Water recedes, horses return

After almost a year under water, jumping returned to Worcester near the West Midlands in England last night, for the first time since the track was replaced by an unwanted lake following last summer’s floods.

Racecourse officials were still only able to hold an all-hurdles card as the chase course is still deemed un-raceable.

I have visited the track on many occasions and in several different guises. It’s a great place to enjoy the racing, viewing is pretty good and facilities are close, which is not the case for the stable hands who have to trek across the middle of the course from the stable area to reach the parade ring, something I have done several times, and will be in no rush to do so again.

Still, it’s great that the popular track is up and running again and it will be nice to see some horses instead of ducks.

Leighs way

I reported a week ago that Great Leighs was due for a final inspection last Thursday, and indeed, after an 18-month delay, the course eventually opened for some sort of racing.

Only 600 people were invited to attend the inaugural meeting and the consensus from most was that the track was in pretty good order considering all the problems.

For those interested, Ed Dunlop, who had given the course a thumbs-up at the trials meeting the week before, saddled the first winner, Temple Of Thebes under Stephen Donohoe who both galloped into the history books.

Madjani to run on

Purebred Arabian star Madjani will have a busman’s holiday in France later in the year as he is expected to take his chance in the feature Purebred race at Longchamp’s l’Arc meeting in October.

I believe retirement was on the agenda, but connections obviously feel he hasn’t lost his spark and have mapped a couple of races for the triple Kahayla Classic victor.

Starter Shane Ryan continues to put Gill Duffield’s stable hero through his paces from the quarantine barn at Nad Al Sheba. The Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club have put a staggering amount of money into France’s biggest racing day, in fact, as announced earlier in the year, their sponsorship now ensures the l’Arc de Triomphe is the richest turf race in the world with four million euros up for grabs, although for how long is debatable. It is great that their efforts are being rewarded by what is sure to be a quality line-up of both thoroughbreds and the Arabian equivalent.

Six of the best

Australia’s best horse, Weekend Hussler won his sixth consecutive Group One last Saturday when trouncing his rivals in the George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill.

A formidable training performance by Ross McDonald, the three-year-old bids to add further glory to his already illustrious CV in June with an assault on Royal Ascot, not to mention trips to Santa Anita for the Breeders Cup while a quick stop over in Dubai next March is also a possibility.