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

Snellen strikes Group Three gold with gutsy Meld success

/in /by

Snellen fended off the late challenge of hot favourite Purview to win the Group Three Boylesports Meld Stakes at Leopardstown.

All eyes were on the Dermot Weld-trained Purview, who was sent off the 4-6 market leader under Colin Keane after chasing home subsequent Eclipse winner Delacroix in a Derby Trial at this track back in May.

However, it was the 16-1 shot Snellen who came home a short-head winner for trainer Gavin Cromwell and jockey Shane Foley after a thrilling duel in the final furlong.

While Snellen came from last to lead at the business end, Keane momentarily struggled to find a run aboard the favourite and although Purview gave his all when clear, Snellen was just too game and held on at the line.

Foley said: “She ran well the last day in Royal Ascot and it worked out lovely for her today in a small field. She likes taking her time and coming at them.

“She picked up better than I expected at the bottom of the straight and I said I may keep the momentum going. Colin was coming back at me late on, but she toughed it out well.

“It was a nice spare to pick up, but I’d say Gary (Carroll) will be back on her the next day.”

Fairy Oak holds on for Leopardstown maiden success

/in /by

Fairy Oak confirmed the promise of her fine effort at Royal Ascot with a narrow victory in the Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden at Leopardstown.

Second on her Navan debut in early June, Michael O’Callaghan’s filly then finished fifth behind the exciting Venetian Sun in the Albany Stakes less than a fortnight ago later.

On the strength of that three-length defeat the daughter of A’Ali was a 10-11 favourite to make it third time lucky under Colin Keane and while odds-on backers were made to sweat by the strong-finishing Yellowstone Lake, Fairy Oak clung on by a neck.

“She was entitled to win her maiden and Colin said she sharpened up plenty from Ascot. He thought after Ascot she wanted seven furlongs, but said six was fine today,” said O’Callaghan.

“He thought the ground slowed her down a little bit and she’d be better on proper fast ground like it was in Ascot. She was probably in front long enough and she felt the last 100 yards.

“She’ll step back up into stakes company and showed at Ascot that she’s capable of operating at that level. She’s in the Lowther and the Moyglare and she’s a real two-year-old.”

Time Bender caused a 33-1 upset in the Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden.

A bargain basement yearling purchase at €2,500, the Gustav Klimt colt pulled a length and three-quarters clear of the chasing pack to make a winning debut for trainer William Durkan and jockey Chris Hayes.

Assistant trainer Gary Bannon said: “He always worked reasonably well and has got stronger since May. We were planning to run him in a barrier trial that got cancelled, so we’d no option but to come here.

“He’s for sale. We have the mare at home and it’s a nice family.”

Queen Of Hawaii is set to step up in grade after winning the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden by two and a half lengths.

The Joseph O’Brien-trained filly was sixth in a Curragh maiden on debut but stepped up in style as a 100-30 chance in the hands of Dylan Browne McMonagle.

O’Brien said: “She had a lovely run the first day in a strong maiden and we thought she would enjoy going a mile.

“I have her in here next week but it’s probably unlikely that she will come back here for the Silver Flash. We could go for the Debutante or stay at a mile.

“There probably aren’t that many options at a mile for two-year-old fillies at the moment, so she might have to come to seven for her next run.

“I’m delighted to have a good filly for Philip Antonacci and his family and it’s nice to win a Goffs bonus as well. They are a great incentive for people to buy horses in Ireland and train them here.”

Royal Fixation handed Lowther mission at York

/in /by

Royal Fixation will aim to give her owners Opulence Thoroughbreds their first ever Group winner in the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes.

The Ed Walker-trained filly won impressively on her debut at York before giving hot favourite Venetian Sun a big fright in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes.

With Karl Burke sending the winner into Group One company next, that leaves the path clear for Royal Fixation to set the standard on the Knavesmire.

“We’ve never had a Group winner yet and we’re up to a 99 winners, so depending on how our next few results go, it would be quite special if our 100th winner was our first Group winner,” said Opulence’s Edward Brown.

“Royal Fixation is an unbelievable filly who possesses a lot of raw, natural speed and talent, when she came into Ed’s yard everyone was very complimentary about her.

“We headed to Thirsk with high hopes ahead of her debut and she was very professional that day, she even jumped the winning line which I always remember Luca Cumani saying was a good sign as it meant they had plenty left!

