Your Oxford
Get involved: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting 'OXFORD NEWS' to 80360 or email »
RACING: Morrison has hopes of Stimulation
2:22pm Wednesday 30th April 2008
East Ilsley trainer Hughie Morrison is hopeful Stimulation can improve enough to take a hand in the stanjamesuk.com 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday.
The Choisir colt developed into a lively outsider at around 20-1 when getting up close home to beat Fat Boy over seven furlongs of the Rowley Mile two weeks ago.
"He's done everything we have wanted him to do and we just hope he can improve significantly enough to feature at the business end of the racing," said Morrison.
"We hope the extra furlong is going to help. If anything,m we think he will improve for the trip which is what he needs to do "He will need to improve by one stone. If we get 10lb improvement that would be fantastic. We're realistic about his chances."
Moynahan has not been seen since winning a hot maiden at York last August for Paul Cole's Whatcombe yard, but the 50-1 shot is set to take his chance.
The trainer said: "The trip should be no problem and I think he needs it to be honest. He seems to be in great form and has strengthened up over the winter, so we will just have to see how he copes in this grade.
West Ilsley trainer Mick Channon gave Nahoodh the go-ahead to tackle the stanjamesuk.com 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on Sunday after getting the better of fellow Guineas hope Nijoom Dubai on Tuesday morning.
Channon said: "I was delighted with the work and Nahoodh is set to run. She's come on well since the Fred Darling, but I'm still very worried about soft ground."
Meanwhile, Wantage trainer Henry Candy has the Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp on Arc day in mind as a long-term target for Corrybrough after the promising sprinter scored at Sandown.
The three-year-old forged clear to take the same five-furlong handicap his sire Kyllachy, who was also owned by Thurloe Thoroughbreds, had won in 2001.
Corrybrough had two lengths to spare over Chartist at the line, and now Candy is hoping he may go some way to emulating his sire, who won the Nunthorpe at York as a four-year-old.
However, the Kingstone Warren handler doesn't intend to rush the colt, as he plans to run him more in the second half of this campaign and next year.
Cole was among the winners on the same card when General Elliott made it two wins from as many starts with victory in the one-mile conditions stakes.
The three-year-old beat Charm School by three-quarters of a length.
Editor's choice
Early taste of Christmas wine
This week is The Oxford Times Wine Club Christmas Tasting and, with just four weeks to go until Christmas Day, it is an excellent opportunity to sample a specially-selected range of wines for the festive season.
The Mole and Chicken, Easington, near Thame
One of the pictures on this page gives a good impression of the delights to be enjoyed at the Mole and Chicken on one of those sunny days that now seem as far as can be from our present situation.
Imagine This: New London Theatre
I had trouble shifting my +1 for the musical Imagine This, which opened last week at the New London Theatre. No-one was interested (one German friend would have come, but funnily enough I hadn’t thought to ask him), and while nobody actually said, “Sounds like a gas”, there were plenty of unprintable responses, averaging out at: “Holocaust – the musical? Um, no thanks . . . ”
Hansel and Gretel: Oxfordshire Touring Theatre Company
Another winter rolls in and, to cheer our spirits, Oxfordshire Touring Theatre Company travel hither and yon through the county with colour, music and fun trailing in their wake. For those of us who live in villages these harbingers of the festive season are a welcome sight.
United job is proving a big draw
Applications to be the next manager of Oxford United have been pouring in.
In this section
Sponsored Links
Local Advertisers
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
