Aidan O’Brien’s three year old colt Paddington may have started the season in handicap company but he’s quickly elevated himself to the head of Europe’s miling division with a win in the Sussex Stakes backing up his recent win in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot The ground… Read More »
There was huge hype surrounding Ascot’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes ahead of the race and while some of the anticipated fireworks fizzled out when the favourite, Derby winner Auguste Rodin, fell tamely away the finish more than lived up to expectations in the end with a… Read More »
Although Aidan O’Brien had already won the Irish Derby 14 times his stable jockey, Ryan Moore, had never won it. It remained the only classic in Britain and Ireland to have eluded him. Moore put that right today on Auguste Rodin, giving O’Brien that record-extending 15th Irish Derby win and… Read More »
Dermot Weld’s disappointment when Tahiyra was beaten in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket was palpable. He mentioned several possible reasons for the defeat but you felt that he’d very much expected her to win. Since then his faith has been entirely vindicated and at Ascot today the filly showed she… Read More »
Frankie Dettori may have had a quiet start to Royal Ascot 2023 but he’s more than made up for that since winning the Queen’s Vase on Wednesday and on Thursday winning his ninth Ascot Gold Cup on the John and Thady Gosden trained Courage Mon Ami. Courage Mon Ami was… Read More »
Day Two at the Royal Ascot meeting looked tricky for punters and so it proved with five of the seven races going to horses at double figure odds and only one winning favourite. However, the sole winning favourite was an extremely popular one with the large Ascot crowd as Frankie… Read More »
Royal Ascot 2023 kicked off in familiar fashion with Aidan O’Brien’s all-conquering team notching up a first day double, following up River Tiber’s win in the Coventry Stakes by taking the day’s feature event, the St James’s Palace Stakes. The Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes was billed as the… Read More »
Supporters of the Derby at Epsom were prepared for major disruption following threats from animal rights group Animal Rising who had made a clear threat that they would endeavour to have the race stopped. That threat was nullified as the Epsom management team and the police deployed an effective containment… Read More »
Frankie Dettori was having a great final year…until day 1 of Epsom’s Derby meeting that is, when his year went from ‘great’ to ‘unbelievable’ as he won both Group 1 races on the card, the Oaks and the Coronation Cup. In the Coronation Cup Dettori was on board the John… Read More »
Oisin Murphy returned in February following a lengthy ban for alcohol and COVID breaches. He faced a long road back to the top but he took a giant step towards restoring his reputation with a winning ride in the Godolphin colours to win the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on the… Read More »
On the day the UK crowned a new King it was racing royalty who triumphed in the first classic of the season, Newmarket’s 2000 Guineas. Frankie Dettori, no stranger to fairytales, started his final classic season off in the style both he and his fans would have wanted by winning… Read More »
The Kingsclere stable run by Andrew Balding and famous for being home to Mill Reef has found its way back to the top echelons of racing in the past few years thinks to the classic-winning exploits of Guineas winner Kameko and multiple Group 1 winner Alcohol Free. The list of… Read More »
While Frankie Dettori may not be the easiest jockey to handle (ask John Gosden) his talent has never been in question and the 51 year old weighing room veteran showed all his undisputed brilliance yet again when taking the £500,000 Sky Bet Ebor Handicap on the four year old gelding… Read More »
Highfield Princess became the fourth Yorkshire trained filly to win the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York in the last 8 years, taking the race in convincing fashion in front of packed stands on the Knavesmire. The filly, a five year old daughter of Night Of Thunder, had made her handicap… Read More »
Kirsten Rausing’s breeding operation, centred around her Lanwades Stud in Newmarket, added yet another Group 1 to its growing list of major successes as Alpinista landed the Yorkshire Oaks. In so-doing the mare took her own tally of Group 1 wins to 5. Miss Rausing has had the female line… Read More »
Baaeed has had the misfortune throughout his career to suffer constant comparisons to Juddmonte’s superstar of yesteryear, Frankel. Like the former champion Baaeed arrived at York in his four year old season an unbeaten winner of multiple Group 1 races over a mile. At the Knavesmire both faced the step… Read More »
Frankie Dettori had come in for some strong criticism following his ride on popular stayer Stradivarius in the Ascot Gold Cup but within 24 hours he’d transformed himself, as only Dettori can, into the hero of the hour by guiding favourite INSPIRAL to victory in the feature race on Friday’s… Read More »
It was ten years since the last Australian horse won at Royal Ascot, and what a day that was with the mighty Black Caviar holding on in dramatic fashion for a thrilling and historic win. But for many today was well worth waiting for because Nature Strip never looked like… Read More »
Aidan O’Brien’s record-breaking 41st British classic winner was also one of his closest finishes as his filly Tuesday edged out the favourite, the John and Thady Gosden trained Emily Upjohn. The race, won by a short head at the finish, may have been decided right at the start as Emily… Read More »
The first classic of the season in the UK saw the relentless Charlie Appleby bandwagon continue to roll as he saddled the first two home, Coroebus and Native Trail, in the Newmarket showpiece, the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas. Appleby had hinted last autumn that he thought Coroebus might be even better… Read More »
