Declan Carroll

Trainer Declan Carroll says he is still hopeful stable star Lifeplan (Kodi Bear) will make the 2,000 Guineas despite the fact the Gimcrack winner has picked up a setback that will rule him out of an intended reappearance in the trial.  Lifeplan had been on track to return at the Craven meeting ahead of the season's opening Classic to determine whether his charge could stay a mile, but Carroll may now have to reassess plans for the three-year-old. He said, "Lifeplan is good but he's had a slight little setback...

Opening the batting for the after-dinner speeches at York's 254th annual Gimcrack Dinner was the man of the hour, the winning owner of the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes, Martin Tedham. If Lord Allen's later address led the odd guest to refill their port glass in need of fortification, Tedham, owner of the Declan Carroll-trained colt Lifeplan (Kodi Bear), had them rolling in the aisles. The Scottish Borders native said that his trainer had been supremely confident of the colt's chances in the Gimcrack but Tedham had not realised...

Wasdell Properties and Martin Tedham's Lifeplan will be given the rest of the season off, with his long-term goal the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket next season, according to trainer Declan Carroll. The son of Kodi Bear ran out a length winner of the G2 Gimcrack Stakes at York last month after a Thirsk novice victory in July. Undefeated, the €165,000 Goffs Orby yearling was under consideration for the G1 Middle Park Stakes on September 27. He is currently a 25-1 shot for next year's Classic on May 2. Carroll...

The least-experienced in the line-up for Friday's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes at York, Martin Tedham's Lifeplan (Kodi Bear) stepped up in style to land the six-furlong contest. Coming off a taking Thirsk novice win last month, the Declan Carroll-trained €165,000 Goffs Orby Book 1 purchase who traded at 13-2 tracked the leader Rock On Thunder (Night Of Thunder) throughout and gave all for Zak Wheatley to get up close home and win by a length as they drew clear. "There is no feeling like it, it's amazing,"...

Bruce Lundsford's Art Collector (Bernardini), winner of the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. in his latest start, worked over a muddy Churchill Downs track Saturday morning. Trained by Tom Drury, the colt carved out fractions of :12.80 and :24.60 before galloping out five furlongs in 1:01.20 and six panels in 1:14.80. "It's so nice to have a horse who is versatile and can really run over any surface," said Drury. "He did everything very easily this morning and it was really just a perfect work. We are still taking things...