Latest horse racing news from UK, Ireland, and around the world.

‘Positive meeting’ leads to continuation of Thurles

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Thurles racecourse has been saved until at least March 2026 following a meeting between Horse Racing Ireland and owners the Molony family on Thursday.

It was announced on August 1 the course was to close with immediate effect after the Molony family, who had owned the track since the early 1900s, decided to retire from racing.

Ireland’s only privately-owned racecourse, Thurles had 11 scheduled fixtures for the 2025/26 season.

A joint-statement from HRI and the Molony family said: “Following a positive meeting this afternoon between Horse Racing Ireland and the Molony family, Thurles Race Company will facilitate the continuation of horse racing at Thurles Racecourse until March 2026, with operational responsibility of the racecourse passing to Horse Racing Ireland.

“Today’s agreement, made possible in conjunction with the Association of Irish Racecourses, the IHRB, and the support of the wider industry, will see Thurles Racecourse fulfil its 11 fixtures through to March 2026, resuming as scheduled on Thursday, October 9.

“Keeping Thurles operational until March of next year affords all interested parties time to consider a longer-term plan for the racecourse.”

Multiple champion trainer Willie Mullins was among those who expressed their disappointment when the original closure news broke, saying at the time it had come as a “major shock”, adding: “It will be a huge blow for Irish racing, more specifically Irish jump racing and winter jump racing.

“Thurles is a track that always had beautiful ground in the winter when other tracks couldn’t.”

Saddadd returning to the fray at Sandown on Saturday

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Roger Varian’s patience could be rewarded when his London Gold Cup hero Saddadd takes the next step of his promising career at Sandown on Saturday.

The exciting son of Pinatubo, who is closely related to Ed Walker’s star performer Almaqam, has like many been kept on the sidelines on account of the dry summer since his taking display at Newbury in May.

However, the Carlburg Stables handler is now hoping conditions can prove suitable in Esher for the talented three-year-old to serve a reminder of his potential in the Read Meg Nicholls’ Blog At betmgm.co.uk Handicap.

Varian said: “We’ve been waiting for the ground with Saddadd and I thought we got away with the ground at Newbury in the London Gold Cup. Hopefully Sandown can catch a few of those forecast showers and he can race on a nice kind surface on Saturday.

“He’s a horse with a big future and he is a big, burly horse, so who knows he might be a bit rusty on Saturday, but hopefully not and he’s been training nicely and he’s a lovely horse for the future.”

A considered approach is also hoped to pay dividends with Raammee who set plenty of tongues wagging with the style he won his opening outing at Kempton.

Carrying the same colours of Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum as Saddadd, it took Varian until the August of his three-year-old season to unleash the son of Persian King, but he delivered in spades with a fast-finishing display that hints at a bright future.

He is set to be kept to calm waters for the time being, with Varian saying: “He’s a lovely horse and I think we’ll turn up in a novice somewhere in September then take it from there.

“We’ll take it slowly and he’s required a degree of patience as you can imagine and we were rewarded with a promising debut effort. We’re now looking forward to seeing how he can build off that.”

Leading owner Kenny Alexander among 11 charged over gambling services in Turkey

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Leading owner Kenny Alexander, former head of the parent company of Ladbrokes, is among 11 people who have been charged as part of an investigation into the provision of gambling services in Turkey.

Alexander, 56, of Perth in Scotland, the former chief executive of the then GVC Holdings, now known as Entain, was charged with conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to bribe between 2011 and 2018, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

Alexander’s colours have become a familiar sight after big races in recent years, most notably through the brilliant mare Honeysuckle, who won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2021 and 2022.

Lee Feldman, 57, of East Hampton, New York, United States, the former chairman of the firm, was also charged with conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to bribe during the same period.

Also charged with the same offences are Richard Cooper, 64, from London, Robert Dowling 50, from Horsham, West Sussex, James Humberstone, 52, of Olney, Milton Keynes, Raymond Smart, 59 of Castel, Guernsey, and Richard Raubitschek-Smith, 49, of Harpenden, Hertfordshire.

Scott Masterton, 57, of Tetney, Grimsby, is charged with conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to bribe, fraudulent trading, cheating the public revenue and acting as a director of a company when undischarged bankrupt.

