Rossa Ryan

Of the first three from last year's Middle Park to line up in Friday's G3 Commonwealth Cup Trial, David Armstrong's Coppull (Bated Breath) was the least-expected in the market but came back strongest to turn that form around. Smartly away under Rossa Ryan in the course-and-distance prep for Royal Ascot's three-year-old sprint feature, the 7-2 shot who had won the Richmond at Goodwood and been third in the Coventry here as well as the Middle Park surged away from the main pack passing two out and was in front soon...

Tricky in the preliminaries but as professional as it gets in the race itself, Shadwell's key three-year-old Raaheeb (Sea The Stars) stamped his class on Friday's G3 Sandown Classic Trial. Smartly away unlike Ballydoyle's 4-6 market-leader Action (Frankel), Baaeed's full-brother who earned TDN Rising Star status on his Ascot debut in September travelled strongly off the early pace under Rossa Ryan and when committed approaching two out had first run on his peers. Staying on powerfully to the line, the 5-1 second favourite who like his other full-sibling Hukum hails...

The word was out about the William Haggas newcomer Bayaann (Too Darn Hot) at Lingfield on Thursday and the half-brother to I Can Fly (Fastnet Rock) duly delivered with a display full of promise. Sent off the well-backed 5-4 favourite for the seven-furlong maiden on the Polytrack, Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's 410,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase took a while to find his stride but as soon as they had straightened for home had begun to loom. Giving generously for Rossa Ryan to overwhelm his peers in the last half a furlong,...

After a rare three-way head-bob at the culmination of Saturday's G3 Solario Stakes at Sandown, Paul and Clare Rooney were celebrating as the 2-1 favourite A Bit Of Spirit (Palace Pier) prevailed by the smallest of margins. Locked in a tussle to the line with Oceans Four (Zoustar) and Humidity (Ulysses), the son of Darley's red-hot first-crop sire who had been second in the Listed Pat Eddery Stakes and Listed Stonehenge Stakes was ultimately inches in front where it counts. Two nose margins told the tale, with Godolphin's Pacific Avenue...

Clive Cox's love affair with York's Harry's Half Million By Goffs showed no signs of abating after Middleham Park Racing's Song Of The Clyde (Sergei Prokofiev) delivered a third straight edition of the valuable contest for the trainer. "Harry Beeby was a good friend of mine, it's such a good incentive and even better to win it three times running," said Cox. "He had a bit of size and scope as a yearling and we've always liked him. He's got a wonderful mind and it was really pleasing when he...

Ralph Beckett enjoyed the perfect outcome in Wednesday's G3 HKJC World Pool Oak Tree Stakes when his two representatives, Saqqara Sands (Oasis Dream) and Tabiti (Kingman), could not be separated by technology in a photo finish to the seven-furlong contest at Goodwood. "My daughter was laughing at me because I was going 'go on Rossa, go on Ryan, go on Rossa'," revealed Becket. "I have definitely not been involved in a finish when two of my horses dead-heated before. William Easterby just told me his father [Tim] did it at...

Atoning for the eclipse of the Aykroyds' Derby hope Pride Of Arras, their other prized homebred Amiloc (Postponed) maintained his unbeaten sequence in Friday's G2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot. Sent off the 11-8 favourite for the mile-and-a-half "Ascot Derby", the Ralph Beckett-trained Listed Cocked Hat Stakes winner followed Ballydoyle's Galveston (Frankel) before taking over two out and asserting for a 3/4-of-a-length verdict under Rossa Ryan. Zahrann (Night Of Thunder) closed to be second, two lengths ahead of the tiring Galveston. "Rossa said the ground felt quick on...

As the only runner in Thursday's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes with a sole outing to his name, David Aykroyd's Pride Of Arras had a bit to find but at the end of York's time-honoured Derby trial he had little to prove. Set alight by Rossa Ryan heading to the two pole, the Ralph Beckett-trained Sandown maiden winner surged by a wall of closely-matched peers to take total control a furlong from home. At the line, the 18-1 shot who descends from Juddmonte's G3 Park Hill Stakes winner...

He may not be Charyn, but Dancing Gemini (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) is doing a passable impression of last year's miling sensation as he completed the same Doncaster Mile-Sandown Mile double on Friday. Always travelling comfortably in the Group 2 feature under Rossa Ryan, the Roger Teal-trained 5-2 favourite took off passing the two pole and hit the line with 1 3/4 lengths to spare over Tamfana (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), who was returning under a five-pound penalty. Dancing Gemini, who had turned a corner in the Listed contest at Doncaster...

Alex Cole, racing manager for owners Jim and Fitri Hay, has paid tribute to their "superstar" Starlust (GB), who has reportedly attracted plenty of interest from Australia with a view to a stallion career following his victory in Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar. Trained by Ralph Beckett, Starlust is now the winner of six of his 18 career starts, having thrived on his racing in 2024, notably winning at the Breeders' Cup on his tenth run of a three-year-old campaign which began at Meydan back in...

Some of us may be attempting to look the other way but with the Breeders' Cup behind us and the November Handicap now just a matter of days away we are going to have to admit that it is well and truly jumps season. There is some Flat excitement still in store on the international calendar with the potential appearance of Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) and Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) in the Japan Cup at the end of this month but...

DEL MAR, USA -- From the 2,000 Guineas to the Breeders' Cup Classic, he is the horse who has kept us captivated, wondering and engaged, through to season's end. And that, really, is why we are all fans of horse racing. That longing to know what can't be known for sure until those gates spring open, the skirmishes are had, and the winning post looms.  In the end, for City Of Troy (Justify), unbeaten and burgeoning with promise at two, redeemed in the Derby and then some at Sandown and...