The handful of racegoers who stayed behind after racing at Doncaster on Saturday were treated to a good display of Cheltenham and Aintree contenders.

The star attraction was Tidal Bay, recovering from injury, who had a half speed spin over 1½ miles on the flat then popped a couple of fences in the dwindling light.

Trainer Howard Johnson said he was pleased with the workout but was still to decide whether to go for the Ryanair or Queen Mother.

Hurricane Fly has been ruled out of the Cheltenham Festival, following an injury.

Trainer Wilie Mullins said: "Hurricane Fly will not run, he hasn't made enough progress."

"He went to to the vets yesterday. After riding him out Paul Townend, who rides him all the time, wasn't happy with his progress and neither was I.

"It is disappointing but the hardest thing with a splint is the timing of it and it has come so close to Cheltenham, but he should recover totally from it and we look forward to going to Punchestown with him."

Jockey Jacqueline Coward is badly concussed but stable in a Middlesburgh hospital after suffering a crashing fall in the Home-Tek Lady Riders' Selling Handicap Hurdle at Catterick.

Coward was riding Ras Laffan in the contest before being unseated at one of the flights in the straight.

Coward had reportedly been drifting in and out of consciousness before the air ambulance arrived.

Clerk of the course Fiona Needham said on Tuesday evening, "She's quite badly concussed and has dislocated her shoulder, but she is stable. She is going to be OK, which is the main thing."

Lough Derg put up yet another battling performance to win the National Sprint Hurdle for the second year running at Fontwell.

There were four in line over the final flight but Lough Derg, who seems to relish a battle, put his red blinkered head in front to defeat Pierott Lunaire by 1½ lengths.

Jockey Tom Scudamore, who adores the nine-year-old said, "He's a freak, he takes his racing, he needs it. He just loves life.

"The crowd were great, he has become very popular. Even at Ascot when he was second he got a bigger cheer than the winner.

"He reminds me of a Kenyan distance runner who runs a marathon and after a quick drink of water they are ready to go again.”

Endless Power winner of the Grand Sefton over the Aintree fences in November has died after fracturing his pelvis at Kempton on Saturday.

Jim Goldie's stable star was pulled up before the fourth-last in the Racing Post Chase and died just hours after the race.

A stable spokeswoman said: "He fractured his pelvis in the race.

"There were complications afterwards and we tried our best to save him.

"Unfortunately, he passed away last night before we even got the chance to put him down."

Following the problems with last years on-course Grand National commentary, Racetech are to use three commentators to cover the Aintree feature for the first time.

Champion jockey Tony McCoy was once again at his imperious best in taking the Racing Post Case on Nacarat at Kempton on Saturday.

McCoy rode a front running performance on the Tom George trained gelding, with none of his rivals getting in any sort of serious challenge.

Possol come home second nine lengths behind the winner, whilst the favourite Big Fella Thanks only managed to finish third.

The £2.75 million Scoop6 bonus was not won following Nacarat's win in the Racing Post Chase on Saturday.

A mystery punter from Suffolk had pledged to donate the £2,755,923 pot to The Royal British Legion had he won.

Speaking through the Tote he said, "I desperately wanted to win the bonus race for the Royal British Legion but it wasn't to be and I would like to extend my thanks to the Tote for their efforts this week.

"Nevertheless, I am delighted to donate £200,000 to the Legion and will be back to have a crack at the Scoop6 next weekend!"

The Tote also placed a £1,000 bet on the winner of the race, and with the winner sent off at 10-1 the Legion received an additional £11,000.

Sam Thomas will ride Denman in the Cheltenham Gold Cup on 13th March. There had been intense speculation as to who would ride the defending champion but the speculation has now been ended. Trainer Paul Nicholls has all but concede Denman has little chance of retaining his title.

Paul Nicholls has expressed confidence in Kauto Star, saying he thinks he is the “one to beat” in the Cheltenham feature.

He was also bullish about the chances of his other live contender, Neptune Collonges, who has won three Grade Ones in Ireland and almost denied Kauto Star the runners up spot last year.
Nicholls said, "He is right in the mix in the Gold Cup and wasn't beaten far last year, although he did have the race run to suit.

"He only has to improve a couple of lengths on last year."

There were no surprises in the latest round of entries for the "second tier" races at the Cheltenham festival.

For more information please visit our Cheltenham News page.

As a consequence of the recent bad weather Cheltenham, in agreement with the BHA, have extended the deadline for entries for the Christie's Foxhunters Chase.

The race was originally suppose to close on February 24th, but will now close on March 3rd. The qualification dates will move from February 23rd to March 2nd.

To qualify to run in the race, horses must, since December 2006, have been placed first or second on two occasions in Hunter Chases or have won two Open Chases at Point-to-Point Meetings, or have won one Open Chase at a Point-to-Point and finished first or second in a Hunter Chase.

