HOOF PRINTS
RACEHORSE trainer Ivan Furtado has been fined £2,000 after two of his horses ran in the wrong races at Southwell on January 14.
The confusion, put down to human error, was discovered after one of the pair underwent a random post-race dope test.
African Trader ran in the race that should have featured stablemate Scribner Creek and vice versa, despite new scanning procedures brought into place following a similar case at Yarmouth in the summer.
Both horses were having their first runs for Furtado.
African Trader dead-heated for seventh, while Scribner Creek was third. Both were subsequently disqualified.
CRIQUETTE Head-Maarek, the first female trainer to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (with Three Troikas in 1979) and arguably the most successful trainer of her sex in the world, could not bow out with a winner on her final day with a licence.
Her last two runners at her local track, Chantilly – Monsieur Enzo and Damanda’s Dream – finished fourth and last respectively.
Among her successes in a host of Group races around the world were her four successes in Britain’s 1000 Guineas.
The popular trainer from the great Head racing dynasty in France announced last month that she was calling time on a career that lasted 40 years.
PHIL KIRBY is trying to contain his excitement ahead of Lady Buttons’ appearance at the first Dublin Racing Festival on Sunday.
The versatile eight-year-old runs in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle worth €75,000, having already shaped well in Ireland this season behind Let’s Dance.
“I’m looking forward to it, I think she’s fairly handicapped and must be going there with a decent chance,” said the North Yorkshire trainer.
“It’s a €75,000 handicap, it’s nearly worth as much as the mares’ novices’ at Cheltenham. A similar race in England might only be worth 10 to 15 grand.”