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

Ellison hopeful of bold Plate defence from Onesmoothoperator, despite weighty burden

/in /by

Onesmoothoperator will have to defy a welter burden if he is to repeat his victory of last year in the JenningsBet Northumberland Plate at Newcastle.

However, his trainer Brian Ellison believes he has shown improved form in the intervening 12 months that proves he is now a better horse, despite being seven.

Since fulfilling Ellison’s childhood dream in winning the ‘Pitmen’s Derby’, the north-east native has seen his stable star win the Geelong Cup and be beaten just over five lengths in the Melbourne Cup, as well as run with credit in Dubai.

“He’s in good form and he’s obviously been trained for the race again,” said Ellison.

“He’s got more weight this year (12lb), but we’re very happy with him.

“The races in Dubai didn’t suit him as there’s no pace, but he ran great in Australia and I think he’s a better horse now.

“He wasn’t beaten too far by Kalpana at Kempton before Australia and he was close enough to Dubai Future in Dubai, who was third in the Gold Cup last week.

“He’s been away to Southwell a couple of weeks ago after we’d freshened him up and Connor Beasley will ride him again.”

Only George Scott’s Prydwen (9st 12lb) is above Onesmoothoperator (9st 10lb) in the weights after the confirmation stage, for which a record 62 were left in with a maximum field of 20 allowed.

Chester Cup winner East India Dock could turn out quickly having finished sixth in the Ascot Stakes last week, while Willie Mullins has left in both Pappano and Too Bossy For Us.

Andrew Balding’s Who’s Glen, the lightly-raced Golden Rules (Tom Faulkner) – who was second two years ago for Faulkner’s mother, Deborah, but had been off since then until running at Kempton in March – and Sir Mark Prescott’s progressive Godsend are others still in contention.

Delacroix pencilled in to join Camille Pissarro at Sandown

/in /by

Beaten Derby favourite Delacroix has been halved in price by the sponsors for the Coral-Eclipse after Aidan O’Brien indicated he would be joining Camille Pissarro in the Sandown highlight on Saturday week.

Winner of two key Derby trials at Leopardstown prior to Epsom, he failed to land a blow on the big day behind his stablemate Lambourn but has been cut to 10-1 by Coral for the 10-furlong Esher showpiece.

He will now drop back in tip at Sandown and run alongside French Derby winner Camille Pissarro, although the race is likely to come too quickly for another stablemate, Trinity College, who won the King Edward VII Stakes at Ascot last week.

“The Eclipse will probably come a bit quick for Trinity College so we’re probably thinking of letting Delacroix take that slot along with Camille, that’s what we’re thinking,” O’Brien told the Nick Luck Daily podcast.

“Trinity looks like he’s a Group One horse now, but when the others are there the timing means it fits in a little bit better for them.

“Don’t rule out Trinity yet, but I’d imagine it will be the other two instead of him.”

Champions Day seen as an ‘obvious’ target for Docklands

/in /by

Queen Anne winner Docklands will have an Ascot return on his agenda as he looks set to spend the remainder of the season on British soil.

Harry Eustace’s five-year-old is owned by the Australian outfit OTI Racing, and was campaigned internationally over the winter before returning to Newmarket.

His early campaign revolved around Ascot, a track he clearly favours and shone at again with a tough Group One victory over Rosallion.

The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes is therefore the late-season target over the same course and distance, with a European campaign the likely focus in the meantime.

Harry Eustace celebrates after winning the Queen Anne Stakes with Docklands
Harry Eustace celebrates after winning the Queen Anne Stakes with Docklands (David Davies/PA)

“The obvious thing to do would be to work backwards from Champions Day at Ascot, there’s also the Prix Jacques le Marois and the Sussex Stakes,” said Eustace.

“He takes his racing well, he ran 10 days before Ascot at Epsom so I don’t necessarily want or need to space his racing out a lot.

“He put in a huge performance at Ascot, but he’s a five-year-old and if there was ever a year where we can campaign him more aggressively then this is it.

“We were waiting to see how Ascot panned out before we began plotting where’d he go next, but the one thing we know he won’t do is go to Australia.”

Time For Sandals winning the Commonwealth Cup under Richard Kingscote
Time For Sandals winning the Commonwealth Cup under Richard Kingscote (John Walton/PA)

Eustace had two Group One winners across Royal Ascot, the second being Time For Sandals after her 25-1 strike in the Commonwealth Cup.

