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Wednesday’s racing round-up brings news of some big-race jockey bookings…
Oisin Murphy looks set to ride Giavellotto in the Hong Kong Vase on Sunday, December 8. The three-time champion jockey steered Marco Botti's staying star to victory in the Yorkshire Cup on the Knavesmire in May and arrives in Hong Kong on the back of finishing third behind Kyprios in the Irish St Leger.
Gavin Sheehan will be reunited with Hewick should he run in Saturday's Betfair Chase at Haydock. The Shark Hanlon-trained stayer has been partnered by Jordan Gainford on his last five outings, but Sheehan will return to the saddle having steered Hewick to King George glory at Kempton on Boxing Day last season. Hewick is a general 7/1 chance for Saturday's feature on the back of being worn down late by Envoi Allen on his reappearance in the Champion Chase at Down Royal earlier this month.
Gordon Elliott has revealed his improving stayer The Wallpark could step up in grade for the Howden Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot next month. A winner of his last four outings over hurdles, Gordon Elliott's son of Ask may make the leap to Grade 1 level after he saw out the three miles strongly to claim a Pertemps qualifier at Cheltenham's October meeting.
This afternoon's meeting at Hexham was abandoned due to frozen ground. Clerk of the course James Armstrong had planned to hold an 8am inspection but he was forced to call off the meeting first thing this morning. Posting on social media platform X, he said: "Sadly given a long night of subzero temperatures (-1c since 6pm last night till now 8am/wind chill -6c) we are frozen in places and given that temperatures are not set to rise fast enough, racing has had to be abandoned."
Godolphin got the better of Juddmonte when going to €1,000,000 for a Sea The Stars full-brother to Teona at the Goffs November Sale on Wednesday. The same rivals clashed over Teona herself when she topped last year's Tattersalls December Mares Sale at 4,500,000gns, but on that occasion, it would be Juddmonte who prevailed.