Alexander MacAngus, 64, of Grouville, Jersey is accused of conspiracy to defraud, while Caroline Roe, 48, from Staincross, Barnsley is charged with conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to bribe, fraudulent trading and fraudulent evasion of income tax.

Robert Hoskin, 54, of Gibraltar, is charged with perverting the course of justice in February 2024.

The first hearing in the case will take place at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on October 6.

Richard Las, director of HMRC’s fraud investigation service, said: “This has been a complex and international investigation.

“These are serious charges that relate to conspiracy to defraud, bribery, cheating the public revenue, evasion of income tax and perverting the course of justice among others.”

Entain said in a statement: “The company has not been charged and none of the individuals charged are currently employed by the company or its group.”

Golden Ace enjoying her summer and ‘looks a million dollars’

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Shock Champion Hurdle winner Golden Ace is unlikely to be seen in action much before Christmas.

While trainer Jeremy Scott is delighted with her condition currently, she is traditionally slow to come to hand and her handler does not see that changing this season.

Last term she made her seasonal bow in the Ascot Hurdle at the end of November, while the year before she did not reappear until January.

“I couldn’t be happier with her, she looks a million dollars and has summered really well,” Scott said.

Lorcan Williams celebrates on Golden Ace
Lorcan Williams celebrates on Golden Ace (David Davies for The Jockey Club)

“She’s back in now, we’ve just started riding her.

“We’ll see how she comes along as we’ve never really managed to get her to run much before Christmas, but every year you hope you might get there.

“I couldn’t be happier at the moment, anyway.”

Golden Ace went to Punchestown after her finest hour, and Scott added: “I imagine it will be a pretty similar season, we’ll be aiming to have her at her best in the spring again. She’s a mare and she’ll let us know when she’s ready.”

Wesley Ward: Keep the faith with Outfielder

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Wesley Ward remains optimistic for the future with Outfielder following his fourth-place finish in the Prix Morny at Deauville.

The Speightstown colt created a huge impression when scorching clear on his Churchill Downs debut and while a minor setback put paid to a planned appearance at Royal Ascot, he belatedly travelled to Europe for a Group One contest his American trainer has won on three previous occasions.

After becoming restless in the stalls, leading to him being removed and reloaded, Outfielder slightly missed the break, but soon recovered to lead the six-strong field before faltering late on.

“It was certainly the toughest Morny I’ve ever been in as far as the competition goes,” said Ward.

“He was a little fractious in the gate. We asked to load him late, but they denied us, so we had to go in in post-position order and he reared up and got his foot caught on the side of the gate, according to David Egan.

“David had them back him out, which was good, and maybe he got his composure back when he went back in, but then he broke a tad slow. The good thing is he wasn’t impeded by the horses on either side of him, so in the next couple of strides he got himself back together and off he went.”

Outfielder was certainly not disgraced in being beaten less than three lengths by the unbeaten Venetian Sun, with Coventry Stakes hero Gstaad second and runaway Rose Bowl winner Wise Approach third.

Ward was pleased with the performance of his youngster given he lacked the experience of his rivals.

He added: “It was such a tough race and I was proud of the way he fought on, there were just three horses better than him, but he ran a good race considering he’d only had one run whereas the others had had multiple runs.

“Given he hadn’t had another start since his maiden and this was also his first time out of Kentucky, the others had a little bit of an experience edge on him, so I was proud he didn’t throw in the towel and he was only beaten a couple of lengths by the toughest two-year-olds in Europe.

“It was very sporting of my partners Kia (Joorabchian) and Jayson Werth to take them on as you really don’t know who you’re taking on until you’re there and we would certainly have liked a prep run going into it but we didn’t have time for one.

“He certainly gave a good account of himself, he ran a valiant race I think and he’s now back in the States, so we’ll get him home and have a meeting with the owners and my partners and make a new plan.”

The Washington-based trainer is unsure what the rest of the year has in store for Outfielder, but did raise the possibility of him being stepped up in distance at some stage.

He said: “There’s a little bit of unknown with this guy. I originally never intended to run him early in the year, but when we started breezing him in April he had some eye-opening breezes and instead of continuing to work him we put him in a race and he bounded away from them, as everyone knows.