She has a host of top level sprints on her radar, though connections anticipate next year will be a busier campaign as she started her season this time relatively early.

“She’s great and seems to have come out of it really well,” he said of the filly.

“We hadn’t really thought past Ascot with her because we were pitching her in a Group One and we knew it’d tell us how to campaign her for the rest of season.

“Now she’s a Group One winner, she’s got to run in Group One races so races like the Flying Five, the Nunthorpe and the Haydock Sprint Cup are all obvious targets.

“She was up and running early enough for the Fred Darling so I don’t think we’ll be campaigning her aggressively this year.

“We’ll very much look at the older sprint programme next year, it sort of writes itself.”

Provisional plans outlined for Never So Brave and More Thunder

/in /by

Never So Brave and More Thunder, who encountered contrasting fortunes at Royal Ascot, could both skip the bet365 Bunbury Cup.

The pair are owned by Saeed Suhail, with the Andrew Balding-trained Never So Brave winning the Buckingham Palace Stakes in style, while More Thunder just failed to reel in Get It in the Wokingham for William Haggas.

They are currently 4-1 joint-favourites for the Bunbury Cup with the sponsors, but Philip Robinson, Suhail’s racing manager, indicated both are likely to step out of handicaps.

“It was nice to see Never So Brave win and he’ll probably go to Goodwood for the seven-furlong race, the Lennox,” said Robinson.

“We had to split him and More Thunder up and we very nearly got the double.

“I wouldn’t be at all surprised if More Thunder steps up to seven furlongs next time. He was unfortunate and with one more stride he’d have got there.

“He was running over 10 furlongs last season for Sir Michael (Stoute), so we know he’ll get further. He’d probably get a mile, but I think William is happy to go over seven for the time being.

“His next race, I would think, would be a Group or a Listed race somewhere, he’s very keen to do that if we can.

“We’ve two nice horses for the rest of the season anyway.”

Goodwood set to be next port of call for Merchant

/in /by

Merchant is likely to stick to his own age group and tackle the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes at Goodwood on July 31.

The William Haggas-trained three-year-old continued his progression when quickening up stylishly to win the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot last week, giving owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing a fifth victory in the race.

“To win another King George V was really special. It’s been an amazing race for us,” said Highclere’s Harry Herbert.

“We’ve always loved that type of horse, but they are becoming more difficult to buy. We were over the moon to buy him as a Teofilo with Group One scope – he was so gorgeous William Haggas rang up asking to train him, which he’s never done.

Tom Marquand aboard Merchant after winning the King George V Stakes
Tom Marquand aboard Merchant after winning the King George V Stakes (John Walton/PA)

“He’s still relatively inexperienced, he was sort of dossing on the outside going along very easily with his head not really in full throttle position, but one tap from Tom (Marquand) and he really quickened up impressively.

“He’s a really exciting prospect, I would imagine he will go for the Gordon, that’s the right sort of race, we’ll take it one step at a time. The fact he was even entered in the King George tells you the regard William holds him in, but having spoken to him this morning I think we’ll go a more regular route and probably head to Goodwood.”

Highclere also went close at the big meeting with George Boughey’s Awaken, who was runner-up to Venetian Sun in the Albany Stakes.

“Awaken is a very exciting filly, she’s a scopey filly so everything is a bonus. It’s gone from wondering if she’d get on the track this year to here were are having been second in an Albany,” said Herbert.

“I don’t know where we’ll go. We could just try to get her a win in a maiden or a novice or we may go for another Group race.

“If we do I think something like the Princess Margaret back at Ascot might suit her.”

American great D. Wayne Lukas retires amid health battle

/in /by

Legendary American trainer D. Wayne Lukas has been forced to retire due to ill health.

Lukas, 89, has reportedly turned down an aggressive treatment plan having been suffering from an infection and is due to leave hospital and return home to his family.

His long-serving assistant, Englishman Sebastian “Bas” Nicholl will take over the running of his stable.

“Wayne is one of the greatest competitors and most important figures in Thoroughbred racing history,” said Mike Anderson, president of Churchill Downs said on www.churchilldowns.com.

“He transcended the sport of horse racing and took the industry to new levels. The lasting impact of his character and wisdom – from his acute horsemanship to his unmatched attention to detail – will be truly missed. The enormity of this news is immense, and our prayers are with his family and friends around the world during this difficult time.”

