One racing fan walked away with 437,000 pounds after making a successful two-pound Scoop 6 wager on Saturday in England. The life-changing bet was made at a Stan James betting shop at Newbury. There were eight tickets picking the six winners.

The Scoop 6 had not been won and carried over for 11 consecutive weeks. The pool rose to 4,167,091 pounds and the money available for distribution to the winners stood at 3,496,091 pounds. There were eight winning tickets worth 437,000 pounds each. The eight winners will take a crack at the bonus of 1,529,525 pounds next weekend. The event is likely to be the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury.

Four races at Lingfield, one at Haydock and one at Huntingdon constituted the six legs of the Scoop 6. Lingfield is an all weather flat racing facility. Haydock and Huntingdon held ‘jump’ races.

Ryan Moore rode two winners. Atlantic Story was the favourite at 7-2 and Romany Princess was a 5-1 chance. Jamie Spencer made it all with Yahrab, a 15-2 proposition. At Haydock, Possol clicked at 15-2. Heathcliff, a 11-2 chance, came through at Huntingdon. There were nine runners in the sixth leg run at Lingfield. Six were covered. There were 37 tickets going into the sixth leg.

Duff, handled by the Epsom Derby-winning Kevin Manning, won the race going away. He was a 5-1 shot. Eight of the 37 tickets had nominated Duff.  Always travelling well, Duff had the race sewn up over a furlong out.

Bets were taken on how much would be wagered in the pool. A bet that over four million pounds would be wagered fetched the improbable odds of 50-1.

Damian Walker, spokesman for Tote, said, “It was a fantastic day for racing and the Tote. Our turnover easily exceeded our expectations. Betting shops up and down the land were inundated . We will, with a smile, pay off those punters who bet that the pool would attract over four million.”

There was a fire at Riverside Downs in Kentucky on Nov 20. Twenty eight horses perished. Rivetside Downs, once a harness track, was being used as a thoroughbred training facility. This is the fourth fire at Riverside Downs in the past five years. An investigation is under way.

Hard economic times are taking a toll in Ireland. Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) has reduced purses for 2009. There is a pay freeze for HRI staff. Racecourse capital development projects are on hold. About 4.2 million Euros will be cut. That translates to a seven per cent reduction.

We now know where Curlin is headed. The Smart Strike colt will join his father at William Farish’s Lane’s End Farm near Versailles in Kentucky. Curlin’s fee will be $75,000.

William Farish, one time US ambassador to the UK, was delighted. “The Jacksons (Curlin’s owners) are due great credit for allowing our sport to enjoy this great champion as a four year-old. Curlin’s performances, his pedigree and conformation make him the most exciting prospect in many years.”

Gary Tanaka, a racehorse owner who had horses carrying his colors in two continents, has been found guilty of conspiracy, securities fraud and investment adviser fraud. Tanaka ran Amerindo, a company with a large client-base. Tanaka, 65, owned Rakti, Golden Apples, Sarafan, Pico Central and several others. At the moment, Tanaka has 25 horses.

In a statement, Tanaka said, “perhaps the judge will take my time under house arrest into consideration. Hope springs eternal. Sometimes, when things look the bleakest, you still make it to the winner’s circle.”

Shakis, a son of Machiavellian, was the pride of trainer Kiaran McLaughlin’s stable. The venerable eight year-old won Saratoga’s Bernard Baruch Handicap in 2007 and 2008. Owned by the Shadwell group, Shakis had a potent late kick. Shakis was out of Tawaaded, a Nashwan mare. His earnings of $860,352 came from a record 7-5-5 in 35 trips to the gate.

On Nov 21, during a workout, Shakis was injured. Trainer McLaughlin was devastated. “He (Shakis) broke his sesamoid and fractured his pastern. He was in very bad shape. Nothing could be done. It is sad. This is the unfortunate part of this business. To have an eight year-old race the way he did the last two years was indeed special.”

Here is some information about riders now in India. Sam Hitchcott won nine races from 204 rides this year in England. That gave him a four per cent strike rate. He was 13 times second, 15 times third and 21 times fourth. His purses stand at 119,348 pounds.

Saleem Golam, a promising jockey, is fast making a name for himself  in the UK. His mounts get extra attention. He is a tremendous addition to the Indian jockey colony. You can look up in the Racing Post ‘Statistics’ section to get jockey Golam’s numbers.

I see that Chris Hayes had two winners at Bangalore. Hayes is a smart rider. I have seen him in Ireland. He is in the top rung. The fields in Ireland are big. That is why Irish riders are ‘traffic-savvy.’ Chris Hayes, I have no doubt, will have a productive campaign in India.

Silvestre de Sousa makes his second visit to India. He is off to a flying start. He made an impression last season. He is now back wiser and better. A lot of winners should come out of de Sousa’s quiver.

Thanks giving Day falls on Thursday, Nov 27. Thanksgiving is the time when thanks are offered for what we are blessed with. It has the same meaning as ‘Pongal’ in southern India. It is a national holiday in the US. Many establishments make Friday a holiday and make the weekend a four-day affair.

Sources: NTRA, TV reports and Racing Post