Derby

The Betfred Derby will this year be run in memory of HH Aga Khan IV. The spiritual leader of the world's Ismaili Muslims died on February 4 at the age of 88.  From Shergar's imperious romp in 1981 to Harzand's victory in partnership with the late Pat Smullen in 2016, the Aga Khan won the Epsom Classic five times with homebreds, including Shahrastani (1986), Kahyasi (1988), and Sinndar (2000), who went on to win the Irish Derby and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He also won last year's Betfred...

NEWMARKET, UK -- "Well that was good timing," said a beaming Freddy Powell, a man with a sale to sell next week. The work had just been done for him.  Ruling Court was known only as Oak Tree Farm's Justify colt at this time last year - a colt that would soon top the Arqana Breeze-up Sale at €2.3 million. Next year, he will be the sale catalogue's cover star. Big prices, however, are not always a guarantee of big results, but this horse had on his side the fact...

Recent Southwell novice winner Nightime Dancer (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) has been added to the potential field for the Betfred Derby at the latest entry stage. Owned by Norway's Stall Perlen, the colt was bought as a foal by Peter and Ross Doyle for 110,000gns from his breeder GCE Farm and is trained by Richard Hannon. Nightime Dancer, whose granddam Ragsah (Ire) Shamardal) is a half-sister to Dubai Millennium (GB), has a fascinating pedigree as he is inbred to the latter's dam Colorado Dancer (Ire) and also to Urban Sea through...

The five Classic races staged in the UK - the oldest of their kind in the world - are being branded the Betfred British Classics in an agreement between sponsor Betfred, The Jockey Club and Arena Racing Company (ARC). The newly created logo and title will be "used to help to educate racing and sports fans about each of the races' rich history and backstories". This year, Betfred has stepped in as sponsor of the first two Classics of the season, Newmarket's 2,000 Guineas and 1,000 Guineas, following the end...

This week at Cheltenham, Tim Gredley will be taking time out from one type of horse to turn his attention to another. The owner, breeder and leading showjumper has recently returned from Abu Dhabi, where he was second in the Grand Prix, but sport horses will take a backseat temporarily as we he focuses on the Thoroughbreds. "We've had a lot going on with the showjumpers so it's nice to come back and see the racehorses - that's what I love the most really," says Gredley, who, along with his...

As the entries for the Betfred Derby were announced on Tuesday, Aidan O'Brien has admitted that it would be no surprise to see another of his colts take a major step forward this spring to rival current favourite The Lion In Winter (Ire), a son of the 2009 Derby winner Sea The Stars (Ire).  "Being realistic, The Lion In Winter won his maiden very nicely and then went and won a Group 3 at York [Acomb Stakes]. They were two very good runs but obviously he was meant to go...

Banstead Manor Stud is famed around the world as the HQ of Juddmonte, not least for housing the mighty Frankel. However, its incarnation as the home of the Juddmonte sires does not represent its debut as a source of racing success. During 2025 it will celebrate its centenary as a leading stud because it was first thrust into the spotlight in 1925 when Henry Morriss bought the property specifically to stand that year's Derby winner Manna. Previously Banstead Manor had been part of the massive Cheveley Estate, which at the...

City Of Troy, arguably the most talked-about horse in training, will retire to Coolmore Stud in Ireland after his date with destiny in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on November 2.  The highest-rated son of Justify, City Of Troy produced one of the most impressive Derby-winning performances in recent times and followed up on his Epsom heroics with victory in the Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International. Aidan O'Brien's star will not race beyond his three-year-old campaign and, in a statement issued by Coolmore on Saturday, the trainer commented, "He's...

John Magnier was in mischievous form at Sandown after he and his wife Sue had joined the wider Coolmore team for celebratory photographs with their Derby and Eclipse winner City Of Troy.  It has been well documented how important this colt is to the operation: the European champion two-year-old of 2023, he is by the Triple Crown winner Justify, who was recruited at vast expense to stand at Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Kentucky. For that stallion to prove himself adept at siring top-class runners on both dirt and turf would...

In the 1960s British racing had the chance to own bookmaking. But it's happening the other way round. Bookmakers are moving closer to owning racing. Betfred's headline sponsorship of all five Classics - the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas, Derby, Oaks and St Leger - from 2025 is manna to racecourse execs whose job it is to find backers for marquee events. With the Qatar-owned Qipco stepping back from sponsorship of the Guineas meeting and King George at Ascot from next year (they're maintaining their support for Champions Day), the prestige...

Betfred will be the new sponsor of Newmarket's 2,000 Guineas and 1,000 Guineas from 2025 onwards, it was announced on Thursday. The multi-year agreement means the bookmaker will become the first brand to sponsor all five of Britain's Classics--the others being the Betfred Oaks and Betfred Derby at Epsom and Doncaster's Betfred St Leger--at the same time. To mark their sponsorship of the prestigious contests, Betfred have also announced that a £2-million bonus will be on offer to connections of any horse who completes the 'Betfred Triple Crown' by winning...

There was no shortage of talking points to unpick from Wednesday. From Sands Of Mali bagging a breakthrough winner at the royal meeting to Karl Burke and Wathnan racing enjoying a change of fortune and even Ryan Moore coming out of his shell to defend Auguste Rodin, the action on and off the track did not disappoint.  Sands Of Mali Puts His Name In Lights It proved to be a big day for Ballyhane Stud's Sands Of Mali (Fr), who became the first of the freshman sires to get off...