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

Facteur Cheval to swerve Sussex Stakes at Goodwood

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There will be no visit to the Qatar Goodwood Festival for Facteur Cheval this year, with immediate plans on hold as he recovers from his Royal Ascot exertions.

Jerome Reynier’s six-year-old has contested the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood for the past two years, taking the runner-up spot behind Paddington in 2023 before finishing third to Notable Speech 12 months ago.

Facteur Cheval’s name is among the entries for this year’s race once again, but a third visit to the Sussex Downs has been ruled out by connections, who are prepared to bide their time after learning little from their Prince of Wales’s Stakes experiment up in distance at the Royal meeting.

Barry Irwin, CEO of Team Valor International, who own the horse in partnership with Gary Barber, said: “We had planned to run him in Germany, but the race and trip at Ascot took too much out of him and we’re going to have wait a while and figure out what we do next with him.

“I don’t think he will be coming back in the next month or so, and I think it could take a couple of months to find the right race.

“Also where he is trained near Marseille, they have had a real heatwave there so it’s been really hard for Jerome to train those horses and we’ve got three horses there who are kind of in limbo right now.”

Irwin added: “We’ll have to just wait for something in the fall, we haven’t given up the idea of running 10 furlongs but that last race just didn’t work out well for him at all, we didn’t learn much.

“We’ll take it race by race and then head back to the Middle East again over the winter as he does enjoy it there.”

Billy Lee’s Irish champion jockey hopes hit by broken collarbone

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Billy Lee’s hopes of being crowned Ireland’s champion jockey for the first time have been dealt a blow after he broke his collarbone when brought down at Limerick on Saturday.

Lee was riding Heishybrid for Noel Meade in the Private Suites At Limerick Racecourse Handicap when Woodhsaw Whisper fell, bringing him down. Woodshaw Whisper’s rider, apprentice Nicola Burns, suffered a broken nose.

Lee is currently just three behind Colin Keane in the race for the title and with Keane now required in England and France in his role as Juddmonte’s retained rider, an opportunity had opened up.

Now, however, he faces up to four weeks on the sidelines and a race to be fit to get back to race Paddy Twomey’s St Leger hope Carmers in the Great Voltigeur at York on August 20. Carmers was one of two Royal Ascot winners for Lee last month, having also scored on Henry de Bromhead’s Ascending.

“Billy has broken his collarbone, but it is a clean break and hopefully he could be back in about four weeks,” said his agent Kevin O’Ryan.

“He’s in good spirits and is looking on the bright side. Typical of Billy he said ‘it could be a lot worse’.”

Racing Bulletin for 14/07/2025

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Jean-Claude Rouget back in the big time courtesy of Leffard

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Jean-Claude Rouget returned to the Group One winner’s enclosure as Leffard got up to deny Trinity College in a pulsating finish to the Cygagames Grand Prix de Paris at ParisLongchamp.

The dual Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe-winning trainer – who has had health battles and seen his string much reduced over the last year – was clearly emotional after Cristian Demuro put Leffard’s head down right on the line to edge out Aidan O’Brien’s Trinity College.

Ryan Moore and Trinity College had tracked Frankly Good Cen before switching out and showing a smart turn of foot, one that looked like it would seal matters. That was not counting for Leffard, however, and he too picked up in great style when asked to leave the pair battling out.

After the shortest of waits, Leffard – who holds an Arc entry – was announced the winner, putting a below-par effort in the Prix du Jockey Club – in which Trinity College had been fourth before winning at Royal Ascot – behind him and fully justifying the decision to supplement for the Paris showpiece.

Rouget told Sky Sports Racing: “It was fantastic when I saw the horse coming. I was very confident there was not a big difference between the two (Leffard and Trinity College).

“I knew he was very good, but I had to find a new confidence in him (after the Prix du Jockey-Club). He was so well this week and the field was not tremendous I decided to supplement him. When I saw six runners, it was possible to be third and we did better.

“I think yes (he is an Arc horse), because when I bought him I was sure I bought a good horse.

“It’s a big fairytale, life continues and we do other things.”