“But really, if you look at him, you’d think he’d want to go around two turns here in America, so we’ll just see how he is after this big effort and make a new plan. Whether that be sprinting or whether that means stretching out (in trip) a little bit, I’m sure he’ll tell us with his morning breezes.”

Tamfana firmly on course for Arc day target

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The Prix de l’Opera at ParisLongchamp in October is next on the agenda for David Menuisier’s talented filly Tamfana.

Never out of the money in seven highly competitive contests last term, the Soldier Hollow bay enjoyed a three-year-old campaign that included Group One victory in the Sun Chariot Stakes having gone close multiple times at the same level.

She returned to action at four this term with a smart run behind Dancing Gemini in the bet365 Mile, but was out of luck in the Lockinge to come home seventh of eight runners.

She has since been given a easy few months throughout the height of summer, and now has her eye on a French mission in the 10-furlong Prix de l’Opera on Arc day.

“She’s very well, we’ve given her a bit of a rest since her last run,” said Eamonn O’Connor, founder and chairman of owners Quantum Leap Racing.

“It (Lockinge) didn’t go very well for her, she got knocked about a bit but she is fine.

“We’ve been planning an autumn campaign for her and she’s on track now for the Prix de l’Opera, it’s all systems go and we’re really looking forward to it.”

Racing Bulletin for 28/08/2025

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Maranoa Charlie on course for Foret challenge

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Maranoa Charlie is booked for the Prix de la Foret after his gallant third-placed run in the Sky Bet City of York Stakes at the weekend.

The Wootton Bassett colt is trained in Chantilly by Christopher Head and made his first trip across the Channel to contest the seven-furlong Group One under the French rider Aurelien Lemaitre.

He was a 9-1 chance among a field of 10 and ran a fine race to come home just three-quarters of a length behind the winner on his second start for new owners Bond Thoroughbreds.

“He ran a very good race, I was really happy with the performance of the horse,” said Head.

“We tried a new strategy this time, we were waiting with him a little bit and it was really worth it.

“He showed a real change of speed at the end of the race, he was very resilient and I was very happy with him.

“He’s come out of the race very well and he didn’t even lose that much weight, which is fantastic because now we know he’s capable of taking all the travelling.

“We’re going to go to the Prix de la Foret for his next race, and that may be the end of his season.

“I need to discuss it with his owner, of course, but we’re going to concentrate on a nice programme for next season with lots of travelling because he looks like he can handle it.

“He’s going to be very interesting for all the big mile races next season.”

Cesarewitch hope A Dream To Share ineligible for Newmarket contest

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A Dream To Share, the general second favourite Club Godolphin Cesarewitch, is not eligible to run in the race, the British Horseracing Authority has confirmed.

The seven-year-old, who is owned by JP McManus, won the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival and the Punchestown equivalent in 2023 but had his attentions switched to the Flat in the spring after two disappointing runs over hurdles in the winter.

A Dream To Share subsequently won one of three Flat outings for trainers John and Thomas Kiely but he has yet to be given a handicap mark, which makes him ineligible for the Cesarewitch on October 11 as the ratings for qualification were published on August 19.

A BHA spokesperson said: “An appeal was made by connections of A Dream To Share to the BHA’s handicapping ombudsman, David Cleary, which asked him to consider whether the BHA’s handicapper has been correct in refusing to give a British Flat mark to the horse, based on the information available to them.

“In a decision that will be published in full in due course, Mr Cleary found that the approach taken in this case, following the decision of the IHRB handicapper to decline to give the horse a mark, was consistent with the treatment afforded to any other Irish-trained and raced Flat horses. He therefore denied the appeal.

“Regarding the Cesarewitch, the conditions for the race confirm that the rating used for qualification is that published on August 19, prior to publication of the weights today.

“A Dream To Share, therefore, was not qualified and – in the interests of fairness to other competitors and those who have bet on the race – there is nothing within the race conditions that allows for a horse to be added at a later date.”

‘Incredible character’ Geoff Lewis dies aged 89

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Harry Herbert hailed leading jockey-turned-trainer Geoff Lewis as “one of racing’s great characters” following his death at the age of 89.

