Horse racing: Evergreen Hello Bud back on the road at 14

HELLO Bud makes his first start since the John Smith’s Grand National in what could be deemed more appropriate company at Cartmel today.

A great favourite of trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies and his jockey and son, Sam, Hello Bud – a former Scottish Grand National hero – has reached the venerable age of 14 and is the oldest in the field for the Stone Source Grand Veterans’ Handicap Chase. Although without a win since the 2010 Becher Chase, he was anything but disgraced in the National, finishing seventh to Neptune Collonges.

“The race is ideal for him, a staying chase for veterans and on one of my favourite courses,” said Twiston-Davies snr, aka NTD. “It should be right up his street and he goes there in really good nick. I am very optimistic.”

The three-and-three-quarter-mile event is the feature on the final day of the Jubilee meeting at the tight but picturesque Lake District circuit. Hello Bud must concede weight to all his rivals and Huckleberry, a relative youngster at ten, is receiving almost 2st. Tony Carroll’s charge is on a five-timer and the trainer said: “He is in really good form and I would be extremely hopeful of him going very close again.”

Meanwhile. Scots rider Gary Rutherford is not expected to be a long-term absentee from the saddle after an incident at the track on Monday.

The conditional jockey, who is based with Jedburgh trainer Harriet Graham, was unseated from Glorybelucky in the early stages of the Scott Partnership Supports Calvert Trust Mares’ Novices’ Selling Hurdle and was believed to have been concussed.

Graham’s husband and assistant trainer Robert said: “He’s fine and back with us. I think he’ll be signed off for a bit, so he won’t be riding again for a little while, but he never lost consciousness.”

Elsewhere, airport retailers Dubai Duty Free have announced a three-year extension to their sponsorship of the Irish Derby at the Curragh.

The deal will run until 2015, with the option for a further two years thereafter.

The 2015 running will be the 150th renewal of the Group One showpiece, won last year by the Aidan O’Brien-trained Treasure Beach.

This year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby will be staged for the first time as an evening race, with a scheduled start time of 7:40pm on Saturday, June 30.

Colm McLoughlin, executive vice chairman of Dubai Duty Free said: “The promotion of sport has long been part of Dubai Duty Free’s marketing strategy of raising the profile of our brand and of Dubai itself and we are pleased with the level of exposure that we continue to generate in both the print and broadcast media for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.

“We are delighted to extend sponsorship for a further three years, with an option for an additional two, and look forward to working with the Curragh to grow this event even further.”