BACK TO BASICS
FORMER champion Flat jockey Paul Hanagan has set his sights on making it 2,000 winners when he returns from injury.
Hanagan, champion in 2010 and 2011, suffered fractured vertebrae in a fall at Newcastle in February.
“This could be a special season because I think I’ve got 24 winners to go before I get to my 2,000th winner, so I’m quite looking forward to that achievement,” he said.
“I still think I’m riding better than ever. I got my eighth Lester last year for the ride of the year, so my confidence is still up and I’m really enjoying it.
“I’m looking forward to hitting the ground running and getting to 2,000 winners.
“I think everyone hears the word ‘surgery’ and thinks the worst but it’s actually going to progress it and speed things up a bit.
“I’m getting there slowly as at the minute everywhere is shut for rehab.
“Luckily, I’m just down the road from
Jack Berry House, so I’m looking forward to when they reopen.
“I’ve been riding 22 years now and this is the worst accident I have had, so I’ve not done too bad.
“I’ll know when I’m ready to return.”
■ THE return of racing – at Newcastle on Monday, June 1 – took a step closer yesterday when BHA published a resumption plan.
A statement from the BHA read: “By publishing these steps, we aim to provide greater certainty for the industry on the publication of key information for behind closed doors racing, including new and revised processes and protocols, together with actions that will need to be completed by industry participants prior to racing resuming.”
One of stipulations is that all racecourse attendees will be required to undergo pre-entry health screening.
Those who have not completed, or who do not pass, the necessary screening will be refused entry to the racecourse.
THIS year’s Tattersalls Gold Cup will be open to the Classic generation when it is run on a revised date in July, Horse Racing Ireland has announced.
The Group One event is usually for four-year-olds and over when it is contested during the Irish Guineas meeting in May.
But following the delayed start to the 2020 Flat campaign due to the coronavirus crisis, it has been moved to July 26 to fill “a significant gap in the revised Pattern”.
The Tattersalls Gold Cup and the first Classics of the year – the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas, are the only Group One events to have new dates in the calendar, will all other top-level contests remaining in their usual slots.
HRI intends to run a full complement of Group races through the year, but the Irish two-year-old Group races will not begin until July due to the late start to the campaign.
HRI’S chief executive Brian Kavanagh (below) said: “The revised list of Pattern races published today will see the many of them run on their original dates and under their typical conditions, though inevitably some have had date, race conditions and even venue changes to allow them fit into the new schedule.
“Apart from the three Group One races normally run on Guineas weekend, all other Group One races in Ireland will be run on their originally scheduled dates and venues.”