York Racecourse

Charlie Appleby trainee Inner City Blues (Blue Point), who was Godolphin's sole purchase during this year's breeze-up season, was making his third pass through a sales ring when becoming the €900,000 top-priced colt at last month's Arqana Breeze-Up sale, having previously sold for €180,000 as a Goffs November foal and 375,000gns as a Tattersalls Book 1 yearling. The grandson of G3 Prix Eclipse victrix Souvenir Delondres (Siyouni) was all at sea during the initial stages of Saturday's Tomahawk Restaurants Supporting Macmillan EBF Maiden at York, but delivered a knockout blow...

Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's G1 St Leger runner-up Rahiebb (Frankel) justified his entry in, and booked his ticket to, next month's G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot with a belated first black-type victory in Friday's 14-furlong G2 Boodles Yorkshire Cup on the Knavesmire. "That was lovely to watch, it was very smooth and he's a lovely horse," said Roger Varian. "He had a long year and was learning on the job all season really. He made his debut at Newcastle in February and finished up in the St Leger. He...

Shadwell's Elmonjed (Blue Point) bounced back off an unplaced effort at Newmarket's Craven meet and completed an afternoon double for William Haggas with a career high in Wednesday's G2 Go Local Stores Minster Stakes, formerly known as the Duke Of York Stakes, at York. "He really loves this track and I think the draw helped today," commented Haggas. "He's a really tough horse, he's gone from handicaps and won the Listed in September. We kept him in training to win this race as we thought we may as well have...

It's been 13 years since Ortensia (Testa Rossa) claimed a first G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes for Australia and Henry Dwyer trainee Asfoora (Flying Artie) gained just reward for connections' long-held faith, doubling the antipodean tally, with a decisive victory in this year's renewal of the Knavesmire dash. "I'd love to see the replay because it looked like she won quite convincingly." said a jubilant Dwyer. "When you know they are going to win at the two-furlong marker you are sort of on pretty good terms with yourself. It...

Royal Ascot's G1 Gold Cup hero Trawlerman (Golden Horn) went postward as the odds-on favourite for Thursday's G2 Weatherbys Lonsdale Cup Stakes at York and, towing home fellow Clarehaven representative Sweet William (Sea The Stars), emulated his John and Thady Gosden-trained former stablemate Stradivarius by winning the two-mile York marathon as a seven-year-old. "The three-year-old [Shackleton] made it a test of stamina, Trawlerman was giving him a full stone in weight, and they made a lovely race of it together," said John Gosden. "You go 15 rounds with this boy...

Clive Cox's love affair with York's Harry's Half Million By Goffs showed no signs of abating after Middleham Park Racing's Song Of The Clyde (Sergei Prokofiev) delivered a third straight edition of the valuable contest for the trainer. "Harry Beeby was a good friend of mine, it's such a good incentive and even better to win it three times running," said Cox. "He had a bit of size and scope as a yearling and we've always liked him. He's got a wonderful mind and it was really pleasing when he...

Coolmore's G1 Eclipse hero Delacroix (Dubawi) will renew rivalry with Godolphin's Sandown runner-up Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder) and is one of six runners booked for Wednesday's G1 Juddmonte International Stakes at York after three of nine overnight contenders were scratched from the extended 10-furlong contest at Monday morning's declaration stage. The former will attempt to provide Aidan O'Brien with a record-extending eighth renewal from stall three, while Ombudsman bids to regain the winning thread from stall five. Godolphin is also represented by the Andre Fabre-trained £85,000 supplementary entry Birr Castle...

The Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Gimcrack Stakes at York on Friday, August 22 is to be run in honour of the late Tom Lacy, the legendary trainer and breeder who died last month at the age of 89. The move comes at the request of Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai founder and CEO Malih Al Basti, who said, "Tom's achievements as a trainer and breeder are well documented, but he was also an inspiration and mentor to a great many who thrived n the racing industry thanks to his generosity, support...

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Hankelow (Night Of Thunder), a 210,000gns Tattersalls December foal turned 750,000gns Book 1 yearling, created a favourable impression with a taking debut success in Saturday's Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Novice Stakes over seven furlongs at York. Accepting a tow in third after breaking on the lead, the 3-1 second favourite was shaken up to challenge soon after passing the quarter-mile marker and was driven out in the closing stages to prevail by 2 1/4 lengths from Crest Of Fire (Phoenix Of Spain). Hankelow is the...

Friday's G2 Boodles Yorkshire Cup was run at little more than a crawl and played directly into the lap of Godolphin's seven-time elite-level winner Rebel's Romance (Dubawi), who fared best in a five-runner battle of wits. The globetrotting seven-year-old, who had notched victories at the highest grade in four different countries, lobbed along in second as Coolmore's 2023 G1 St Leger hero Continuous (Heart's Cry) set sedate fractions on the front end. Sent wide towards the stands' side rail in early straight, the crowd's 11-10 pick inched ahead with three...

Last term's G1 Commonwealth Cup hero Inisherin (Shamardal) had failed to fire in two starts since that Royal Ascot career high and, with the benefit of a recent wind operation, bounced back in game fashion to annex Wednesday's G2 1895 Duke Of York Clipper Stakes at York. Well away from stall one to race in a handy third through the halfway mark in this six-furlong dash, the 11-8 favourite came under pressure to make his challenge along the far-side rail approaching the final furlong and kept on resolutely under a...

Ascot, Goodwood and York, three of Britain's largest independent racecourses, announced today the 'British Midsummer Bonus', a new initiative designed to incentivise connections of horses trained outside of Europe to target three of the most prestigious Group 1 races in the British Flat racing calendar. Up to £1 million in bonuses will be available to connections who saddle international runners in both the £1.5 million King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot and £1 million Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, which are run days apart from each other,...