Newmarket

Epsom Downs saw G1 Betfred Derby and Oaks hopefuls going through their paces Monday with Frankie Dettori partnering Juddmonte's Arrest (Ire), a homebred son of Frankel (GB), over just short of a mile at The Derby Festival Gallops Morning. Now in his final year in the saddle, Dettori likes his chances in the 244th running of the premier Classic over a mile and a half to be run on Saturday, June 3. "I have been fortunate enough to win The Derby twice and it is still the most famous race...

NEWMARKET, UK--Oh, to be in England now that April's there. So wrote Robert Browning in 1845, though it is unconfirmed that this had anything to do with Classic trials. An unusually wet and cold April did little to lift the spirits this year, so we shall fast-forward to another line of his lovely poem. And after April, when May follows. May is becoming more marvellous by the day. There's York, of course, and who doesn't love York? It is a racecourse which comes close to perfection, from its location in...

It's a heady time of year to be on Newmarket Heath of a Saturday morning. You can tell by the convoy of smart cars when one of the big strings is about to arrive at the Al Bahathri, with Guineas weekend providing the perfect opportunity for owners to watch their horses work.  This past Saturday, either 2,000 Guineas day, Kentucky Derby day, or Coronation day, depending on your persuasion, was no exception. With the car park double-stacked and trainers and jockeys all about, Joe Foley, waiting for the off with...

The Hong Kong Jockey Club's World Pool reached a record turnover of £27.1 million on G1 2000 Guineas Day at Newmarket, up from £26.1 million 12 months ago. World Pool is the globe's largest commingled horse racing pool and betting operators from 28 countries enable racing fans from all over the globe to bet into one single pool. The 2000 Guineas produced the highest turnover on the eight-race card with nearly £4.7 million bet into the race, which was won for the fourth-and likely final time as he retires at...

Frankie's farewell 2000 Guineas was followed 24 hours later by Oisin Murphy and Saeed bin Suroor's comeback 1000 Guineas victory as Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}--Modern Ideals {GB}, by New Approach {Ire}) prevailed in a thrilling TDN Rising Star tussle with Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the QIPCO-sponsored Newmarket Classic. In front of the group racing up the centre from the outset, Godolphin's half-sister to last year's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains hero Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) was joined by The Aga Khan's 6-4 favourite heading into the...

Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) produced a career-best performance to win the G2 Howden Dahlia S. at Newmarket in a style that suggested there could be even bigger things to come from the gigantic five-year-old mare.  Trainer George Boughey revealed prior to the race that he does not have a bigger horse in his yard and that he had been praying for rain in the build-up to the Group 2 contest. Those prayers were answered, with Via Sistina sluicing through the soft ground under a statuesque Jamie Spencer, who,...

by Heather Anderson & Brian Sheerin    Will His Highness The Aga Khan's explosive G1 Moyglare Stud S. heroine Tahiyra build on her brilliance from last autumn, or will the Coolmore partners' Meditate consolidate her Breeders' Cup victory in Classic fashion? An even score of fillies test their mettle on the Rowley Mile, and with the changeable weather, it is anyone's guess who will emerge triumphant.   CAERNARFON (GB), Cityscape (GB)--Royal Ffanci (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) Owner: Hunscote Stud, P Humphreys & J Sweeney Breeder: Hunscote Stud Trainer: Jack Channon...

Persistent rain in the lead-up to Saturday's G1 Qipco 2000 Guineas turned the ground to soft at Newmarket and while several of the race's big names floundered, Juddmonte's ultra-professional Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}--Suelita {GB}, by Dutch Art {GB}) stayed straight and true to win with authority. Providing Frankie Dettori with the ultimate final ride in the mile Classic, the Andrew Balding-trained 7-2 second favourite tracked TDN Rising Star Hi Royal (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) up the centre and as that 125-1 shot began to veer left heading into the dip and...

World Pool, the largest commingled horse racing pools created and powered by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), will return to the UK for the first time this year on Saturday for the QIPCO 2000 Guineas Day at Newmarket. It will be the first of eight UK fixtures World Pool will offer in the second quarter of the year. All eight races on 2000 Guineas Day will be commingled, with pool betting operators from 28 countries betting into World Pool on seven different wager type--win, place, quinella, quinella place (swinger),...

NEWMARKET, UK--With a line-up that included Hurricane Lane (Ire), Global Storm (Ire) and West Wind Blows (Ire), the G2 Jockey Club S. was ushered in, appropriately, with a deep rumble of thunder and crack of lightning. The threatened storm didn't amount to much, and by the time Hurricane Lane had blasted away from his rivals to cinch an important comeback victory by six lengths, the sky was brightening as much as the mood of Charlie Appleby. The trainer was visibly relieved to have his 2021 dual Classic winner back in...

Godolphin's Flying Honours (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) worked a mile under William Buick at Newmarket's Rowley Mile on Friday. The work was preparation for a start in the G1 Betfred Derby at Epsom Downs in June. The 3-year-old colt worked in company with GI Breeders' Cup Turf hero Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Natural World (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) prior to Friday's card. The G2 Dante S. at York on May 18 is next on the G3 Zetland S. hero's agenda. Appleby said, "I'm delighted with that piece of work....

One of Newmarket's Spring talking horses, Oaks entry Infinite Cosmos (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}--Waila {GB}, by Notnowcato {GB}) duly opened her account with comfort in the 10-furlong Nyetimber Maiden Fillies' S. on QIPCO Guineas Friday to become her sire's 17th TDN Rising Star. Representing the longstanding Rothschild-Sir Michael Stoute connection, the relative of Sea The Stars' high-class Crystal Ocean (GB) had been second to the subsequent G3 Prix Penelope runner-up Sea Of Roses (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) in a Doncaster maiden in October and started as the 8-11...