James Set To Perform Live At Worcester Racecourse

British rock band James will be performing at Worcester Racecourse, live after racing on Ladies Evening, on Wednesday 19 August.

Worcester Racecourse's Managing Director, David Roberts, said "I am delighted we will be welcoming James to the racecourse later this year. This is the first feature music evening at Worcester Racecourse, and it promises to be a fantastic event in the heart of Worcester, building on the success of the inaugural Ladies Evening last summer."

Click on the image to visit the website for further event details

Best known for hits such as "Sit Down", "She's a Star" and "Laid", James have achieved great success in the UK and US. The band has seven top ten UK albums to their credit, selling over 25 million albums worldwide.

James rose to prominence in the late 80's and early 90's as part of the popular Manchester music scene. Lead by Tim Booth, the band have an amazing reputation for their live shows and have toured successfully for over 25 years, headlining festivals and selling out venues all around the world. 

Most recently James released the critically acclaimed ‘La Petite Mort' album, their first new album in six years. The band who are currently working on their next album are performing at numerous festivals across the UK in 2015 including Worcester Racecourse. 

The live music performance at Worcester Racecourse will take place after racing on Wednesday 19 August in the Centre Course. Anyone purchasing a ticket will be able to enjoy a full race meeting followed by the concert.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.worcester-racecourse.co.uk or by calling 01905 25364. Keep up to date with the racecourse news and information via Twitter (@WorcesterRaces) and on Facebook (‘Worcester Racecourse').

Two Grand National trophies in just one season

It’s not every trainer who wins two Grand National trophies in the same year. But then, Claines-based Richard Newland is certainly not every trainer. In April, Newland successfully lifted jump racing’s most prestigious prize at Aintree, and last week at Worcester, Lysino rewarded his trainer with the Grand National trophy won by the legendary Fred Rimell in 1970 with Gay Trip. The Fred Rimell memorial chase is one of the highlights of the Worcester racing calendar, and this year’s renewal saw Lysino settle far better than in his previous races to win by 18 lengths. Newland’s assistant, Rod Trow commented after the race that the horse has a ‘serious engine’, but being a buzzy sort, he is clearly not a straight forward ride.

The feature race on the card offered punters the best quality chase of the season at Worcester. The annual Richard Davis Memorial chase produced another winner with a promising future, and the second leg of a treble on the day for jockey, Tom Scudamore. Lookslikerainted is trained in Newport by Rebecca Curtis and was having his first run over fences. His trainer felt he would come on plenty for the run. Interestingly, the first three home in the race were all by top stallion, Milan.

The race was supported as always, by Richard Davis’s parents, John and Ann, whose guests on the day included Stan Mellor. Mellor was the first jockey to ride 1,000 winners and his inaugural ride was at Worcester, when aged just 15 in 1953.

One of the many things we enjoy about the racing at Worcester is looking out for those progressive horses who will take their experiences at Pitchcroft on to bigger and better things. A horse that falls into that category is Lady Buttons (pictured), trained by Philip Kirby in Middleham, 172 miles north of Worcester, for owner/breeders, Jayne and Keith Sivills.

The 4 year old Beneficial filly is a dual Wetherby bumper winner last season, before finishing runner up by just a head, to Alan Kings’s Avispa in a 20-runner, listed Aintree bumper at the Grand National meeting in April. Lady Buttons’ pedigree is full of stamina and she made all on her hurdling debut at Worcester last week, jumping well to hold off the challenges of another useful-looking filly, Hurricane’s Girl, the first runner for the newly-formed Phil Tuffnal Racing Ltd who is trained by Jonjo O’Neill.

O’Neill has had an outstanding season at Worcester this year, as has champion jockey, Tony McCoy who has partnered the majority of the Jackdaws Castle winners. The season finale meeting at Pitchcroft tomorrow, where all 7 races have been sponsored for the first time by The King’s School, Worcester, will also see the conclusion of the 2014 Red Mills trainer’s championship at the course. The sponsors will be on hand to present 2 tonnes of their horse feed to O’Neill, who is streets ahead of his nearest rival.

