Newbury

Newbury Racecourse announced on Tuesday the introduction of a £50,000 bonus for any horse who wins a two-year-old race throughout the Flat season at Newbury and subsequently triumphs in the G2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes. In the event that a horse achieves this feat in 2025, £40,000 will be paid to the winning owner and £10,000 to the yard where the horse is trained for the stable staff. The European Pattern Committee revealed in February that the Mill Reef was one of two races in Britain at risk...

The Group 1 fixture at the Curragh on Saturday, May 24, featuring the Irish 2,000 Guineas, has been added to the World Pool schedule for 2025, with all races on the card set to be globally commingled. Another change to the schedule comes at Newbury on Saturday, May 17. All seven races on the card, including the G1 Lockinge Stakes, will now be part of World Pool, up from five in 2024. The World Pool, the largest globally-commingled horse racing pools, was created and is powered by the Hong Kong...

Weatherbys has pledged to continue its sponsorship of the £250,000 Super Sprint at Newbury for another five years. First run under sponsorship of Weatherbys back in 1993, this year's edition will mark the 32nd consecutive running of the race in its current guise. Jordan Coates, Head of Sales at Newbury Racecourse commented, "We are delighted to be continuing our longstanding relationship with Weatherbys as sponsors of the Super Sprint for a further five years. "The Weatherbys Super Sprint is one of our summer highlights here at Newbury and always promises...

Saturday's G2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes was hit with a spate of withdrawals following the heavy rain at Newbury, but Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum's Powerful Glory (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}--Wouldntitbelovely {Ire}, by Kodiac {GB}) stepped up to provide the rescue with a game win in the testing ground. So impressive on a contrasting good-to-firm surface at Pontefract last month, the 5-2 second favourite travelled strongly in his own rhythm as the race split into three pairs across the track. Staying on strongly to enter contention approaching the...

The unbeaten Defence Minister (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) has been supplemented by owners Wathnan Racing for Saturday's G2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury at a cost of £5,000. Last seen defying a penalty in decisive fashion at Haydock, Defence Minister is one of 19 horses in contention for the prestigious two-year-old contest as he tries to make it three wins from as many starts for his Qatari-born, Newmarket-based trainer Hamad Al-Jehani. G2 Gimcrack Stakes winner Cool Hoof Luke (GB) (Advertise {GB}) and Aidan O'Brien's G3 Round...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a full-sister to a Classic winner. 15.20 Salisbury, Mdn, £40,000, 2yo, f, 6f 213yT KINGSCLERE (Kitten's Joy) comes to the races with a lot of baggage, being a homebred full-sister to Qatar Racing's G1 2,000 Guineas and G1 Futurity Trophy-winning sire Kameko and sporting the name...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features a full-brother to multiple group winner Chindit (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). 16.05 Newbury, Mdn, £40,000, 2yo, 7fT FITZMAURICE (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) makes his debut at the track that hosted his multiple group-winning full-brother Chindit (Ire) on five occasions, with a win in the G3 Greenham...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred 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 Tattersalls October Book 1 millionaire. 17.45 Newmarket, Mdn, £9,000, 2yo, 8fT Godolphin's hitherto untried ARABIAN POET (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), one of two entries from Charlie Appleby's local nursery, made a mark when purchased for the round one million at last year's Tattersalls October Book 1...

Simply a nice introduction and a placing would have been encouraging for Cheveley Park Stud as they unveiled their unraced homebred Formal (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in Newbury's seven-furlong maiden on Thursday evening, so an impressive win for the first foal out of their G1 Falmouth Stakes heroine Veracious (GB) (Frankel {GB}) made her instant TDN Rising Star material. Restrained initially by Jason Watson to race behind the leaders, the 6-1 shot was delivered to swamp Juddmonte's experienced 8-15 favourite Glistening (GB) (Frankel {GB}) without being asked a serious question at...

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. Thursday's Observations features a seven-figure sales graduate. 14.40 Sandown, Mdn, £10,000, 2yo, 7fT Godolphin's RULING COURT (Justify) caused a stir when realising a whopping €2.3-million at this year's Arqana Breeze-Up sale and makes his eagerly awaited debut in a contest won in recent years by Arabian Crown (Fr) (Dubawi...

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. Saturday's Observations features the return of Ides Of March. 13.30 Curragh, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo, c/g, 7fT Aidan O'Brien trainee IDES OF MARCH (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is the third foal produced by GI Frizette Stakes heroine Nickname  (Scat Daddy) and comes back off a debut fourth at this venue...

One of two maidens in the line-up for Friday's Listed Ire-Incentive - Pays To Buy Irish Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury, Phil Cunningham's Yah Mo Be There (GB) (Mohaather {GB}--Shurakaa {Ire}, by Night Of Thunder {Ire}) produced a telling turn of foot to provide his first-crop sire with a breakthrough black-type winner at the track on which the Shadwell freshman captured the G3 Greenham Stakes and G3 Horris Hill Stakes. Second on debut to the highly-regarded Andesite (GB) (Pinatubo {Ire}) at York in May before running down the field in...