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

York clash with Field Of Gold possible for Delacroix

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Aidan O’Brien has raised the possibility of his Eclipse winner Delacroix taking on Field Of Gold in what would be a mouthwatering prospect for the Juddmonte International at York.

Sent off favourite for the Derby where he finished down the field, Delacroix bounced back in sensational style at Sandown, running down Prince of Wales’s Stakes winner Ombudsman with a fantastic turn of foot.

Field Of Gold is ante-post favourite for the York race and given he is owned by the sponsors, should he step up in trip that looks the logical place for it to happen.

O’Brien told Sky Sports Racing of Delacroix: “We were delighted with him, obviously in the Derby Ryan (Moore) felt he just got squeezed out at the top of the hill and his chance had gone then so he nursed him.

“Before the Derby he was working like a classy mile-and-a-quarter horse and Ryan had it in his head that he could even be a miler, he always felt he had a lot of pace.

“I don’t know what he did the last two furlongs but I can imagine the fractions were very quick.

“We’re not sure about what next, we’ll see how he is first and then the lads (owners) will chat to Ryan and chat amongst themselves and then tell us where they’d like to go.

“Obviously the two big ones would be York (August 20) or Leopardstown (Irish Champion Stakes, September 13), both or one so we’ll see how he is and they’ll decide what they want to do then.”

Racing Bulletin for 07/07/2025

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King’s Gambit pointed at Goodwood after strong Wolferton run

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King’s Gambit will head to the Coral Glorious Stakes at the Qatar Goodwood Festival after bouncing back to form when third in the Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot.

A consistent Group-level performer for Harry Charlton, he won the London Gold Cup as a three-year-old before making the frame in races like the Hampton Court Stakes, York Stakes and Great Voltigeur.

Not disgraced on his first start in the Wathnan Racing silks in Qatar in February, he then underwhelmed in Newbury’s Aston Park Stakes on his return to British racing.

However, he showed his true colours at the Royal meeting when beaten only a length and a half by Haatem, with Charlton now looking forward to returning to a mile and a half on the Sussex Downs next month.

Charlton said: “I thought he ran a huge race at Royal Ascot as he was drawn wide and got caught further back than ideal so I thought he did well to make up so much ground on Haatem who A, is a good horse, but B, got the perfect trip round under James Doyle.

“When you watch it back it would have been remarkable if he had caught him up, so I thought it was a huge run and it was great to see him back to his consistent, usual self after a poor run really at Newbury.

“He’s a hugely consistent horse and the plan is to head for the Group Three 12-furlong race at Glorious Goodwood which has Qatari sponsorship.”

Bright Thunder oozes class in Deauville romp

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Bright Thunder enjoyed visiting France once again, as she blazed her way to victory in the Prix Goldikova.

Karl Burke’s four-year-old was a Listed winner at Chantilly last summer and after going close on home soil at Goodwood and Epsom earlier this season, gained some valuable compensation on the continent.

It was a victory that was a welcome tonic for the Spigot Lodge team after near misses both earlier on the Deauville card with Spycatcher and in the German Derby with Contingent and there could plenty more to look forward to with the daughter of Night Of Thunder after her commanding performance in the hands of Sam James.

James told Sky Sports Racing: “She jumped really well, if not too well and I wanted to get a bit of cover.

“However, once I got behind Christophe (Soumillon on  Rubies From Burma) on the lead horse she settled away grand and I thought we were going quite slow so I was quite happy to let her find herself and keep coming.

“She doesn’t find an awful lot off the bridle but to be fair to her today she’s really quickened up and put the race to bed.

“A Group Three wouldn’t be out of the question for her and the faster they go in these races the more it suits her. She seems to like coming over here so maybe she can come over again.

“You can sometimes get racing a long way out on a straight mile, but today it all went to plan and she obviously likes coming over and Karl does as well when he brings horses over here.”

Soumillon shines as Woodshauna strikes in Prix Jean Prat

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Francis-Henri Graffard’s fine season continued at Deauville, as Woodshauna claimed a thrilling Prix Jean Prat.