Future stars shine as the National Hunt season draws closer

National Hunt racing fans up and down the country are gearing up for the thrill of the winter season because at last, the rain softened ground is starting to entice trainers to bring out their stable stars. We are seeing horses to follow for the coming months, one of which won the bumper at the most recent Worcester meeting.

It was a small but select field of 6, of which 5 horses had already won races, 4 of those were Irish maiden point to points. Masterplan (pictured) burst through his rivals to stay on strongly under a confident ride by Noel Fehily for Charlie Longsdon. The horse cost 25,000 gns at the Cheltenham May sale and is a 3 mile chaser in the making.

Another horse for the future was the winner of the maiden hurdle on the same card. Ballycoe was having his stable debut for Paul Nicholls and impressed jockey Sam Twiston-Davies to the point he commented the horse could well be a Welsh National type.

Conditional Tom Bellamy is sponsored by Stirrups restaurant at Cutnal Green and had his first winner for new boss Alan King at Exeter aboard Prettyasapicture. Bellamy was featured riding at Worcester in a recent Midlands Today racing special which spanned 4 nights.

Alan King also trains Shadarpour for a new syndicate set up by Arena Racing Company, owners of Worcester Racecourse. Formerly with Gary Moore, the horse had his first run for King in a handicap hurdle at Exeter which he won by 2 lengths under Wayne Hutchinson.

Another Worcester winner to watch this season is the impressive El Namoose, trained by John Ferguson. The 5 year old followed his recent Pitchcroft success with victory under champion jockey, AP McCoy in a Huntingdon bumper, winning on the bridle under a 10lb penalty. He has a quote of 33-1 for the Supreme and Neptune Novice hurdles at Cheltenham next March.

Cheltenham’s first meeting of the new winter season got underway last weekend, when three other Worcester winners shone again. Valerie Lewis Memorial chase winner at Worcester in June, The Romford Pele, who was also successful in the listed John Smiths Summer Cup at Uttoxeter, won a novice chase under Barry Geraghty for Rebecca Curtis. Curtis now has an eye on the Hennessy at Newbury for her future star.

Neil Mulholland has been scooping up the prizes recently and was rewarded at Cheltenham when The Young Master followed up his Worcester win by taking the Amateur Rider’s handicap chase. The horse has now won 7 of his previous 9 starts.

The third Worcester winner to taste success at Cheltenham over the weekend was Jonjo O’Neill’s In the Rough.  The 5 year old has stepped up in trip from his 3 wins this summer at Worcester and now looks set for a 3 mile chasing career.

Worcester’s meeting tomorrow has attracted 181 entries, significantly more than for recent meetings when the ground was quicker.

Shark snaps up his first Worcester win

A trainer currently going places, certainly as far as results at Worcester are concerned, is 33 year old Neil Mulholland who trains near Bath. The former apprentice to Aidan O'Brien, who is also the current champion trainer in Jersey, took out his licence in 2008 and secured his first ever training treble at Worcester's last meeting. Mulholland's Ashcott Boy (pictured) racked up a double at the last two consecutive Worcester meetings under Mark Quinlan, and maiden Jim Job Jones, who had pulled up on his previous 2 starts has proved a revelation, winning at Pitchcroft at odds of 20-1, and following this up with victory at Southwell last week when sent off at 2-1 favourite.

Irish trainer, Shark Hanlon rarely visits Pitchcroft and had never previously returned home across the Irish Sea with a Worcester winner under his belt. That all changed for the County Carlow trainer when Nearest the Pin won the £10k feature chase under a calculated ride by AP McCoy, one leg of a treble for McCoy on the day.

Claines trainer, Richard Newland demonstrated another example of how well he places his horses when Mart Lane won the £50k Class 1 listed handicap chase at Market Rasen under Daryl Jacob recently. Jacob gave the 9 year old an excellent hold-up ride, following the horse's summer break. Mart Lane had been pulled up in his 2 previous spring starts, including in the 30 runner Topham Chase at Aintree in April. Newland also had a winner at Chepstow's first jumps meeting of the new season last week.  Six year old Hawdyerwheesht, who ran at Worcester in early September, won the selling hurdle and was bought back in for 7,500 gns.

