Three To Follow At The Festival Today
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Your support makes all the difference.Material World
The 10-year-old, with Sussex-based Suzy Smith, lost her left eye as a five-year-old after a freak accident, when she fell after jumping sideways during a training gallop to avoid an oncoming (trespassing) jogger. Despite her disability, the mare known as Daisy at home has proved perfectly able, winning five of her 18 races and earning nearly £100,000. She had to show more courage after incurring a pelvic stress fracture when she ran a close second in a handicap at last year's Festival, returning to action with a fourth place at Ascot in January after 310 days off. She takes on the boys in today's World Hurdle and when she retires later this spring, she will start her career as a mother with a visit to Kayf Tara. To keep up with her story, and perhaps own part of her first foal, visit www.materialworld.org.uk.
Sonnyanjoe
Move over, Lazarus. Sonnyanjoe is in today's World Hurdle after a miracle comeback, cheating death at the insistence of his trainer, Tom Hogan. "He broke down on both front tendons in a race at Naas," said the Irishman. "One went three out, but he has so much heart that he kept going and ended up finishing fifth and did the other tendon as a result. The vets wanted to put him down, and so did the owner, but I wouldn't let them. He had two years off and healed himself without any fancy operations. But he now has tendons like bananas and more or less lives in our spa."
Joe Lively
You don't always get what you pay for. When Richard Dimond stumped up 4,600gns to buy failed pointer Joe Lively at the Ascot sales in July 2006 he was hopeful he might be able to pick up a selling hurdle. Not long after the gelding was just settling into his new home with Colin Tizzard, he hurt a leg, and even those lowly aspirations looked as if they would have to wait. But everyone's patience has been worth it. The nine-year-old proved a revelation, winning seven of his 11 races since and earning £113,000, and today lines up with the best staying novices in the Royal & SunAlliance Chase.
What's in a name?
CHIEF DAN GEORGE (World Hurdle): The hereditary leader of the Salish tribe of British Columbia who became a famed author and actor, with a starring role in Little Big Man.
MENCHIKOV (National Hunt Chase): Russian DVD film star – first name Oleg – whose best-known vehicles include Burnt By The Sun and East-West.
PAUILLAC (Jewson Novices' Chase): Town on the Gironde estuary in the Bordeaux country of south-west France, famous as the home of the Chateau Mouton Rothschild vineyard.
THE HAIRY LEMON (Jewson Novices' Chase): Named after a Dublin pub, which occupies three separate buildings and two floors behind the St Stephen's Green shopping centre.
WILD CANE RIDGE (Pertemps Final): An elevated outcrop on the Barbados west coast, site of an exclusive villa development and golf course.
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