bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

quizIds

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

paywallTypes

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Robin Parke

Patrick Biancone will train in America next year. Clearance from the Hong Kong Jockey Club to the New York Racing Association (NYRA) will be sent shortly, allowing the Frenchman to begin a new life in the new millennium.

 Biancone has been in America and Canada for the past 10 days. He is suspended until the end of the season in Hong Kong, but the ban only applies in the SAR.

 In the wake of his sensational suspension, he has maintained that he would re-apply for a licence here. But the chances of him being successful are seen as slim, and he has been involved in talks with the NYRA.

 Significantly, he has also spent time sounding out current and former owners about support for a stable in New York, and he has received considerable encouragement.

 Among his patrons are likely to be leading European owner Daniel Wildenstein, for whom he trained in France, and the influential Frank Stonach, who has had horses in Ireland and Europe as well as America.

 Biancone, who was at the Canadian International in Woodbine on Sunday, is still in America, but he has been in contact with the Jockey Club here about clearance.

 The dual Arc-winning trainer's departure has been talked about for some time.

 Close friend Robert Nataf, who runs the Horse France bloodstock agency, said recently: 'It's the right move for Patrick at this time and he knows it. Everything is being put in place.'  The cosmopolitan Biancone will fit in well in New York. He is a big name in America, having won top races there during his time in France. He took Filly of the Year honours with All Along and was a fairly constant raider at the big meetings. He also won the Canadian International with All Along in 1983.

 Biancone's seemingly inevitable departure from Hong Kong will close a decade-long chapter which brought him major honours and an indelible place in racing history here.

 He was never champion trainer, despite strenuous efforts, but won the Derby twice and finished runner-up with Helene Star in the International Bowl and Johan Cruyff in last year's International Cup.

 The affable Frenchman was the highest profile trainer signed by the Jockey Club, and his appointment was met with some disbelief when originally announced. Apart from his two Arcs and the French Derby, he had won over 30 Group races across Europe and was the man who propelled jockey Tony Cruz to international stardom.

 But his Hong Kong career was not without controversy. He split with several jockeys and fell foul of the stewards over positive samples - most notably the sputolosin case before his final downfall.

 Whytellyou, who won the L'Or de Martell Cup last season, was found positive to the obscure drug mephenesin and ordinary griffin Rickfield to the outdated anabolic steroid, boldenone.

 Biancone was found guilty under two Rules of Racing and accepted the verdict with some dignity.

 'It's not a question of me actually giving these horses prohibited substances. The fact remains that I am responsible for what happens and that is why I am suspended - but not disqualified,' he said at the time.

 Meanwhile, there will be stringent scrutiny around the re-filled hole, which appeared at the top of the 1,800-metre chute on Monday.

 An eight-inch round hole suddenly appeared in the area immediately behind the starting stalls position as a result of subsidence.

 Tracks supervisor Pako Leung said yesterday: 'The soil and grass disappeared between a gap in the boulders below the surface, which had been placed there during the reclamation work when the track was built.

 'It has been filled in and topped off, but we will study it again today and tomorrow. It was discussed with the racing department and it was decided that it would be better, for safety reasons, not to use this part of the track for the 1,800-metre event at Wednesday's meeting.'  The distance has been reduced by only one metre to 1,799 metres and will matter little.

Don't miss Racing Post 



'It's the right move for Patrick and he knows it . . . everything is being put