The Melbourne Cup is on the agenda for Royal Diamond following his superb run in Saturday’s Ebor at York. He was beaten just a neck by Godolphin’s Willing Foe in a thrilling climax to Europe’s richest handicap. The six-year-old joined Irish trainer Tommy Carmody from Jonjo O’Neill earlier this year… Read More »
Arlington Million runner-up Afsare could be part of trainer Luca Cumani’s Australian spring team. Afsare is in the frame for a Cox Plate start, bringing to four the number of horses Cumani is expected to travel to Melbourne. The long journey should pose no problems for the five-year-old, who had… Read More »
Melbourne spring Cups hopeful Gatewood has taken another step towards his goal with a close second in the Group Two Grand Prix de Deauville. Australian syndicate OTI Racing bought into the John Gosden-trained five-year-old earlier this year with a view to the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups. Gatewood will join the… Read More »
A bit of Travers history unfolded at the finish line at Saratoga when Sheikh Mohammed’s Alpha caught outsider Golden Ticket on the line with the camera unable to separate the pair. After a few minutes the race was declared a dead-heat, the first time in the 143 runnings of the… Read More »
New Zealand Oaks winner Miss Artistic will arrive in Melbourne next week as the support act for highly-rated stablemate Zurella. Miss Artistic pleased trainer Shaune Ritchie with her effort to finish third in a 1020m Doomben barrier trial last Tuesday, her first serious hit-out since she finished 10th to Quintessential… Read More »
It took Frankie Dettori more than 20 years but he finally landed his first Ebor when possible Melbourne Cup contender Willing Foe survived a stewards’ inquiry at York. The Italian jockey has won just about every major race in Europe but the prestigious mile-and-three-quarter (2800m) handicap had previously eluded him…. Read More »
Quest For Peace has emerged as a possible Caulfield Cup contender for English trainer Luca Cumani following a Listed win at Goodwood on Saturday. The horse had had already secured his place on the plane for Cumani’s latest assault on the Melbourne Cup and he backed up his recent Group… Read More »
Alpha and long-shot Golden Ticket have finished in a historic dead heat in the $1 million Travers Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga. It appeared as if 33-1 chance Golden Ticket would pull off a huge upset in the field of 11 three-year-olds. But 2-1 favourite Alpha closed strongly in the… Read More »
Australian mare Ortensia has staged a remarkable late run to win the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes at York. Ortensia has taken some time to deliver in England, disappointing on her British debut in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot where compatriot Black Caviar maintained her unbeaten record in the… Read More »
Alain de Royer-Dupre took a second British fillies’ Group One of the season back to France after Shareta fought her way through a rainstorm in the Yorkshire Oaks. It has become increasingly recognised in recent years that the relaxed Chantilly trainer, who has Americain heading towards another Melbourne Cup start,… Read More »
Connections of the pre-post favourite breathed a sigh of relief after Motivado just made the cut for the Ebor at York on Saturday. Sir Mark Prescott’s charge got in the valuable staying handicap as number 19 of a maximum 20-strong field. He only gained his place in the line-up thanks… Read More »
Australian mare Ortensia’s chance to snare a Group One win in England has been dealt a blow with a wet track for the Nunthorpe Stakes at York. Trainer Paul Messara has walked the track and says the prestigious sprint on Friday (Saturday morning AEST) will be run on a track… Read More »
Globetrotting jockey Jo Moreira will be out to add Germany to the list of countries has won in when he reunites with Verde Mar on Sunday. The Singapore-based Brazilian who has ridden successfully in Australia, won a Listed race on Verde Mar in Sweden last Sunday week. He will be… Read More »
Bodemeister, runner-up in this year’s Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, has been retired to stud following an injury to his left shoulder. Owners WinStar Farm said the colt was expected to fully recover, although not soon enough for the Breeders’ Cup. A statement from WinStar said trainer Bob Baffert believed… Read More »
Frankel demolished perhaps the final obstacle blocking his completion as the blueprint of the perfect thoroughbred racehorse in the Juddmonte International Stakes at York. The wonder colt coped with the step up in distance to an extended mile and a quarter (2000m) with such astonishing ease. Sir Henry Cecil, clearly… Read More »
Trainer Ed Dunlop is keen to give Snow Fairy her chance in the Breeders’ Cup later this year. The brilliant five-year-old returned from a lengthy lay-off to win her fifth Group One in five different countries when she won in France on Sunday. Dunlop has fond memories of America having… Read More »
Ed Dunlop has hailed Snow Fairy as a “phenomenal racehorse” following her triumphant return to action from injury. The five-year-old had been off the track since damaging a tendon following her Grade One win in Japan last November but bounced back in style as she landed the Group One Prix… Read More »
Sir Henry Cecil is planning to make a welcome return to the racecourse in order to see Frankel compete in Wednesday’s Juddmonte International at York. The celebrated trainer, who has been receiving ongoing treatment for cancer, has not wanted to pick up other infections, and missed the unbeaten superstar’s most… Read More »
Marco Botti is praying for rain so that he can run Planteur against the mighty Frankel in the Juddmonte International Stakes at York on Wednesday. The Newmarket handler will declare the five-year-old for the mile-and-a-quarter showpiece, but will not risk the former French-trained entire if he considers the ground to… Read More »
Snow Fairy has made a triumphant return to the track with a game win over Izzi Top in the Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville. Ed Dunlop’s globetrotting mare had been sidelined since suffering an injury in Japan last November but she came back in tremendous fashion. Held up towards the… Read More »
