Park hosts 16 race days throughout the year with both National Hunt and Flat Flat or flats may refer to: Architecture * Flat (housing), an apartment in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and other Commonwealth countries Arts and entertainment * Flat (music), a symbol () which denotes a lower pitch * Flat (soldier), ... meetings. The racing season at Gowran Park has quality fixtures spread evenly throughout the year starting with the Thyestes Handicap Chase in January. Notable races References External links Official website Horse racing venues in the Republic of Ireland Sports venues in County Kilkenny Sports venues completed in 1914 1914 establishments in Ireland {{horseracing-venue-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rooster Booster (horse)
Rooster Booster (1994–2005) was a British-bred thoroughbred racehorse, best known for winning the 2003 Champion Hurdle. Background Rooster Booster was a gelding whose grey coat (inherited from his dam Came Cottage) and racing style made him easily recognisable. He was the only horse of any consequence produced by the unsuccessful racehorse Riverwise. He was originally trained by his owner Norman Richard Mitchell in Dorset but had his biggest successes after he was bought by Terry Warner in 2000 and sent to the stable of Philip Hobbs at Withycombe in Somerset. Early career Rooster Booster began his racing career in a National Hunt Flat Race at Wincanton in February 1999, where he finished seventh of eighteen runners. He had six more runs for Richard Mitchell, winning just one of those in the form, a maiden hurdle at Taunton. He was then switched to the yard of Philip Hobbs and made his debut for him in April 2000, finishing 2nd behind Valiramix in a Novices' Hurdle at C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cleeve Hurdle
The Cleeve Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles (2 miles 7 furlongs and 213 yards, or 4,822 metres), and during its running there are twelve hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in January. The race was first run in 1983 over a distance of 2 miles 5 furlongs and 110 yards. In the late 1980s the event was classed at Listed level, and its full title was the Bishops Cleeve Hurdle. It was promoted to Grade 1 status in 1991, and in the following years its title was shortened to the present form. It was downgraded to Grade 2 status in 2004, and its distance was extended to the present length in 2005. In its analysis of that year's running, the Racing Post commented that the modified Cleeve Hurdle was ''"effectively replacing the long-distance hurdle formerly run ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
December Festival Hurdle
The December Festival Hurdle, currently known by its sponsored title of the Matheson Hurdle, is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Christmas Festival meeting in late December. Prior to 2013 the race was named the Istabraq Festival Hurdle in honour of Istabraq, who won it four times. The race was run as the Ryanair Hurdle from 2013 to 2018 when Ryanair sponsored the race. Matheson took over the sponsorship from the 2019 running. Former titles of the event included the paddypower.com iPhone App Hurdle, Sean P. Graham Memorial Hurdle and the Bookmakers Hurdle. The race was first run in 1986, and it has held Grade 1 status since 2002. It is often used as a trial for the Champion Hurdle a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sefton Novices' Hurdle
The Sefton Novices' Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 3 miles and half a furlong (4,964 metres), and during its running there are thirteen hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Grand National meeting in early April. The event was established in 1988, and it was originally called the White Satin Novices' Hurdle. For a period it was classed at Grade 2 level. The race was given its present title in 1993, and it was promoted to Grade 1 status in 1995. In recent years the Sefton Novices' Hurdle has usually featured horses which ran in the previous month's Spa Novices' Hurdle, and the last to achieve victory in both races was at Fishers Cross in 2013. Records Leading jockey (3 wins): * Tony McCoy – ''Unsinkable Boxer (1998), Black Jack Ket ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iris's Gift
Iris's Gift was a National Hunt racehorse trained in Britain by Jonjo O'Neill. Racing career National Hunt Flat races He made his racecourse debut in August 2001, where he won a National Hunt flat race at Worcester Racecourse. He followed that up with another success at the same track the following month, before winning a Grade 2 National Hunt flat race at Newbury Racecourse in February. Iris's Gift lost his unbeaten record on his next start, where he finished fifth in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival. He had one more race that season, where he finished second in Champion Standard Open NH Flat Race at Aintree Racecourse in April. Novice Hurdles Iris's Gift was immediately sent novice hurdling the following season and started with a winning debut over the obstacles in October at Bangor. He followed that up with another win at Cheltenham Racecourse the following month before winning the Grade Bristol Novices' Hurdle in December 2002. After winning his next two ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kieran Kelly (jockey)
Kieran Kelly (25 June 1978 – 12 August 2003) was an Irish jump jockey who died as a result of a racing accident. Kelly was born in County Kildare and achieved his first Cheltenham Festival success in March 2003 on Hardy Eustace in the Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle. He was critically injured in a fall in on 8 August 2003 at Kilbeggan racecourse and remained on life support in Beaumont Hospital in north Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th .... He died four days later at the age of 25. References 1978 births 2003 deaths Irish jockeys Jockeys who died while racing Sportspeople from County Kildare Sport deaths in the Republic of Ireland {{Ireland-equestrian-bio-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is a horse racing-based meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, with race prize money second only to the Grand National. The four-day festival takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Racecourse in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. It usually coincides with Saint Patrick's Day and is particularly popular with Irish visitors. The meeting features several Grade I races including the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase and Stayers' Hurdle. Large amounts of money are gambled; hundreds of millions of pounds are bet over the course of the week. Cheltenham is noted for its atmosphere, including the "Cheltenham roar", which refers to the enormous amount of noise that the crowd generates as the starter raises the tape for the first race of the festival. History Origins The Cheltenham Festival originated in 1860 when the National Hunt Chase was first held at Market Harborough. It was initially titled the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maiden Race
In horse racing a maiden race is an event for horses that have not won a race. Horses that have not won a race are referred to as maidens. Maiden horse races are held over a variety of distances and under conditions with eligibility based on the sex or age of the horse. Races may be handicaps, set weights, or weight for age. In many countries, maiden races are the lowest level of class and represent an entry point into a racing career. In countries such as the United States, maiden special weight races rank above claiming races, while maiden claiming races allow the horse to be claimed (bought) by another owner. Eligibility Generally, horses have to be maidens (non-winners) at the time of the race. In regions where jumping races take place, flat racing and jumps racing are sometimes treated as two distinct forms of racing and winning in one category does not preclude a horse entering a maiden in the other. For example, a horse can win multiple jumps races and still be eligible to en ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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