Royal Ascot

Wathnan Racing struck the woodwork more than once during Tuesday's opening day of Royal Ascot and made a belated breakthrough in Wednesday's opener, the G2 Queen Mary Stakes, with £190,000 Goffs Breeze-Up acquisition and once-raced Nottingham maiden winner Leovanni (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}--Kassandra {Ire}, by Dandy Man {Ire}). The Karl Burke trainee broke smartly and raced to the fore in the smaller far-side group throughout the five-furlong dash. Shaken up to gain an overall advantage soon after passing the quarter-mile marker, the 22-1 chance refused to buckle once in front...

Wednesday saw the draw made for Friday's two group 1 contests at Royal Ascot, with the 10 fillies set to contest the Coronation S. headed by Ballydoyle's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Opera Singer (Justify) and Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's 1,000 Guineas heroine Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Opera Singer, who was returning from a setback when third in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, has drawn an outside stall in nine for the mile feature while the Roger Varian-trained Newmarket Classic heroine is in seven. James Doyle takes over from Silvestre De...

Scott Sander had an idea for a rom-com movie floating around in his head, but wasn't quite sure what the setting should be. Then it hit him. Why not horse racing, and specifically the breeding industry? That's the story behind the story when it comes to the movie Sander is working on, "Breeders." "I thought I had what was a really good idea for a big, fun romantic comedy," said Sander, who was this week's Green Group Guest of the Week on the Thoroughbred Daily News Writers' Room Podcast presented...

It was a day that had everything. From Rosallion landing the St James's Palace S. to yet another Australian sprinter showing the Euros how it's done, day one of the royal meeting did not disappoint. Here are some of the talking points.   Faux Pas For The French Anyone who backed the French raiders Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) and Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) in the Queen Anne knew pretty early that they were not going to get off to a winning start at the royal meeting....

ASCOT, UK--A wishlist for the first day of Royal Ascot would certainly have included the hope that a Classic-winning colt would step forward and announce himself as a proper horse, a major win for an international traveller, and the sight of the inimitable Sir Mark Prescott in the winner's enclosure. Tick. Tick. Tick. We'll throw in to the mix a tearful Mark Loughnane proclaiming the 80/1 Coventry S. victory for his jockey son Billy as "the best ever moment of my life", and Sam Sangster, equally tearful as his father's...

For many the centrepiece of the whole week, Wednesday's G1 Prince of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot may have lost a key ingredient in White Birch (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) but remains an utterly fascinating contest with arguably Europe's best male and female matched against each other for the first time. In Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}), we have two genuine superstar racehorses who have proven their worth time and again, most notably on the clock in their finest hours. For Ballydoyle's Derby hero, his...

The enigmatic 'TDN Rising Star' Israr (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}--Taghrooda {GB}, by Sea The Stars {Ire}), unsuccessful in six starts since routing Derby and King George hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in last term's G2 Princess Of Wales S., went postward for this 10th black-type start coming back off a runner-up finish in last month's G2 Huxley S. at Chester and made his class tell with a dominant display in Tuesday's Listed Wolferton S. at Royal Ascot. Israr's victory provided the Gosden stable with a record-extending fifth renewal of the 10-furlong...

There were three Guineas heroes lined up for Tuesday's G1 St James's Palace S. and ultimately it was the winner of the Irish Classic in Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}--Rosaline {Ire}, by New Approach {Ire}) who came away from Royal Ascot with the bragging rights. If his Curragh victory was a case of consolation following his second to Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) at Newmarket, this was all about affirmation as the well-supported 5-2 second favourite readily reversed the 2,000 Guineas form and put the...

Noor Elaine Farm's multiple pattern-race winner Asfoora (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}--Golden Child {Aus}, by I Am Invincible {Aus}), who placed twice in elite-level sprints Down Under, benefitted from a Oisin Murphy masterclass and pounced late to secure a sixth renewal for Australia in Tuesday's G1 King Charles III S., the rebranded King's Stand S., at Royal Ascot. It is a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint in the autumn. The Henry Dwyer-trained mare broke smartly and accepted a tow from Regional (GB) (Territories {Ire}), racing...

Having secured a maiden pattern-race win in Germany earlier in the campaign, fledgling jockey Billy Loughnane registered a career high when steering the twice-raced maiden and Brian Meehan trainee Rashabar (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}--Amazonka {Ire}, by Camelot {GB}), racing in the famed Robert Sangster silks, to a narrow victory in Tuesday's G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot. The 80-1 outsider, who placed in maidens at Newbury and Chester prior to this black-type bow, broke smartly and raced in a leading wave of three at the head of the smaller...

Royal Ascot Tuesday got underway with an admirably professional Queen Anne display from Nurlan Bizakov's Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}--Futoon {Ire}, by Kodiac {GB}) as he finally plundered his Group 1 on the biggest stage. Runner-up in the G1 Lockinge S. at Newbury last month, the grey tracked that race's winner Audience (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) throughout the early stages but whereas he wasn't able to get to him previously this time he was already rolling by with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining. Out in the clear under Silvestre De Sousa chased...

Ten stayers will line up in Thursday's G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, with the 2022 title-holder Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) looking to regain his crown having missed out through injury 12 months ago. He will be Aidan O'Brien's sole runner, while John and Thady Gosden saddle a trio in Wathnan Racing's Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), Godolphin's Trawlerman (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}) and Normandie Stud's Sweet William (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Willie Mullins has booked Colin Keane for the ride on the Riccis' Vauban (Fr) (Galiway {GB}), while...