Eight-year-old Blythe Knight remains as the strongest contender for the William Hill Lincoln. The winner of the event in 2006 did not offer a good performance last week in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. On the other hand, Sir Michael Stoute’s Lang Shining and Mick Easterby’s Atlantic Story have held their ground.

Zaahid will be part of the Lincoln field as well and so will be Escape Route, representing John Gosden. Also, 2004 and 2007 winners of the William Hill competition Babodana and Very Wise have been confirmed.

The 18-month prohibition jockey Kieren Fallon received in January has been confirmed by an appeals court. According to the resolution of the three judges, who are part of a panel of 15 racing professionals, the six-time champion will not be able to ride in any country for the rest of this year.

“The initial ban has been confirmed. We had official confirmation today,” Herve Naggar, Fallon’s representative in France, said. “It is still 18 months, but I do not know the exact dates. It's a very long time. Of course I am disappointed but we knew it would be very hard to change the ban.”

Last month Co Antrim man Tony McCoy fell at Warwick and suffered a fractured vertebrae and he has been away from tracks since then. Now, the jockey says he is feeling much better and, if things go as planned, he will be back for the Cheltenham festival to ride Albertas Run.

“I went to Dubai on holiday for ten days and that was great - the sun, I think, really helped me,” McCoy commented. “I'm feeling good now. The last time I had a painkiller was the day after I had my operation. I'm unbelievably mobile. Even when I went to Dubai, I was walking five or six miles along the beach every day.”

Sad news for the world of Horse racing as this Saturday January 26th, Alan Woods, the world’s most successful horse racing gambler, died in Hong Kong at age 62.

Alan Woods was born in 1945 in Australia. He learned how to count cards at blackjack when he was working as a clerk, since then, he became an able and successful gambler and traveled all around the world as a professional card counter, disguised in many fashions to avoid being identified by the casinos

Twist Magic is the favorite to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Ascot on Saturday. However, the Paul Nicholl’s-trained chaser will have to compete against up to seven well-prepared rivals in the Grade One Victor Chandler Chase.

Magic’s stablemates Hoo La Baloo and Ashley Brook, who finished behind in December’s Tingle Creek, might present some opposition while David Pipe will try to get home a victory with Pablo Du Charmil and Tamarinbleu, winner of the Boylesport Gold Cup.

Deep Purple could run in the Anglo Irish Bank Private Banking Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, according to trainer Evan Williams. The six-year-old achieved an impressive victory at Kempton last month and is unbeaten in four starts over obstacles.

“I'll have to talk over plans with (owner) Mr Green and I have been quite happy with him, but I'll have to keep my eye on the ground,” trainer Williams said. “He's very progressive and I'm very happy with him. I'm a big fan of the horse and he has taken every step up in his stride. He looks very progressive.”

Owner Peter Luff had a more than satisfactory day and enjoyed his first double thanks to the victories of Bureaucrat and Calusa Caldera at Huntingdon. Luff’s first win was in 1986 when his horse West Trip won the Grand National and, despite the lower profile of the Cambridgeshire track, he showed great delight.

“I've owned horses for more than 30 years and this is fantastic. A win is a win, it doesn't matter where we get one, we get just as excited,” Luff said. “To have two here for my first double is lovely. I'm very grateful to Liam Norris, who buys all my horses including these two.”

Handler Pam Sly has said Speciosa is on track for the Group One Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket and up until now, there have been no problems with the filly. Speciosa is coming back to the track following two months of absence after her unsuccessful try at the Nassau Stakes in August.

"She has been fine. The ground has been too firm for her and that is why she hasn't run. There hasn't been a lot to run her in either,” Sly said. “She is very well in herself, and there are no problems at all.” About Newmarket, the handler explained that the filly likes it there, which is an important factor.

Henry Cecil’s Passage of Time, who won several Group One races as a juvenile, may not take part in York’s three-day meeting despite being enrolled in the Juddmonte International and the Darley Yorkshire Oaks. The filly recently finished eighth at Epsom behind her stable companion Light Shift.

“She is not certain to run in either race,” Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Prince Khalid Abdullah said. “I know people will automatically think there is something wrong, but I can assure you there isn't. Our main objective is to get her spot-on so she is not a certain runner at York.”

Two-year-old Teofilo will stay at Kildangan Stud in County Kildare, Ireland, and become a member of Darley’s stallion list in 2008. Jackie and Jim Bolger will retain ownership of the Darley Dewhurst Stakes champion but they decided to retire him due to an injury that has not healed satisfactorily.

“I am delighted Mr and Mrs Bolger have decided to stand Teofilo at Kildangan Stud,” John Ferguson, Sheikh Mohammed’s bloodstock advisor said. “He was an outstanding two-year-old with the scope and quality to be a champion again at three. He will be a wonderful addition to the Darley roster.”