News On Ollie Magern

Veterinary advice will determine whether Nigel Twiston_Davies Ollie Magern has run his last race.

The popular 13-year-old remains at owner Roger Nicholls' farm in Oxfordshire after he suffered a fractured bone in his off-fore last November and although the gelding underwent successful surgery in February, his career is still in limbo.

Nicholls said: "I'm not saying he's finished just yet. He's at home with me, and is full of himself - he's still charging around like a mad six-year-old. We need to get the vets in and check him out, most importantly to see if there's no arthritis."


He added: "If there isn't, and he gets the green light, we might just drop him down in class, and into hunter chases. He's 13 now, but he'll tell us when he's ready to call it a day. Whatever happens, he's been a marvellous horse and has turned my life around."

Ollie Magern, a renowned front-runner, has won 13 times, including two significant triumphs in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.

Ripon Review

Ann Duffield appears to have a smart juvenile on her hands as Jessie's Spirit maintained her unbeaten record in the Ripon Horn Blower Conditions Stakes.

A winner at Leicester on her debut, she was sent off the 11-4 joint-favourite to follow up and after David Nolan settled her in a nice position on the rails, she soon put the race to bed once asked the question.

Hot Sugar ran on once in the clear but was beaten by a length and a quarter.

Duffield said: "She did it well. She's been difficult to train as she's a bit hot-headed. She should stay further looking at her pedigree and she's got bags of speed.

"Obviously she's fairly good and hopefully she can go on from here. We might look at the Two-Year-Old Trophy back here or a Group Three up at Ayr."

Phillip Makin notched up his third win from just four rides for John Dunlop when Tameen (7-2) finished strongly to land the EBF 'Bahri' Fillies' Handicap.

Having looked booked for a place at best as Izzy The Ozzy went clear, she stayed on stoutly to win going away.

Tim Easterby dominated the opening contest with Blue Shoes just holding off stablemate Just Like Heaven as Paul Hanagan initiated a double.


With punters looking for clues from the draw ahead of the Great St Wilfrid later on the card, Hanagan chose to come up the stands side on the winner, scoring by half a length from Just Like Heaven, who stuck to the far rail.

The 6-1 chance was always prominent, but had to do it the hard way on her own, showing great tenacity.

To complete the Easterby monopoly, On The Hoof was third for the winning trainer's uncle, Mick.


Easterby jnr said: "Both horses want cut and I didn't think there was much between them. I would have preferred them both to be on the far side, so it proves there's nothing in the draw. Paul gave her a great ride."

Hanagan wasted no time in doubling up on Henry Cecil's Diescentric, the 4-1 favourite for the VW Van Centre West Yorkshire Handicap.

Cara's Request set off like a scalded cat, but Hanagan was content to sit way off the pace and was travelling ominously well three furlongs out. He took up the running some way from home and did not have to get serious as Diescentric coasted to a length-and-three-quarters victory over Amazing Star.

The jockey said: "That's two winners from just four rides for the trainer now, he's not a bad man to have a good record for! He did that with his ears pricked and there was plenty left."

Easterby bookended the card as Getabuzz (15-2) took the concluding SIS Live Handicap in the hands of Tom Eaves.

Pepper LOVES Ripon

Pepper Lane's love affair with Ripon continued as she notched up her third course and distance win of the season in the William Hill Great St Wilfrid Handicap.

David O'Meara's filly won at the May meeting off a lowly mark off 74, but defied a rating 21lb higher in Ripon's richest ever race.

Sent off at 11-1 under Danny Tudhope, deputising for the suspended Silvestre de Sousa, the four-year-old joined the leaders on the near side at halfway before scooting clear to win impressively by a length and a half.

The consistent Our Jonathan ran on for second, with Mayson running a cracker in third on his first outing of the season. Parisian Pyramid did best of those drawn low in fourth.

O'Meara said: "Her owner, Lynne Lumley, is in hospital so it's great to win. We started thinking of this race when she won here a fortnight ago. With the draw we were encouraged to see the first race here, which showed there was no bias.

"Danny gets on great with her and Silvestre won on her the last day. We've got two great jockeys and hopefully Silvestre can win the title.

"She'll be entered in the Ayr Gold Cup, she has to be, but we might also look for a little Listed race for her."

Tudhope added: "She's a good little filly and Dave has done a great job with her, that's four she's won this year now. You just have to sit on her as long as you dare. She's not very big but is all heart."

Arlington Million Review

Jamie Spencer paid tribute to owner Dr Jim Hay after riding Cape Blanco to a comfortable victory in the Arlington Million.

Having already won the Ascot Gold Cup on Fame And Glory, also trained by Aidan O'Brien, Spencer was winning his second Grade One in America within a month on Cape Blanco, last year's Irish Derby hero, having already won the Man o'War Stakes, beating top US turf performer Gio Ponti on both occasions.

Spencer said: "He's a good tough horse and he's brilliantly trained. All I did was the steering. He is very lazy, he only does what you ask him but you know he will get you there and always is going to find plenty. Even in the last furlong I had a look around and he idled for a few strides. That is just the epitome of him."

