Racing Week: Ascot considers World Cup screening

Ascot may show World Cup

Officials at Ascot are considering keeping the grandstands open on Tuesday evening and showing England’s World Cup match against Sweden. The move is a result of the rail strikes proposed for that day.

Staff at Network rail are proposing to walk out for 24 hours from 1pm on Tuesday, and Ascot chief executive Douglas Erskine-Crum is considering ways of minimising the impact on Royal Ascot race goers.

The football is scheduled to kick-off at 8pm.

Speciosa in injury scare

Speciosa’s appearance at Royal Ascot hangs in the balance after the 1,000 Guineas winner ripped off her near-fore shoe on Thursday while trotting.

Pam Sly, who trains the filly, remains hopeful that she will make it to the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot on Friday, although the full extent of any damage to the wall of the foot is not yet clear.

Speciosa will be ridden by her usual partner Thierry Thulliez at Ascot.

Further questioning for Fallon

Six-times champion Kieran Fallon spent several hours undergoing questioning at Bishopsgate police station on Wednesday, as part of the investigation into allegations of race-fixing being conducted by the City of London Police.

A total of 27 people associated with the case are currently on bail and Fallon is one of three individuals that detectives have decided to re interview, prior to all reporting back to police in July.

Among those on bail are jockeys Paul Bradley, Robert Winston and Fergal Lynch. All deny the charges.

Williams in changing-room brawl

Jockey Christian Williams has been banned for six days after being found guilty of violent behaviour towards Tom Scudamore in the jockeys’ changing rooms at Hereford.

Following the sixth race at Hereford on Wednesday, a heated argument broke out between the two men, which left Scudamore bleeding from the back of his head. He was attended to by medical staff and given four stitches.

Earlier that day Williams was given a three-day suspension for careless riding and it is thought the incident between the two jockeys broke out as a result of that.

Ascot good-to-firm

Ascot’s going will be good to firm for the opening of the Royal meeting, according to clerk of the course, Chris Stickels. The new drainage system has altered the going at Ascot and it is not as soft as some jockeys hoped.

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