Speciosa

"Speciosa in front as they race inside the final furlong, chased by Nasheej and Confidential Lady. Speciosa, for a special result in the 1,000 Guineas. Speciosa wins...for Pam Sly!" Even two decades on, the replay from that memorable Newmarket afternoon cannot fail to stir the emotions, the sight of Sly's pride and joy surging towards the winning post and the sheer incredulity in the voice of Channel 4 Racing's lead commentator, Simon Holt, as the impossible became possible right before his very eyes. This was the 1,000 Guineas, after all....

Pam Sly has brought the curtain down on the career of Eileendover (GB) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}), who she described as being an "unlikely superstar," with the mare set to be covered by Juddmonte's Bated Breath (GB) after picking up an injury in training.  A granddaughter of Speciosa (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who stormed to 1000 Guineas glory for Sly in 2006, Eileendover made the transition from being a classy bumper mare to competing in listed races on the Flat. She won four times, including a listed bumper at Market Rasen,...

Even at this early stage of the season, we can be forgiven for mentally fast-forwarding to the first weekend of June at Epsom. It is after all the best weekend of the year, featuring the best race of the year.  There are plans afoot in Newmarket - plans being mooted by the Jockey Club, no less - to dig up one of the best turf gallops on the Heath to install a new all-weather racecourse and training facility. At a time when there's concern as to having enough horses to...

Emma Berry's occasional look at the narrow divide between the Flat and National Hunt Supasundae (GB) was bred for those high summer days at Epsom, Ascot and Goodwood. By Galileo (Ire) and out of a Danehill half-sister to Group 1 winners Nathaniel (Ire) and Great Heavens (Ire), both of whom are also by Galileo, it was no stretch for his breeder Newsells Park Stud to have Classic aspirations for him when he arrived in this world in January 2010. Plan A didn't quite work out: Supasundae was bought in at...