Rouget said the Prix Niel would be the Arc prep race for his winner, and added: “This is a great moment for my team in Pau. It’s hard to sum it all up in a few words. Their support is what kept me going. Without them, I would have quit.

Leffard powers up alongside Trinity College to win the Grand Prix de Paris
Leffard powers up alongside Trinity College to win the Grand Prix de Paris (Scoopdyga)

“My assistant, Jean-Rene Dubosc, did a remarkable job. He took two weeks off and will be returning from vacation a happy man!”

Demuro said: “It’s incredible for Jean-Claude Rouget. He made the trip here and I’m so happy for him.

“It’s amazing that he’s back and winning a Group race. He’s a father figure to me. Leffard is a superb horse, and I had a great trip – he’s really top class.”

Of Trinity College, who was trying 12 furlongs for the first time, O’Brien said: “He ran a very good race. I don’t think there’s much more to say. The distance wasn’t an issue.”

In third was New Ground, who was fourth in the Derby at Epsom but did not help his chance here in pulling far too hard for Colin Keane.

His trainer Henri-François Devin said: “He was very sharp throughout the race. He’s a somewhat tricky horse. The pace was too slow for him — below what he needs. Even so, he finished very well, which is impressive for a horse that pulled so much.

“For now, we’ll shorten him up. Once he settles down more, we might revisit longer distances.”

Rock Of Cashel gets his head in front for Navan victory

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Rock Of Cashel relished the drop in grade to get back to winning ways in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Race at Navan.

Aidan O’Brien’s three-year-old had been highly tried since winning a Galway maiden last season, running in the National Stakes and the Dewhurst last autumn.

This term he has been campaigned in Group and Listed company before trying his hand in a handicap to no avail at Royal Ascot.

Against just three runners in this conditions race, however, he took command early in the straight under Wayne Lordan to down Johnny Murtagh’s 1-4 favourite Nautical Force by two lengths at 3-1.

O’Brien’s stable representative Chris Armstrong said: “The way the race worked out, it was a lovely race for him.

“In fairness to him, he has been dropped in the deep end from word go this year. He ran with credit behind Henri Matisse and Delacroix and was beaten five to six lengths behind proper Group One horses.

“Obviously, Johnny’s horse brought a high level of form here. Wayne gave him a lovely ride and the race worked out for him beautifully.

“He’s a horse we thought of as a stakes horse after Galway last year as a two-year-old, so hopefully this will do his confidence good and we will bring him back up to a stakes race over a mile and a-quarter and see how he goes.”

Murtagh had already been on the mark with newcomer Zuheila (5-2) in the Ardboyne Hotel Maiden.

Ben Coen nursed the Aga Khan Studs-owned three-year-old into the closing stages before getting down to business to beat Ger Lyons’ Washington Street by half a length.

Coen said: “She’s a nice, big filly and bred to have a bit of speed. She has been doing things nice at home.

“You can see why she hasn’t got to the track until now, she’s a big girl but she did that nicely. She had a good look when she hit the front, but hopefully she can stay improving.

“She was (doing all her best work late) – she was green running down the hill and, when I hit the rising ground, she came good.”

Inisherin fine after Newmarket frustration

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Kevin Ryan has given Inisherin a clean bill of health after his star performer was a late absentee in Saturday’s Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup.

Owned by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, the four-year-old was 17-2 to register a second Group One success in the Newmarket feature before being withdrawn at the start on veterinary advice, with the Yorkshire-based handler appearing frustrated in the aftermath.

However, Ryan reported last year’s Commonwealth Cup hero to be 100 per cent and is now looking ahead to the future – which could include a trip to Deauville for the Prix Maurice de Gheest or a move up to seven furlongs for York’s newly upgraded Group One City of York Stakes on August 23.

“Inisherin is fine, he’s perfect,” said Ryan.

“He spread a plate and they withdrew him, but it’s past tense and gone now.

“He’s in the Group One at York and he’s also got the option of the Prix Maurice de Gheest, but I’ll discuss what we do with Sheikh Mohammed Obaid nearer the time.”

A trip to France on August 10 would represent Inisherin’s first outing on foreign soil, while he is as short as 8-1 with Paddy Power for success closer to his handler’s Hambleton home and at a track he made a winning reappearance over a shorter distance earlier in the season.

