Japanese trainer Yasutoshi Ikee is confident Orfevre is in better shape than he was before his Prix Foy triumph ahead of his bid for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. The Japanese Triple Crown winner made the perfect debut in France by winning one of the Arc’s most recognised trials… Read More »
Snow Fairy has been ruled out of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the rest of the season after being found to have heat in a tendon. An injury sustained at the end of last year threatened to bring the five-year-old’s racing career to an end but she roared… Read More »
Former Australian horse Retrieve has won a Listed race at Newmarket in an event appropriately sponsored by his owner Sheikh Mohammed. The 2011 Australian Derby runner-up justified his 5-2 favouritism when he took out the Aqlaam Godolphin Stakes (2400m). “He likes this ground and he has improved a lot,” trainer… Read More »
A Listed-race double as part of a treble on the first day of Newmarket’s Cambridgeshire meeting took John Gosden past Aidan O’Brien and into the lead in the Flat trainers’ championship standings. Gosden has amassed unquestionably his strongest squad since he returned to Britain in 1989 from the United States,… Read More »
Champion Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien and his family have escaped unharmed after a fire at their Ballydoyle home. The blaze is reported to have started in an upstairs bedroom at around 10pm on Wednesday (0700 Thurs AEST) but the emergency services were soon on the scene. A Garda spokesman said… Read More »
Ed Dunlop has played down speculation Snow Fairy could be re-routed from the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe to the E P Taylor Stakes at Woodbine in Canada a week later. The Newmarket trainer has stressed he is merely keeping all avenues open for his top-class mare. The Arc at… Read More »
Racegoers at Newmarket on Saturday will be treated to an up close appearance by Frankel ahead of what is likely to be his final start next month. The Sir Henry Cecil-trained superstar will gallop an hour before the start of racing on Cambridgeshire day in preparation for the Champion Stakes… Read More »
The current spell of wet weather may force trainer Ed Dunlop to rethink his Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe plans for Snow Fairy. Having returned from a serious injury better than ever, the globetrotting mare earned her place in the end-of-season showpiece by beating Nathaniel and St Nicholas Abbey in… Read More »
Cirrus Des Aigles is set to return to action in the Prix Dollar at Longchamp on October 6. Trainer Corine Barande-Barbe reports the six-year-old to be back in fine shape ahead of his lead-up run for the Champion Stakes at Ascot on October 20. Cirrus Des Aigles was second in… Read More »
Pat Smullen believes Galileo’s Choice represents his best chance yet of winning the Melbourne Cup at Flemington on November 6. The multiple champion Irish jockey is hoping to give trainer Dermot Weld a remarkable third triumph in the two-mile (3200m) race. Smullen is happy with the 53.5kg Galileo’s Choice will… Read More »
Leading Irish jockey Pat Smullen has celebrated a convincing success on Captain Ramius in the Ayr Gold Cup at his first ride at the Scottish track. Smullen, who rides for Dermot Weld and is expected to be aboard Galileo’s Choice in the Melbourne Cup, made the most of the opportunity… Read More »
Some bookmakers believe this year’s jockeys’ title is as good as won, paying out on Richard Hughes being crowned champion for the first time in his career. Hughes enjoyed a fantastic six-timer on Wednesday and another couple of winners on Thursday took him to 138 for the season, 16 clear… Read More »
Former Australian horse Scarf has won a Listed race at Newbury for Godolphin. Previously part of Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley Australia team, Scarf was driven hard by Frankie Dettori to hold off Producer by a neck to win Friday’s Listed Dubai Duty Free Cup to record his second win at the… Read More »
Joshua Tree will aim to regain his Canadian International crown following a highly creditable performance at Longchamp on Sunday. The five-year-old was victorious at Woodbine when trained by Aidan O’Brien a couple of years ago and finished second to French raider Sarah Lynx 12 months later after joining Marco Botti…. Read More »
Japanese star Orfevre was promoted to favourite for the world’s most prestigious middle distance race, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, after winning the Group Two Prix Foy at Longchamp on Sunday. The 2011 Japanese Triple Crown winner came home ahead of three-time European Group One winner Meandre in a… Read More »
Farhh takes in a new country on his latest voyage for a maiden Group One win with a clash with Moonlight Cloud in Sunday’s Prix du Moulin. Just four face the starter over a mile at Longchamp, with Saeed Bin Suroor’s colt facing respite from Frankel, who has hammered him… Read More »
Orfevre becomes the latest Japanese star to embark on the route towards the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with an outing in one of the trials at Longchamp this Sunday. With the help of his pacemaker Aventino, last year’s Japanese Triple Crown winner tackles Andre Fabre’s triple Group One winner… Read More »
Times Up gave the soon-to-retire John Dunlop an emotional victory with a superb performance in the Doncaster Cup. Dunlop announced on Thursday he plans to bring his long and illustrious training career to an end when the curtain comes down on the current Flat season in November, citing a lack… Read More »
Bookmakers feel they are “dangling a carrot” for punters by easing Camelot’s odds ahead of his bid for Triple Crown glory in Saturday’s St Leger at Doncaster. Aidan O’Brien’s 2000 Guineas and dual Derby hero bids to become the first horse since the legendary Nijinsky in 1970 to complete the… Read More »
Fame And Glory will be aiming to give the Ballydoyle team a Classic double as he leads nine contenders for Saturday’s Irish St Leger at the Curragh. Trainer Aidan O’Brien is planning to take a helicopter to the track after watching Triple Crown-seeking Camelot try to complete his hat-trick in… Read More »