Lewis was best known for his association with the great Mill Reef during his days in the saddle, a horse he rode to victory in both the Derby and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 1971.

Following the end of his riding career in 1979, he began training from Thirty Acre Barn in Epsom, the racing town where he had served as an apprentice to Ron Smyth as a teenager.

From a relatively small stable he enjoyed great success with horses such as the top sprinter Lake Coniston, who he trained for Highclere Thoroughbred Racing in the early days of their enterprise.

Lake Coniston’s triumphs included the July Cup, the Duke of York, the Abernant, the Diadem and the Hackwood Stakes, and Lewis’ contribution to the early prosperity of Highclere was significant.

“It is incredibly sad news, Geoff really got us going at Highclere,” said Harry Herbert, founder and chairman of the syndicate.

“He trained our first champion, Lake Coniston, to win the July Cup in 1995 and he was such an incredible character.

“Anyone who had horses with us and Geoff in those early days will never forget the stable visits, his daughter Mary would cook our members the most delicious lunches and Geoff and his wife Noelene were like a double act.

“They were wonderful; warm, welcoming and great entertainers.

“We were fortunate enough to have some really good horses with Geoff, not just Lake Coniston but Referendum too, who was second in the National Stakes in Ireland.

“He was very generous in his efforts to get Highclere started, he called on friends of his and other owners and we probably ended up having seven or eight horses with him because he was so supportive.

“It was a sad day when he gave up training. We have wonderful memories of a marvellous man, a hugely talented jockey, a hugely talented trainer and one of racing’s great characters. We will miss him.”

Mill Reef also provided Lewis with victories in the Dewhurst and the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes, with the rider claiming plenty of other notable prizes including the Stewards’ Cup aboard Tudor Monarch for Sir Winston Churchill in 1959, the Ascot Stakes and the Doncaster Cup aboard Queen Elizabeth II’s Magna Carta in 1970 and 2000 Guineas on Right Tack in 1969.

Simon Dow now trains at the stable where Lewis served his apprenticeship, and described him as a huge part of the racing community in Epsom.

“He was an Epsom legend, an icon, of course he won the Derby on the great Mill Reef,” he said.

“He was a force to be reckoned with, both as a jockey and as a trainer. For 20 years as a trainer he was extremely successful from Thirty Acre Barn.

“It is very unusual for good Flat jockeys to go on to be top Flat trainers but he was one of the few who made the transition.

“He was part of the fabric of Epsom. People of my age and generation have fantastic memories of him, he was a great character who was also extremely supportive and a friend to everyone in Epsom.”

Daniel and Claire Kubler to make Bahrain training move

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Daniel and Claire Kübler have announced their intention to relocate to Bahrain later this year.

The Lambourn-based husband-and-wife training partnership have saddled over 130 winners from their Lambourn base, but are preparing to “scale back” operations in Britain having been presented with a “remarkable opportunity” to move to the Middle East.

A statement released by Kübler Racing read: “After five successful seasons training under a joint licence from our stables at Sarsen Farm in Lambourn, we have been given a remarkable opportunity to train for His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa and other members of the royal family in Bahrain, and assist in developing a new training facility.

“The move follows an approach we received from His Highness Shaikh Isa, on behalf of the Royal Stables, who outlined his vision and ambition for racing in Bahrain. It provides the
chance to work with an exciting and expanding group of horses, together with an ambitious team of people, contributing to the growth of a racing jurisdiction that is rapidly establishing itself on the global stage.

“We expect to begin training in Bahrain from October 2025, coinciding with the start of the 2025/26 season. In the meantime, our UK operation will scale back with the horses currently in training continuing to be campaigned with the same usual care and attention, ensuring every owner and horse is fully supported during this transition.”

The Küblers added the decision was “by no means easy”, adding: “We owe thanks to so many owners. Particular thanks to Gary and Lesley Middlebrook, whose commitment and belief in our approach has provided the platform on which Kübler Racing has been built.

“Their support has been instrumental in developing Sarsen Farm and enabling the yard to reach a level of success that makes this next step possible.

