NEWS UK RACING “Once we’d spoken to Paul and Sheikh Hamdan decided not to renew his contract, we talked over it briefly and I spoke to Sheikh Hamdan last weekend and he said he definitely did want to have a contract jockey. “We discussed various options and he came up with the idea of Jim. “I spoke to Jim two nights ago and he confirmed he would be happy to do it. “He’s worked his way up and proven to be a top jockey. “He’s done a brilliant job this year to become champion and we’re very happy to have him.” Crowley, a former National Hunt rider, won the jockeys’ championship for the first time this year following a lengthy battle with Silvestre de Sousa. Hanagan, himself a former Champion Jockey, enjoyed Classic success in 2014 aboard the owner’s Taghroodah, who won the Oaks and Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, while Mukhadraam added another Group 1 victory in the same year’s Eclipse Stakes for the partnership and Muhaarar proved Champion Sprinter in 2015.
DENYS SMITH PASSES AWAY AGED 92 Denys Smith, perhaps best remembered for training the 1968 Grand National winner Red Alligator, has died at the age of 92. Training in Bishop Auckland, Co. Durham, Smith was responsible for over 1,600 winners which included Group 1 wins on the Flat with Tudenham in the Middle Park Stakes and Mandrake Major in the Flying Childers, as well as Karinga Bay, who was second in the Dante Stakes, fifth in the Epsom Derby behind Quest For Fame and won the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood in 1990, before becoming a top class stallion. By the time he saddled his final winner – Monksford at Hamilton in 2002 – Smith had well and truly made his mark on the sport. He won the Lincoln with Foggy Bell, meaning he was one of only three trainers in history to saddle the winners of what was traditionally known as the “Spring Double” with the Grand National.
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Smith also won the Scottish Champion Hurdle with Dondieu and claimed a Cheltenham Festival success courtesy of King Cutler. But Red Alligator was his stand out winner and propelled the North-Eastern trainer into national recognition. Smith once stated that his biggest regret was not winning the Northumberland Plate, a race close to his heart. He twice trained the runner-up.
KAUTO STAR HONOURED BY JOCKEY CLUB CHASE TRIPLE CROWN TROPHY Kauto Star is to be honoured with a specially commissioned trophy to be awarded to the owner of the next horse that completes the Jockey Club Chase Triple Crown. The trophy, in addition to the £1million bonus, is up for grabs for any horse that can win the Betfair Chase, the 32Red King George VI Chase and the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup in the same season. Kauto Star is the only horse to achieve that feat during a stellar campaign in 2006-07 for owner Clive Smith, trainer Paul Nicholls and jockey Ruby Walsh. The winning owner will keep the trophy in perpetuity and will be asked for their permission to name a future bespoke trophy after their own Chase Triple Crown winner, who will have taken their place in the history books. Kauto Star was retired in March 2012 after an amazing career that saw him win 16 Grade One races, including the King George five times and the Gold Cup twice. He was put down in June 2015 following injuries he sustained as the result of a fall in his paddock.
FORMER GRAND NATIONAL WINNER RED MARAUDER PASSES AWAY Red Marauder, who won one of the most iconic Grand Nationals of the last quarter century, has passed away at the age of 26. The chestnut had been a smart novice chaser, •
December 2016