Tattenham Corner

WBX BACK IN THE RUNNING FOR FIGHTING FIFTH SPONSORSHIP Northumberland Plate day was the highlight of the Flat season at Newcastle but we gather the track have the jumps campaign firmly back on their minds too. Earlier this month the WBX betting exchange announced the conclusion of their backing of Newcastle's Fighting Fifth Hurdle along with the £1m 'WBX Triple Crown' bonus for a horse which won Kempton's Christmas Hurdle and the Champion Hurdle after victory at the north-east course. However, Tattenham Corner understands that the new sponsor lined up by Newcastle to take over both the Fighting Fifth and the lucrative bonus have pulled out of negotiations. Meanwhile, WBX had something else to cheer about this week when a team of their staff won a BBC Five Live World Cup quiz show. CURLEY MAKE A MINT BUT DRIVES A POLO Barney Curley claims that "nobody will win as much money in 100 years" as he did when landing a major betting coup last month, but the winnings clearly haven't gone to his head. Curley, who is looking forward to returning to Africa later this year to supervise the work of his charity, was spotted on the Newmarket gallops earlier this week, having come to watch two of his team in action. Parking alongside the BMWs, Mercedes and 4x4s of the other trainers, Curley turned up in an old Volkswagen Polo, the back seat of which was almost entirely taken up with his large pet St Bernard dog. CHAPMAN FIRST ENGLISHMAN TO LIFT WORLD CUP SINCE BOBBY MOORE Matt Chapman says he won't let success in the Racing Post's 'World Cup' competition for best broadcaster go to his head. Chapman's brash presenting style on Attheraces doesn't sit easily with everybody, but he made the shortlist of four in the Horserace Writers and Photographers Association award for Broadcaster of the Year last December and may be the man likeliest to dethrone reigning champion Nick Luck. "A professional vote might have had a different outcome, but I'm still delighted to become the first Englishman since Bobby Moore lift the World Cup," he said yesterday. "I'll continue to do my thing and hope that as many people like it as hate it." SCOTTISH FOOTBALL FAN HATES ENGLAND SHOCK Many Scottish football fans have traditionally supported 'anyone but England' if their own side is not at the World Cup. Des Reape, the popular travelling head lad to Clive Brittain who hails from north of the border, picked up the prize for Wednesday's Salisbury winner Mahadee just as England scored in their crucial qualifier against Slovenia. "That's just ruined my day," said Reape, still clutching the trophy. NEW HIGH-PROFILE JUMPS OWNER HAS POTTS OF MONEY While the likes of J P McManus, Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary and Graham Wylie are no strangers to splashing six-figures on jumps horses, a new name has recently emerged as one of the game's biggest spenders. Yorkshire-born mining tycoon Alan Potts and his wife Ann - best known as owners of Sizing Europe - have shelled out over £1m on jumpers in the last few weeks. Among their string of recent purchases was the bumper horse Go All The Way, who joined Philip Hobbs after costing £310,000 at Doncaster Sales last month and an untried three-year-old who made €320,000 (£263,000) at Tattersalls in Ireland on Friday. BREEDERS' CUP GOES READY STEADY COOK WITH BOBBY FLAY Catering on Britain's racecourses continues to generally be overpriced and of shockingly low quality but could the sport in America have found a solution to the problem? Among the new members elected to the Breeders' Cup board of trustees last week was Bobby Flay, a racehorse owner but better known as one of the country's most celebrated celebrity chefs, famed for his burgers and steaks. MULRENNAN IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME Jockey Paul Mulrennan appreciated being in the right place at the right time last week. He had been with Jamie Spencer in the car park at Royal Ascot the previous week when trainer Alan King offered the former champion jockey the mount on Dolcetto at Windsor on Monday night. Spencer told King that he was suspended so Mulrennan chanced his luck and asked for the ride. King signed him up and the five-year-old scored at 25-1. However, it seemed that Mulrennan had become a shrinking violet by the time that some camel races took place before racing at Doncaster on Friday. Having agreed to take part beforehand, the jockey evidently decided that the lack of proper steering presented too great a risk and James Doyle had to be drafted in as a last-minute replacement. WHAT'S IN A NAME? Wear 'Em Out Wilf was the latest horse to appear in the red and black colours of the Comic Strip Heroes, running with great promise to finish third in a maiden at Warwick on Thursday. As shown by the likes of Winker Watson in previous seasons, the owners delight in naming horses after cartoon characters. Wear 'Em Out Wilf was a disaster-prone character from Whizzer and Chips, who would instantly break or destroy everything he touched.