“We would also like to acknowledge the fantastic team of people who have worked together with us, both now and over the years. Their dedication, skill, and care for the horses have been at the heart of everything we have achieved, and none of this would have been possible without their contribution.

“We remain deeply grateful to everyone who has supported us in the UK and look forward to building on those achievements as we embark on this exciting new adventure.”

George Scott believes Victorious Forever venture is an ‘exciting step’

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George Scott has spoken of his excitement following the merger of KHK Racing and Victorious Racing to form Victorious Forever.

Scott has trained horses for both operations, Shaikh Nasser bin Hamed Al Khalifa’s Victorious Racing, for whom he saddled a Royal Ascot winner in Isle Of Jura, and his brother Shaikh Khalid’s KHK Racing.

Now the pair have joined forces in the hope it will take them to the next level in terms of competing for the sport’s major prizes.

“It seems a very logical decision. The two brothers are hugely passionate about British racing and their ambitions have been aligned since day one, it’s a very exciting step they’ve come together as one,” said Scott.

“There’s no doubt that their combined support has allowed my career to elevate.

“Shaikh Khalid has had Group One success with Vandeek and won a Classic with Eldar Eldarov, while Shaikh Nasser has had great success with the likes of Bradsell and Isle Of Jura.

“I think their ambition is to become a sustainable force in British racing where they may one day be comparable to the Shadwells, Coolmores and Juddmontes of this world, but that will take a bit of time.

“Financially it makes sense to come together, but more importantly their views are bonded as brothers and they felt they would get more enjoyment and satisfaction out of doing it together.

“Both KHK and Victorious have their own teams but they’ve always been very close so there won’t be a huge amount of change, it’s a very simple merger.

“Both operations add tremendous value to each each other. Shaikh Khalid has Staya with me and Zanthos with the Crisfords and we’ve got a bunch of unraced two-year-olds for Shaikh Nasser that we love.

“It’s something they’ve had in their minds for some time now and it’s just putting it into practice for them.”

Billy Jackson-Stops was racing manager for Victorious Racing and will continue to be a key part of the new operation. He said: “It’s very exciting, both organisations have had great success already but we are combining two great forces.

“His Highness Shaikh Nasser has had a lot of success buying yearlings while KHK have tended to do it with breeze-up horses, so by combining resources we’ll be on top of both sets of sales.

“Chris Wall (KHK’s racing manager) is the nicest man in racing and has a wealth of experience so I can’t wait to work with him.”

Geoff Lewis, rider of Mill Reef, dies aged 89

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Geoff Lewis, rider of the great Mill Reef and later a key figure on the Epsom training scene, has died at the age of 89.

The Welshman was aboard the Ian Balding-trained colt when he won the both the Derby and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 1971, an association that was the highlight of a hugely successful career in the saddle.

Mill Reef also provided victories in the Dewhurst and the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes, with Lewis claiming plenty of other notable prizes including the Stewards’ Cup aboard Tudor Monarch for Sir Winston Churchill in 1959, the Ascot Stakes and the Doncaster Cup aboard Queen Elizabeth II’s Magna Carta in 1970 and 2000 Guineas on Right Tack in 1969.

Lewis went on to train in Epsom after retiring from the saddle in 1979, with the stable’s Silver Wisp finishing third in the 1992 Derby and Lake Coniston flying the flag for the yard when winning the Duke of York Stakes and July Cup in 1995.

Lewis setting up his stable in Epsom was a return to where his career had started as an apprentice for Ron Smyth, whose yard is now the base of trainer Simon Dow .

“Ron was Geoff’s mentor from when he was a 15-year-old boy, so there is a strong connection between all of us,” said Dow.

“He had been in a local care home and had been unwell for some time, sadly he died yesterday.

“He was an Epsom legend, an icon, of course he won the Derby on the great Mill Reef.

“He was a force to be reckoned with, both as a jockey and as a trainer. For 20 years as a trainer he was extremely successful from Thirty Acre Barn.

“It is very unusual for good Flat jockeys to go on to be top Flat trainers but he was one of the few who made the transition.

“He was part of the fabric of Epsom. People of my age and generation have fantastic memories of him, he was a great character who was also extremely supportive and a friend to everyone in Epsom.”