Lukas, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999, has won the Kentucky Derby four times among his 15 Triple Crown race wins and has 20 victories at the Breeders’ Cup, a record matched only by Aidan O’Brien.

Lukas trained his last winner on June 12 at Churchill Downs when Tour Player was successful. His first thoroughbred success came in October 1977.

Nicholl, a former tank commander in the British Army, said: “Wayne built a legacy that will never be matched. Every decision I make, every horse I saddle, I’ll hear his voice in the back of my mind. This isn’t about filling his shoes – no one can – it’s about honouring everything that he’s built.”

Some of Lukas’ best horses included Thunder Gulch, owned by Michael Tabor, Winning Colors and Tabasco Cat.

Racing Bulletin for 23/06/2025

/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.

Wolverhampton

Standard

 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:03 16:35 17:05 17:35
Chepstow

Good to Firm

 14:45 15:15 15:45 16:20 16:55 17:25
Ballinrobe

Good

 17:10 17:40 18:10 18:40 19:15 19:50 20:20
Windsor

Good to Firm

 17:17 17:52 18:25 18:58 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00

Today's Feature of the Day is...

Pace Maps for ALL races

Good luck!


Allonsy takes Listed honours in Pontefract feature

/in /by

Ralph Beckett’s Allonsy got back to winning ways in the Pontefract Castle Fillies’ Stakes.

The Kirsten Rausing-owned and bred filly had won three handicaps in a row last season before finishing second in Listed company at Ascot.

This season she had struggled at Goodwood and York, but she went into this Listed contest as the highest-rated in the field and fought out the finish with Karmology, who brought the second-highest figure.

Hector Crouch on the 7-1 chance ranged up alongside Karl Burke’s mare inside the final furlong and eventually got on top to win by a neck. Beckett’s Meribella was third.

Crouch told Racing TV: “It looked a nice race for her, she’d been pushed in at the deep end in Group Three company so to drop back into Listed class and get her head in front was very important for her owner/breeder.

“She’s extremely hardy. Once we got her figured out in her three-year-old career she did nothing but improve and she finished second in a Listed race at Ascot at the back-end of last year.

“She was a little bit frustrating last year until we switched to riding her really prominently, she’s grown up quite a lot now and you don’t have to ride her quite as forwards.

“We can go back up in grade now to see if she can gain more black type for her family, we’ve nothing to lose.”

Goldie cool on idea of Goodwood for American Affair

/in /by

Jim Goldie is minded to miss Goodwood and wait for the Nunthorpe Stakes at York with his King Charles III Stakes hero American Affair.

The Royal Ascot hero is the third generation of the family Goldie has trained, with American Affair’s dam, Classy Anne, by Orientor whom Goldie guided with great success.

American Affair was, though, Goldie’s first ever Group One winner after several near-misses and he now has more big targets in his sights for the Paul Mulrennan-ridden five-year-old.

American Affair gets a well-deserved pat from Paul Mulrennan
American Affair gets a well-deserved pat from Paul Mulrennan (John Walton/PA)

“It’s just started to sink in. He’s come out of the race well and he’s been out on the gallops yesterday and today,” said Goldie on Sunday.

“The stars aligned, but that is quite often the case with good horses. I still don’t think he’s quite as good as Orientor was, but I probably had him early enough in my career and I learned a lot from him. Fortunately for me we kept him an entire which looks very shrewd now!

“We learned a lot from the likes of him, Jack Dexter and Hawkeyethenoo. I’m looking forward to seeing where this horse will peak.”

Looking to the future Goldie does not believe Goodwood’s downhill five furlongs is totally suitable in the King George Stakes.

The King with winning rider Paul Mulrennan
The King with winning rider Paul Mulrennan (Andrew Matthews/PA)

“Five furlongs up a hill at Ascot is the perfect fit for him, I always thought it might be, so I’m not sure Goodwood will suit him going downhill,” he said.

“Otherwise we will wait for York and the Nunthorpe where we might have to take on a two-year-old or two which will be interesting.”

Even further afield, American Affair now has an all-expenses paid trip to the Breeders’ Cup to look forward to.

“We’ll have to have a serious think about the Breeders’ Cup if they are going to pay. I can’t think of any other horse trained in Scotland to have run at it!” said Goldie.