Cropthorne trainer, Tony Carroll tasted success at the same meeting when Taroum went one better than his Stratford 2nd place in September, by winning the handicap hurdle. Taroum has also run 4 times at Worcester, coming 3rd at his most recent attempt in August. 

With the winter jumps horses slowly starting to emerge on the scene, and Cheltenham's first meeting of the new season due next Friday, entries for this week's Worcester meeting are encouraging in terms of numbers. We will be celebrating 50 years of the Injured Jockey's Fund and will be joined at the course by Chickey Oaksey, wife of the late Lord Oaksey. The IJF 50th Anniversary maiden hurdle is the final race on the card and has attracted 22 entries, including horses from the yards of Paul Nicholls, Rebecca Curtis and David Pipe. The first race tomorrow is due off at 2pm.

Another four timer for McCoy at Pitchcroft

For the second time in as many months, AP McCoy rode a four timer at Worcester last week. His strike rate for the month of August was a phenomenal 40% and September is promising to be equally impressive, if not better. The 4 wins included a double on the day for trainer John Ferguson and owners, Bloomfields. The first of their two successes came aboard El Namoose in the bumper. The 5 year old flat bred, by Authorized, tasted victory at Musselburgh in January and went on to run in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival in March where he put in a creditable performance but was reluctant to settle. McCoy gave him good cover in the Worcester race and he won easily, coasting home on the bridle.  He could be an exciting prospect going forward. McCoy also steered home locally trained Marju’s Quest to win the Westlands Worcester sponsored handicap hurdle.  The improving 4 year old who has won twice at Fontwell in recent weeks, comes from David Dennis’ yard at Hanley Swan.

Another local trainer enjoying a purple patch is Ian Williams, based at Alvechurch. Williams enjoyed a double at Plumpton on Sunday, both in the hands of Richard Johnson. Cool Sky followed up his recent Worcester win to beat Nicky Henderson’s Springinherstep by 3 lengths in the handicap hurdle, and Teak followed up for the trainer in the next race. Teak is a good example of the versatility of Williams’ string. The horse had been down to run in the Cesarewitch trial at Newmarket the day before, having won 3 times on the flat this year, but was a non-runner after the rain changed the going.

Most trainers are hosting seasonal open days to parade their winter prospects currently, with both David Dennis and Ian Williams opening their doors in the last couple of weeks. The dry forecast for the next month will undoubtedly have an effect on how soon we see the stars of the winter season have their first runs back on the racecourses, and will for the time being keep the field sizes relatively small due to the quick going.

There are interesting stats in the British Jumps Owner’s Championship table this week.  The first 5 owners in order, read Mr John P McManus, Bloomfields, Paul & Clare Rooney, Mr RER Williams and Favourite’s racing (owners of Marju’s Quest). Three out of the five names listed against these owners as their horse with the most win and prize money have won at Worcester this summer and one came second, including at the top of the list, JP McManus’s horse, It’s a Gimme.

The racecourse, in conjunction with Boots, are raising funds for Macmillan Cancer Support during our meeting tomorrow, with a coffee morning prior to racing starting at 11am.

Busy period for local National winning trainer

Grand National winner, Pineau De Re’s summer holidays have come to an end and he has recently embarked on the long road back to Aintree, starting with plenty of roadwork to build his fitness. The main season target of the 2015 Grand National is 7 months away.

The local hero’s Claines trainer, Richard Newland is enjoying a great run of form in 2014 with his small string. On a recent Fontwell card, where Worcestershire trainers Newland and David Dennis were responsible for 3 winners out of the 7, both Gran Maestro and Vosne Romanee were seen to good effect for Newland. Following a short break in the National Hunt calendar, Gran Maestro has been declared at Worcester for today’s twilight card.