Another try at the Nunthorpe on the cards for Washington Heights

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A second crack at the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes could be in store for Washington Heights after returning to winning ways at York in the City Walls Stakes.

Kevin Ryan’s five-year-old may have been winning for the first time on the Knavesmire when scooping Listed honours, but has rarely performed badly at the venue.

After a solid display in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot, Washington Heights registered a first win since April 2024 when obliging favourite-backers on Saturday to book a return to York and the chance to better last year’s sixth-placed finish in the Ebor Festival’s feature Group One sprint.

“I think he’s very likely to head straight to the Nunthorpe, kept fresh and get him there in one piece,” said Cosmo Charlton, racing manager for owners Hambleton Racing

“He goes well at York, and as well as winning there he was second in the big sales race as a two-year-old and also ran well in the Nunthorpe from the wrong side of the track last year behind some good horses.

“I think he’s definitely capable of winning a big one if things drop right for him, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed.

“He’s been a great servant to us and won some good races and also run brilliantly in defeat many times as well. He’s a horse who leaves everything on the track and tried really hard which is what you want and he’s been a great horse for the syndicate .

“He had been running well all season and it was great to see him win, we’re delighted with him really.”

Palmer can consider nice options for promising Laureate Crown

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Hugo Palmer’s Laureate Crown could be set for bigger things after a regal performance on debut at Ascot.

The Fitri Hay-owned son of Victor Ludorum made smooth progress under a typically patient Jamie Spencer ride to register a taking opening victory in what looked a useful novice event.

Connections are now eyeing a step into stakes company, with Goodwood’s Coral Vintage Stakes (July 29) that Palmer won with his Classic hero Galileo Gold in 2015 a possible option alongside a move up to a mile for Salisbury’s Stonehenge Stakes on August 13.

Palmer said: “He was only just ready to start so overcame greenness and I particularly thought Jamie Spencer’s default position suits a horse like that so nicely because the horse was allowed time to find his feet and relax into the race.

“He wasn’t put under any pressure and if it happened it happened and if it didn’t there would be another day, so I was delighted to see it all come together. The Vintage has to now come into consideration, (but) he’s quite a big horse, so I don’t know if Goodwood is necessarily the perfect spot for him and he might also be ready for a mile relatively soon.

“The Stonehenge at Salisbury might be more suitable, but we’ll just have to see.

“You would hope he is up to running in stakes company and being such a big horse I hope there’s much more to come from him.”

Seagulls Eleven has regained his consistency
Seagulls Eleven has regained his consistency (David Davies for The Jockey Club/PA)

Although Laureate Crown’s Qatar Goodwood Festival participation is still to be decided, one who will be in action on the Sussex Downs is his stablemate Seagulls Eleven.

Owned by the Two Plus Three Two Plus Four syndicate which includes Premier League footballers James Milner and Danny Welbeck, the three-year-old chased home Charlie Appleby’s Opera Bello in the Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket last week.

That second-place effort follows a respectable run in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot, with the Manor House handler now pointing his charge towards the Group Three Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood (August 1).

“He seems to be back on track and he just met a good one on Thursday, I think, but I was delighted with the way he ran,” continued Palmer.

“I would have thought the Thoroughbred Stakes would be an obvious spot for him.”

Goodwood assignment pencilled in for Scenic

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Scenic will head to the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes at Goodwood after pushing Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe contender Estrange all the way at Haydock.

Ed Walker’s five-year-old was beaten only a neck by David O’Meara’s stable star when having her first outing for new owners Wathnan Racing in the Group Two Lancashire Oaks, with her handler hailing her consistency.

The duo could clash again in the Yorkshire equivalent on the Knavesmire next month, but first Scenic will head to the Sussex Downs on August 2, as she embarks on what could be the final stages of her career.

“I was thrilled with her and very proud of her, it was a huge run in new ownership,” said Walker.

“She heads to the Lillie Langtry now. I was devastated she was beaten, but Richard Brown (Wathnan’s racing adviser) was delighted as it means she won’t have a penalty at Goodwood.