Ombudsman heightening excitement for Walker with Almaqam

/in /by

Ed Walker is looking forward to seeing Almaqam return to the track after watching Ombudsman frank the form of the Brigadier Gerard Stakes when dazzling in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Almaqam impressively made all at Sandown to see off John and Thady Gosden’s performer, but with Walker deciding to wait for more suitable ground rather than head to the Royal meeting with his talented four-year-old, the door was left open for Ombudsman to boost the Esher result. which now looks red hot.

“It looked a very strong renewal of the Brigadier Gerard, Ombudsman has come out and confirmed he’s a smart horse and hopefully we can do soon,” said Walker, who enjoyed a tremendous time at the Royal meeting with two winners and Do Or Do Not beaten only by Gstaad in the Coventry Stakes.

“It’s an exciting result to see for us, but you have to remember Sandown was Ombudsman’s first run of the season and he was carrying a 3lb penalty. He loomed up like he was going to be a threat and John and Thady will know more than me, but it felt like he needed the run slightly carrying a penalty on easy ground.

“It is exciting and I think we all felt at Sandown the first two were very smart horses.”

After quick ground scuppered any designs of turning up in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes for Almaqam himself, Walker is now left searching for ideal conditions buoyant he has plenty to look forward to.

Ombudsman was a brilliant winner at Royal Ascot
Ombudsman was a brilliant winner at Royal Ascot (David Davies/PA)

“It’s all ground dependent and we will have him in everything and take our pick,” added Walker on future plans.

“He’ll be in everything at a mile and a quarter, but I wouldn’t rule out going a mile and a half as well. We have put him in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket (July 10) over a mile and a half, so we will see where the ground will suit.”

Clover still on cloud nine following Royal effort of Flowerhead

/in /by

Queen Mary second Flowerhead is set to move up to six furlongs for her next start after giving rookie handler Charlie Clover a day to remember at Royal Ascot.

One of the newest names to the training ranks, Clover has enjoyed a dream June, saddling not only his first ever winner but quickly taking his tally to five. However, it is his 100-1 runner-up at the Royal meeting which has firmly shone a spotlight on his fledgling Newmarket operation.

“It’s getting increasingly hard to find words to describe Wednesday, it was a very special day,” said Clover.

“We love this filly and you hope for a run like that, but it’s hard to do it on that big stage and she was incredibly gutsy and did us incredibly proud.”

Flowerhead ultimately proved no match for Aidan O’Brien’s ultra-impressive scorer True Love in the Ascot Group Two, but having been drawn on the far side of the track, Clover was left to ponder what might have happened if able to race closer to the main action on the stands side.

“I saw Aidan’s horse in the pre-parade and I was seriously worried as she is the most impressive two-year-old filly I’ve ever seen,” explained Clover.

“But It would have been fun to see her drawn upsides True Love and have a bit of company and see if they could have had a hammer and tongs battle. Would we have come out on top? I don’t know, but I think we certainly could have got close.”

Although just failing to join brother and fellow Newmarket handler Tom Clover on the Royal Ascot roll of honour, the 29-year-old hopes to soon match his exploits in Group company, as connections plot the next move with Flowerhead.

Owned by Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing, the daughter of Starman appears set to step up in trip, with Clover highlighting Newmarket’s Duchess of Cambridge Stakes (July 11) or a return to Ascot for the Princess Margaret Stakes (July 26) as possible options.

“She seems to have come out of the race really well and we can now think of picking up some serious black type,” continued Clover.

“She shapes like she wants six and the data at home would back that up, but she was showing plenty of speed so that’s why we went for the Queen Mary over the Albany.

“However, Colin (Keane, jockey) felt she was little bit off her feet in the early stages and then when she found her feet she came home so strong that six furlongs next would be the right direction.

“There’s plenty of six-furlong races we can target. The Duchess of Cambridge is on the radar, although that might come to soon. She’s absolutely pinged out the race, but I am aware she has already had three starts and we just want to get our next move right.

“We’ll have that race on our radar, but failing that we can go back to Ascot for the Princess Margaret at the end of next month.”

O’Brien working back from the Arc with Los Angeles

/in /by

Los Angeles will have the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on his agenda in the autumn, as he now heads for a mid-season break following his below-par display in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

Last year’s Irish Derby winner went to Royal Ascot unbeaten in two starts this year and was sent off the 13-8 favourite for the 10-furlong feature on Wednesday after registering the third Group One of his career in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh last month.

However, he could only finish fifth, beaten seven lengths behind impressive winner Ombudsman, with trainer Aidan O’Brien now inclined to freshen up his leading middle-distance performer before returning to Paris in the autumn, where he was third 12 months ago.