A winner at Group Three level at Chantilly on his most recent start, the colt was subsequently purchased by American businessman John Stewart for £625,000 at the Goffs London Sale on the eve of Royal Ascot and immediately saw the form boosted when Chantilly runner-up Time For Sandals won the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

Christopher Head’s Maranoa Charlie, who was fourth at Chantilly, led the field along this time in his first outing in the colours of Yorkshire-based Bond Thoroughbreds, with Christophe Soumillon in no rush as he anchored Woodshauna in rear.

Maranoa Charlie refused to lie down as the race began to develop, with Charlie Appleby’s Shadow Of Light and Aidan O’Brien’s The Lion In Winter making their challenge on either side.

However, none were finishing as strongly as Woodshauna, who weaved his way to the front in time to lead home a French one-two, with Maranoa Charlie holding on for second, The Lion In Winter third and Shadow Of Light fourth, with half a length covering all of them. Cosmic Year dropped away tamely having looked a threat a furlong out.

Graffard said: “He’s a lovely horse and his form his strong. We decided to skip Ascot and I wanted the horse to be strong for this race and it worked out.

“He has a lot of speed and I think seven furlongs is the max for him. We’ll have to see what we do with him, whether we drop him back in distance or if we stick to seven, but it’s a big step up today. He’s a lovely horse with a great attitude and he’s improving physically.

“He was given a very good ride by Christophe and took the right lead all the time.”

He added: “Every time I have stepped him up in class he has responded well. I think if he was closer in the Djebel he would have been very dangerous and on that form and my belief I was not scared today.

“I’m so happy for John (Stewart) who is such a lovely, enthusiastic man for the industry and he has kept faith in me and let me do what I think is best for the horses and is rewarded today with a nice win.

“The Prix Maurice de Gheest could definitely be on the cards and I think he will be better dropped back in distance. I will see how he comes out of this but that could be a race we target.”

Meanwhile, the Bond Thoroughbreds team are relishing seeing Maranoa Charlie run on home soil at York after their recent purchase just failed to make all in the Group One feature.

Christopher Head won the Prix Djebel with Maranoa Charlie
Christopher Head trains Maranoa Charlie (Andrew Matthews/PA)

“It’s a great run to be second in a Group One, amazing. It was obviously a big purchase and it looks like we made the right choice,” Charlie Bond of Bond Thoroughbreds told Sky Sports Racing.

“It’s our first horse in France and the last time we were here Move In Time won the Prix de l’Abbaye (in 2014), so we like coming to France.

“Christopher trains him and we’ll follow his guidance. I think he comes home to York for the City of York Stakes and we always said that this was a good stepping stone to that race, but if Christopher decides something else, we will follow his guidance, it’s down to him, we don’t like to interfere.”

O’Brien was delighted to see The Lion In Winter bounce back to form.

He said: “The horse ran very well, we’re very happy. The Lion In Winter has a lot of speed. Now, we have two options, the Sussex Stakes or here in Deauville for the mile (Jaques le Marois).

Nina Baltromei creates history on Hochkonig in German Derby

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There were jubilant scenes in Hamburg as Nina Baltromei aboard Hochkonig thwarted Karl Burke’s Convergent in a photo finish, becoming the first woman to win the German Derby in the process.

Convergent, having his first run since finishing third to dual Derby winner Lambourn and Lazy Griff at Chester, went for home early under Clifford Lee and looked well placed to go on to claim glory in the 156th running of the race.

But Baltromei, who was champion German amateur in 2024, had other ideas and came out of the pack, timing her run to perfection to get up to win by a nose.

Connections then had an anxious wait before the Yasmin Almenrader-trained colt was declared the winner following a photo finish.

Burke was attempting to add the German Derby to the 1000 Guineas he won last year for the same owners, Newtown Anner Stud Farm, with Darnation.