“She’s a real star and a yard favourite. She’s helped fly the flag for us for a few years and has been seriously consistent since winning the Galtres Stakes at York, it was almost like that was a turning point in her career. I don’t know why, but since then has barely put a foot wrong and if anything is improving.

“I’m excited about her and the three races for her really are the Lillie Langtry, Yorkshire Oaks and Prix de Royallieu. I imagine they will be the last three runs of her career, she’s a star.”

Hughes eyeing York return for thriving Sayidah Dariyan

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Fresh from training his first Group One winner with No Half Measures in the July Cup, Richard Hughes feels he has another contender for top honours in Sayidah Dariyan.

A Group Three winner at York on Friday on the back of a creditable run at Royal Ascot in the Commonwealth Cup, the filly could return to the Knavesmire for a crack at the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes next month.

“I thought her run at Ascot was huge and to be honest I’d have been really disappointed had she got beat at York,” Hughes told Racing TV’s Luck on Sunday programme.

“I had a good chat with Billy (Loughnane) about how to get the best out of the filly, which was to ride her the way he did, and it was a very brave ride, I was very proud of him.

“I told him about riding in these big races, don’t worry if you get beat and I’d rather you come too late than too soon, but she really showed how good she was and she’s a very high-class filly.

“She could win the July Cup next year. We’ll have a chat with Jaber (Abdullah, owner) and see what he wants to do as he’s a big breeder as well.

“We might think about the Nunthorpe as the way she travelled the other day I don’t think five furlongs will make much difference to her.

“If I have to wait until September and the ground goes on me there isn’t much left because Ascot will be soft. If I need a shot at a Group One I probably need fast ground.”

Bin Suroor is Alert to German chance for Tornado

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Tornado Alert has an eye on a German foray as he is pencilled in for the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis at Munich.

The Saeed bin Suroor-trained colt finished fourth in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket before coming home a creditable sixth in the Derby.

He then headed to Ascot to contest the Group Three Hampton Court Stakes, where he dropped back to 10 furlongs to finish runner-up behind Aidan O’Brien’s Trinity College.

His next port of call is the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis, known also as the Bayerisches Zuchtrennen, a Group One event run over a mile and a quarter and a race Bin Suroor has enjoyed success in before as Kutub won it in 2001 and Benbatl prevailed in 2018.

“He is doing very well, he worked on Tuesday,” the trainer said of Tornado Alert.

“The plan is to run him in Germany at the end of the month.

“The race is on the 27th at Munich, the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis.

“It’s over a mile and a quarter, which is his trip. He’s been in really good form.”

Racing Bulletin for 13/07/2025

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Notable Speech handed York target after July Cup eclipse

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Charlie Appleby may seek a happy medium with Notable Speech after his experimental sprint run in the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup Stakes ended in defeat.

Last season’s 2000 Guineas winner has got his head in front only once since that Classic success and has seemed to be faltering towards the end of his one-mile assignments this season.

He was therefore scaled back to six furlongs to see if that would trigger a return to form and though the distance posed an unknown, he was still well fancied as the 85-40 favourite under William Buick.

The Group One contest was not to be the scene of his comeback, however, and he ultimately finished fifth to leave his trainer pondering a stab at seven furlongs next.

He said: “Will genuinely sounded disappointed, he said he’d thought he’d done everything right and then at the business end he just didn’t finish.

“We’ve been seeing the same thing at a mile so maybe we’ve got a look a bit harder at him, I don’t know.

“It was always going to be hard to jump to make an assessment after his first time sprinting at this level.

“I see no reason not to meet halfway at seven (furlongs) and go to York, which was always our plan.

“If the horse comes out of it well, and I see no reason why he won’t, we’ll head to the City of York Stakes.”

Of stablemate Symbol Of Honour, who was eighth under Oisin Murphy, he added: “Symbol Of Honour really doesn’t like the Rowley Mile, we’re nowhere near the Rowley Mile but he still wasn’t handling the track.

“Oisin still said to me that he’s a Group One sprinter in the making so he’ll carry on sprinting, he’ll go to Haydock or somewhere like that. A slick track will suit him perfectly.”

Connections of the Mick Appleby-trained runner-up Big Mojo were thrilled with their colt’s effort and are planning a step back to five furlongs for the remainder of the campaign.

