Another year of highs and lows – there was certainly a surprise or two thrown in during 2022. We reflect on a year that saw the deaths of legendary jockey Lester Piggott and the Queen, the crowning of Baaeed as the best British runner since Frankel and a rollercoaster ride for Frankie Dettori, who faces […]
Champion Flat jockey William Buick capped a superb year by notching up his 200th domestic win aboard Zealot at Southwell. After taking the title for the first time in his career this autumn, the rider had been closing in on the milestone as the year reaches an end. Zealot, trained by Michael Appleby, was one […]
Barry Connell will consider a return to Leopardstown for the Dublin Racing Festival with Good Land following a thoroughly impressive display in the Pigsback.com Maiden Hurdle. The owner-trainer has already unearthed one Grade One-winning novice hurdler this season in the form of Royal Bond hero Marine Nationale. But while that exciting youngster is being kept […]
No Looking Back lowered the colours of Cheltenham Festival hero Brazil in a match race for the Coolmore NH Sires Kew Gardens Hurdle at Limerick. With just the two runners declared, Padraig Roche’s Boodles winner Brazil was a 2-9 shot to strike Grade Two gold off the back of a Grade Three success in last […]
State Man continued his march towards a likely clash with Constitution Hill at the Cheltenham Festival in March with a comprehensive victory in the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown. Nicky Henderson’s Constitution Hill is long odds-on to lift the Champion Hurdle crown in March following his latest demolition job in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on […]
Gaillard Du Mesnil finally enjoyed his day in the sun over fences with a facile victory in the Neville Hotels Novice Chase at Leopardstown. Although winless in six previous outings over the larger obstacles, the dual Grade One-winning hurdler had never finished out of the first three and has been placed three times at the […]
Shewearsitwell provided Willie Mullins with a sixth victory in the last seven runnings of the BeattheBank.ie Irish EBF Mares Hurdle at Leopardstown. Two subsequent Cheltenham Festival heroines in Let’s Dance and Concertista are among the champion trainer’s recent winners of the Grade Three contest and Shewearsitwell was actually sent off favourite for last year’s renewal, […]
Scriptwriter will have a spin on the all-weather at Wolverhampton on Friday, with Milton Harris keen to get a run into his star juvenile before he continues his Triumph Hurdle build-up over obstacles. Harris has seen the weather scupper his plans in the last month, with Scriptwriter having intended engagements at both Doncaster and Cheltenham […]
There will be no Arkle rematch with Jonbon for Boothill following his victory in the Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase at Kempton. Harry Fry’s seven-year-old was recording his third fences victory of the season when striking in the two-mile Grade Two contest with his only defeat coming at the hands of Nicky Henderson’s Cheltenham Festival favourite […]
Joyeux Machin will carry Irish hopes against red-hot favourite Hermes Allen in the Coral Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday. Hermes Allen is all the rage to provide trainer Paul Nicholls with a fifth victory in the Grade One contest, having previously struck gold with Cornish Rebel (2003), Denman (2006), Bravemansgame (2020), and Stage […]