Last week’s meeting at Pitchcroft saw another success for owners Paul and Clare Rooney. Four year old duel French winner, Kitchapoly gave Tony McCoy the second leg of his treble on the day and is just one of 56 horses that the Rooney’s have in training with Grand National winning trainer, Donald McCain. The Rooney’s current string totals 70 horses, with 6 jumpers trained at Bourton on the Water by Nicky Henderson’s former assistant, Ben Pauling, and a further 8 horses running on the flat.

Desert Orchid’s jockey, Colin Brown who won 17 races from 42 rides aboard the popular grey was on hand at Worcester to present a trophy to the owners of Accessallareas.  The horse won the opening race, run to promote what promises to be a highly entertaining charity dinner in the Grandstand after racing on the 9^th October, jointly in aid of St Richard’s Hospice and the Injured Jockey’s fund.

Alvechurch trainer, Ian Williams has recently succeeded in his ambition to saddle a winner at every course in Great Britain. The final track Williams needed to conquer was Thirsk in North Yorkshire, where Cruise To The Limit managed to get his nose in front.  The trainer puts his success down to being ideally located in the Midlands and the diversity of the horses he trains.

We would also like to congratulate Worcester’s Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Andrew Harrison, a partner at the Three Counties Equine Hospital near Tewkesbury.  Harrison, who is one of the 4 vets employed to oversee the veterinary care at every Worcester meeting, has just been appointed as President of BEVA, the British Equine Veterinary Association.

The first race today is due off at 3.50pm.

Joy for successful syndicate

If owning a racehorse is your dream, and as for most of us, there is a strict budget, you could do a lot worse than joining a syndicate like the Foxtrot NH Racing Partnership VIII who own Discay, trained at Claines by Richard Newland.

Syndicate ownership often means the horse is leased from the trainer so there is no initial financial outlay required to purchase the horse. An agreed monthly amount is then payable for a fixed term to cover costs including stable fees, farrier, vets, travel to the races, jockey’s riding fees etc. The more members, the lower the monthly cost.

When Discay (pictured below) won at Worcester for the second time in a month last week, we poured over 50 glasses of champagne for the celebrating winning syndicate owners and it was good to see so many happy people sharing in the experience of successful ownership. Most trainers and indeed some racecourses, have opportunities for syndicate owners and it is a route that is well worth exploring if you are interested in getting involved in this aspect of the sport.

A horse with an interesting background caught our eye in the Pitchcroft winner’s enclosure at the same meeting as Discay’s victory. Macarthur, trained in Pembrokeshire by David Rees travelled strongly to win the Class 5 claiming hurdle under a tactical ride by Paul Moloney. The 10 year old’s last win came on the 21^st June, 2008 in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot under the trainer/jockey expertise of Aiden O’Brien and Johnny Murtagh. In May and June of that year, his purple patch also included victory in the Group 3 Ormonde Stakes at Chester and third place in the Coronation Cup at Epsom, behind Soldier of Fortune. To date he has won £202,729 in prize money.

Bumper winner at our last meeting, Dancing Meadows is a horse to watch if she takes up her intended place in the listed mare’s bumper at the Cheltenham Open meeting in November. The filly went through the Doncaster sales ring last week and was snapped up for £38,000 to stay in the yard of trainer, Gordon Elliott.

We all run out of superlatives to describe the amazing achievements of Tony McCoy.  The ‘McCoy factor’ has a very positive effect on attendance figures as well as luck with the bookies wherever he rides. Thanks to a hat-trick of wins last week, his latest milestone is to have ridden 100 winners in just 5 years at Worcester. McCoy’s form figures for the most recent two meetings alone at Worcester read a staggering 1131313F11165. Derek Thompson was on hand on Sunday's meeting to get a few words from McCoy after this magnificent achievement, McCoy's aim, as ever, was "to stay off the ground".

Worcester Racecourse has recently staged its share of the Ice Bucket Challenges currently sweeping the country in aid of Motor Neurone disease, with jockeys Sam Twiston-Davies, Will Kennedy and Andrew Thornton all enjoying a public soaking in the name of charity.

Gates open at 12.10pm for racing at Pitchcroft tomorrow afternoon. First race off at 2.10pm, A.P McCoy has five rides to enhance his already impressive Worcester record.