International Horse Racing

• Australia and New Zealand light on numbers for Dubai World Cup night

  Australia and New Zealand are expected to have scarce representation in Dubai this year, following the release of nominations for Dubai World Cup night.

   
• Hurricane Fly wins Irish Champion Hurdle

  Hurricane Fly has cemented his position at the top of markets for the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham after his third successive win in the Irish equivalent. Never off the bridle in recording his 14th Grade One win, Hurricane Fly is now around 3-1 to regain his championship title at Cheltenham…. Read More »

   
• Frankie Dettori looking forward to return

  Disqualified jockey Frankie Dettori will enjoy some family time before getting back into training for a return to racing in May. Dettori, who recently took part in Britain’s Celebrity Big Brother, was given a six-month ban following a positive drugs test in Paris in September, which he said had left… Read More »

   
• Russell Baze rides in 50,000th race

  United States Hall of Fame jockey Russell Baze has ridden in the 50,000th thoroughbred race of his career. The 54-year-old finished third in his historic race on Friday at Golden Gate Fields near San Francisco, although he was allowed in the winner’s circle afterward to pose for a photo. He… Read More »

   
• Sacre Sprinter still unbeaten over fences

  Sprinter Sacre has shown once again why he is dubbed the ‘Frankel of the jumps’ as he completed a seventh win over fences with a majestic display in the Victor Chandler Chase at Cheltenham. He dominates betting for the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March with 2-5 the… Read More »

   
• 9 guilty of fixing British horse races

  Three professional footballers were among nine people banned from involvement in British horse racing for a combined total of 70 years on Friday after an investigation into an elaborate fixing scandal. The case centred on allegations that jockey Andrew Heffernan, who has recently been riding in Australia, fixed races in… Read More »

   
• Weather forecast raises Cheltenham hopes

  Officials at Cheltenham are “extremely hopeful” Saturday’s Trials Day meeting will go ahead as planned. Staff at Prestbury Park have been battling the elements all week as they try to get the track ready for a meeting which is set to feature the likes of Sprinter Sacre and Bobs Worth…. Read More »

   
• Frankel’s brother well beaten on debut

  Morpheus, Frankel’s Oasis Dream half-brother, finished well out of the frame at his first start at Nottingham. The Sir Henry Cecil-trained colt was sent off at odds of 3-1 to make a winning debut in the British Stallion Studs Supporting British Racing EBF Maiden Stakes but never really looked like… Read More »

   
• Venetia Williams outlines bold plans for Katenko

  Venetia Williams believes Katenko could develop into a contender for both the Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup. Williams describes Aintree as a “very serious option” but she feels taking on the best at level weights at Cheltenham could also be possible. The seven-year-old looked a young chaser on the… Read More »

   
• John McCririck starts legal proceedings

  Former Channel 4 Racing pundit John McCririck has confirmed he has started the first stage of his legal proceedings against the broadcaster as he seeks damages following his axing from its racing coverage. McCririck was one of a number of faces dropped from the presenting team after Channel 4 awarded… Read More »

   
• Cheltenham strives to save Trials

  Cheltenham’s big Festival Trials Day on Saturday could be run 24 hours later if the meeting is abandoned. Ground staff have been working overtime to shift the snow which fell on top of the frost sheets, which has given course officials renewed hope of the fixture going ahead. However, more… Read More »

   
• Harry The Viking set for Grand National

  Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson could have a Grand National runner with trainer Paul Nicholls confirming Harry The Viking will be entered for the world’s most famous steeplechase. The eight-year-old was second to Teaforthree at the Cheltenham Festival last March and was last seen finishing ninth in the Hennessy… Read More »

   
• Ferguson’s horse set for Grand National

  Alex Ferguson is set to have a runner in the Grand National after trainer Paul Nicholls confirmed he would enter Harry The Viking, part-owned by the Manchester United manager, in the race. The eight-year-old was second to Teaforthree in the four-mile race at the Cheltenham Festival in March last year… Read More »

   
• Cheltenham officials on weather watch

  Officials at Cheltenham believe the weather over the next 48 hours will be crucial as to whether their Festival Trials meeting will go ahead on Saturday. Although the course is raceable under the protective covers, it remains very cold and more snow is forecast before a hoped-for improvement in the… Read More »

   
• Monbeg Dude a good buy for Tindall

  England rugby star Mike Tindall has joined his royal wife Zara with a stroke of luck in the equine stakes. The Queen’s eldest granddaughter labelled her husband an “idiot” after he bid 12,000 pounds ($A18,215) for form-less Monbeg Dude at auction “without meaning to win”. “I knew nothing about him,… Read More »

   
• Revisionism undermines Frankel rating

  Frankel last week received the official stamp of approval as the greatest racehorse of all time. However, the world’s racing handicappers, the body which decides such weighty matters, in doing so also, for some, undermined the whole process by readjusting the historical weights given to previous great champions. Dancing Brave,… Read More »

   
• Wise Dan named US Horse of the Year

  Late bloomer Wise Dan has been named the United States Horse of the Year, easily beating I’ll Have Another for the title. The five-year-old, winner of five of his six starts in 2012, became the first gelding to win the title since John Henry in 1984. His major wins were… Read More »

   
• Snow causes more havoc to British racing

  Racing is facing a second successive whiteout after widespread snow led to a blank afternoon of racing in Britain on Friday. While Chepstow’s jumps card was an early casualty on Friday morning, even the all-weather meetings at Wolverhampton and Lingfield were unable to cope. All three of Saturday’s jumping fixtures… Read More »

   
• BHA panel concludes Heffernan hearing

  Former Australian-based jockey Andrew Heffernan and eight unlicensed individuals will have to wait until next Friday to know their fate following a British Horseracing Authority disciplinary panel hearing over breaches of the rules of racing. Ten days had been set aside for the hearing which began on Monday at the… Read More »

   
• UK freeze puts race meetings in doubt

  Taunton’s richest ever meeting on Saturday could be the best chance of any turf racing going ahead over the next few days. Temperatures in Somerset are fairly tropical compared to most of the rest of the country, but even they are not completely safe, with a band of either snow… Read More »