In an already sad month, the deaths have been announced of two highly respected and popular former Yorkshire-based trainers, Tim Etherington and Tommy 'Squeak' Fairhurst.   Tim Etherington took over the helm at Wold House Stables in Malton in 1994 on the retirement of his father Jimmy, one of the leading jockeys in the north [...]

Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and Head of the Commonwealth, as well as being one of the world's most enthusiastic and knowledgeable racehorse owner-breeders, died on Thursday at Balmoral. She was 96 years old. The reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was not merely the longest in British history, but was also [...]

James Delahooke, an outstanding horseman who played a key role in the creation of the late Prince Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte empire, died of a heart attack Wednesday morning while grouse hunting in Yorkshire with friends, according to his brother Matthew Delahooke. He was 77. A large proportion of the greatest horses bred and raced by [...]

   A look back at the winners of Goodwood's King George S. illustrates how sprint lines permeate all areas of the breed, from fellow sprinters to Derby winners. The win of Khaadem (Ire) in the G2 King George S. at the Qatar 'Glorious' Goodwood Festival has further enhanced the great record in the race of [...]

Few people genuinely deserve to be described as a legend in their own lifetime. Lester Piggott was one, while Alec Head, who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 97, was another. One of the greatest names in the world of both training and breeding, Alec Head was also a very accomplished jockey in his [...]

There's plenty going on in the world at present, including in Great Britain with the daily-changing tragi-comic farce which masquerades as domestic politics.  We're definitely not in the 'silly season' in which news editors have to look far and wide, including to the back pages, to find the front-page leads.  Within the sports' pages racing [...]

While Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee celebrations at Epsom understandably focus on the Derby, we should remember that that great race, in which she owned the runner-up Aureole (GB) just days after her Coronation in 1953, is not the only big race at the meeting which has close links to Britain's Royal Family.  Arguably even stronger [...]

The betting for the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas suggests that Godolphin has a very strong hand for Europe's early Classics, with Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) a solid favourite and Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) a clear second pick. However, such strength in depth brings its own complications. The European calendar boasts three principal Guineas races (chronologically, [...]

For many years it was a tradition that the British Flat racing season would start on the Carholme at Lincoln towards the end of March and then finish at Manchester (and at Lingfield, which raced on the same afternoon) in November. Lincoln and Manchester have both now been lost in the mists of time, each [...]

We all need a bit of inspiration now and then. Currently we need to look no farther than to yesterday's birthday boy, the great Ribot (GB) (Tenerani {Ity}) who was born 70 years ago, on Feb. 27, 1952 at the English National Stud in Dorset. In his early days, Ribot was dismissively referred to as [...]

Sadler's Wells, winner of the G1 Eclipse S. during a tough campaign as a 3-year-old in 1984, didn't take long to establish himself as an outstanding stallion (siring two Dewhurst Stakes winners, ie dead-heaters, in his first crop and thus swiftly making his aptitude for his second career clear) but for quite a long time [...]

British racing has lost one of its greatest figures with the passing of former champion jockey Joe Mercer OBE at the age of 86.   Joseph Mercer was one of two brothers, born in Bradford in Yorkshire, who lit up Britain's apprentice ranks in the decade after the Second World War. The elder brother Emmanuel [...]