James Fanshawe

It has been a highly encouraging start to the year in Britain for the select racing interests of Mary Slack, whose colours have been carried to glory by the G3 Winter Derby winner Sky Safari (Zoustar) and last Saturday by her half-sister, the Listed Snowdrop Fillies' Stakes winner Pina Sonata (Pinatubo).  The owner-breeder runs an altogether larger operation in South Africa, where she owns Wilgerbosdrift, one of the country's largest stud farms based in the Western Cape. She and her daughter Jessica Slack-Jell are also credited with stepping in to...

There was much to absorb over the last weekend and, significantly for the tier of horseracing which prompts so much fan engagement, the two best horses in Europe both returned victorious in Dubai. Calandagan (Gleneagles) and Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder), first and second in last year's Qipco Champion Stakes and just two pounds apart in the 2025 Longines World Rankings, each put down an important marker for the season ahead, in the Dubai Sheema Classic and Dubai Turf respectively. And, yes, perhaps one can argue that there wasn't the usual...

Helped by race-fitness on Friday, Ka Kui Ho's Glittering Legend (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) proved too strong in the Listed Burradon Stakes to emulate the win of his half-brother Megallan (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the Newcastle feature. This looked a deep renewal of the mile contest staged on the Tapeta, with last year's G2 Royal Lodge Stakes runner-up Royal Playwright (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and Lordship Stud's TDN Rising Star Bowmark (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in attendance and the focus was sharply on the latter who started as the...

Last year's Derby runner-up Ambiente Friendly (Ire) will be trained by James Owen when he returns to action as a four-year-old, the Racing Post reported on Thursday. The son of Gleneagles (Ire) was saddled by fellow Newmarket trainer James Fanshawe when he chased home City Of Troy (Justify) at Epsom last June, having previously announced himself as a serious Classic contender when he won the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes by four and a half lengths. He later finished third in the Irish Derby at the Curragh, before failing to...

We live in a social media era. Be it on Instagram, X or Facebook, nine times out of 10, what people put on the social media platforms is the best version of themselves. That's what made jockey Ross Coakley's post for the new year so refreshing on Facebook.  The Irishman has partnered almost 150 winners since moving to Britain in 2021. But unhappy with last year's tally of 33 wins and 328 rides, which was down from 47 wins and 375 rides in 2023, he spoke openly about how 2024...

It's all about family for Tom Frary in selecting his favourite horse of 2024, and that extends to this talented sprinter's exciting young sire. Horse of the year: Kind Of Blue There is nothing better than seeing families produce good horses time after time, particularly when they are associated with the same owner-breeder-trainer combination down the years. Kind Of Blue (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}) represents just that, with his original owners Michelle Morris and Jan and Peter Hopper having also enjoyed much success with the dam's brother Deacon Blues (GB)...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday's Observations features a half-sister to a Classic winner. 17.30 Wolverhampton, Nov, £9,650, 2yo, f, 7f 36y (AWT) Newsells Park Stud's hitherto unraced WARM GLOW (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) is a half-sister to G1 St Leger-winning sire Masked Marvel (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) and to the G3 Prix Penelope-winning dam...

James Fanshawe trainee and G1 King's Stand Stakes fourth Kind Of Blue (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}--Blues Sister {GB}, by Compton Place {GB}) was acquired by Wathnan Racing after a posting a second-place finish in last month's G1 Haydock Sprint Cup and provided an immediate return on investment with a brave success in Ascot's G1 Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes. The 10-1 chance and 'TDN Rising Star' employed patient tactics from flagfall and settled off the tempo through halfway. Cruising into contention at the quarter-mile marker, he was ridden to the...

Kind Of Blue (GB), recently beaten a head when second in the G1 Sprint Cup at Haydock, has become the latest in-training signing for Wathnan Racing.  The three-year-old son of Blue Point (Ire), who has until now raced for his breeders Michelle Morris and Jan and Peter Hopper, will remain in the stable of James Fanshawe. Kind Of Blue was unraced at two but has made rapid progression since making a winning debut in April. Fourth in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot after two straight wins, he has...

The Gredley family's Ambiente Friendly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), second in the 2024 G1 Derby, will gain the services of Christophe Soumillon when he contests the G2 Prix Niel on Sept. 15, according to trainer James Fanshawe. The Listed Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes hero, who was third in the G1 Irish Derby, was last seen running 10th in the G1 International Stakes at York on Aug. 21. The Group 2 is a pointer for the Oct. 6 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Fanshawe said, "That's the plan--all being well, he...

Ambiente Friendly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) has been confirmed as an intended runner in next month's G1 Juddmonte International at York by owner Tim Gredley, who also revealed plans for the Derby runner-up to stay in training as a four-year-old. Trained by James Fanshawe, Ambiente Friendly has underlined his status as one of the leading three-year-old colts in training since his impressive victory in the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes in May, first faring best of the rest behind City Of Troy (Justify) at Epsom and then running another solid race...

Prominent breeze-up consignor and pre-trainer Ian McCarthy says that having a genuine Derby horse through his hands will be very hard to top and explained how he will be rooting for graduate Ambiente Friendly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) in Sunday's Irish Derby at the Curragh. McCarthy sold Ambiente Friendly on behalf of the colt's breeders Al Shira'aa Farms for 80,000gns to bloodstock agent Freddy Tylicki at last year's Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale.  Tylicki's opinion on the horse has since been vindicated 10 times over with Ambiente Friendly carrying the colours of...