Weekend round-up

Testing conditions at Leopardstown placed a premium on stamina in the Irish Champion Hurdle earlier today and the remarkable Brave Inca (11/4) collected the spoils at the grand old age of eleven. 2/1 favourite Sublimity proved a major disappointment, trailing in fourth. In an interview on Radio Five Live beforehand trainer Robert Hennessy was particularly bullish about his charge's chances but after the race connections reported the horse had scoped dirty.

Nicky Henderson decided not to run Barbers Shop in the Letheby & Christopher Chase at Cheltenham yesterday on account of the heavy ground. The Aon Chase at Newbury is being considered as an alternative; if the horse goes there, he's likely to bump into Denman. Teletext report that Henderson wasn't too downhearted following Punchestowns' defeat in the Cleeve Hurdle. Punchestowns failed by four lengths to concede eight pounds to Paul Nicholls' Big Buck's. The report implied the trainer had 'left something to work on'.

Here's a question - will the Tizzards enter Joe Lively for the Gold Cup?

Diamond Harry maintained his unbeaten run by taking the opener but he only just got there and looks a jolly tricky ride. The Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle is his Festival target; Ladbrokes offer a miserly-looking 3/1 about the horse for that race.

Over at Doncaster Malcolm Jefferson's Cape Tribulation ran out an impressive winner of the three mile Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle. His cause was helped somewhat by the fall of 11/10 favourite On Raglan Road as they entered the home straight for the final time. Cape Tribulation may have won anyway but the fall came too early to say anything with any certainty. In the winner's enclosure afterwards Derek Thompson asked the trainer for a comment and was promptly pointed in the direction of the jockey! Connections are now considering Cheltenham, Aintree and some high profile Flat races too.

Channel Four televised a bumper live for the first time on Saturday, the concluding race at Doncaster. As the runners waited for the off, Tommo informed viewers that 50/1 shot Switched Off looked very well in the paddock; the horse ran a blinder, going down one and a quarter lengths to 66/1 chance Par Avion. You're unlikely to see those fancy prices the next time they run!

Both of my regular readers will recall the anguish suffered in the Tips' household over a year ago when the BBC announced its decision to axe major parts of the Ceefax racing service. Even the Prime Minister offered me his support. Eventually I migrated to Teletext on Channel Four but, occasionally, when feeling nostalgic, I check out the racing pages on Ceefax, for old times' sake. Obviously the service doesn't compare, but imagine my horror last Thursday when the second of the two(!) reported stories discussed what action Mark Hughes was going to take after Robinho had gone AWOL from Manchester City's training camp in Tenerife. Just where has it all gone wrong? For those who might happen to be wondering, the lead story on the Ceefax racing pages last Thursday night was 'Red Rum wins third National'.

'Statto' is bust...

It would appear that it's not just Derren Brown who has been performing racing illusions recently. The BBC's betting expert, Angus 'Statto' Loughran, has been declared bankrupt.

I can hardly believe it. Is anything ever as it seems? With this news following on from the demise of the Ceefax racing service, can anyone tell us what is going on in the BBC's racing department?

Trials' verdict and other matters

While Jeremy Paxman concerns himself with trials of Marks & Spencer's underpants, the rest of us are more concerned with the results of yesterday's trials at Cheltenham. Inglis Drever's victory marks him out as potential banker material for the Festival. Franchoek (4/1) rightly heads the Triumph market and you'd assume there was more to come from Aigle D'or. Maljimar won impressively but both Patman Du Charmil and Nacarat went hell for leather up front and that looked to set the race up for something coming from behind. It's academic in any case as trainer Nick Williams has said he intends to send Maljimar to Newbury on March 1st.

On Friday Kieren Fallon was banned from riding worldwide for a period of eighteen months. His split with Coolmore was announced quickly afterwards. Fallon has lodged an appeal, publicly stating that this is not the end of his career and that he will return to race-riding.

It's somewhat ironic that a guy called Ben Gallop should have to explain the BBC's decision to withdraw several aspects of its Ceefax racing service. Over the past few months I've manged to steadily wean myself off - I think I can live without it now.

