Royal Ascot

G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Empress Josephine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has been supplemented to Friday's G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot. The Coolmore partners' full-sister to seven-time Group 1 winner Minding (Ire) is among 15 fillies remaining in the mile event; those also include her favoured stablemate, the G1 1000 Guineas winner Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), and last year's champion 2-year-old filly Pretty Gorgeous (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}). Empress Josephine is a daughter of Lillie Langtry (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who won the Coronation herself for the Coolmore partners in...

Brendan Walsh was assistant trainer to Mark Wallace when Benbaun (Ire) (Stravinsky) finished second, beaten a short head, in the 2006 edition of the G1 King's Stand S. Now a Grade I-winning conditioner in his own right, the Irish-born, Kentucky-based Walsh is looking for his G1 Al Quoz Sprint victor Extravagant Kid (Kiss The Kid) to go one better in next week's King's Stand. Despite being eight years of age, Extravagant Kid is in the form of his life. "I think the travel and a different track, when you get...

Last year's G1 Derby winner Serpentine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has been supplemented at a cost of £30,000 to next week's G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. Serpentine has been beaten in three starts since his 25-1 upset in the blue riband last July, including a last-out seventh in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh on May 23, and he goes a full mile further in the Gold Cup than he has gone in his seven-race career to date. Serpentine's trainer Aidan O'Brien also has last year's Derby third...

Trainer John Quinn is set for a busy week at Royal Ascot, with G1 King's Stand S. starters Liberty Beach (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) and Keep Busy (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) among a possible four runners at next week's marquee meeting. Those aforementioned 4-year-old fillies lined up against one another on their seasonal debuts in the May 22 G2 Temple S. at Haydock, with Philip Wilkins's Liberty Beach winning by a neck and Doreen Tabor's Keep Busy finishing fifth. "They are working well," the North Yorkshire-based Quinn said. "I'm...

TVG will introduce two familiar faces to its broadcast team this summer, the network announced today. Larry Collmus, best known as the voice of the Triple Crown on NBC, will join the TVG broadcast team for select days at Monmouth Park, and NBC Sports broadcast personality and international racing expert Nick Luck, a staple of horse racing coverage in both the UK and US, will be part of the TVG's special coverage of the iconic Royal Ascot meet from June 15-18. "We are very excited to have both Larry and...

Joseph O'Brien's Group 1-winning juveniles Thunder Moon (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and Pretty Gorgeous (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) will attempt to get back in the winner's enclosure at Royal Ascot next week. Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez's Thunder Moon stamped himself as a leader of his generation in the autumn with a victory in the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. and a third in the G1 Dewhurst S., but disappointed when last of 14 in the May 1 G1 2000 Guineas. "Thunder Moon obviously disappointed at Newmarket, so we've put a line through that...

NEWMARKET, UK--Since 2009, Wesley Ward has made Royal Ascot an annual pilgrimage, both for his horses and his family. The enduring and endearing repetition of that first visit is the presence of the now 14-year-old Strike The Tiger (Tiger Ridge), Ward's first of 11 Royal Ascot winners, who is now a much valued stable pony and has accompanied his team to Newmarket. The trainer was in his customary relaxed mood on Wednesday morning at Newmarket's National Stud, where his team has been based on his visits to England over the...

Listed winner Highland Avenue (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) is in good order ahead of an intended start in the G1 St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot on June 15. The Godolphin flagbearer broke his maiden at second asking at Kempton in January, and followed up with another win going a mile there on Mar. 3. He captured the Listed Feilden S. at Newmarket on Apr. 3 and was only a half-length second in the Listed Heron S. at Sandown on May 20. "Highland Avenue will go for the St James's...

Friday's G1 Coral Coronation Cup victor Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) will most likely remain on the bench during Royal Ascot and will instead target the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot on July 24. The 4-year-old colt was reported to be in good form, if a bit tired by trainer William Muir. "It took a bit out of him--he didn't eat brilliant for two nights but he licked up last night," said Muir. "The first night he normally does leave a bit, but the second...

Godolphin homebred Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {Ire}), who won the G1 Cazoo Derby on Saturday, excited the race in good order and will target the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot on July 24. If he completes the double, he would be the first horse to do so since his grandsire Galileo (Ire) in 2001. Trainer Charlie Appleby said, "He has come out of the race great. As you saw he went on the seawalker yesterday morning and he has been out for a jog this morning...

A Tote Ten to Follow Mini Game for Royal Ascot was launched by the Tote on Monday. Players can pick stables of 10 horses to compete across the five days of the Royal Meeting. It is £5 per paid game with unlimited entries allowed, with all stakes being redistributed as prizes and pay outs going down to the 500th position in the contest. There is also a free-to-play game with one free entry per person on offer. There are a number of racing-specific prizes for the free-to-play game supported by...

The Goffs London Sale, held virtually this year on June 14 due to the ongoing Coronvirus pandemic, features an 11-strong catalogue, the sales company announced on Monday. Among the highlights are: the French listed winner Perseverants (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}) (lot 7) and the two-for-two Tipperary Sunset (GB) (Ardad {Ire}) (lot 4). Wild card entries will also be accepted, with the majority of the lots offered holding entries at the Royal Meeting. Goffs has introduced a bloodstock agent or licenced trainer commission of 5% subject to the conditions of sale. The...