So far this year nine Point-to-Point meetings and seven Hunter Chases have been lost to the weather. The additional week that has been granted should see ten Point-to-Point meetings and four Hunter Chases being run allowing extra opportunities for potential runners to qualify.

Paul Nicholls Neptune Collonges was the easy winner of the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Sunday, giving the trainer a strong hand in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Nicholls now has the top three in the betting with favourite Kauto Star (7/4) plus last years winner Denman (5/1) joined on the same price by Neptune Collonges, who was third in the big race last year.

Sunday's runner up, Welsh National winner Notre Pere, has seen his price halved for the Cheltenham blue riband, with layers now going a general 16/1.

Elsewhere at Leopardstown, last years Champion Bumper winner Cousin Vinny was a final flight faller in the Delloite Novice Hurdle, nonetheless layers have still cut his price for the Supreme Novices' from 9/2 to 7/2.

Cooldine battled bravely to take the Dr P J Moriarty Chase on the same card and has now been cut to 5/1 favourite for the RSA Chase.

The favourite for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, Hurricane Fly, will miss Sunday's Deloitte Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown after being found to be lame.

The five-year-old, who is also a best-priced 10-1 for the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle, was looking for a hat-trick of Grade 1 wins in Sunday's contest.

Trainer Willie Mullins, speaking on Sunday morning, said, "He was found to be lame last night and as he wasn't any better this morning, he won't be running today.

"We think it is just a foot problem which, hopefully, will clear up in a few days. Hopefully he will be OK in his Cheltenham preparations and will have him checked out by vets later today."

Saturday’s action proved to be a good indicator for the Cheltenham festival with top class action at three venues.

At Ascot, Voy Por Ustedes went to the top of the Ryanair betting with a convincing win in the Betfair Ascot Chase. Going into the contest there were doubts as to the 2m 5f distance as well as acting on the heavy going. Both doubts were put to rest with, arguably, his best performance to date.

Earlier on Carruthers ran a convincing performance in the Reynoldstown, with a pillar to post victory beating the highly rated Breedsbreeze who fell at the last. Despite the fall Carruthers would still have won easily. As a result Carruthers has been cut from 14’s to 7’s for the Royal and Sun Alliance Chase.

Meanwhile at Haydock, French raider Kasbah Bliss sluiced through the mud in the Rendlesham and consolidated his position at the head of the World Hurdle betting, now a best available 7/4. Runner up in 2008, without his nemesis Inglis Drever in the line up he must be in with a good chance of winning the big one, although Punchestowns will make sure he knows he has a race.

Down at Wincanton Ashkazar was cut for the Champion Hurdle after taking the Kingwell Hurdle, beating the highly rated Punjabi in the process.  

The BHA have announced the transfer of another five fixtures from Great Leighs, which went into administration in January.

February 22 - Lingfield
February 26 - Wolverhampton
March 2 - Lingfield
March 5 - Wolverhampton
March 12 - Kempton.

The BHA have issued charges against Fergal Lynch, Darren Williams and Karl Burke after concluding its review of the evidence obtained following the trial into alleged race-fixing at the Old Bailey.

All three face charges concerning their relationships with Miles Rodgers and whether they supplied him with inside information over 12 races in 2004.

Lynch and Williams are also accused of failing to supply information requested by the BHA team while Lynch is also charged with betting via Rodgers and stopping a horse from running on its merits.

Burke faces additional accusations that he misled a BHA official and did not supply necessary information.

Commenting on why Kieren Fallon has not also been charged, Paul Struthers of the BHA said, "Kieren Fallon fully co-operated throughout the investigation into his behaviour, unlike Fergal Lynch and Darren Williams.

"He admitted that he had behaved contrary to the rules, unlike those charged today and he was serving a worldwide suspension that runs until September 2009, so any additional penalty he might have received would have been negligible, which doesn't apply to anyone charged today.

"Moreover, the charges in this case are more wide-ranging."

Today is the first forefeit stage for some of the big races at the festival. Some of the withdrawals were expected, such as Noland and Joe Lively.

Both Kauto Star and Denman hold their ground in the Gold Cup.

The scratching's are as follows:-

Gold Cup: An Accordion, Cane Brake, Finger Onthe Pulse, Gungadu, Joe Lively, Mister Top Notch, Or Noir De Somoza, Slim Pickings, Tidal Bay, Trabolgan

Champion Hurdle: Afsoun, Aigle D'Or, Aitmatov, Rippling Ring, Silent Oscar

Queen Mother Champion Chase: Andreas, Fiepes Shuffle, I'm So Lucky, J'Y Vole, Killaghy Castle, Medicinal, Natal, Noland, Or Noir De Somoza

Ryanair Chase: Araldur, Finger Onthe Pulse, Glenfinn Captain, J'Y Vole, Killaghy Castle, Natal, Noland, Or Noir De Somoza, Rubberdubber, Sky's The Limit, Slim Pickings, Twist Magic, Vic Venturi.

