Here is what I found out about Dominic Fox who started in great style at Hyderabad. Jockey Fox, 28, clicked with two winners and made a tremendous first impression. In 2008, according to the Racing Post, Dominic Fox had seven winners from 125 races. He had a six percent strike rate. He earned total prize money of 39, 921 pounds. He was second 10 times, third six times and fourth six times.

Ruby Walsh, one of the top jump jockeys in Europe, was hurt in a fall at Cheltenham on Saturday. He was kicked in the stomach and underwent surgery for removal of the spleen. He is planning a December 6 return.

Maraahel, the venerable seven year-old and twice winner of the Hardwicke Stakes (2006 and 2007) at Royal Ascot, has been retired. Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, Maraahel, with earnings of over a million pounds from eight wins in 34 trips postward, did not win a Group I and the closest he came was in the Juddmonte International at York in 2006. Notnowcato denied Maraahel the rare distinction. South Africa is hosting an international jockey's tournament. It is a contest between a world team and a South African squad. Turffontein is the name of the racecourse where the contest will be held. South Africa will be represented by Mark Khan, Anton Marcus, Piere Strydom, Kevin Shea, Weichong Marwing and Karl Neisius.

The members of the 'Rest of the World' team are Darryll Holland, Frankie Dettori, Mick Kinane, Christophe Soumillon, Damien Oliver and Mallesh Narredu. Jockey Holland, based in England, takes the place of Jamie Spencer who will be riding Purple Moon in the Japan Cup. The distance between Johannesburg and Tokyo is the impediment. Mallesh Narredu replaces jockey Srinath who declined the invitation for personal reasons.

The Cartier Awards for 2008 have been announced. Zarkava is the winner in two categories. She is the Horse of the Year and has been voted the best sophomore girl. Zarkava raced seven times in her career and won all seven starts. She ended her career with a scintillating win in the Arc in October. She has been retired.

New Approach, the Epsom Derby hero, is the top three year-old boy. Aidan O'Brien's Master Craftsman is the top freshman boy. The top freshman girl is Rainbow View trained by John Gosden. The title of best older horse goes to Duke of Marmalade. Yeats, winner of the Ascot Gold Cup three years running, has been voted the best stayer. Marchand d'Or, the Freddy Head trainee and the winner in the Prix de l'Abbaye on Arc day at Longchamp, is the best sprinter.

The awards will be presented late Monday afternoon in London's Grosvenor House Hotel.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is being honoured with an "Award of Merit." The presentation was made in Dubai. Sheikh Mohammed expressed his feelings. "I'm delighted. I love racing and breeding. We race not only in England and Europe as Godolphin but also around the world. I thank you all for the award."

Curlin’s retirement is imminent. Trainer Steve Asmussen has ruled out another race in 2008. The Clark Handicap at Churchill was an option but the race has been downgraded to G II status and the purse has been cut. Asmussen said, “Retirement beckons us.”

It has not been decided where Curlin will stand. Primary owner Jess Jackson has made an offer of four million dollars to the minority owners. The two sides were heard in court on Monday. A decision is coming.

Curlin ended his career with a loss in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita last month. The son of Smart Strike won 11 races from 16 starts. He is the richest horse with earnings of $10,246,800.

On Sunday at Kyoto race course in Japan, Christophe Lemaire steered Little Amapola, a 12-1 chance, to victory in the Group I Queen Elizabeth Commemorative Cup. It was a 2200-metre grass race (firm) for fillies and mares, three and up. The Q E is the first of four big races to be run during the ‘Japan Autumn International.’ The other three races are the Mile Championship and the dirt amd grass versions of the Japan Cup.

Portofino, ridden by Yutaka Take, stumbled and fell at the start. Little Amapola was fifth in the 17-horse field and struck the front on entering the homestretch. Finishing second was the strongly fancied Kawakami Princess who won this race in 2006 but was disqualified and placed 16th for interference. In 2007, owing to an injury, Kawakami Princess did not run. The winning margin was a length and a half. The time was 2 minutes and 12.1 seconds. Little Amapola returned 1,320 yen for a 100 yen ticket. One US dollar is worth 115 yen.

Jockey Lemaire said, “The pace was fast. She kept going. She’s a tough filly with stamina and a long stride. The winning trainer is Hiroyuki Nagahama.

Here are some fascinating numbers from Kyoto. The Q E purse was 1.67 million Brirish pounds. A total of 16,891,153,100 yen was bet on the race. The day’s handle was 23,691,429,400 yen. The attendance was 54,922. It was reported on Sunday that Japan was ‘officially’ in a recession.

Little Amapola is by Agnes Tachyon. The dam’s name is Little Harmony.

Here is other news. John Murtagh will replace Frankie Dettori on Sixties Icon in the Japan Cup. Sixties Icon did not finish in the frame in the BC Marathon with Dettori. Sixties Icon was a short-priced favourite.

The last European pattern race was run on Sunday at Capannelle in Rome. Overdose, the Hungarian superstar, made the Premio Carlo a procession. In the hands of jockey Andreas Suborics, Overdose won by ten lengths. Overdose is now 11 for 11. Overdose was in the Prix de l’Abbaye and ran the 1000-metre (straight) trip at Longchamp when a false start was declared. Overdose did not go in the rerun (second) race contested after the regular program.

The Hong Kong Festival is on Sunday, December 14, 2008. Viva Pataca won the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup Trial, a G Ii race over 2000 metres on the grass, in decisive fashion at Sha Tin on Sunday. Trainer John Moore was thrilled. “he’s in the form of his life. Darren (Beadman, the Australian champion jockey) rode a great race. He won with ease. Hope he can hold it together until next month. If he does, he will have a great chance of winning the Cup for Hong Kong.”

In 2007, Viva Pataca ran second to Ramonti. Sunday’s victory came after a scare when an injury on the off-foreleg was seen during a routine inspection.  

Hayley Turner became the first female jockey to win a Group race in Germany on Sunday. Riding for trainer Paul Blockley who has been warned off, Turner guided Lady Deauville to a smart win in the Lando Trophy, a 2000-metre turf race. Lady Deauville, the 32-10 second favourite, won by three lengths. The race was moved from Frankfurt, now insolvent, to Hanover. Trainer Blockley has appealed.

Frankie Dettori had two seconds and a third in five rides at Palermo racecourse in Argentina. Jockey Dettori talked about his experience. “The track was very quick, tight sand but I enjoyed it. The races were good, clean and fair and I had a very good time.”

Jockey Dettori will spend extra days at Buenos Aires and head to Johannesburg for the riding tournament.

For the tenth consecutive week, the Scoop 6 has not been won in the UK. A pool of about 5 million pounds is expected on Saturday. May be, I should make a dash to London this weekend. The fares are low and I have a coupon that will make the journey eminently affordable.

The days are getting longer in America. It is dark by 4:30 P M. The credit (financial) crisis has cast a long shadow and the terms being used are esoteric. There is widespread confusion.

Sources: TV reports, Racing Post and NTRA