Kieren Fallon will be taking his fight to lift his race riding ban in Britain to the High Court next Thursday (27 July). Fallon has been banned from riding in races by the Horseracing Regulatory Authority (HRA) after being charged with conspiracy to defraud. The ban is due to last until after the trial, which is not expected to take place until next year. He appealed against his suspension to the HRA last week but lost.
Ready for the King George
Electrocutionist is looking on form to produce a great performance in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot a week on Saturday. He impressed connections with his last workout before the race in Newmarket on Wednesday. Meanwhile Lord Derby is “keeping an open mind” about supplementing Ouija Board for the race.
Top priced colt prepares for action
The highest priced thoroughbred ever bought at a sale may make his much anticipated race debut at the 36-day Saratoga festival this summer. Coolmore bought The Green Monkey, a colt by Forestry, earlier this year for a record-breaking $16 million. This smashed the previous thoroughbred sales record of $13.1 million.
Spotlight on US racing deaths
The US media spotlight is targeting the racing industry following the fatal breakdowns of 17 horses at Arlington Park’s track in Illinois. Arlington Park President Roy Arnold said officials are considering enlisting the aid of non-veterinary horse experts to help vets evaluate a horse’s health before and after a race.
The Illinois Racing Board has been under pressure to examine a cluster of recent breakdowns at Arlington racetrack that left 16 horses dead in the first half of the four-month season. A 17th horse, Easy Strider, broke down on Saturday. However, two independent reports have failed to find anything unsafe about the track.
