Royal Ascot

Following Wednesday's confirmation stage, G1 2,000 Guineas winner Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is one of 11 possible runners in the G1 St James's Palace S. on the opening day of Royal Ascot on Tuesday, June 18. Unbeaten in four starts for Charlie Appleby, Notable Speech will be tasked with trying to confirm his Newmarket superiority over runner-up Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), who also has Ascot firmly in his sights having resumed winning ways with a determined victory in the G1 Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh last time....

Former champion jockey Oisin Murphy will ride G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas runner-up Ramatuelle (Justify) in the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot on June 21. Murphy replaces Aurelien Lemaitre. The filly, who earned a 'TDN Rising Star' badge on debut, was third to the re-opposing Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio) at Newmarket. The G3 Prix du Bois and G2 Prix Robert Papin heroine was second to dual Group 1 winner Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) in the G1 Prix Morny at two. In her 3-year-old bow,...

The G1 St James's Palace S. is shaping up to be one of the hottest races at Royal Ascot this year and both Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) and Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) received positive reports from their respective trainers on Tuesday as they prepare to try and topple Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the day one highlight. Trained by Charlie Appleby, Notable Speech heads the ante-post betting for the St James's Palace following his striking success in the G1 2,000 Guineas, but Richard Hannon has not given...

Connections of talented sprinter Shouldvebeenaring (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) has "unfinished business" in Pattern races as they target Royal Ascot glory in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee S. The four-year-old has been knocking on the door for Group-class triumphs ever since making the step up from Listed company after his victory in the King Charles II S. at Newmarket in May 2023. His near-misses include a second in the Sandy Lane S. on his next run before returning to Haydock last September to be beaten by a neck in the...

Christophe Soumillon will ride both Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) and Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) at Royal Ascot next week. Trainer Maurizio Guarnieri confirmed Soumillon would take over from the regular rider of the pair, Aurelien Lemaitre, due to his greater experience of Ascot. Big Rock, who won the Queen Elizabeth II S. on Champions Day when trained by Christopher Head, disappointed on his seasonal reappearance in the Lockinge at Newbury when he had valid excuses. He will be aimed at the Queen Anne next week....

Over the next fortnight, board members of the Organization of Racing Investigators (ORI) will participate in a new exchange program, which features an intensive tour of hallowed racing sites in Ireland and England. "The new program is a continued effort by the ORI to exchange tradecraft and weigh how integrity is protected in different countries across the world," said ORI's immediate past chairman Jason Klouser. The small group, which includes Klouser, Tyler Durand, J.C. Jaramillo, Juan Estrada and David Duncan, will make stops at The Curragh, Leopardstown and Coolmore. Fellow...

Leading Royal Ascot fancy A Piece Of Heaven (Fr) (Jukebox Jury {Ire}) will sport a new set of silks when he lines out in the Copper Horse Handicap after Syndicates Racing secured a deal for the potential Melbourne Cup contender to join Joseph O'Brien.  That bit of business comes as a double blow to A Piece Of Heaven's former trainer Barry Fitzgerald as, not only did he lose his flag-bearer in the transaction, but he now finds himself without a yard to train from after a fallout with his landlord...

Unbeaten two-year-old and G1 Derby winner City Of Troy is set to make his next appearance in the G1 Coral-Eclipse S. at Sandown on Saturday, July 6, it was confirmed in a statement on coolmore.com on Sunday. The son of Justify also had the option of running in the G1 Irish Derby the previous weekend, but his connections have decided to drop back in trip for the Sandown feature instead, with Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) set to take his place at the Curragh having finished a creditable third behind...

Niarchos runner Passenger (Ulysses {Ire}), favoured for the G1 Prince Of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot later this month, will not participate after sustaining a setback according to the owner's racing manager Alan Cooper. Third in the G2 Dante S. and a winner of the G3 Winter Hill S. at three, the 4-year-old colt returned with a 1 1/2-length victory in the G2 Huxley S. at Chester on May 10 for Sir Michael Stoute. Cooper said, "He has an infection and it would be a race against time to have...

Racing returns to Newmarket's July Course later this month but prior to that John and Thady Gosden took advantage of the fresh turf to give three of their stable's Royal Ascot runners a racecourse gallop on Saturday morning, including the Breeders' Cup victrix Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Now five, the Cheveley Park Stud homebred was fourth behind her stable-mate and fellow Thompson family colour-bearer Audience (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) on her return in the G1 Lockinge S. on May 18.  She now looks likely to have another attempt at the G1...

Julie Wood's Voyage (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), who parted ways with Pat Dobbs at the start of the G1 Betfred Derby, will return in the G2 King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot, according to trainer Richard Hannon. A winner at Newbury in April, the bay was making just his second start in the Blue Riband. "Unfortunately, things didn't go to plan for Voyage in the Derby after he stumbled coming out of the stalls and unseated Dobbsy, who had no chance whatsoever," Hannon said on his Unibet blog. "I...

Group winner Dallas Star (Fr) (Cloth Of Stars {Ire}) sustained an injury during the running of the G1 Betfred Derby and will miss the rest of the season according to trainer Adrian Murray. Owned by Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing, the G3 Ballysax S. hero ran 14th over the good to soft ground. "Dallas Star picked up a bit of an injury unfortunately and I'd say he won't run again now this year," said Murray. "I know the ground had gone a bit quick for him, but he's a better horse...