Ireland’s hopes of securing a first Cheltenham Gold Cup in seven years were dealt a blow as great white hopes Flemenstar and Sir Des Champs were beaten by enigmatic veteran Tidal Bay in a barnstorming finish to the Lexus Chase. The feature event of Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting and the most… Read More »
Long Run became only the seventh horse to reclaim the prestigious King George VI Chase crown as he edged Captain Chris by a neck in a thrilling finish at Kempton. The seven-year-old gelding – ridden as ever by Sam Waley-Cohen – was always prominent but a terrible mistake five jumps… Read More »
Unbeaten filly Habibi is helping Northland trainer Donna Logan reap the rewards for telling an owner her horse couldn’t run more than a decade ago. Habibi took her record to four wins from as many starts when winning the Group Two Great Northern Guineas (1600m) at Ellerslie, looking like a… Read More »
A six-week break proved no problem for Fix as she outslogged a good field in the Group Two Eight Carat Classic at Ellerslie on Wednesday. Fix franked the form which saw her run third in the Group One 1000 Guineas at Riccarton, sitting outside the leader for jockey Vinny Colgan… Read More »
The Hombre won the main lead-up to the Group One Railway Handicap at Ellerslie by a street but his trainer rates him only “a runner’s chance” in the big race on New Year’s Day. The Hombre led from the outset in the Listed Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Ellerslie on Boxing… Read More »
Junior will attempt to drag the stamina out of the opposition when he aims to justify a late entry for the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. Owners Middleham Park Racing stumped up STG10,000 ($A15,770) to add the David Pipe-trained nine-year-old to the field and believe they… Read More »
Long Run may set his own pace as the 2011 Gold Cup winner bids to reclaim his King George VI Chase crown at Kempton on Boxing Day. It has not been plain sailing since the Nicky Henderson-trained gelding won a rearranged King George in January 2011 before going on to… Read More »
Craig Williams has ended his latest stint in Japan with an unlucky third on Rulership in Sunday’s Group One Arima Kinen at Nakayama. The winner of the Queen Elizabeth Cup in Hong Kong in April, Rulership has yet to win a Group One on home soil and was also third… Read More »
A look at the highs and lows of British racing in 2012. HIGHS Frankel: Hyperbole was exhausted long ago in assessing the greatness of the Sir Henry Cecil-trained colt. Whether he is the best ever will always be a matter of conjecture, but it is a moot point. What this… Read More »
Having ended his first season with Godolphin on a high, jockey Mickael Barzalona can hardly wait for the 2013 campaign to get under way. The crack French rider shot to prominence last year when he partnered his first Group One winner, Andre Fabre’s Wavering in the Prix Saint-Alary in May…. Read More »
The Melbourne Cup and a less-celebrated feature not so familiar to Australians have been identified as the only two target races in 2013 for the Luca-Cumani-trained Mount Athos. Back in England after campaigning in Australia and Japan, Mount Athos will have his entire 2013 campaign dedicated at improving on his… Read More »
Champion German mare Danedream has been retired and a date with Frankel awaits in the new year. The winner of the 2011 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and this year’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Danedream was denied the chance to defend her Arc crown in Paris due… Read More »
Racecourses prepared to stage Sunday meetings are to be given a cash incentive as part of the Levy Board’s $A17 million increase in prize money for 2013. The Board’s Betting Patterns Working Party (BPWP) has proposed an offer of $7,800 supplementary prize money payment to fixtures on Sundays which offer… Read More »
A jockey and a former Premier League footballer are among six men charged with serious breaches of horseracing rules in the latest corruption scandal to hit the sport in Britain. The British Horseracing Authority says Irish jockey Eddie Ahern, who has ridden more than 1000 winners in Britain, is accused… Read More »
Nine time Singapore champion jockey Saimee Jumaat has been disqualified for 18 months and fined $50,000 for his handling of a horse at Kranji earlier this month. Saimee was found guilty of failing to take all reasonable measures to obtain the best possible placing aboard Profound on December 7. He… Read More »
Hereford’s owner Arena Racing Company claimed it was still open to negotiation over the potential for the racecourse to be re-opened at some stage in the future. Only 17 years remain on the lease for the National Hunt venue with Herefordshire Council, and with ARC maintaining it is not financially… Read More »
Victor Dartnall is hoping Giles Cross can give his Barnstaple team something to cheer about by ending the season on a high in the Welsh National. The Devon trainer had to shut up shop due to an outbreak of equine herpes last month, but the stable is back up and… Read More »
At The Races insisted “no material impact on ATR’s profitability is expected” after it was announced Ascot is to switch broadcaster to Racing UK from the start of the 2014 Royal meeting. Racecourse Media Group-owned Racing UK are responsible for the majority of Britain’s major racecourses, including Cheltenham and Newmarket,… Read More »
Both the English Derby and the Grand National are set to stay in their familiar time slots in 2013 despite Channel 4 assuming control of television coverage. BBC television lost the rights to Channel 4, who have chosen a new production team from IMG Sports Media, with 88 days of… Read More »
No less than 33 yearlings from the first crop of the brilliant Sea The Stars are among the 406 entries revealed today for the 2014 English Derby. Sea The Stars won the Derby in 2009 during a fantastic campaign that saw him win six Group One prizes in as many… Read More »