“I’m absolutely delighted with him. We’ve tried him over six this year, we’ve been brave,” said owner Paul Teasdale.

“Today was always going to be a tough ask but he did fantastically well. I’m really proud of him, I thought he’d just about got it but not quite, I’m still delighted.

“The King George, the Nunthorpe, the Flying Five – we’re in all of them so we’ve got some options.

“He travels so well, he can withstand the pace and he’s got a great finish in him.

“He won the Molecomb last year, he’d be delighted to go back to Goodwood.

“He’s really maturing into a top-class horse.”

Aidan O’Brien’s Whistlejacket, who was well supported in the lead up to the race, finished 12th at odds of 13-2 and may be due an easy few weeks after he was out of luck at Royal Ascot too.

The trainer said: “It was a good, strong pace and he got back a little bit. We’ll see where we’ll go, we might give him a little break and freshen him up for the autumn.

“It didn’t work the last day and it didn’t work today, so that’s what we might do. A little break and we might have him back for Haydock or something like that.”

Newmarket Eyecatcher Wild Desert can gain Superlative compensation

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Wild Desert may have had to make do with minor honours behind his stablemate in Newmarket’s Superlative Stakes, but he left the distinct impression that he will be winning big races in due course.

A runaway winner on his Haydock debut in May, the son of Too Darn Hot was then narrowly beaten at long odds-on on the July course last month and jockey bookings suggested he was the second string stepping up to Group Two level over the same track and trip.

Interestingly, he went off a shorter price than the winner Saba Desert and he would almost certainly have made more of a race of it but for suffering interference when delivering his challenge and he passed the post in third. Compensation may await in a race like the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood.

Fox Legacy too smart in John Smith’s Cup

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Fox Legacy struck in good style at York to take the valuable John Smith’s Cup Handicap.

The four-year-old, who is owned by King Power Racing and trained by Andrew Balding, was not far from the action when last seen in the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot and was a 10-1 chance under PJ McDonald.

Always prominent when racing from stall 19, the bay progressed nicely through the race and was comfortably able to pull clear when asked in the final furlong to prevail by a length.

“It’s a testament to the horse that from that draw I was able to get a position and then take him back and relax where I was,” McDonald told ITV Racing.

“The only thing I had to do was to make sure not to go too soon, he travelled around beautifully for me and he gave me a great spin.

“I was still going nicely into the two (furlong pole). I thought if I let him stretch out and take it (the lead) they’d have to come and get me. Andrew’s horses are absolutely flying.”

Al Qareem showed there a few more reliable horses in training when seeing off all challengers to claim the John Smith’s Silver Cup Stakes.

Karl Burke and Nick Bradley Racing’s seasoned six-year-old won a Listed contest over the same course and distance last time out and was well backed as the 4-7 favourite under Clifford Lee.

He took up the lead at an early stage and was never passed, shrugging off every horse that attempted to challenge him in the home straight to claim victory by a dominant two and a half lengths.

“He always seems to look as though they’re going to get him but he just grinds it out, he’s so honest and a superstar of a horse to train,” said Burke.

“I’d say the weight will rule him out of the Ebor, presumably he’d get a penalty as well.

“It’s always been the target, the Irish St Leger, I think it’d be a nice race for him to roll the dice in.”

Washington Heights claimed a well-deserved success in the John Smith’s City Walls Stakes at York, justifying his status as the 9-4 favourite.

Trained by Kevin Ryan and ridden by Shane Gray, the five-year-old has run with real credit in a range of Group sprints and was most recently seen finishing a close-up seventh in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot.

On the Knavesmire he tackled the same five-furlong trip but was dropped down to Listed level, taking on seven rivals and proving the best of them with a smart three-quarter-length victory.

“He’s a great horse for a syndicate like this, he takes them to all the right meetings and as you can see today, they support him well,” said Adam Ryan, assistant to his father.

“It’s great for him to get his head in front. The thing with him is he’s as tough as bell metal, I thought they were going to get to him a furlong down but it was going to take a brave horse to get past him.

“Thankfully he dug deep, which he always does.”

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