Royal Ascot
G2 Coventry S. ADMIRAL NELSON (GB) (Kingman {GB} - Shamandar {Fr}, by Exceed And Excel {Aus}) Bred by Bob and Pauline Scott, he was a Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale topper at £440,000 and lived up to expectations on his winning debut in a five-furlong Curragh maiden on June 12, earning TDN Rising Star status in the process. His dam was a decent juvenile, winning the listed Dick Poole Fillies' S. and beating subsequent Grade 1 winner Dubawi Heights (GB) in the Watership Down Stud Sales Race. ARMY OF INDIA...
Soft ground? No worries. If anything, that extra dimension only served to exaggerate the superiority of Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) as Bjorn Nielsen's chestnut entered immortality with an emphatic third G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. Joining Sagaro (GB) and now only one off Yeats (Ire) with his awe-inspiring tally, the 4-5 favourite was always well within his comfort zone sauntering around this part of Berkshire that he has made his own. Switched off in his customary mid-division pitch throughout the early stages, he was lightly squeezed into...
Continuing a spellbinding week at Royal Ascot for Shadwell, last year's high-class prospect Molatham (GB) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) came good when it mattered as he emerged on top in a rain-hit G3 Jersey S. on Wednesday. Always travelling strongly halfway down the field despite having no cover, the Listed Flying Scotsman S. winner cruised to the front passing two out and after a battle royal with Monarch of Egypt (American Pharoah) asserted for a half-length success, with daylight back to Symbolize (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) in third. Jockey Jim Crowley,...
Are you lucky enough to be a real fan of the industry you live and work in? I am. And my new hero is Ian Bartlett. Never met the chap, but he is a well traveled race commentator for more than 31 years, with stints in his native England for the BBC, and for races in Ireland, France and Dubai. And now he is the voice of Royal Ascot. I urge you to listen to his outstanding race calls at The Royal meeting, which is just a five-day stand through...
If it's G1 Gold Cup day at Royal Ascot, it has to be Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) and whether it's a settee, sofa, couch, chaise longue, armchair, easy chair or lounger that the enthralled global TV audience are watching on, they are going to be on the edge of it at 3.35pm GMT. Very few get the chance to come back and win this monumental prize three years in succession. We are talking about legends here, a club in which only Sagaro (GB) and Yeats (Ire) are the...
A gamble was landed in the Listed Windor Castle S. as Tactical (GB) (Toronado {Ire}) brought up a 24th Royal Ascot winner for The Queen. Third on debut over this five-furlong trip at Newmarket June 4, the heavily-supported 7-2 favourite tracked the early pace stands' side and after reeling in Muker (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) in the last half a furlong asserted to score by 1 1/4 lengths from Yazaman (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), who denied Muker in a photo. Trainer Andrew Balding, whose stable is in a rich vein of form,...
With Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in her box at Clarehaven, John Gosden could have been forgiven for giving up on the 2020 G1 Prince of Wales's S. but instead he unleashed a secret weapon in the hugely-progressive Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and duly collected regardless. Despite the striking manner of his success in the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. at Haydock just 10 days previously, it was still a surprise to see that his trainer believed he was worthy of being pitched in at this level and now we know...
There are countless ways in which the Coronavirus pandemic has had a negative impact on the world at large and our smaller racing world within, but every now and then a positive aspect will emerge. On Tuesday, the G2 King Edward VII S. became a Derby trial rather than a consolation race for Epsom. For the winner Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}), the adjustments to this season's racing programme have played into the hands of his connections when it comes to having a crack at the Derby, which is now...
Bouncing out of Leopardstown's G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial, Ballydoyle's Russian Emperor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) demonstrated the buoyant health of his stable by landing a strong renewal of the G3 Hampton Court S. on Wednesday. Second eight days ago racing against the bias at that Foxrock venue, Laurie Macri and Coolmore's 10-3 second favourite was delivered from rear by Ryan Moore with a surge to overwhelm the 9-4 favourite First Receiver (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) in the final yards. With full momentum as he crossed the line, the son of...
The Archie Watson-trained Jojo Rabbit (GB) (Due Diligence) will carry the colours of the Phoenix Ladies Syndicate in Friday's G2 Norfolk S. after the group purchased the colt in a private deal. Jojo Rabbit has run twice already on the all-weather this truncated season, finishing second on debut at Lingfield on June 8 before breaking his maiden at Wolverhampton four days later. "We're thrilled to have bought a 2-year-old with such promise," said Phoenix Ladies Syndicate Principal Pamela Cordina. "His two performances really caught our attention and we're sure there...
With Ballydoyle off the mark at the 2020 Royal Ascot meeting, Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) bids to continue the momentum on Wednesday in a fascinating renewal of the G1 Prince of Wales's S. Impressive in the G2 King Edward VII S. over 12 furlongs at this meeting 12 months ago, having been third in the G1 Epsom Derby following an interrupted preparation, the bay enjoyed a fruitful campaign thereafter when taking the G1 Grand Prix de Paris in July and York's G1 Juddmonte International in August. Fourth in a vintage...
Capping an amazing opening day for Shadwell and Jim Crowley, Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) completed a notable treble with a hard-fought victory in the G2 Duke of Cambridge S. Also providing John Gosden with a double on the day, the impressive June 3 Listed Snowdrop Fillies' S. winner confirmed her continuing upward mobility arriving from mid-division to wear down Agincourt (Ire) (Declaration of War) in the final 100 yards and score by a head, with 2 1/2 lengths back to Queen Power (Ire) (Shamardal) in third. While this year's...