Baltromei told www.galopponline.de: “I hadn’t even realised I’d won. It was just incredible how everyone supported me here.”

Almenrader said: “I’m at a loss for words. I’m overwhelmed by everything. By the horse and by the rider. She handled it so incredibly intelligently again. It takes something to win a race like that.”

Luther handed more international targets

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Luther is poised to pick up plenty more air miles following his valiant effort in the Belmont Derby at Saratoga.

The Charlie Fellowes- trained three-year-old missed the break but rallied gamely in the hands of Kieran Shoemark to finish third, a length and a quarter adrift of winner Test Score.

Fellowes has plenty of options stateside for the son of Frankel before more globetrotting awaits with a trip to Sydney for the Golden Eagle at Rosehill.

He told Racing TV’s Luck On Sunday: “He ran really well. It didn’t quite go to plan, he was very slow out of the gates and we sat much further back than we intended to sit.

“He showed a really, really wicked turn of foot coming around the bend and then I just felt his run petered out through the last three-quarters of a furlong. My gut feeling is that he probably just doesn’t stay that nine furlongs and that really he’s a miler.

“There’s the Saratoga Derby back over course and distance in a month’s time but that’s over nine furlongs and I think that trip stretches him.

“There’s the Hall of Fame which is the day before which is the Grade Two which is worth $400,000 over a mile which is interesting.

“Then there’s the a race down at Colonial Downs about a week later called the Secretariat. It used to be a Grade One and now’s a Grade Two but it’s worth $500,000 so that’s a possibility.

“He’ll have one more run in America and then come back here. He loves quick ground so we’ll give him a freshen up and then end up somewhere like a Golden Eagle (in Australia).”

Fellowes has decided to swerve the Falmouth Stakes this week with Shes Perfect after a tough summer in France.

She was narrowly beaten by Zarigana in the Prix de la Grotte and then thought she had gained revenge in the French 1,000 Guineas only to lose the race in the stewards’ room.

She then stepped up in trip for the Prix de Diane but was a well beaten ninth after failing to see out the trip.

But the Newmarket handler has plenty of options for the daughter of Sioux Nation.

He said: “She’ll have a little freshen up, just to give her a bit of time before her next race and then a big autumn. I think we’ll probably go to the Valiant (at Ascot) or the Oak Tree at Goodwood, drop back to a mile or seven furlongs.

“And then you’ve got things like the Matron, the Sun Chariot or the race I really like for her is ironically the Foret which seemed like a really good plan until I heard Francis Graffard say they’re aiming Zarigana at it!”

Midak on a short break following Derby exertions

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Connections will seek to get Midak back on track later in the summer, where he could join a host of British raiders in Deauville for the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano.

Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, the Aga Khan Studs-owned three-year-old created a taking impression when going unbeaten in his first three starts, earning an ambitious shot at the Derby at Epsom last month.

A poignant runner on the Downs in a race named in honour of the late Aga Khan IV, he was sent off at 9-1 before weakening in the closing stages and connections are now minded to miss next weekend’s Grand Prix de Paris to provide more time to recover from his Classic exertions.

“Physically he took his race fine at Epsom, but mentally he was quite fragile afterwards and it went to his head slightly,” explained Nemone Routh, racing manager for the Aga Khan Studs in France.

“There was thought in Francis’ head that he could run in the Grand Prix de Paris after Epsom but we just felt mentally he wasn’t going to be up to doing that on the back of the Derby. We’ve just had to back off him a bit as he’s a very big horse.

“It was quite a big ask of him to go to the Derby after only three starts and he took it quite well on the day but afterwards it has taken its toll on him a little bit.”

Both George Scott and Charlie Appleby have mooted the Group Two Prix Guillaume d’Ornano on August 16 for Bay City Roller and 2000 Guineas hero Ruling Court respectively and Midak could form a strong home defence in a race won last year by William Haggas’ Economics.

ParisLongchamp’s Prix du Prince d’Orange on September 14 – won last year by John and Thady Gosden’s Ombudsman – is another possibility, as the Aga Khan team look to a drop to 10 furlongs after trying a mile and a half at Epsom.

