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The Captain's log: Hugh Bonneville has his first runner at Ascot and Mark Johnston is quiet on Sheik Mohammed

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Actor Hugh Bonneville, best known for playing Lord Grantham in Downton Abbey, has his first runner as an owner on Friday evening at Ascot.

Bonneville has joined the Highclere Thoroughbred syndicate run by Harry Herbert and based at Highclere Castle where Downton Abbey is filmed.

Bonneville will not be at Ascot but expectations are high for his Richard Hannon-trained filly Oriel.

First timer: Hugh Bonneville's horse Oriel will run on Friday evening at Ascot

The daughter of Australian sire Fastnet Rock, who cost 60,000gns, is regarded as one of the fastest two-year-olds in the talent-packed Hannon stable and it will a big disappointment if she does not prove Royal Ascot material.

Bonneville’s syndicate also have a two-year-old called Gothic, a 135,000gn son of Danehill Dancer, in training with Sir Michael Stoute.   

 

Trainer and vet Mark Johnston – normally the person to go to when issues like the anabolic steroid scandal that has engulfed Godolphin trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni surface – has been notably silent on the matter.

That’s a consequence of the son of Sheik Mohammed being by far the biggest owner in Johnston’s Yorkshire stable.

Mouth shut: Mark Johnston has kept rather quiet when it has come to Sheik Mohammed's drugs case

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But in his monthly Kingsley Klarion stable magazine, he has touched upon the 2008 spat when Peter Moody, the trainer of Black Caviar, who took issue with comments Johnston made on the use of drugs on horses in Australia ahead of the now annual challenge of their sprinters at Royal Ascot.

On the wider issue of Anabolic Steroid use Down Under, Johnston’s views do not seem to have changed. 

He writes: ‘We all, or most of us, want to encourage international competition at the highest level and we want to encourage it in Britain but it is difficult to see how we can turn a blind eye to dug use on visiting horses which, if admitted  by a home-based trainer, could result in a lengthy ban.

‘As I understand it, trainers of visiting horses to Royal Ascot are now required to sign a declaration to the effect that the horse has not been given anabolics but I have not seen what that declaration says.

‘I am left wondering if all visiting trainers who sign such a declaration are really are really taking it seriously as it seems to be at odds with the information now coming out of Australia which confirms that anabolic steroid use is widespread as close as one month before racing.’   

As a BHA  board member, Johnson will have an opportunity to add his support to the position of chief executive Paul Bittar who is pressing for a uniform global agreement of drug and medication use in horseracing.

 

Chester has not had much luck with the weather this week with racegoers having to spend as much time sheltering from the rain as watching the racing.

But annual visitors to the unique Cheshire track, which employs 200 people, have once again seen the pioneering entrepreneurial spirit under chief executive Richard Thomas which has once again seen fresh developments.

Drawing in the crowds: The Manchester United team were at the Chester races this week

Chester, whose on-site betting system replaced the Tote last year, already boasts an on-site hotel, run in partnership with Holiday Inn, the Weighing Room restaurant within the city and its grandstand ‘1539’ restaurant which opens daily.

Now there is the White Horse gastro pub which was opened three weeks ago on the inside of the track.

It boasts its own dedicated car park, childrens’ play area and Thomas is planning to convert the adjacent stabling – where runners are prepared on racedays – into dry play areas for kids when the weather drives them indoors.

Over Christmas, the paddock will be transformed into an ice rink as Thomas aims to attract 200,000 visitors over a six-week period to the track’s winter fair.

 

In recent seasons, Kent trainer John Best has been unable to match his excellent record  of the last decade. He has just two winners and £9,140 in prizemoney this season.

Continental: Trainer John Best has had more success in France recently than England

But that is not the whole story. Utilising his geographical proximity to France, Best has been sending runners to compete across the Channel with recent forays producing a win courtesy of Le Deluge under Christophe Soumillon on Chantilly’s all-weather track.

With that win and 11 places from 18 starts with his French runners, Best’s French raids have picked up 65,000 euros.

 

To commemorate her 25th win and subsequent retirement Down Under, the Royal Australian Mint have produced a Black Caviar coin while a new special stamp will be released by the Australian Post on Saturday.

One of a kind: Black Caviar is now to get his own coin to commemorate his 25 victories in a row

  More... Ruler of the World romps to Chester Vase success to give O'Brien Derby cheer Owen tips Fergie a winner and hopes his former boss will put a horse in his stables All the top tips and best bets for Friday, May 10 Godolphin ready for return to action as Bin Suroor takes charge of Newmarket stable





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