He added: "When it said seven minutes to post time, those were the longest seven minutes in a long time. He gave me torture at the start, he was just so fresh. He just wanted to get on with it. You know when they are like that, he's very aggressive, so you know he is well.

"I think that any kind of racing suits him. I just think all races suit him. Those two runs after Dubai, for whatever reason he just wasn't himself. We should just draw a line through them. Now he is really back and he is a high class horse and very few horses would win the way he has. He has such a big heart.

"I've won two races here in a month and I'm very lucky and people shouldn't forget that the only reason I'm riding this horse is because of Dr Hay. He made a massive investment to get me on good horses. I would have ridden Wigmore Hall but he didn't win. I can't tell how much I appreciate their input."


Hayley Turner finished fourth on Wigmore Hall and said: "He ran well. It all went all right for me early on in the race and I had a handy position. Just turning in I was hunting Cape Blanco and he's kicked and I've gone after him but he's hit a bit of a flat spot and then got himself in a bit of trouble. When he got the daylight he ran on.

"Unfortunately it's one of those things. He felt really well, it was just that the gaps weren't there when I needed them."

Sovereign Stakes Preview

Marco Botti is confident Fanunalter is capable of defying a 3lb penalty in the totepool Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury.

The son of Falbrav twice won at Listed level in 2010, but has taken his game to another level this season, plundering Group Three honours at Epsom on his penultimate start. He found only top-class colt Dick Turpin too strong in the Summer Mile at Ascot on his latest start, and Botti is expecting a bold show from his charge.

Botti said: "I'm very happy with him and he is in good order. It looks like the ground will be good, so that should suit him and he has a good draw. He is a horse we have always liked and this year he has been in his best form. He is still lightly raced this season - he's only had four runs - and he seems to be improving all the time."

The trainer added: "He ran well in Dubai and then came back to England and won a Group Three at Epsom. Last time he was beaten by Dick Turpin but ran a very good race. He ran a good race here last year but didn't have much luck and got trapped behind horses. I just hope this year we have better luck.

"He has to concede weight to each horse but only Premio Loco is rated higher than us and we are improving. Fingers crossed he should overcome the penalty."


Premio Loco was a disappointing favourite behind Fanunalter at Epsom on his latest start in June and has not been sighted since. His trainer, Chris Wall, is hopeful his star performer will bounce back to better form, but feels he may improve for the outing.

Wall said: "The horses in general are in better form than they were the last time he ran, but obviously he is on the comeback trail. I'm happy with his condition and the way he has been going at home, but this race does have a lot of strength in depth, so he is going to have to run to virtually his best form first time out if he is going to win.

"I'm happy with him and I'm hopeful he'll run more like he did when third in the Lockinge than how he ran at Epsom last time."


Luca Cumani's Field Of Dream has won at Listed level in the past, and although he came up short in Pattern company at Newmarket last time, the Italian trainer feels his charge is better than he showed that day.

The Newmarket handler said: "He's in good form and we're willing to let him take his chance. He's been struggling a little bit at this level, but hopefully he goes there with a shout."

Hayley At It Again!

Following a couple of recent near-misses Primevere recorded a deserved Listed-race success in the EBF 'Exceed And Excel' Upavon Fillies' Stakes at Salisbury.

Roger Charlton's daughter of Singspiel chased home the exciting Nahrain at Sandown a couple of starts back and was just a neck behind Sooraah at Ascot last time out.


Stepping back up to 10 furlongs, Hayley Turner settled the 13-2 chance in second as Opera Gal set the pace and plenty of those from behind failed to get involved. Opera Gal made a good fist of it from the front but Primevere picked her up to score by a length and three-quarters in a course record time.

The favourite, Seta, plugged on late in the day to finish third but never threatened to land a significant blow.

Charlton, who was landing his seventh winner in the last 14 days, said: "She stepped back up in trip today and she is bred to stay 10 furlongs, but I slightly doubted her stamina in the spring after she ran at Newmarket (in May).


"But she's grown up a lot this year and she's maturing and getting better. She has suffered a lot with sore shins in the past. She was in the right place the whole way and travelled really well. It didn't look in doubt really and she has now broken two course records and not many horses do that.

"I haven't got anything in mind yet and I'll have to have a look and see. I won't be rushing her and I'd be hopeful she'd be a filly to have in training next season."

Hanagan Keen On Bapak Chinta

Champion jockey Paul Hanagan teamed up with Kevin Ryan's unbeaten Norfolk Stakes winner Bapak Chinta on the Malton gallops this week and was suitably impressed with the juvenile.

The Speightstown colt is all set to run in the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York on August 19 and will receive a hefty weight-for-age allowance.

Hanagan has come in for the ride as Ryan's stable jockey, Phillip Makin, will be unable to do the light weight.


"I met Kevin on the Malton gallops on Thursday morning and rode the colt in a piece of work and he went really nicely," Hanagan told his www.attheraces.com blog.

"He won the Norfolk at Royal Ascot like a good horse but he is unbelievably laid-back.

"For that reason he probably just goes through the motions at home but he was still very impressive. It wasn't just his ability, it was his attitude, too."