“She really settled down after that but it was a bonus to win first time with her as a Palace Pier filly, she is in some of the more forward lots.

“We thought we’d aim high in the Duchess of Cambridge and thought she’d run a strong race but we’d all seen how good Venetian Sun was at Ascot.

“We rode her different, wanting her to settle, which she did, but then you ask yourself if she’d got out quicker would she have got up and won? We’ll never know.

“I echo Ed’s post-race comments though, to get as close as we did to what looks an unbelievable filly was a big effort.

“We’re going to head for the Lowther now, I think the track will suit her and they are talking of Venetian Sun going for a Group One, so we don’t have to worry about her.

“You wouldn’t rule out her getting further but if she runs well in the Lowther, you couldn’t rule out her going for the Cheveley Park. Being by Palace Pier, she could stay further next year but for now we’re concentrating on the Lowther.”

O’Brien eager to take on Hauk again with Wemightakedlongway

/in /by

Joseph O’Brien is keen to let Wemightakedlongway have another crack at red-hot Juddmonte Irish Oaks favourite Minnie Hauk at the Curragh on Saturday.

The pair met in a Cork maiden last October when Wemightakedlongway showed the benefit of her previous experience, beating Minnie Hauk on her debut by two and a half lengths.

Since then Wemightakedlongway has won one of her four outings, the Group Three Salsabil Stakes at Navan, while Minnie Hauk has so far emerged as the best of her generation, winning at Chester and following up in determined fashion in the Oaks at Epsom from stablemate Whirl.

The form of that race looks strong as Whirl has since beaten Kalpana in the Pretty Polly, a race in which Wemightakedlongway finished fourth.

“We are looking forward to running Wemightakedlongway,” the Piltown-based trainer said.

“There is some rain forecast and any rain that falls we think might help her chances in Saturday’s Juddmonte Irish Oaks.”

Minnie Hauk’s trainer Aidan O’Brien also runs Butterfly Wings, Island Hopping and Merrily, while the field is completed by Fozzy Stack’s Bay Colony and Johnny Murtagh’s Subsonic.

No hurry for Burke to set Venetian Sun target

/in /by

Karl Burke is keeping his options open with Venetian Sun following her latest big-race success at Newmarket last week.

The Spigot Lodge handler has not made any secret of the regard in which he holds the Starman filly and she has so far lived up to the billing, with a debut success at Carlisle followed by victories in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes on the July course.

She will now be readied for a step up to Group One company for the first time, but whether that will come at Deauville next month or the Curragh in September remains to be seen.

“Venetian Sun is 100 per cent, she’s had a nice easy week on the water treadmill and we’re very happy with her,” Burke said on Thursday.

“We’ll start preparing her and look at the Prix Morny and see whether we go. If we go there we’ll go on to the Moyglare, or we could go straight to the Moyglare.

“We’ll see how she is and make a decision closer to the time.”

Meehan seeking stamina answers with Steventon contender Rashabar

/in /by

Brian Meehan is on a “finding-out mission” with Rashabar in Saturday’s BetVictor Steventon Stakes at Newbury.

A shock 80-1 winner of the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot last summer, the Holy Roman Emperor colt went on to finish second in two French Group Ones before the end of his juvenile campaign and kicked off the new season by finishing second to Jonquil in Newbury’s Greenham Stakes in April.

He has since chased home the brilliant Field Of Gold twice, placing fourth in both the Irish 2,000 Guineas and in St James’s Palace Stakes ahead of a first attempt at a mile and a quarter at Listed level this weekend.

Meehan said: “He’s very well and we’re on a finding-out mission to see whether he’ll get the trip.

“There was never any question mark about whether he’d get the mile, if anyone had doubts about that they were obviously watching a different horse to me, but the mile and a quarter is unknown territory.

“I’ve always felt he would stay and we’re doing it try to open up more possibilities for him. He’s a Group One horse and he needs to have different bullets in his arsenal really, to give him options to try to get that Group One win.

“He ran very well in the Irish Guineas and I was happy with his run at Ascot. He was hampered twice by two different horses up the straight and I felt he ran a very solid race.”

With rain forecast, conditions could ease at Newbury, which Meehan admits may not be ideal given the question marks over his stable star’s stamina.