“There’s the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano for him at Deauville or if he needs a little bit more time there’s a couple of options in September like the Prix du Prince d’Orange, but the horse will guide us,” continued Routh.

“I don’t think we would go straight back to a mile and a half with him. In the Derby he travelled very well and was in the right position looking like he was going to run a huge race and then didn’t really quicken and the ground was probably a bit slow for him that day.

“Did he really get home, we’re not quite sure, so I think we’ll stick to a mile and a quarter race in France when the horse is ready.”

Racing Bulletin for 06/07/2025

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Sandown Eyecatcher She’s Quality can end frustrating run

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She’s Quality can surely bag herself a major sprint prize before the season is out judged on yet another excellent effort in defeat at Sandown.

Runner-up in the Palace House at Newmarket and the Temple Stakes at Haydock on her previous two starts for Jack Davison, the four-year-old adopted even more forceful tactics in Sandown’s Coral Charge, showing blistering speed for much of the five-furlong contest.

In the end she was mowed down late by Rumstar and had to make do with the silver medal once more, but if she can get loose on the lead again, perhaps on a less demanding track like Goodwood or York later this summer, she could take some pegging back.

Gosden not disheartened after narrow defeat for Ombudsman

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John Gosden was proud of Ombudsman in defeat after the Prince of Wales’s Stakes winner was narrowly denied in a “messy” renewal of the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.

The four-year-old was a 6-4 favourite to double his Group One tally following his brilliant display at Royal Ascot last month, but after battling his way to the front inside the final furlong, he was unable to resist the late surge of Delacroix and an inspired Ryan Moore.

“I said beforehand it could be a messy race and I think I was correct,” said Gosden, who trains in partnership with his son Thady.

“We thought Delacroix would go forward and the French horse (Sosie) would sit handy and then of course it was all the other way round, but that happens in small fields.

“It didn’t turn out the way we thought, he was trapped rather wide and has got close to the pace and Delacroix has run us down late.

“It was one of those races you can get with a small field, but full marks to the winner. He has gone and outstayed the lot of them and in the end it was down to stamina.

“Our horse has still run a great race, 17 days (since Ascot) is not ideal, let’s be honest.”

Ombudsman was a neck behind Delacroix at the line, with another Godolphin runner – Charlie Appleby’s 2000 Guineas hero Ruling Court – just under two lengths further away in third.

Ruling Court has had a busy time of things, having finished third in the St James’s Palace Stakes since his Classic triumph at Newmarket, and Appleby was pleased with his performance on what was his first attempt at a mile and a quarter.

“There’s a lot more positives to take out of it than the negative of being beaten,” said the Moulton Paddocks handler.

“None of us expected the race to be run like that, full credit to the winner. But from our own point of view we take a lot of positives.

“He was relaxed in the preliminaries and our plan was not to be in that position, but with the pace there was on in the first couple of furlongs, Oisin (Murphy) had no choice – he had to stay there.

“I’m just delighted with the horse and at the end of the day he’s done very little wrong. He’s not been out of the first three in his career.

“He’ll go to Deauville now for the mile-and-a-quarter race Economics won last year (Prix Guillaume d’Ornano). That was our plan after this and hopefully next year we’re going to be working back from the Prince of Wales’s.”

Daytona races to Smullen success at Naas

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Daytona overcame his evident inexperience to run out an impressive winner of the inaugural Irish EBF Pat Smullen Stakes at Naas.

A comfortable Gowran winner on his racecourse debut last month, Daytona was sent off the 4-5 favourite for trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Wayne Lordan, with the result never really looking in doubt.

Daytona initially looked a little green when given the signal to go on by Lordan, but he was too good for North Shore, pulling three and a quarter lengths clear with the minimum of fuss, earning a 20-1 quote from Paddy Power for next year’s 2000 Guineas.