Jeremy Scott hails ‘absolute star’ Dashel Drasher

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Jeremy Scott has called time on the career of his popular 12-year-old Dashel Drasher.

A Grade One winner over fences, he finished second in the 2023 Stayers’ Hurdle only to be demoted to third on objection. Connections appealed the decision and he was reinstated as the runner-up.

“He’s been an absolute star for us, we’ve had some wonderful days out with him and his owners. He’s always been a pleasure to deal with and fortunately he’s retiring 100 per cent sound,” said Scott.

“Hopefully he can go on and have a good life doing something else. It was a tough decision for the owners because he just loves the routine and the whole thing about training as much as racing.

“Realistically he was finding life harder and harder so while it’s sad, I think it’s the right time.

“I think he raced better than his genetic ability because he had this willingness to keep racing and keep battling.

“He was bred by my wife, we’d known him since he was a baby and we knew all his quirks and foibles, he’s been a credit to the mare. None of the siblings have quite lived up to him unfortunately but we’ve still some in the pipeline, so hopefully one will turn out as good as him.”

Looking back on his career, Scott nominated a handicap victory at Ascot as his career-best display, rather than his Grade One win at the same track.

“I think it was an amazing run when he was second at Cheltenham in the Stayers’ but when he won a handicap before his Grade One, I thought that was some performance,” said Scott.

“That two-mile-five trip at Ascot was ideal for him, it suited him down to the ground. It always looked like he was going to get caught but he’d pull out a bit more.

“He gave an awful lot of people a lot of enjoyment. It was very nice when you’d be at the races and people came up to us to say they’d come all the way from Cornwall just to see him, he captured the hearts of quite a lot of people.”

Dashel Drasher won 12 of his 37 races and over £450,000 in prize money.

Bow Echo arrowing towards Haydock next

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George Boughey is struggling to contain his excitement for Bow Echo, with Haydock’s Betfair-sponsored Ascendant Stakes on Saturday week pencilled in for the impressive Newbury winner.

The son of Night Of Thunder created a deep impression with a dazzling display in the hands of Billy Loughnane on debut, with the Newmarket handler now seeing the one-mile Listed event as the perfect next step in the career of the budding star.

“The likelihood is he will probably go to the Ascendant Stakes at Haydock, he started over a mile and I think that is probably where he will be staying,” said Boughey.

“He was very impressive on debut and a very natural animal who hadn’t done a huge amount of work beforehand and was mainly there to have a nice experience, but he looked pretty good.

“He’s hard not to get excited about as he’s a very natural horse with a great pedigree and to see him go and do that on debut was great to see.”

The Sheikh Mohammed Obaid-owned Bow Echo holds an entry for Doncaster’s Betfred Champagne Stakes on September 13, but stablemate Protection Act – who is also one from one after a taking victory at Haydock – appears more likely to head to Town Moor on St Leger day.

“There’s no harm leaving Bow Echo in the Champagne with weather changing and then see how we go, but Protection Act looks like going to Doncaster and he was equally exciting on debut, albeit in a slightly different manner,” added Boughey.

“The race has worked out pretty well and he was a decisive winner at the line having missed the kick.

“He is a horse who was very weak at the time of his debut and is still developing. It’s all a learning curve for him at the minute, as like Bow Echo he is going to be a better three-year-old and is still very raw.

“But if he relaxes like he did on debut then I think Doncaster will suit him well.

“It can often be a small field which is always a bit of a shame and I just hope we get a properly-run race. If we can get Protection Act there in the same form he went into his debut, then he should be competitive.”

Boughey is entitled to have high hopes for the smart team of youngsters assembled at his Craven House base which includes the classy Albany Stakes runner-up Awaken.

However, one who will remain in calmer waters for the immediate future is taking Windsor winner Hilitany who will be kept to novice company for his next start despite holding entries for both the Mill Reef and Middle Park Stakes next month.

“He’s a nice colt who is well-entered up,” continued Boughey.

“He’s probably going to stick to the novice route for now and we’ll see, he’s still weak.

“I was happy with him going into his novice win, but he’s a horse who is going to keep improving into the winter and into next year and we’ll take him step by step. He’ll definitely go to another novice before he steps up in grade.”

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