World Hurdle: Afrad, Aigle d'Or, Blue Shark, Brave Inca, Gaspara, Inglis Drever, Johnnie Dillinger, Kazal, Nicanor, Temoin, Tidal Bay and United

The weights for the 2009 John Smith's Grand National have been published.

With the defection of ante-post favourite Denman the BHA handicapper, Phil Smith, has allocated the top weight of 11-10 to Exotic Dancer, winner of the Lexus at Leopardstown last time out.

The conqueror of Denman last weekend, Madison Du Berlais, has been given 11-8.

Last year's winner Comply Or Die has been given 10-12, 3lbs more than he carried last year, whilst the 2007 winner Silver Birch carries 10-6, the same weight he carried to victory.

Recent course winners Black Apalachi and Endless Power have been allocated 10-11 and 10-3 respectively.

61 of the 120 entries are in the handicap for the £900,000 event which will be staged at Aintree on 4th April.

For the full entries and weights click here

Perennial champion jockey AP McCoy has finally achieved 3,000 National Hunt winners.

He reached the milestone, which a generation ago would have been thought impossible, on the Nicky Henderson trained Restless D’artaix in appalling conditions at Plumpton.

The bad weather has thwarted is attempt for the last week or so and it came as some relief when the East Sussex course passed an inspection in the morning. He had been stuck on 2,998 winners for 11 days.

He had four rides the first of which comprehensively beaten. There were no such problems on his second ride, Hello Moscow, a contest where he had to fight for victory.

It looked as though he would achieve the record in the following race when he approached the final flight five lengths clear of his rivals. Only for Miss Sarenne to get the jumping all wrong and take a heavy fall. Luckily both horse and rider walked away.

Ante-post favourite Denman has been withdrawn from the Grand National following his disappointing performance at Kempton on Saturday.

Trainer Paul Nicholls says he will be aimed, solely, at defending his Cheltenham title.

The two all weather evening meetings planned for next Wednesday and Thursday at Kempton will now be afternoon meetings, to take account of the ongoing threat to turf meetings from the weather.

Wednesday's meeting will commence at 2:05 and Thursday's 2:20.

Friday night's meeting at Wolverhampton has now been bought forward for an afternoon start, first race 2:25.

Joe Lively, who finished a disappointing fifth in Levy Board Chase, is out for the rest of the season.

He damaged a tendon in the Kempton race, which means he will be out of action for some considerable time and will miss the Gold Cup at his favoured Cheltenham. He is currently being treated by vets.

Denman suffered his first defeat over the larger obstacles as he came home second, beaten a comprehensive 23 lengths in the Levy Board Chase at Kempton on Saturday.

David Pipe's Madison Du Berlais inflicted the defeat in what was a disappointing performance following a 330 day lay off, during which time last year's Gold Cup hero has received treatment for an irregular heartbeat.

The defeat saw his price for the Gold Cup, in a shade over four weeks time, drift out to 4/1, with his stable mate Kauto Star being cut to 6/4 favouritism.

A number of offers have been made to purchase Great Leighs racecourse and these will be considered by the administrators over the weekend with the aim of developing a shortlist of preferred bidders.

Detailed negotiations will then take place with the preferred bidders. The list will also be discussed with the BHA to highlight any potential licensing issues.

A spokesman for Deloitte's, one of the administrators, said, "We remain hopeful that a sale of the business and the granting of a full licence to new owners can be achieved, allowing the new owners to stage the remaining 2009 fixtures as soon as possible."

Noland, joint-favourite for the Ryanair Chase at The Festival, is out for the season.

The seven-year-old pulled up sore after working on Thursday. After examination It was discovered the 2006 Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner had suffered a recurrence of an old leg injury.

The gelding was last seen in action at last December, when winning the John Durkan at Punchestown.

The Aon Chase, lost when Saturday's meeting at Newbury was Cancelled, may well be saved.

Kempton Park will, weather permitting, stage Fridays planned fixture on Saturday and the Aon Chase will be added to this card, now called the Levy Board Chase.

However the meeting will need to pass an 08:00 inspection.

THE BHA have announced the venues for the first three additional jumps meetings to be staged following the recent abandonment's.

Fontwell will host a meeting on February 6th, whilst Catterick will race on February 13th with Hereford on Sunday 15th.

The next four fixtures scheduled for Great Leighs have also been transferred. Wolverhampton will stage this coming Thursday's meeting, Kempton on February 12th, Southwell the 15th fixture and Kempton on the 19th.