Racing: Dunwoody closes gap on Maguire

Bookmakers cut Richard Dunwoody's odds for the jump jockeys' title following his four winners at Newbury on Saturday. William Hill reduced the reigning champion's price to 7- 4 from 5-2, and eased Adrian Maguire to 2-5 from 2-7. Ladbrokes were more drastic, quoting 4-7 Maguire, 5-4 Dunwoody.

Dunwoody is now 18 behind Maguire, who handed a winning ride to his fellow Irishman when aggravating a neck injury in a fall from Chiappucci in the first at Newbury. Among the five booked mounts that Maguire then missed was Senior Steward, who won the penultimate race with Dunwoody in the saddle.

Mark Dwyer has been booked to ride Southern Minstrel in the Grand National on 9 April, for which Topsham Bay has been backed from 20-1 to 14-1.

Jockey Peter Niven was a spectator at Bangor-on-Dee races on Saturday after his intended rides on Mary Reveley's Candy Tuff and Son Of Iris were taken to the wrong Bangor. The horsebox went to Bangor, near Anglesey, more than 60 miles away.

Today's racing at Hexham was called off yesterday due to waterlogging.