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Talking Horses: Kevin Manning hopes to splash out on Fiscal Rules


At 53, Kevin Manning has been going a lot longer than the men with whom he shares the weigh rooms of Ireland but the suggestion of retirement gets short shrift just the same. “It feels no different to me now than it did 25 years ago,” Manning said on Friday, after a session in the sauna followed by a run.

He may be the envy of his younger colleagues on Saturday evening, when he partners Fiscal Rules (7.15) in the Irish Derby for his long-time employer Jim Bolger, also his father‑in-law. Both men described it as the crowning moment of their careers when they won this race seven years ago with Trading Leather but they have a fine chance to do so again with this lightly raced colt, a running-on fifth behind Siskin in the Guineas a fortnight ago.

Beaten a head by Wichita on his only previous start, Fiscal Rules appeals at 7-1 against Santiago, who raced just last week at Ascot and meets a much drier surface this time. “I’m hopeful,” says the reserved Manning. “It’d be fantastic to do it again.

Punters are still not allowed access to tracks when racing is on but, at least for Derby day, it will be possible to enter a racecourse to watch the action elsewhere. That is the result of some inventive thinking by -officials at -Newbury, which plans to turn its -paddock into a beer garden next -weekend and show the racing from Epsom on its big screens.

The event, which will stretch into the evening with two Premier League football games, proved rather more of a hit than organisers expected. Within 45 minutes of its first mention through social media, all available spots had been reserved.

An announcement of the event through Twitter met with some exasperation from people, including a couple of racecourse bookmakers, who are evidently keen for crowds to be allowed back to witness live racing. Newbury’s Harriet Collins responded: “This event is totally in line with government guidelines. But the guidelines don’t allow spectators at elite sports venues.

“We weren’t sure it if would be popular but a racecourse can offer a safe space in which to do something like this. We’ve had racing behind closed doors already, so we have various procedures and flow systems in place.”

Attendance will be limited to 300 people, who will be served as they sit in their groups around the paddock area. The event is due to run for nine hours from 1pm on Saturday but Collins said it would be divided into two sessions and it was not expected that many would want to stay for both. Chris Cook

“It mightn’t look the highest-quality race but there’s no easy Derby. They always take plenty of winning.”

Manning would become the oldest winning jockey in the modern history of the Irish Derby. The post-war record is held by Morny Wing, who was 49 when achieving his sixth success in the race, aboard Bright News in 1946.

Viewers in Britain can see the Irish Derby through RacingTV, while ITV will screen a busy afternoon’s action.

1.50 Newcastle It’s three years since Major Jumbo last tried this surface but he remains one of just two course winners in the field for the Chipchase and has made a lot of progress on turf since then. Kevin Ryan’s grey did well to be third in the Palace House on his return.

2.05 Newmarket Boccaccio is likely to be a warm order but his rating looks stiff enough. Raatea is not so well related but he put in a good performance to land a Kempton maiden a fortnight ago, looking as though his winter break and a gelding operation had helped.

2.25 Newcastle Only a couple of pounds higher than when he scored here in January, Venturous could be a lively outsider. He improved for his reappearance when second at Haydock on Wednesday and the chestnut could get a good tow into this race from his 11 rivals.

Redcar 12.00 Rishworthian 12.30 Nearly A Gonna 1.05 Northern Queen 1.40 Highly Dancer 2.15 Global Exceed (nb) 2.50 Siglo Six 3.25 Manzo Duro 4.00 Bal Mal 4.35 Swiss Connection

Newcastle 12.15 Tilsit 12.45 Toussarok 1.15 Glen Shiel 1.50 Major Jumbo 2.25 Venturous 3.00 Virgin Snow 3.35 Australis (nap) 4.10 Al Kout 4.40 Junior’s Dream

Newmarket 1.30 Breath Of Air 2.05 Raatea 2.40 On The Warpath 3.15 Volkan Star 3.50 Nugget 4.25 Perfect Inch 5.00 Moomba 5.35 Delta’s Royalty 

Lingfield 4.20 Different Face 4.55 Wine Flight 5.25 Absolutio 5.55 Baby Steps 6.30 Juanito Chico 7.00 Le Reveur 7.30 Warrior Display 8.00 Helian

2.40 Newmarket The form book suggests that Mubtasim is the better of Charlie Appleby’s two runners in this Criterion but the year-younger On The Warpath is open to greater improvement, having been seen just once in the past 13 months. He showed plenty of pace to beat Summerghand by three lengths here on his most recent outing in England.

3.00 Newcastle Three-year-olds have been regular winners of the Hoppings Stakes and Virgin Snow, the only runner of that age, is interesting. She is the second foal out of the dual Oaks winner Snow Fairy and her Haydock win recently showed she is improving as one would expect for time and distance.

3.15 Newmarket Gelded over the winter, Volkan Star made a promising comeback second at this level three weeks ago. He is going to improve for another quarter-mile but this looks within his compass.

3.35 Newcastle It’s a pity to see the Northumberland Plate run for £24,000, half what Carnwennan received for winning the consolation race last year. But a strong field has assembled just the same and Australis looks the pick of them. An impressive specimen, Roger Varian’s four-year-old has plenty more to offer at this distance, judging by the way he powered through the line at Wolverhampton three weeks ago. Caravan Of Hope had travelled more strongly but could not live with Australis at the end and it may be a similar story here.



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