Golden deal for Irish National

The Irish Grand National will now be known as the Powers Gold Label Irish Grand National after the announcement by Irish Distillers of a multi-million pound sponsorship deal.

The company have agreed to sponsor the race until the year 2012 and their financial support for the Fairyhouse track will result in the new stand there being known as the Powers Gold Label stand.

The increased Irish Distillers involvement will also result in an eight-race handicap hurdle series with a final on Easter Tuesday as well as continued support of their point-to-point series.

A new step in that series is that a £250,000 bonus is on offer for any horse that wins the point-to-point series final and then goes on to win the Irish Grand National within two years.

The Irish Horseracing Authority chairman Denis Brosnan commented: "The unique continual commitment by Irish Distillers to National Hunt racing can do nothing but good for the industry, coupled with the facilities that are being developed at racecourses around Ireland."

Champion jockey Tony McCoy, injured in a fall at Plumpton on Monday, gave up his rides at Hereford yesterday but will be back in action tomorrow. Lorcan Wyer was another jockey in the wars on Monday, taking a heavy fall at Newcastle, and he, too, gave up his rides yesterday.

Stage Affair, who lost his unbeaten record over hurdles when beaten by Moscow Flyer in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse last month, will reappear in the AIG Europe Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on January 23rd.

Owner Robert Sinclair said yesterday: "I have had a chat with trainer Dermot Weld and we have decided to miss the Leopardstown Christmas meeting and to concentrate on the big race in January.

"I am hopeful that Stage Affair will prove good enough to be aimed for the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham but this is up to the trainer."

McCoy, who has ridden Stage Affair in his recent races, will continue their association at Leopardstown.

Today's National Hunt meeting at Catterick hinges on a precautionary inspection at 7 a.m. After walking the course yesterday, racecourse manager John Gundill found frost in parts of the ground and says prospects are not good.

Today's meeting at Bangor was abandoned yesterday after an 11 a.m. inspection found the course to be in an unracecable condition. Clerk of the course Michael Webster said: "The meeting has had to be abandoned as the course is waterlogged."