Horse Racing: Academy Awards Pipe His Full House

Martin Pipe finally completed a full set of winners at the country's 39 National Hunt tracks yesterday when Miss Academy, strongly backed at 8-11, was an easy winner of a maiden hurdle at Newcastle.

Though he was not there to see the race, Pipe's obsession with saddling winners makes him a collector by nature, and filling the only gap on his British checklist must have given him deep pleasure.

Miss Academy, a classy David Johnson French import who made hacks of the rest on her hurdling bow yesterday, is quoted at 16-1 by Ladbrokes for the Triumph Hurdle at the Festival. But the perils of long-range punting were shown up when Fundamentalist, one of the season's most exciting novice chasers, was ruled out for up to 12 months by Nigel Twiston-Davies, his trainer.

The chaser apparently injured a tendon when falling at Cheltenham on New Year's Day.

Harchibald, the ante-post favourite for the Champion Hurdle, looks likely to miss the AIG Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday after heavy rain prevented him from galloping yesterday.