Astute Hawke’s Bay trainer John Bary says he has no doubt unbeaten juvenile Recite will handle 1400m in Saturday’s Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes. Recite is a hot $1.75 favourite for the Group One race at Awapuni after winning her three starts to date, the latest being a narrow win over… Read More »
Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom and two-time Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic champion Royal Delta lead a full field of 13 horses in Saturday’s $US10 million Dubai World Cup. The pair and Dullahan represent one of the strongest American entries ever in the world’s richest horse race. Royal Delta trainer Bill… Read More »
Denis O’Regan has been snapped up by trainer Tom George for the ride on Big Fella Thanks in the John Smith’s Grand National. The Irish-born jockey has yet to win the Aintree spectacular but he went close when second on the Dessie Hughes-trained Black Apalachi behind Don’t Push It in… Read More »
Weighing-room veteran Andrew Thornton believes trying to get the Grand National field to watch their speed in the early stages is easier said than done. The problem of early pace is among new guidelines issued to riders by Aintree and the Professional Jockeys Association. Neither body wants a repeat of… Read More »
Trainer Aidan O’Brien expressed satisfaction after a battalion of his horses including Camelot worked after the races at the Curragh on Sunday. The trainer traditionally puts a number of his luminaries through their paces following the first day of the Irish turf Flat season and this year worked 68 horses…. Read More »
Danedream, winner of the 2011 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, has been confirmed in foal to Frankel. The German filly went on to claim last year’s King George at Royal Ascot but was denied the chance to defend the Arc due to quarantine restrictions at her Cologne training base following… Read More »
Aidan O’Brien is set to give some of his best horses their annual workout after racing at the Curragh on Sunday. The Ballydoyle trainer has taken a big team on the opening day of the Flat season to the headquarters of Irish racing for the past few years. Last spring,… Read More »
Cox Plate hopeful Unbridled Command has settled into Ed Dunlop’s Newmarket stable in England in preparation for an international campaign. The Hollywood Derby winner will race for a group which includes Kevin and Colleen Bamford, part-owners of 2010 Melbourne Cup winner Americain. The four-year-old won the Group One Derby at… Read More »
British jockey Martin Dwyer will appeal a two-month suspension handed down by the Royal Western India Turf Club for not letting a horse run on its merits at Mumbai last month. Dwyer’s finished a narrow third on market leader Ice Age, prompting an angry response from racegoers. A head-on video… Read More »
Trainer Donald McCain is hoping to be triple-handed in the Grand National at Aintree on April 6. McCain landed the race with Ballabriggs two years ago and he is one of four still engaged for the Cheshire handler at this stage. Weird Al and Across The Bay, who both had… Read More »
Planteur will be making a pretty brief visit to the Gulf as he prepares to leave Newmarket this weekend ahead of the Dubai World Cup on March 30. Marco Botti’s six-year-old looked in excellent health on Monday, despite having spent his time preparing through the chilly British weather. He has… Read More »
Aidan O’Brien is the 5-4 favourite to regain the British Flat trainers’ championship, ahead of the start of the new season this week. The master of Ballydoyle has been Britain’s champion trainer on four occasions, but his last title was back in 2008. Richard Hannon has been champion in 1992,… Read More »
Racing at Clairwood in South Africa was abandoned on Sunday after angry racegoers protested over the running of the sixth race on the card. The odds-on favourite, My Sanctuary, was impeded at the start of the Kings Pact Stakes by her gate opening slowly and finished third. Clairwood stewards judged… Read More »
Jockey JT McNamara is reported to be in a stable condition following surgery on the serious neck injury he sustained at Cheltenham on Thursday. The 37-year-old was injured in a first-fence fall from Galaxy Rock in the Challenge Cup and was airlifted to hospital after being treated by the on-course… Read More »
More Than Sacred gave Cambridge trainers Tony Pike and Mark Donoghue their second classic of the New Zealand season with a commanding victory in the New Zealand Oaks. The filly settled close to the pace for jockey Leith Innes and relished the 2400m at Trentham, racing clear in the straight… Read More »
Bobs Worth justified favouritism to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday and give trainer Nicky Henderson his 50th career win at the Cheltenham Festival. Ridden by Barry Geraghty he came home seven lengths clear of Irish challenger Sir Des Champs while 2011 champion, Long Run, also trained by Henderson,… Read More »
Irish jockey JT McNamara was airlifted to hospital with a serious neck injury after a fall at the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday. Dr Adrian McGoldrick, chief medical officer of the Irish Turf Club, said the 37-year-old amateur jockey was placed in a medically-induced coma and taken by helicopter to Frenchay… Read More »
Kevin Gray has no doubt that favourite High Fashion can stay the 2400m of the New Zealand Oaks at Trentham and give him his third Oaks victory. The New Zealand Oaks has a slightly disappointing look to it as it is missing the country’s best fillies Habibi and Fix after… Read More »
Irish raider Solwhit benefited from the absence of the injured four-time winner Big Buck’s to win the World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Solwhit was given a brilliant ride by Paul Carberry, especially as the jockey had been in doubt on race morning after taking a heavy fall on Wednesday…. Read More »
Sprinter Sacre confirmed his status as the Frankel of jump racing when he strolled to victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. The seven year-old gelding, trained by veteran English handler Nicky Henderson, recorded his eighth win in eight starts over fences as he came home… Read More »