I'm acutely aware of the dearth of winners provided by this blog over the past few weeks. In a desperate attempt to address this troublesome situation I shall be watching a programme entitled 'Derren Brown: The System' which Channel Four is broadcasting this coming Friday, February 1st, at 9.00 pm. Quoting from the TV schedule in front of me: '"Is it possible," wonders Brown, "to predict every time which horse will win?"' If it is, I'll pass on the details here.

Finally, I'd hardly describe myself as the most romatic of souls but, with Valentine's Day just around the corner, the Weekender's recent offer of 15 words for a tenner looked tempting. I mulled it over but reasoned that Mrs Tips never reads the Weekender anyway, so I stuffed the money on Blazing Bailey at Cheltenham yesterday. Some you win and...

Weekend round-up

Haydock fell to the weather but there was drama aplenty at Ascot with Twist Magic beaten soundly by Tamarinbleu. Paul Nicholls blamed the heavy ground while Teletext reported that jockey Ruby Walsh told the trainer after the race TM would win the Champion Chase on decent ground.

Tamarinbleu's performance reminded me somewhat of Lough Derg's front running exploits when taking the Long Walk Hurdle last month. A David Pipe trained outsider at Ascot, ridden from the front by Tom Scudamore, gallops his rivals into submission to secure a big prize - could this be the beginning of a trend?

I know many heathens don't understand horse racing's appeal but the graphic pictures the BBC transmitted, after the race, of Nigel Twiston-Davies urging Mahogany Blaze to the line spoke volumes. The horse was collared in the shadow of the post by Nick Gifford's Wee Robbie; Twiston-Davies, literally quivering, practically rode the finish himself. That's why we do it, for the sheer damn excitement of it all.

As has been widely reported, Tony McCoy is on the mend following an operation on his back earlier in the week. He remains confident he'll be riding at the Cheltenham Festival. I dare say he'll be aiming to return before then in order to build up his physical fitness.

The abandonment of Haydock meant there was no Scoop6 this weekend, but I'm sure it remains a mystery to many punters why, when racing is taking place on a Saturday, they can't have a Scoop6 bet.

The BBC's Ceefax racing service is suffering death by a thousand cuts. The Teletext service is now far more comprehensive, although I've found the RSS feed provided by the site flaky on occasions.

Ceefax D-day

Today the BBC has announced that its revised Ceefax racing service will start on January 28th 2008. The reduced service will not include course news or declarations. We've known this was coming for some time now, and I know that at some stage I'm going to be dragged kicking and screaming into the digital televsion age, but even Mrs Tips feels the pain on this one. Every evening in our house there's a fifteen minute ritual where Ceefax pages displaying the runners and riders at tomorrow's meetings are allowed to scroll on screen, with use of the remote control 'hold' facility strictly forbidden. Family members pass comments on interesting runners and favourite horses; I suppose, for the time being, we're going to have to bite the bullet and migrate to Channel 4's Teletext service...

PG miffed...

News of my displeasure at the BBC's decision to withdraw its Ceefax racing service appears to have created a bit of a stir. So much so that it's been reported on the Ceefax cricket pages...

Thirty short minutes later and, quite rightly in my opinion, the PM appears to have got involved...

Ceefax racing service to be axed

Sometimes it feels like I'm the only one who hasn't subscribed to Sky. I've been holding out but there comes a point when you have to throw in the towel and admit Mr Murdoch has won. I think, right now, I'm getting pretty close to that point.

Take today, for example. BBC Two are offering cycling, MotoGP, eventing from Italy and the highlights of a 5k road race. In addition the aforementioned broadcaster informs me that it has bought the rights to American Football.

The final straw has come with the news, reported in The Daily Mail, that the BBC is to axe its Ceefax racing service at the end of the year. I simply can't believe this. I spend most Sunday afternoons watching Ceefax live betting shows, a distraction from the surrounding mayhem of the Tips' family household. What am I to do now? This preposterous decision indicates the BBC can no longer claim to be a 'socially responsible' broadcaster.