Stable representative Chris Armstrong said: “Jack (Cleary) gave him a lovely introduction in Gowran where for a first timer and he was impressive. He’s come along lovely at home since then, but he’s still fairly raw.

“They went along at a nice pace and he travelled into it really strong, but when he got there he was still very babyish.

“He has the makings of a lovely horse and next year you could see him over a mile and a quarter.

“He could be one for something like the Futurity or Golden Fleece. He’s a horse to look forward to. He’ll develop physically, he’s a fine big imposing horse and he’s by that sire Wootton Bassett.”

This mile race is part of the new ‘Smullen Series’ which consists of 18 middle-distance races for two and three-year-olds and honours the late Irish champion jockey who enjoyed Derby glory with Harzand.

Smullen was O’Brien’s brother-in-law and Armstrong added: “It’s a lovely new series that they’ve introduced and all these new series initiatives help the programme.

“It’s named after a legend and Aidan picked this race out straight after Gowran for him. He’s delighted to win the first running of it and hopefully we can win a few more of them.”

Keane anticipating whip suspension for Sandown ride

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Colin Keane is stoical about the penalty he looks set to receive for seemingly contravening the whip rules at Sandown on Friday as he adjusts to the differing rules in Britain.

The Irishman was riding Windlord in the Listed Gala Stakes for his chief employers Juddmonte when he appeared to give the horse eight strikes when battling for a narrow victory – a figure that would have been permissible in Ireland.

Six is the limit in British Flat racing, so his case will go to the British Horseracing Authority’s whip review committee next week, with the breach carrying a possible 14-day suspension.

Depending on if and when that is imposed, Keane may miss the opportunity to partner Field Of Gold in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

“I’d imagine (I will be suspended) but it’s my own fault,” he said.

“I’m so used to eight (strikes) as it is at home, I just have to abide by the rules here.

“That’s the only way I can put it, I know six is the amount over here but when I was in a ding-dong battle, I suppose it just went out of my head unfortunately.

“It’s unfortunate but it’s my own fault.”

Blue Bolt strikes in Distaff heat

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Blue Bolt continued her progression with a third straight victory in the Coral Distaff at Sandown.

Beaten into fifth place as an odds-on favourite for her racecourse debut at Southwell in April, Andrew Balding’s filly has not looked back since, bolting up at Windsor in May before following up with a comfortable success at Newbury in June.

She was a 2-1 favourite to complete her hat-trick at Listed level in Esher and having grabbed the lead from an early stage under Colin Keane, the daughter of Blue Point found plenty for pressure in the straight to score by a length from Cajole.

“When I saw the draw we had (stall three), I knew there was no point in taking her back,” said Keane.

“I’m still getting the hang of the place, for a stiff track it’s hard to come from too far back off the pace. When the ground is like that, being on the pace helps and being on a nice filly is an even bigger help.

“It’s such a stiff track, when you turn in on the straight you’re climbing the whole way and I suppose horses struggle to make up ground on it.”

Richard Hannon’s Dubawi gelding Classic came good in the one-mile Coral Challenge.

The five-year-old has often looked better than his bare form, and a switch to front-running tactics under Sean Levey unlocked that potential as he claimed success by a length and a quarter at 6-1.

“I was sick of seeing him be unlucky, looking like he has all the ability in the world, we know that,” said Hannon.

“Today he looked like he was never going to get beaten. Jack (Hannon’s son) said to me a furlong from home ‘is Sean OK, he looks like he’s injured or something, he’s not trying’. He was trying!

“This horse has had a lot of near-misses and he’s an extremely talented horse who is by a stallion (Dubawi) where anything is possible.

“He could well turn out to be a Group horse and could come back to seven furlongs no problem – he’s got loads of speed and loads of ability.”

Mudbir came to the fore for John and Thady Gosden in the Coral Celebrating 50 Year Eclipse Sponsorship Handicap, prevailing by half a length under Jim Crowley having started at 9-2.