He added: “I don’t think cut in the ground bothers him, but I don’t know how I’d feel about soft ground on a fact-finding mission over this trip.”

Do Bronxs set for Rose Bowl bid

/in /by

David Loughnane is of the view he is not going to dodge a challenge with Do Bronxs, who runs in the Ire-Incentive – It Pays To Buy Irish Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury on Friday.

Owned by Amo Racing, the 80,000 guineas purchase is the first foal out of Lola Showgirl, a Royal Ascot and Group Three winner for Loughnane.

Do Bronxs made his debut up at Ayr but went off a weak 10-1 shot before staying on strongly inside the final furlong to win well.

He is up against Charlie Appleby’s Norfolk Stakes runner-up Wise Approach but Loughnane is never one to shy away from a good one.

“He’s a nice horse, he impressed on his debut and he seems to have come on leaps,” said Loughnane.

“I think a lot of him.

“Obviously the Godolphin horse who was second in the Norfolk sets the standard and could prove hard to beat but you can’t run away from one horse.

“If he’s going to be as good as I think he is he’ll have to be competitive in this company.”

Wise Approach won on his debut and was then fourth at York in a race won by the reopposing First Legion, but the Godolphin runner turned that form around at Ascot when beating all bar Charles Darwin.

Appleby told the Godolphin website: “Wise Approach came out of Ascot well and we feel that stepping back up to six furlongs will suit.

“If he runs to anything near the level of his Norfolk Stakes form, it should make him very competitive in this grade.”

Owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid has two runners, George Boughey’s Windsor winner Amorim and the Kevin Ryan-trained Rock On Thunder, who was ninth of 20 in the Coventry.

Tom Dascombe’s Kolkata Knight is the only other runner with the planned Irish raider Nuevo Slovo now not taking part.

Rain required for next Anmaat adventure

/in /by

Owen Burrows is praying for rain before he firms up plans for the smart Anmaat.

The seven-year-old ended last season on a high when getting up late to beat Calandagan and win the Champion Stakes at Ascot, and this season has had to settle for silver twice in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

Burrows felt the going in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown was not to his liking so swerved that engagement and wants some cut in the ground before sending the son of Awtaad back to the racecourse.

He said: “He’s all good, all very good. We’re just praying for a little drop of rain at some stage.

“I don’t feel he’s done anything wrong in either run. I thought it was a bit quick at Sandown and when it went good to firm, firm in places, I was quite pleased that I wasn’t tempted.

“We’re sort of working back from Ascot, he’s in really good form so it would be nice if we did get some rain and we could get him out again.

“We’ll have a look at the Juddmonte International, it would be ground dependent and there’s obviously Ireland (Irish Champion Stakes) as well, but that’s not until September so we’ll just have to see.

“There’s a bit of rain about this weekend I believe, but how long that will last – who knows? We’ll just have to play it by ear.”

Remmooz is likely to remain in handicap company after being raised 4lb for his York victory in the John Smith’s Racing Handicap.

The Blue Point colt is three from four, with his one defeat coming at Group level in the Jersey Stakes, and Burrows is keen to make the best of his rating for the time being.

Burrows said: “Obviously he’d run a tidy enough race at Ascot and up in grade we felt the mile at York would suit him, not so much get him back on track because I don’t feel he’d come off track, but it was nice to get another win under his name.

“He’s a progressive horse who was unraced as a two-year-old. He’s got a decent profile and they put him up 4lb, so he’s 102 now. Fingers crossed we can keep going the right way.

“I might give him one more shot in a handicap to be honest, I’ve not fully decided yet.

“I still feel off 102 we could be competitive in one of those nice handicaps, I’m not 100 per cent certain but it would be more than likely that we would give him one more shot in a handicap.”

Racing Bulletin for 17/07/2025

/in /by

Latest News and Features

Your first 30 days for just £1

Today's Racing

Click on course names to view our course guides. Click on race times to access that racecard. Times highlighted in yellow are free races of the day.

Hamilton Park

Good

 13:50 14:20 14:50 15:22 15:55 16:25 16:55
Leicester

Good to Firm

 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:33 16:05 16:38 17:10
Chepstow

Good

 14:10 14:40 15:10 15:45 16:20 16:50
Leopardstown

Good

 16:45 17:15 17:45 18:20 18:52 19:25 19:55 20:30
Killarney

Good

 17:01 17:32 18:02 18:37 19:10 19:42 20:15
Worcester

Good

 17:05 17:40 18:12 18:45 19:20 19:50 20:25 20:55
Epsom Downs

Good to Firm

 17:55 18:30 19:00 19:35 20:05 20:40

Today's Feature of the Day is...

