Ascot Racecourse

Howden and Ascot have renewed their partnership for another five years until 2030, the racecourse announced on Thursday. The partnership, which began in 2021, underscores both organisations' commitment to excellence in horse racing and the broader equine industry and ensures continued collaboration across all Ascot racedays, with Howden's branding prominently featured around Ascot Racecourse, including throughout Royal Ascot. The Howden Christmas Racing Weekend has also become a highlight of the festive season, featuring prominent races such as the G1 Howden Long Walk Hurdle and the G2 Howden Noel Novices' Chase....

Ascot Racecourse is set to return record prize-money of £17.75 million to the sport in 2025, having announced its financial results for the 12 months ended December 31, 2024. Turnover for that period rose by 2% to £113.1 million, with a pre-tax profit of £8.4 million - up from £5.9 million in 2023. The 2024 business summary highlighted several other points of interest: Gross profit was broadly static, reflecting the general inflationary economic conditions. whilst this also included an increase of £526k in the executive contribution towards prize-money. Profit before...

Last seen running third behind the absent Lake Victoria in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, Shane Stafford's €50,000 Tattersalls Ireland yearling Cercene (Australia) stepped forward in ultra-game fashion to become the longest-priced winner of Royal Ascot's G1 Coronation Stakes. The 33-1 outsider went forward to track the leaders in fourth after the opening exchanges, as TDN Rising Star Falakeyah (New Bay) raced too freely on the front end, and inched closer once into the home straight. Gaining an edge approaching the furlong pole, she was immediately tackled and headed by...

Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy's once-raced Carlisle maiden winner Venetian Sun (Starman) fulfilled the role of spoiler with aplomb and the Karl Burke trainee prevented a Ballydoyle clean sweep of Royal Ascot's juvenile pattern races with a dominant victory in Friday's G3 Albany Stakes. The 240,000gns Book 1 graduate, drawn in the supposedly unfavourable stall one on the track's far side, raced on the wing in midfield through halfway in this straight six-furlong contest. Coming under pressure to reduce arrears approaching the quarter-mile pole, the well-backed 7-1 chance made continued...

Godolphin's seven-year-old gelding Trawlerman (Golden Horn) encountered a giant when runner-up in Royal Ascot's G1 Gold Cup last year and, with old foe Kyprios having departed stage left, kept matters simple and made all for an emphatic seven-length defeat of Coolmore's Illinois (Galileo) in the meeting's 2 1/2-mile feature. His winning time of 4:15.02 was a new track record and eclipsed the benchmark, set by Rite Of Passage 15 years ago, by nearly two seconds. The 85-40 favourite was in front from flagfall and set a modest tempo on the...

Wathnan Racing's Crimson Advocate (Nyquist), who annexed the 2023 G2 Queen Mary Stakes for George Weaver, returned to the scene of her greatest triumph with a decisive victory in Wednesday's G2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes. Her 1 3/4-length tally provided the Gosden stable with a record-extending sixth win in the one-mile contest. Crimson Advocate had previously registered a second stakes win in Goodwood's Listed Conqueror Stakes last month, her third outing and first win for John and Thady Gosden since joining from the Weaver stable, and the four-year-old landed a...

Coolmore's twice-raced maiden True Love (No Nay Never) went down fighting when runner-up to G2 Coventry-winning stablemate Gstaad in the second of two starts last month and, hammered down to clear favourite for Wednesday's G2 Queen Mary Stakes, duly delivered a first renewal for Aidan O'Brien. She also restored family honour in the five-furlong dash and eclipsed her sister Truly Enchanting's 13th last year. The race was marred by the fatal injury to the Richard Hannon-trained Harry's Girl (Harry's Angel). True Love broke swiftly from stall 25 of 25 and...

Barraston Racing's 5-year-old handicap regular American Affair (Washington DC) had not set foot in black-type territory until last month and stepped forward to claim GI King Charles III Stakes glory for Scotland after another ding-dong cliffhanger. The race is a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar in November. The 11-1 chance finished a close-up fifth behind Mgheera (Zoustar) in Haydock's G2 Temple Stakes and the Jim Goldie trainee's task was made easier when that rival was scratched at the start after losing...

There is always a story at Royal Ascot and this year's meeting opener, the G1 Queen Anne Stakes, delivered an immediate slice of drama as Harry Eustace trainee Docklands (Massaat) provided the Newmarket conditioner with a thrilling first Group 1 triumph, by a pixel, despite Australian rider Mark Zahra dropping his whip in the closing stages of the straight one-mile test. The Queen Anne is a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar this coming November. Last year's runner-up, who annexed the Britannia Handicap...

Leading jockeys from across the globe, including Hollie Doyle, Ryusei Sakai and Karis Teetan, will headline the 2025 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup, with a new-look format also announced for the team event which takes places this year on Saturday, August 9. Japanese jockey Sakai will be the star attraction in the newly-created Asia team. He is already a household name on the international scene through his partnership with the globe-trotting Forever Young, the world's highest-rated horse currently, and Shin Emperor. The Asia team replaces the Ladies team in the...

Godolphin's homebred Victory Queen (GB) (Kingman {GB}) backed up a half-length debut triumph at Newmarket's Craven meeting with a narrow victory, racing under a six-pound penalty, in Wednesday's Darley British EBF Fillies' Novice Stakes on the Royal Ascot trials undercard. The February-foaled half-sister to the ill-fated dual Group 1 winner Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), whose Apr. 15 debut success came over the same one-mile distance at HQ, broke sharply and made an immediate impact on the front end. Enjoying a soft lead at a moderate tempo for the most part,...

Making a welcome return to action having undergone a wind prodecure in February, RP Racing's G3 Molecomb Stakes victor Big Mojo (Ire) (Mohaather {GB}) allayed any concerns regarding his wellbeing with a rousing half-length victory in Wednesday's G3 eventmasters.co.uk Commonwealth Cup Trial at Ascot. The Mick Appleby trainee, starting at odds of 4-1, was under a firm hold from the outset and occupied a position in mid division through halfway in the six-furlong dash. Easing closer inside the final quarter-mile, he joined the front rank of four on the far...