The Lion In Winter

Group winner The Lion In Winter was euthanised following a training accident at Ballydoyle, The Sun reported on Wednesday evening. The former Derby favourite, set to run in next Tuesday's G1 Queen Anne Stakes, was four. By Sea The Stars, the Aidan O'Brien trainee was undefeated in two starts as a juvenile, taking the G3 Acomb Stakes. At three, the 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' ran third in the G1 Prix Jean Prat, filled the same spot in the G1 Prix Moulin, went one better in the G1 Queen...

A high-class edition of the Boyle Sports Lockinge Stakes is in prospect at Newbury on Saturday, with Damysus (Frankel), Opera Ballo (Ghaiyyath) and Zeus Olympios (Night Of Thunder) headlining a 13-strong list of contenders for the Group 1 showpiece. Damysus kicked off his four-year-old campaign with an impressive victory in last month's G3 Earl Of Sefton Stakes at Newmarket, while Opera Ballo had Zeus Olympios back in third when winning the G2 bet365 Mile at Sandown. Trainer Karl Burke expects Zeus Olympios to strip fitter with that outing under his...

3.07 Leopardstown, Listed, 4yo/up, 8fT THE LION IN WINTER (IRE) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is the star turn in this Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Heritage Stakes as Aidan O'Brien looks to provide him with an early confidence boost following a three-year-old campaign that remarkably yielded no wins. Favourite for the Derby at this stage last year, he ended up showing his best at seven furlongs and a mile with four placings at the highest level including a close third in the Breeders' Cup Mile. 1.22 Leopardstown, Mdn, 3yo, f,...

Some 90 minutes after Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) finished a brave second in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, Godolphin's Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) came running at the fence with time ticking away and was along in time to prevail in the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar. It was a fourth win in five years for Godolphin, jockey William Buick, trainer Charlie Appleby and the legendary Dubawi and came 12 months after Notable Speech finished a valiant third in a bid to run the Mile winning...

DEL MAR, USA -- As the World Series continues its three-game run in Los Angeles, at Dodger Stadium it's all about Japanese baseball sensation Shohei Ohtani. Head a little farther down the Californian coast to Del Mar and the Thoroughbred World Championships, aka the Breeders' Cup, features plenty of Japanese participation of its own. American racing could hardly ask for more than to have the first three home from the last two Kentucky Derbys in action at Del Mar. Sovereignty's fever scare could yet throw a spanner into the works...

The Breeders' Cup teams for Aidan O'Brien and Francis-Henri Graffard are taking shape, with both set to send strong representation to the two-day event at Del Mar on October 31 and November 1. Leading the Ballydoyle cavalry is Minnie Hauk, winner of the Oaks, Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks and runner-up in the Arc. The daughter of Frankel is training toward the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf. "Our races have been nicely spaced out this year and she came out of the Arc well; everybody seems happy with her so that's...

Following Thursday's confirmation stage, Field Of Gold could face up to 10 rivals as he tries to emulate his brilliant sire, Kingman, by completing a Group 1 hat-trick in Wednesday's Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes. Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Field Of Gold has followed an almost identical path to Kingman so far this season, with his narrow defeat in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket being followed by devastating victories in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the St James's Palace Stakes. Kingman had only three rivals to beat when winning...

The Lion In Winter has been supplemented for Sunday's G1 Prix Jean Prat at Deauville, which could have a field of up to 10 runners.  The most recent win for Coolmore's son of Sea The Stars came over the same distance of seven furlongs (1400m) in last year's G3 Acomb Stakes at York, a race in which subsequent 2,000 Guineas winner Ruling Court (Justify) finished third. Also added to the field at Thursday's confirmation stage was Apollo Fountain (No Nay Never). Trained by Andre Fabre, he won the Listed Prix...

For so long now we have been used to the Galileo factor at Epsom, and while none of his final small crop of 13 has made the line-up for the Derby or the Oaks, we still find his name all over the place on the pages of this year's runners, merely starting to shuffle back a bit in the generation game.  Galileo's sons Frankel, Australia and Circus Maximus each have at least one runner in the Derby, and Frankel and Australia also have Oaks runners. Eight of the 19 Derby...

Cheshire Oaks heroine Minnie Hauk (Frankel) is the likely mount of Ryan Moore in the Betfred Oaks, according to trainer Aidan O'Brien, with the Ballydoyle team also set to call upon the services of Wayne Lordan and Colin Keane on a busy Classic weekend at Epsom. Speaking on a call hosted by the Jockey Club on Tuesday, O'Brien echoed his recent comments about Delacroix (Dubawi) being the horse most likely to have the benefit of Moore's assistance in Saturday's Betfred Derby, before clarifying the picture somewhat with regards the Oaks,...

Following Monday's confirmation stage, there remains the possibility of a maximum field going to post for Saturday's G1 Betfred Derby at Epsom, with market leader Delacroix (Dubawi) the standout name among 20 colts still in contention for the Classic. Last seen winning the G3 Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown by nearly three lengths, Delacroix is the sponsor's 5/2 favourite to provide trainer Aidan O'Brien with a record-extending 11th success in the Derby, having emerged as the stable's number one contender after The Lion In Winter (Sea The Stars) finished only...

Delacroix remains Ryan Moore's likeliest mount in the Betfred Derby, according to Aidan O'Brien, who has also pencilled in The Lion In Winter and Lambourn as intended runners in the Epsom Classic on Saturday, June 7. Moore's decision at next week's declaration stage promises to have a significant impact on the Derby betting, which currently sees The Lion In Winter as the 5/2 favourite with the sponsors, despite the son of Sea The Stars finishing only sixth on his return to action in the G2 Dante Stakes at York. Lambourn,...