Blockley appeal dismissed

News/ TURF CLUB APPEAL: Paul Blockley has failed in his appeal against Wait Watcher's relegation to second in the Shelbourne Hotel Goffs Fillies Five Hundred.

Ridden by Tadgh O'Shea, Blockley's filly crossed the 9 to 4 favourite Silk Blossom, trained by Barry Hills, inside the final furlong at the Curragh on September 19th. The local stewards deemed the interference serious enough to revise the placings, but Blockley was incensed by the decision at the time and immediately stated his desire to appeal against the verdict.

With over €337,000 on offer to the winner and €102,000 to the second, the difference of nearly €250,000 meant Blockley felt it was worth fighting for.

Following a hearing of almost two hours, the appeals committee of the Turf Club agreed that interference had taken place and that it had improved the placing of Wait Watcher. It therefore dismissed the appeal.

CHAMPION RETURNS: Brave Inca is on target to make his autumn reappearance in the Maplewood Developments Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown on November 19th. Colm Murphy's star, winner of the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, took this two-mile contest last season when it was a Grade Two race. It has been promoted to Grade One status and will carry a total prize fund of €100,000, an increase of 30,000 on last year.

Murphy said yesterday: "Brave Inca is in great form and we are looking forward to getting him to Punchestown next month. The increase to the prize fund is fantastic and if he can do what he did for us last year, we will be more than happy!"

DETTORI DOUBLE: Frankie Dettori landed a 5 to 1 plus double on two horses that broke course records at Lingfield yesterday. Despite the wet conditions, Descartes smashed the best time for mile and a half by a full second, while Rainbow Promises bettered the six-furlong record on the Polytrack surface by half a second. The latter earned a 40 to 1 quote with the sponsors for the Stan James 1,000 Guineas with a winning debut in the six-furlong Book Your Christmas Party Here Maiden Fillies' Stakes.

As soon as Dettori took it up around the bend there was only one result and the Brian Meehan-trained 10 to 11 favourite sped away to score by five lengths from Laura's Best. Dettori said: "The trainer told me that she was very special and after that I cannot disagree with him."

The Italian completed his brace on Godolphin's Descartes in the NCP Space Proving Handicap. Dettori settled his mount well and made his challenge two furlongs to score on the 9 to 4 favourite by a length from Transvestite. Although having his first run for almost two years and just his second in all, the son of Dubai Millennium impressed with a time of two minutes 28.22 seconds. Ted Durcan was also in double-winning form, to the odds of more than 11 to 1, on Hephaestus and Grand Show.

SPORTMAN'S CLOSURE: Racing and sports betting newspaper The Sportsman has announced its closure with immediate effect. The publication became the first new daily national paper for 20 years when it launched on March 22nd this year. However, it went into administration in July and a relaunch to focus more on racing was made in a bid to increase circulation. But a statement issued last night read: "The Sportsman announces its closure on Thursday, October 5th. The administrators have decided not to continue printing as discussions to refinance the paper continued to be at a stalemate."