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KATCHIT to race as "KATCHUP" next season. (Press Assoc. London 00:20)
"Weatherby’s have announced that Katchit(IRE) winner of the 2008 Champion Hurdle and 2007 Triumph Hurdle is to race under a new name – Katchup(IRE) – next season. This follows a number of complaints from both racecourse and television commentators and members of the public, upset by the name apparenly sounding more like something kitty might leave on the lawn.
Although uncommon, the re-naming of horses that have already raced is not unheard of, but this is the first time such a high profile, "championship" race winner has been involved. It is understood that, had the horse succeeded in winning the Champion Hurdle this year, the name change would not have been enforced. He is entered for the Grade 1 John Smith’s Aintree Hurdle this Saturday and will be allowed to use his present name if participating.
The 6-y-o Kalinisi gelding was bred by the Whitley Stud and was originally trained by Mick Channon for Tim Corby. Weatherby’s stressed there was no intention by the then owners to cause offence when the name was registered..
A spokesman for the DSJP Syndicate, Katchit’s present owners, admitted they were disappointed at the request to change the name, saying that those who complained were being "very thin-skinned", but agreed to the new name for the 2009/10 season after being informed that a potential sponsor of a major hurdle race next season had threatened to withdraw if the original name stood. The syndicate owners were, he said, "..completely surprised when they were told by Weatherbys that the name was offensive". He would not however, confirm that the syndicate had recently tried to register the name "Dog Scrap" for a 3-y-o gelding by Wolfhound- Allay Disproof (Lord at War(ARG)), bought with the winnings from Katchit’s last Cheltenham victory."
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LOL it’s an April Fools joke like this one I found on Betfair this morning;
AIDEN O’BRIEN stable star Yeats has been sent to Willie Mullins and is set to miss the new flat season.
The 8-year-old, who has won 3 Ascot Gold Cups, was being prepared for another trip to Ascot later this season – a track where he has won three times in three starts.
A potential clash with Denman and Kauto Star on the cards but Mullins has confirmed his new star arrival will spend some time during the summer months training for a new jumps campaign.
"He won’t run again this season on the flat that’s for sure as he has had a bang on a tendon whilst at Aiden’s, although it is ever so slight we will start with light cantering around August," said Mullins.
"As soon as you get a chance to work with such a superstar of a horse it’s any trainers dream and we thank Aiden for giving us the chance to do so. We are just going to be on the safe side with him."
Although the popular Yeats is getting on in years, Mullins can see no reason why his charge should not be able to take to fences next season – although no firm decision will be made on his targets for some time yet.
"The one thing about him is that he is very lucky to have a great owner and the first hint we get that the old horse is not enjoying himself, we will think about his future then," Mullins continued.
"The owner has appreciated everything the horse has done for him and the horse owes nobody in this world one thing.
"We’ll look after him and if he comes back, he’ll give it a good go next year again.
"It’s disappointing to miss Ascot this year as he always runs well there, but we are sure this new venture in Yeats life will be a fun and exciting new adventure.Ah yes this particular story brings to mind an article that ran in the old Sporting Life about the discovery of live and well Shergar with quotes from the Choirboy on his impending return to the racetrack.
And Yes I Swallowed It Whole[/color:szm7wk77][/size:szm7wk77]
Just got my mate, pretending to be from 118 247 with the old can you call "Mr Lyons on…" and gave him the number for Belfast Zoo. The oldest trick in the book.
Bet they have someone appointed to take prank calls today.
Bulwark
A mate of mine used to work in a meat supply company and that one was an initiation trick played on all newcomers.
"Would you ring this number and tell them we have some meat to deliver for A.Lyon", and the number was that of Windsor Safari Park.
Rob
Admittedly someone got me that one when I was working in an insurance company once, it wasnt april fools day though, and it wasnt like I just couldnt call everyone whose name was Lyons, so it wasnt that great. Obviously if the name was Albert Ross then you’d just not bother.
The best initiation we got someone, was when we were in a airfield engineering section and one of the new lads arrived straight from training. After he’d been there for a few weeks we told him Air Traffic Control had phoned down to say that the batteries had gone on the windsock, and to go out and have a look if he could see anything wrong. He went out looking about the windsock, whilst us and the whole of air traffic sat in thecontrol tower passing the binoculars about laughing. Then, when he got back and said he couldnt see any, we told him to raise a fault report, and just right on the back that no batteries were found. Then we got him to take it into the Chief Technician’s office to get him to countersign it. The cheif tech brought it back out to him, stamped about 100 times with a stamp which read "Complete and Utter Bullshit". We then told him that he must have made a mistake and to look it over and think what he’d done wrong. After about 5 minutes he came and said "You guys are absolute arseholes". I still cant believe anyone could take that long to click.
I once got a colleague to ring a ‘Rory Lyons’ at Colchester Zoo.
Was it hopelessly juvenile ? Yes.
Did it please me enormously ? Yes.
I dont know what it is with juvenile pranks, but know matter how stupid they are they are always satisfying when they pay off.
I convinced my brother that Britney Spears was a circus midget and that they used camera trickery and other circus midgets to dance with her to make her look taller. I didnt realise he’d fully bought it until about 6 months after the event, he came up to me and said "Your a lying bar steward, Britney Spears isnt a midget, I seen her being interviewed by Steve Jones the other day". I then attempted to try and convince him that Steve Jones was also a circus midget and she would only allow herself to be interviewed by other midgets, but he wasnt buying it.
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