Commonwealth Cup

There can be few crueller blows than Classic dreams being dashed after a winter fuelled by expectation and excitement.  This was sadly the case for all those connected with last year's champion two-year-old Gewan (Night Of Thunder), who suffered a fatal injury in April while being prepared for the 2,000 Guineas. Trained by Andrew Balding for Forz Europe, the colt would have been an obvious prospect for that same owner's fledgling stallion operation at Ace Stud. Gewan's breeders, Charlie Wyatt of Dukes Stud and Simon Sweeting of Overbury Stud, were...

To a degree, 2025 was the year of the gelding. Those who won at least one Group or Grade 1 race included Calandagan, Ka Ying Rising, Romantic Warrior, Goliath, Cicero's Gift, Lazzat, American Affair, Half Yours, Caballo De Mar, Candelari, Ethical Diamond, Never So Brave, Rebel's Romance, and Trawlerman. Indeed, three of those were among the top-ten-rated horses in the world. There is no doubting the popularity and resonance of some of those names above but to what extent should we prioritise promoting the sport over protecting the breed, or...

The 9-year-old Cool Jet (Ire) (Jet Away {GB}) has been named the Eclipse Award Steeplechase Horse. Trained by Jack Fisher and owned by Riverdee Stable, Cool Jet won three of six starts in his sixth year of racing, picking up victories in the GI Commonwealth Cup Stakes, the GIII Mariann de Tejeda Memorial Stakes and the GIII Noel Laing Stakes. He also hit the board at both Blue Ridge and during the Foxfield Spring Meet in the Good Night Shirt Hurdle Stakes. He finished the year with earnings of $190,500...

ASCOT, UK -- It was a day when so many of those engaged at Royal Ascot were thinking also of a great man gone away in Ireland. Kevin Prendergast would undoubtedly have revelled in the splendid results for some of his fellow Irish trainers on Ascot Heath as they in turn paid tribute to him. And there was even a winner for his old friend Awtaad, the last of the trainer's Classic winners, whose son Ethical Diamond triumphed in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes after another, Ascending, had won Tuesday's...

The Commonwealth Cup has been blown wide open after market leaders Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) and Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) were ruled out of Friday's Group 1 at Royal Ascot.  Bucanero Fuerte was reported to have suffered from travel sickness by his owners Amo Racing while Vandeek will miss the six-furlong contest due to a poor blood count. A statement released by Simon and Ed Crisford on Monday morning read, "Unfortunately Vandeek will not be able to run in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot this Friday...

NEWMARKET, UK--Vandeek (GB), who is currently co-favourite for Friday's G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, was put through his paces by James Doyle on Newmarket's Limekilns gallop on Saturday morning. Easing clear of his two older work-mates, the son of Havana Grey (GB) galloped over six furlongs in what co-trainer Ed Crisford described as "a nice topping-up bit of work". Unbeaten last season in four starts, including the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S., Vandeek, who is owned by KHK Racing, ended 2023 as the highest-rated juvenile in...

Donnacha O'Brien is leaning towards the Coronation S. with 1,000 Guineas runner-up Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio) but has left the door open for his star filly to run in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. Porta Fortuna provided the County Tipperary handler with his first success at the summer showpiece when landing the Albany S. 12 months ago. Since then, Porta Fortuna has gone on to scoop Group 1 glory in the Cheveley Park S. and she also came mightily close to providing the trainer with his first Classic when...

Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) is firmly on course for the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. That is despite the fact that Simon and Ed Crisford's dual Group 1-winning juvenile star lost his unbeaten record in the G2 Sandy Lane S. at Haydock.  However, connections have reported the colt to have come out of that seasonal return effort in rude health, and that it is full steam ahead to the royal meeting.  "He's come out of the race very well, Simon and Ed Crisford have been pleased with his...

Kevin Ryan has confirmed that Inisherin (GB) (Shamardal) will be supplemented for the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot following his dominant victory in the Sandy Lane S. at Haydock. Inisherin became the first horse to take the scalp of Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), who could only manage third, on Saturday. Ryan reports the colt to have come out of the 6f contest in rude health and says it is all systems go for Ascot.  "I was delighted with him on Saturday, he's a horse with a lot of speed,"...

By Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin On Tuesday the European Pattern Committee (EPC) announced that 42 races are at risk of being downgraded in 2025, including Britain's G1 Commonwealth Cup. Its status will depend very much on its performance in 2024, which will mark the tenth running of the race introduced to the British calendar in 2015 as a readymade Group 1 in order to "create a more balanced programme and better opportunities for high-class sprinters". The Commonwealth Cup, run at Royal Ascot over six furlongs for three-year-olds only, was...

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- From the very beginning, young trainer George Boughey has made one thing quite clear--when the opportunity presents, he wants to travel horses to play the game on the international stage at the very highest level. At this time last year, Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah's Al Dasim (Ire) (Harry Angel {Ire}) was about a month away from making an early-season debut; twelve months on from that somewhat disappointing fifth when favoured in a five-furlong maiden at Leicester, the chestnut colt will be one of the choices...

Caravaggio (Scat Daddy--Mekko Hotke, by Holy Bull), the leading European first-crop sire of 2021, has been acquired by the Japanese Bloodstock Breeders Association (JBBA) and is set to continue his stud career at Shizunai Stallion Station, according to multiple published reports. Trained by Aidan O'Brien for Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, Caravaggio was perfect in four runs as a juvenile, including a defeat of Mehmas (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) in the G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot and capped by a four-length success in the G1 Keeneland Phoenix...