Europe

Ballyhane Stud has announced the two winners of its inaugural breeders' raffle, an initiative designed to reward the breeders supporting the Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes.  Tina Dargan has been named the winning recipient of a free nomination to Breeders' Cup winner Magnum Force while Sandra Fox is the winning recipient of a free nomination to the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes winner Sakheer. These nominations are available for immediate use during the current breeding season. Joe Foley, owner Ballyhane Stud said, "The Ballyhane Breeders' Raffle is our way of recognising...

A service to celebrate the life of Classic-winning trainer Ian Balding will be held on Sunday, April 19, at Park House Stables, Kingsclere.  Balding, who died on January 2 at the age of 87, made an indelible impression on the turf, both as the trainer of a swathe of top-class horses including Mill Reef, and as a mentor to many young people who subsequently graduated to success in the sport.  His son Andrew, now one of Britain's leading trainers, succeeded him at the helm of Kingsclere in 2002 and has...

Michael "Daffer" Kelly, a longtime stallion man at the Irish National Stud, passed away peacefully on March 5. Kelly was synonymous with many of the Irish National Stud's stallions over the years and was particularly associated with the outstanding sire Invincible Spirit, whom he handled throughout the horse's distinguished stud career. A respected and familiar figure to breeders and visitors alike, Kelly was widely admired for his horsemanship and dedication. Having joined the Irish National Stud in 1988, Kelly devoted his career to the Kildare operation. Said Irish National Stud...

A group of 24 U.S. states sued American President Donald Trump on Thursday over his imposition of new tariffs on imports around the world, according to the New York Times, which said that his administration would now be forced back into court to try to maintain those tariffs. The lawsuit is led by the states of Oregon, New York, California, and Arizona, which argue that Trump did not have the power to impose those tariffs, the Times reports. Trump imposed the new tariffs after the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Trump's...

Friday, Meydan, UAE, post time: 20:35, RAS AL KHOR SPONSORED BY EMAAR-G3, AED850,000, 3yo/up, 1400mT Field: Elnajmm (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Witness Stand (GB) (Expert Eye {GB}), Chicago Critic (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Mysterious Night (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), New Century (GB) (Kameko), Andreas Vesalius (Ire) (Caravaggio), Audience (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}), Vafortino (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), Khanjar (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), Two Tribes (GB) (Rajasinghe {Ire}), English Oak (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Fort Payne (Fr) (Rio De La Plata), Hawksbill (GB) (Kameko), Dubai Treasure (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus})....

Louis Romanet, former chairman of the International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities, has died. Also a past director of France Galop, he was 78. Romanet's family has a long association with French racing, leading the French racing institution from 1907-2007. First the Société d'Encouragement, responsible for Flat racing, where his great-uncle Maurice, his grandfather René and his father Jean succeeded one another. In 1995, Louis helmed France Galop, which integrated Flat and jumps racing under a single umbrella until he retired from his post in 2007. He joined the Société...

Bars and taverns never seem to be lacking in high stool prophets willing to tell anyone who'll listen how they could have or even should have been something they're not.  The well-trodden path is a tempting one. There is security to the predictability and comfort in knowing there will be a cheque in the post at the end of the week. But what if there was something more out there? A greater reward that required a bigger risk perhaps.  The prospect of dying wondering about what magic lies outside of...

Former jockey Frankie Dettori has had his bankruptcy extended until March 16, 2027, after a judge at a specialist insolvency court ruled his bankruptcy should not be automatically discharged. The Italian formally retired from the saddle last month. At a hearing in London on Thursday, lawyers for the two trustees of Dettori's bankruptcy asked for the order to remain in place for a further year. Stefan Ramel, representing the trustees, told the court that the former jockey "has not complied and is still not complying" with requests for information about...

Group 1 winner Whistlejacket has had his first mares scanned in foal. The son of No Nay Never, who stands at Haras de Grandcamp, commands €14,000 this year. The Prix Morny hero has multiple stakes-placed Epson Blu Cen (Blue Point) in foal, as well as Flame Of Fame (Shakespearean), the dam of stakes winner Feel Your Power (Captain Marvelous). Another mare in foal to the chestnut is U.S. stakes winner Barleysugar (Kyllachy), the dam of stakes performer Lord Wootton Cen (Wootton Bassett). Eric Lhermite said, "We are very pleased with...

Dedicated National Hunt social media channels across Instagram, X, TikTok and Facebook were launched by Coolmore on Thursday. As the cornerstone of Coolmore's heritage since the 1850s, these new channels will be the primary hub for Coolmore National Hunt news, race results, stallion updates, and sales information; as well as being an exclusive window into the daily operations at Coolmore's National Hunt bases of Grange Stud, Castlehyde, and The Beeches Stud. The launch reflects Coolmore's deep-rooted pride in National Hunt racing and its commitment to supporting the sector at every...

The Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) has agreed funding of £10.5m in grants to support a wide range of projects and initiatives across British racing in 2026. This funding is in addition to the £97.7m already announced for prize money and the regulation and integrity of the sport. The non-fixture grant area supports a significant number of areas including the promotion of racing, people training, welfare and development initiatives, thoroughbred health, horse welfare and aftercare.  HBLB runs annual funding rounds to support non-fixture related grant initiatives. Since 2000, £101.5m has...

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has confirmed the permanent appointment of Brant Dunshea as chief executive officer. Dunshea has been leading the BHA in an acting capacity since December 2024 following the departure of Julie Harrington. He has held several senior positions at British racing's governing and regulatory body since joining the organisation in March 2015, most recently as chief regulatory officer prior to being appointed acting CEO. The BHA board has also approved the appointment of David Jones as interim chair. This follows the resignation of Lord Charles Allen...