Royal Ascot

Royal Ascot 2022 will kick off with the cream of the crop, as Shadwell's Baaeed (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) was confirmed Sunday for the meeting's opening G1 Queen Anne S.. William Haggas' unbeaten 4-year-old has six rivals to deal with as he looks to cement his place at the head of the World's Best Racehorse Rankings having got there with an emphatic return win from the re-opposing Real World (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the G1 Lockinge S. at Newbury May 14. It hasn't escaped anyone's attentions that he...

Ahmad Al Shaikh's Hoo Ya Mal (GB) (Territories {Ire}) has been supplemented for £15,000 to the G2 King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot next Friday. Trained by Andrew Balding , the colt was second last out in the G1 Cazoo Derby In Memory Of Lester Piggott on June 4. Off the mark at second asking at York in August, he was second in Doncaster's Listed Flying Scotsman S. a month later and was shelved. He resumed from winter quarters with a third in the G3 Craven S. behind subsequent...

Heritage, as a substitute for internationally adequate prize money, is literally priceless to the nation that cradled the Thoroughbred. Nowhere is this more apparent than at Royal Ascot, where prestige and pageant will next week again draw not just global attention but also global participation. As a result, this most definitively English of occasions has in recent years become ever more cosmopolitan.

However unlikely it seemed back in the autumn when the syndicate was formed, the members of the Dew Sweepers LLC have been provided with reason to believe their dream of securing a Royal Ascot winner can become a reality with the news that Irish Champion Jockey Colin Keane has committed to riding both of their runners next week. It makes sense, too. The Dew Sweepers LLC, formed and managed by Jack Goldthorpe, features several Irish ex-patriots and they will be cheering on Keane as he gets the leg over Late...

Heritage, as a substitute for internationally adequate prize money, is literally priceless to the nation that cradled the Thoroughbred. Nowhere is this more apparent than at Royal Ascot, where prestige and pageant will next week again draw not just global attention but also global participation. As a result, this most definitively English of occasions has in recent years become ever more cosmopolitan. It's a pretty precarious arrangement for British racing, in that the economic model harnessed to its cultural assets-namely, an export market for yearlings and horses-in-training-threatens ultimately to erode...

Classic winner Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) is in good form according to trainer Charlie Appleby a few days in advance of a start in the G1 St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot on Tuesday. The bay son of First Victory (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire) led home a Godolpin/Charlie Appleby one-two in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas with Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) second at the end of April. His final workout will take place on Saturday. "Royal Ascot is the Olympics of the equestrian field in Europe and I'm...

Chris Waller, trainer of Home Affairs (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) and Nature Strip (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}), two of the fastest horses in the world, provided an upbeat bulletin on his Royal Ascot hopefuls after they had their first experience of the track on Friday morning. Home Affairs is on course to run in the G1 Platinum Jubilee S. while Nature Strip is a leading fancy for the G1 King's Stand S. for Waller, who will forever be remembered for his handling of Australian legend Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire})...

Dermot Weld has warned that Homeless Songs (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) will only run in next week's G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot if the ground is suitable. A hugely impressive winner of the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, Homeless Songs side-stepped the French equivalent because of quick ground, and Weld has warned that she will only run at the royal meeting if conditions are to suit. Newmarket Guineas winner Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}), French Guineas heroine Mangoustine (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and last year's champion juvenile filly Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB})...

Celebrity chef Bobby Flay is excited to swap his apron for a top hat and tails at Royal Ascot and described his bold bid for G1 Coronation S. glory with Breeders' Cup-winning homebred Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) as "an experience of a lifetime." The Coronation S. has been the main aim for Pizza Bianca ever since she stormed to victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar last November and Flay has said that next week's royal meeting is the pinnacle. "I feel like I...

   Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who was narrowly out of luck in the G1 Cazoo Oaks, could bid for G2 Ribblesdale S. glory at Royal Ascot next week, according to her joint-trainer John Gosden. A clear-cut winner of the G3 Musidora S. in her Epsom prep, John and Thady Gosden's 'TDN Rising Star' endured a luckless Classic run, losing a handful of lengths at the start when stumbling coming out of the stalls before being beaten just a short head by Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) at the...

The weekly TDN Europe Q&A continues as Graham Motion, who will be bidding to make his Royal Ascot breakthrough with Spendarella (Karakontie {Jpn}) in the G1 Coronation S., sits down with Brian Sheerin. Motion, one of the leading trainers in America, reveals that William Buick has been booked to ride, how he feels the best is yet to come from Spendarella, as well as giving his views on industry topics.   Brian Sheerin: You have come close to Royal Ascot success in the past. Can Spendarella make the breakthrough for...

Godolphin's Classic runner-up Master Of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who won the G3 Earl Of Sefton S. at Newmarket in April, will miss an intended start in Royal Ascot's G1 Queen Anne S., trainer Charlie Appleby revealed. A winner of the G2 Superlative S. at two, the gelding added the G3 Craven S. last term prior to running a narrow second in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas last May. He was third in September's G2 Joel S. and was gelded after finishing unplaced in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II...