UK racing Thursday.

Good morning and weather permitting, we might have some racing today?
I am looking forward to Dubai tonight.

Fontwell: Chapoturgeon and Tarsus are the bankers.

Warwick: Ring the Boss and Oscar Jack should be the best bets.

In addition Kempton and Wolves tonight.

good punting!

Inglis Drever retired from racing

Inglis Drever failed to recover from a leg injury he suffered in November
Three-time World Hurdle winner Inglis Drever has been retired after failing to recover from a leg injury.

The 10-year-old had been entered for this year's race at Cheltenham but was withdrawn after a disappointing workout at the weekend.

"We decided on Saturday that he wasn't really interested in his racing any more," owner Graham Wylie said.

"We always knew that he would tell us when he wanted to be retired. That day has now come."


Inglis Drever made history at Cheltenham in March 2008 as he became the first horse to win the World Hurdle three times, having also triumphed in 2005 and 2007.

After suffering his injury at Newbury in November, he had been cleared to return to light work last week after a scan had showed his leg had completely healed.

Having collected almost £800,000 in prize money, his owner could only praise the gelding for his successful career.

606: COMMENT
Your tributes to Inglis Drever
"At the end of the day, he has won three World Hurdles and has been one of the greatest horses to have been around," Wylie added.

"Probably apart from Lord Transcend, Inglis Drever was the horse who got me seriously interested in racing. He instilled in me such a passion for the sport."

today's meeting at fontwell has been abandoned due to waterlogging

Vanilla Bally, who is trying to become the first Israeli-bred thoroughbred to win in Britain, runs at Wolverhampton today

Racemail revealed in September the unlikely sporting venture with a horse brought up as a family pet in the 90-degree heat and among the orange groves of her homeland.

Vanilla Bally’s debut has been delayed by a series of colds but trainer George Baker is now ready to test whether the winner of seven of her nine races in Israel, can cut it in Britain.

Paul Alster, the British-born spokesman for the Israeli Jockey Club who are behind the ambitious project, said: ‘She’s been a little held up due to a runny nose, a case of the frosty Warwickshire chill catching her out.

‘George has wrapped her up in four blankets as she still has her Israeli summer sheen and hasn’t managed to grow a winter coat. We’re excited at the prospect of her finally racing.’

Baker added: ‘The plan is to use a 0-60 handicap over one mile two furlongs at Wolverhampton on January 22 as her starting point.’

Owner Oren Sada, who drives a refuge truck near Tel Aviv, trained Vanilla Bally from his back yard. Although he has never travelled beyond Cyprus before, both he and Alster are expected to be at Wolverhampton.

Baker added: ‘We want to stress the multicultural nature of what is a real sporting challenge. In all Vanilla Bally’s races, she was ridden by Arab jockeys and, while there are a lot of Israelis following her progress, there are also a lot of Arabs interested, too.’