Royal Ascot

A large part of the fun that comes with following racing and the bloodstock game is predicting the future. Who will win the Derby? Who might top the Orby Sale? What freshman sires are here to stay and which ones will drift into the abyss? Well, we've looked deep into the TDN Europe crystal ball for 2023 to see if we can come up with the answers to the burning questions for the year ahead. Enjoy! January If you think he had a good Christmas, wait until you see how...

Every novelist that engages the subject of horse racing is facing an odds-on favorite in Dick Francis. The all-time master, Francis effectively conjured racetrack heroes within the friendly confines of his umpteen mystery novels. With his passing, son Felix continues the family trade by employing the same tried-and-true formula. Francis always presented the reader with protagonists like a chef with high culinary morals or a noble former jump jockey-turned-P.I. or a smart-looking specialist in kidnapping who moonlights as a philosopher-psychologist. The author had us at "Hullo, how are you?" In...

Sam Ross, co-owner with Mike Hall of Breeze Easy, LLC, passed  Dec. 22, at the age of 79, in Jupiter, Florida. Described as "a visionary behind many companies"--all of which were based in his hometown of Parkersburg, West Virginia--Ross sold his SBR group in 2006, but continued to own Woodcraft Supply, LLC, a chain of woodworking specialty related stores which operates in 34 states, and to participate in the oil and gas exploration and production industry. In addition to the sale of SBR, 2006 also marked the formation of the...

Newmarket-based trainer George Boughey is mapping out a 2023 campaign for Royal Ascot winner Missed The Cut (Quality Road), which includes a potential trip to Dubai and possibly America. "There's a chance that he could go to America," Boughey said. "There's a race called the Santa Anita H. on Mar. 4, which is a Grade I on dirt. We'll see, but he's doing very well physically and I always said to [co-owner] Bill Farish and the guys at Lane's End that I didn't want to over-race him this year but...

Australasia's star sire Extreme Choice (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}--Extremely (Aus), by Hussonet), will have his services made available to breeders in the 2023 Northern Hemisphere breeding season, Newgate Farm announced Sunday. Already the sire of a champion 2-year-old and a Classic-winning 3-year-old, Extreme Choice is currently the leading sire in the Southern Hemisphere by both stakes winners to runners and Group 1 winners to runners. He also already has three high profile sons at stud from only 30 colts to have ever raced to date. "There is no...

Ascot Racecourse announced total prize money will be a record £17 million across 25 racedays in 2023, an increase of £1.33 million (8.5%) from 2022. The overall figure excludes the industry-owned QIPCO British Champions Day. Prize money for Royal Ascot 2023 will also be a record £9.52 million, up from £8.65 million (10%). All Group 1 races will be run for a minimum of £600,000 for the first time with increases to the King's Stand S., St James's Palace S., Gold Cup, Coronation S. and Commonwealth Cup (all £500,000 in...

The insatiable demand for foals was evident in the figures recorded at Goffs last week with turnover rising 16% to €29,561,000 and the average climbing 16% to €40,110. At the top end of the market, Kingman (GB) dominated with three foals by the Juddmonte-based stallion selling for a combined €1,540,000 and one of Europe's leading pinhookers Philipp Stauffenberg signing for the €550,000 top lot by the sire.  Tally-Ho Stud may be best known for being sellers but they pipped Stauffenberg for the biggest spenders title by signing for 19 foals...

To say that trainer Wesley Ward knows his way around turf sprinters is an understatement. To underscore the point, Ward has annexed the last three editions of the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint and will try to add a record fourth consecutive win in the race with Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), Arrest Me Red (Pioneerof the Nile) and Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). Adding even great importance to this year's renewal, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg Ltd.'s 4-year-old--already a two-time Breeders' Cup winner following victories in the...

Ascot Racecourse announced on Monday that Chief Executive, Vivien Currie, stood down from her position in order to return to Scotland for family reasons.   Sir Francis Brooke, chairman at Ascot, said, "We understand Vivien's decision and she leaves with our best wishes for the future." Ascot's Managing Director, Alastair Warwick, has been appointed Acting Chief Executive. 

Stradivarius, the three-time Gold Cup winner and the undisputed champion stayer of his generation, has been retired to stud.  Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) won three Yorkshire Cups and two Doncaster Cups but will be best remembered for those epic Gold Cup triumphs at Ascot. Owned by Bjorn Nielsen, who told TDN Europe about his intention to support the popular chestnut at stud upon his retirement, Stradivarius will join the roster at the National Stud.  The 8-year-old bows out from the game as...

Syndicate ownership pioneer Henry Ponsonby has passed away. He was 74. His white and red silks were carried to victory in the Ebor and Cesarwitch handicaps, among others. In 2020, Ponsonby celebrated a Royal Ascot double with Scarlet Dragon (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}) and Hollie Doyle in the Duke Of Edinburgh S. and then took the Queen Alexandra S. with Who Dares Wins (Ire) (Jeremy) and Tom Marquand. Eve Johnson Houghton, who trained Scarlet Dragon for Ponsonby, said, "My first job in racing was working in Henry's office and in...

Amo Racing's appeal against the victory of The Ridler (GB) (Brazen Beau {Aus}) in the G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot has been dismissed, despite the fact that Paul Hanagan's ride aboard the winner was described by the disciplinary panel as being "poor, reprehensible and self-evidently culpable". The Ridler, trained by Richard Fahey, caused interference to Crispy Cat (GB) (Ardad {Ire}) and Brave Nation (Ire) (Sioux Nation), who finished third and fourth in that order for owners Amo Racing and Brian Goodyear, respectively. Amo Racing's Walbank (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) ran...