The Kingman colt is owned and was bred by Shadwell and is a half-brother to their multiple Group One winners Mostahdaf and Nazeef.

A gelding operation looks to be key to Yahber after his smart win in the Coral “Pipped-At-The-Post” And Win Handicap.

Trained by William Haggas and ridden by Tom Marquand, the three-year-old son of Sea The Stars was the 9-4 favourite after showing signs of promise when second at Redcar last time.

He duly delivered over the 10-furlong trip, triumphing by a neck for owner Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum.

“I’m really happy with him, he’s been gelded and to be honest it’s probably going to be the making of his future,” said Marquand.

“William and his team decided to do it and it’s been the making of some really fun horses we’ve had like Addeybb.

“This guy is obviously plenty talented and it seems to have done the trick, hopefully it will set him on the right trajectory now.”

The concluding Coral Golden Rewards Shaker Handicap then went the way of Flying Frontier, an 8-1 chance under Rossa Ryan who rallied late to claim a narrow victory on the line.

Delacroix denies Ombudsman in Eclipse thriller

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Delacroix came from last to first under a vintage Ryan Moore ride to provide Aidan O’Brien with his ninth victory in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.

A quality field of six runners went to post for a Group One contest that traditionally gives the Classic generation a first chance to meet their elders and this year’s renewal was no exception, with four three-year-olds taking on two top-class older horses in Ombudsman and Sosie.

Ombudsman was the 6-4 favourite to supplement his brilliant success in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and quickened up to lead inside the final furlong – but having looked to be struggling at the rear of the field early in the straight, Derby disappointment Delacroix (3-1) came with a wet sail under a power-packed Moore drive to get up by a neck.

“It wasn’t the first or the second or the third plan! He began OK, but nobody really wanted to make the running and there was three of us in a line,” Moore told ITV Racing.

“Me and William (Buick, on Ombudsman) wanted the same position and I had to give way. He was on an older, bigger horse so I thought we’d wait and go around.

“They got first run on me and he’s obviously a very good horse with a good turn of foot. He quickened up really well.

“I think 10 furlongs is fine and if anything he could probably run over shorter. He’s a horse we’ve always held in high regard and he was the only horse in this race that hadn’t won a Group One, but he’d threatened to and he’s obviously out of a great racemare (Tepin) and by Dubawi.”

Delacroix returns to the winner's enclosure
Delacroix returns to the winner’s enclosure (Molly Hunter/PA)

O’Brien said: “Incredible, I thought Ryan was going to make the running on him. Obviously you don’t tell Ryan what to do, but you listen to what he’s saying, so when I saw it all changing I didn’t know what would happen or what to make of it.

“He ended up where he did and it just kept ringing in my mind that during the week Ryan said to me ‘Aidan, I think this horse is a miler’, and I always thought he was a mile-and-a-quarter horse.

“As the race went on that was what was ringing in my head, is he a miler or is he a mile-and-a-quarter horse, but obviously Ryan stuck to his judgement because he kept calm and had one go.

“What he did in the last two furlongs looked very different. It was a very good race, the second horse is a very good horse and when you get a four-year-old rated as high as that, you need a three-year-old that’s a bit different to beat them.

“Ryan said he changed plans four times in the race today. He found himself where he was but he was calm and collected and clinical.”

Paddy Power cut Delacroix’s odds for the Juddmonte International at York to 5-1 from 16-1, with Ombudsman a 4-1 shot and Field Of Gold the 5-4 favourite.

While plans for Delacroix remain up in the air, he looks set to either stick to a mile and a quarter or even drop back in trip.

“He’s hardy so you shouldn’t be afraid to race him, but the lads (owners) will decide what they want to do,” O’Brien added.

“They stacked them up in front today and he came with a deadly run, it was incredible what he did – mind-blowing.

“I don’t think going back to a mile would worry him, but if they decide to keep him at a mile and a quarter I would be delighted.

“When you can relax like that and quicken like that over a mile and a quarter, it’s very potent and a brilliant thing to have up your sleeve.”

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