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 »
Mount Athos is the new Melbourne Cup favourite after booking his ticket to Australia with a clear-cut win in the Group Three Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury. The Luca Cumani-trained five-year-old firmed to $18 with TAB Sportsbet after he strolled to a 3-1/4 length win over Brown Panther with Modun… Read More »
William Haggas has ruled Dancing Rain out of next Thursday’s Yorkshire Oaks. The four-year-old enjoyed a stellar Classic campaign, winning the Oaks at Epsom, the German Oaks and the British Champions Fillies’ And Mares’ Stakes at Ascot. She was due to make her belated seasonal reappearance on the Knavesmire next… Read More »
Trainer Ed Dunlop feels Snow Fairy is “fit enough to do herself justice” as she makes her eagerly anticipated return in the Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville on Sunday. The incredible mare landed the English and Irish Oaks in 2010 and completed a memorable year with victories in Japan and… Read More »
The race that shapes the Melbourne Cup is run this weekend – not at Caulfield or Rosehill or in New Zealand – but in the French seaside resort of Deauville. The Group Two Prix Kergorlay (3000m) has provided Melbourne Cup clues for more than a decade. But more recently it… Read More »
Triple Crown aspirant Camelot enjoyed a gallop before racing at Leopardstown ahead of his date with destiny in next month’s Ladbrokes St Leger. The three-year-old has already landed the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the English Derby at Epsom, and next month aims to become the first horse since Nijinsky… Read More »
Snow Fairy is set to make her long awaited return to racing at Deauville on Sunday in the Prix Jean Romanet. The Ed Dunlop-trained multiple Group One winner has been sidelined since November after suffering an early season setback but is one of 10 left in the 10-furlong (2000m) race…. Read More »
Trainer Aidan O’Brien is relishing a clash with Frankel when he sends St Nicholas Abbey to the Juddmonte International at York next week. O’Brien said the STG725,000 ($A1.09 million) contest had always been in his his mind for St Nicholas Abbey, who has only run twice at 10 furlongs (2000m)… Read More »
IMG Sports Media have been announced as the new producers of Channel 4’s racing coverage from January. The new four-year agreement will see former BBC racing presenter Clare Balding take a leading role in coverage of meetings such as the Cheltenham Festival, Royal Ascot and the Grand National. The deal,… Read More »
England striker Wayne Rooney has enjoyed success in his colours for the first time as a racehorse owner with Pippy winning at Wolverhampton. The Exceed And Excel colt, who Rooney owns with wife Coleen, was last of the four runners for most of the seven-furlong (1400m) contest but found a… Read More »
The Prix du Moulin at Longchamp next month is the likely next port of call for Moonlight Cloud, a luckless fourth at Deauville on Sunday. Trainer Freddie Head feels the filly would have won the Prix Jacques le Marois but for meeting serious traffic problems. Following a narrow defeat to… Read More »
Much-travelled Singapore-based Brazilian jockey Joao Moreira has added a win in Sweden to his list of global victories. A frequent visitor to Australia last season to ride for Nathan Tinkler’s Patinack Farm, Moreira answered the call from leading owner Stefan Friborg to ride at the Swedish Derby meeting at the… Read More »
Excelebration took advantage of a Group One with no Frankel in opposition by landing the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville for Aidan O’Brien and late substitute Christophe Soumillon. Having chased home Frankel in no less the four Group Ones, O’Brien unsurprisingly decided to avoid another clash with the greatest… Read More »
Dermot Weld’s ever-popular Famous Name has landed the first Group Two race of his illustrious career in the Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh. The seven-year-old claimed his 19th win but all but his maiden successes have been at either Listed or Group Three level. Previously whenever Famous Name had… Read More »
Hong Kong’s Matthew Chadwick has taken the award for the leading jockey as part of the Rest of the World team’s win in the Shergar Cup at Ascot. Chadwick joined Japanese superstar Yutaka Take and American Aaron Gryder in the competition with the trio well in control after race four… Read More »
Moonlight Cloud takes on eight other individual Group One winners in what may be the race of the season in Sunday’s Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville. Established as Europe’s top sprinter after finishing just a head behind Black Caviar and running away with the Prix Maurice de Gheest for… Read More »
Frankie Dettori is favourite to be leading rider at this weekend’s Shergar Cup following the draw for the prized Ascot jockeys’ competition. Ladbrokes make Dettori, who will captain Team Europe, the 4-1 market leader for the Silver Saddle in what will be the 12th staging of the unique event, which… Read More »
Snow Fairy has continued her preparations for a seasonal comeback with a pleasing gallop at Sandown. The multiple Group One-winning mare has been absent since she picked up an injury towards the end of last year. She missed a possible engagement in the Nassau Stakes last week but if all… Read More »
Melbourne Cup aspirant Galileo’s Choice continued on the upgrade with victory in the Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown. The Dermot Weld-trained six-year-old finished seventh to Cinders And Ashes in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March and returned to the flat with a Listed race win at Leopardstown in July…. Read More »