Instant Expert for ALL races

Good luck!


A Boy Named Susie impresses in winning start at Killarney

/in /by

Donnacha O’Brien and his sister Ana were all smiles after A Boy Named Susie recorded an emphatic success in the Irish EBF Median Sires Series Race at Killarney.

The one-mile contest has a rich recent history, being won 12 months ago by dual Derby hero Lambourn while future multiple Group One winner Luxembourg took top honours in 2021.

Dial Me In was sent off the 4-5 favourite for Joseph O’Brien, but it was his brother Donnacha who was celebrating, as his Starspangledbanner newcomer showed a real turn of foot over a furlong out when asked by Gavin Ryan.

O’Brien said of his 100-30 scorer, who is owned by his sister and holds a Group One entry in the National Stakes at the Curragh: “We thought he was good as he did a really, really good piece of work up the Curragh a few weeks ago.

“This auction race looked a tough ask as he was giving away weight to winners and it is a tough track first time out, but he is obviously just smart.

“For an auction race at Killarney, it has thrown up Iridessa, Luxembourg and last year Lambourn and a few Group Two winners as well, so it’s a nice start for him.

“They hacked and then sprinted, but I think he could be a proper one. He has plenty gears for a big horse.”

Regarding a serious fall suffered by the successful owner at the track in July 2017, he said: “It is a better experience for Ana than the last time she was here and that’s her first winner as an owner as well.”

Ana O’Brien added: “In fairness Donnacha always liked this horse and I’m delighted he came out and did that. It’s my first time back here since my fall, so thankfully this is a much better day.”

The evening’s feature, the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Cairn Rouge Stakes, went to Red Letter – but the Ger Lyons-trained filly (8-11 favourite) was given a fright by Fiery Lucy on the way to recording a half-length success.

Lyons was represented by his brother, Shane, who said of the Juddmonte-owned, Colin Keane-ridden winner: “She has done it the hard way, she was drawn and caught wide and the first two pulled well clear of the third horse.

“The runner-up is a hardened Listed horse and Colin was delighted with the way she handled the ground and said she will get further.

“She has got the job done today, but when she fills into her frame, she’ll be some horse next year.

“She has a championship cruising speed which you need for future races and Colin said if he had been beaten, it was because they didn’t go fast enough.

“We’ll get home, speak to Colin and the family and make a proper plan.”

Burrows looking forward to having Gethin back in the mix

/in /by

One-time Derby hope Gethin is on track to make a return to the racecourse towards the back end of next month.

The Owen Burrows-trained grey won well on debut in a Nottingham novice on heavy ground before being far too good for Roger Varian’s Saddadd at Newbury to put him on track for the premier Classic.

Saddadd subsequently franked that form in the London Gold Cup and Burrows was frustrated his son of Ghaiyyath suffered a setback that has sidelined him since April.

The Lambourn handler said: “He’ll be back towards the back end of August. He’s back doing plenty of cantering, but I’m not going to rush him so we’ll be looking for the second half of August, I would have thought.”

Burrows was impressed by Gethin’s Newbury victory and is confident he now has the three-year-old back on the right track after a three-month absence.

He added: “That was a pretty smart performance, I know Roger thinks a lot of his horse that won the race at Newbury (London Gold Cup), that sort of three-year-old handicap which notoriously throws up Group horses.

“It was a bit annoying that he had a little setback after that, but as I say he’s doing plenty of cantering now so touch wood we can keep kicking with him.”

All eyes on Purview in Leopardstown’s Meld Stakes

/in /by

Dermot Weld plans to take it “one day at a time” with the exciting Purview, who gets the chance to live up to his reputation in the BoyleSports Meld Stakes at Leopardstown on Thursday evening.

The Juddmonte-owned son of Kingman won his only outing at two and briefly looked like giving subsequent Eclipse winner Delacroix a real race in the Leopardstown Derby Trial.

Weld resisted the temptation to run him in a Classic thereafter, giving the imposing colt time to fill his frame, and he is now ready to get back to action.