O’Brien said: “He’s going to have a little break now and he’ll come back for an Arc prep and then go to the Arc.

“The 10 furlongs was always going to be a bit tight for him and he’s always been a mile-and-a-half horse. He stayed at 10 as it suited us to stick there for now.

“He’ll have something like the Royal Whip or something at the Curragh (August 16) on the way to the Arc.”

‘A giant of the game’ – Willie Mullins adds his tribute to Kevin Prendergast

/in /by

Willie Mullins has added his tribute to Kevin Prendergast, following the multiple Classic-winning trainer’s death on Friday at the age of 92.

Prendergast – son of the legendary Paddy ‘Darkie’ Prendergast – was a hugely popular and respected figure, landing the last of his Classic successes with Awtaad in the Irish 2,000 Guineas in 2016.

“I was sorry to hear about Kevin. He was a tremendous trainer, who always had a word for you,” said Mullins, the reigning champion National Hunt trainer in Ireland and Britain.

“He had an opinion on everything and that opinion was valued by people because he’d been through it, he knew the good days and he knew the bad days.

“He was a tremendous character who will be sadly missed. A proper giant of the game, he did the hard work and he knew everything about the game.”

Former trainer Mick Halford, who now represents Joseph O’Brien on racecourses, said: “Kevin was a master on the Curragh when I started. He was somebody I always looked up to, his horses were always a credit to him.

“He was a great man to talk to, a great man for advice, and for a bit of slagging!

“He was a lovely man and I had a lot of time for him, and he will be sadly missed on the Curragh.

“He led a full life, he was a great example to us all.”

Ruling Court to step up in trip after Ascot defeat

/in /by

A belated step up in trip is likely for Ruling Court following his Royal Ascot reversal, with both the Coral-Eclipse and the Grand Prix de Paris under consideration.

Charlie Appleby’s 2000 Guineas hero was slated for an immediate leap up to a mile and a half for the Derby before being withdrawn on the day at Epsom and subsequently remained at a mile for an all-star rematch with Newmarket runner-up Field Of Gold in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

However, after seeing his Rowley Mile rival turn around the Guineas form in style, Appleby is now relishing the next stage of his career up in distance, despite also being eager to see how the cards fall into place before playing his hand.

“We’re very much letting the dust settle but the signs are he has very much come out of the race well,” said Appleby.

The son of Justify already has a Classic to his name
The son of Justify already has a Classic to his name (David Davies for the Jockey Club/PA)

“We’ll see where respective winners from the whole meeting go in respects to where we may head. Ombudsman was of course very impressive in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes and it will be interesting to see where John and Thady (Gosden) steer him towards.

“We’ve mooted an Eclipse with our fellow but I’m not afraid of going straight up to a mile and a half which we were going to do in the Derby and we have got the option of the Grand Prix de Paris.

“It’s your last option against three-year-olds so that could be a nice race to take a look at, but we’ll let a bit more dust settle before we confirm a plan.”

While Ruling Court may be heading up in distance, it appears likely Appleby’s other Classic scorer Desert Flower will be dropping back in trip after her third at Epsom in the Oaks.

Desert Flower was beaten when favourite for the Oaks
Desert Flower was beaten when favourite for the Oaks (David Davies for the Jockey Club/PA)

Sent off the 11-10 favourite after a sublime performance on her return in the 1000 Guineas, the challenge of Epsom on rain-softened ground ultimately proved too much, with the Moulton Paddocks handler happy to give her as much time as necessary to recover from her Oaks exertions.

“You know she’s had a race at Epsom for sure and as I’ve said previously the ground and the track were the undoing of us,” added Appleby.

“It might have looked like she stayed but I don’t think she did being brutally honest, or didn’t stay well enough for that level.

“I’m going to give her a little bit of time and there’s plenty of options for her at a mile and a mile and a quarter. She’s a filly who owes us nothing and for now we will give her plenty of time.”

Racing Bulletin for 22/06/2025

/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.

Pontefract

Good

 14:10 14:40 15:10 15:40 16:15 16:50 17:25
Hexham

Good

 14:18 14:48 15:18 15:50 16:25 17:00
Ffos Las

Good

 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:05 16:40 17:15

Today's Feature of the Day is...

Pace Maps for ALL races

Good luck!


Your first 30 days for just £1