“It’s nice to have him for what is an excellent renewal of the race. You’ve got horses rated 115 and 113 in the race, so it’s running at probably Group Two level rather than Group Three,” said Weld.

“You’ve two horses rated above him and he’s a big horse that’s developing all the time, that’s why I waited with him, but I see him running a very nice race.

“He’s grown, he’s developing and he’s a big horse, so I’ve just given him time to fill into his big frame.”

On his big-race entries in the Irish Champion Stakes and the Arc, he added: “Let’s see how he gets on and take it one day at a time. Let’s see how we do on Thursday and go forward.”

Aidan O’Brien’s Expanded, unplaced in both the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Irish equivalent, looks to get back on track while Joseph O’Brien’s Galen, who beat Coronation Cup winner Jan Brueghel in April, sets the standard.

David Loughnane’s mare Sparks Fly is a doubtful runner.

Albert Einstein return still appears some way off

/in /by

Albert Einstein, who missed Royal Ascot with a sprained joint, is still on the sidelines.

His trainer Aidan O’Brien remains hopeful his exciting juvenile will make it back time to run in some of the major end-of-season races in the autumn, although a return to action still appears some way off.

He holds entries in September, including in the Vincent O’Brien National Stakes.

O’Brien said: “He’s not near to running yet, he’s not back cantering yet. He’s just been on a break.

“We’re still hoping he’ll be back for something in the autumn, but it will depend on how he is really.”

Albert Einstein’s reputation has only risen in his absence with O’Brien winning the Queen Mary, Coventry Stakes and the Norfolk yet hailing the Wootton Bassett colt as perhaps the best of his crop.

Following Gstaad’s impressive Coventry win O’Brien said: “Albert Einstein was always something very different and a very quick horse, incredibly quick from the day we worked him.

“Gstaad is a big horse who travels well and with lots of speed. We always thought this was a top-tier horse alongside Albert, but your man was just so fast it was different.”

Blow for Fellowes and Basher Watts, as Shes Perfect meets with setback

/in /by

Charlie Fellowes’ French 1000 Guineas runner-up Shes Perfect has met with a setback, although an autumn return is not out of the question.

The chestnut’s success story for syndicate owners Basher Watts Racing has been one of the tales of the season so far, with her second in the Prix de la Grotte to Zarigana introducing her as a three-year-old to follow throughout her Classic year.

She then crossed the line first in the French Guineas, seemingly turning the tables on Zarigana, but was controversially demoted to second before being denied the reinstatement of the victory in a later appeal.

Her career has now been interrupted by a minor issue, with the Prix de la Foret a target in autumn but not one that she will be rushed towards if she is not ready.

“I’m afraid Shes Perfect has had a setback, it will be touch and go as to whether we see her again this year,” said Fellowes.

“She’s going to need a few weeks on the easy list and we are hopeful of having her back in time for the Foret.

“It’s nothing serious, but she will require a little bit of time off. We will work backwards from the Foret, but if it’s not the right thing to do then we will put her away and she will be back bigger and better next year.

“She’s a lovely filly and she’s only going to improve next year, the future is still very bright.”

Johnson Houghton retaining plenty of options for Zavateri

/in /by

All options are open for Eve Johnson Houghton’s Zavateri after his victory in the July Stakes at Newmarket.

The two-year-old colt, who is by Without Parole, won his debut at Salisbury in June before stepping markedly up in grade on the July course last week.

He was the overlooked horse in the field at 18-1 under Charles Bishop, but thoroughly undermined those odds when prevailing by a length to score at Group Two level on only his second start.

“I was absolutely thrilled with him, I knew he was a good horse but I just thought he might not know enough – I thought he might be a bit green, but it didn’t appear that way at all,” said Johnson Houghton.

“He’s come out of his race really well, I’m very happy with him.”

The chestnut has a range of possible next steps and is clearly held in high regard for both his ability and his genuine attitude.

“We’re just having discussions at the moment, nothing is concrete and all options are open,” Johnson Houghton added.

“We’ve not ruled out anything at all, we might go to the Curragh for the Phoenix, we might go to Goodwood for the Vintage, we might go to York, we might just wait a little bit longer.

“He’s got a great attitude and he always has done at home, he’s a pleasure to train.

“Every time he puts his head in the bridle, he just wants to please.”

Your first 30 days for just £1