Castle Star bolsters Coventry claims with emphatic Curragh victory

In the space of 54 days this spring Gregory went from never having seen a racecourse to landing two Classic trials and establishing a firm grip on the three-year-old staying division. That dominance led to skinny St Leger ante-post quotes but a new group of colts are queueing up to knock the favourite off his perch in the Great Voltigeur, the…

Dermot Weld ended Joseph O'Brien's stranglehold on the Comer Group International Irish St Leger Trial Stakes, as Shamida showed both class and courage to hold off Dawn Rising and set up a Group One tilt. O'Brien had won the last two runnings of the Group Three contest and with Roger Varian's Eldar Eldarov and Aidan O'Brien's Library both non…

Only two of the last ten winners of this race came into it on the back of a defeat, but that might change on Tuesday as two thirds of the field were beaten when they were last seen and that includes the Aidan O'Brien-trained youngster Mountain Bear. O'Brien was responsible for War Decree, who was one of the two last-time-out losers that came on to…

The gelding, now a seven-year-old, was a high-class bumper horse who made the switch to the Flat after finishing sixth behind Ferny Hollow in the 2020 Champion Bumper at Cheltenham. His first Flat term was a success as he won a couple of valuable handicaps, including the Cesarewitch Trial at Newmarket, and in 2021 he stepped up a grade to finish…

The middle day at Royal Ascot is all about the Gold Cup, the longest Group One staged in Britain during the flat season. Around our feature race, Thursday's viewers have got three more Group races to enjoy, along with a trio of large-field handicaps. Here are our best betting tips for every race on day three at Royal Ascot. Elite Status looked like…

Bradsell and Hollie Doyle after their King's Stand victory (Megan Ridgewell) Ascot Racecourse Press Release Bradsell (14/1) completed a famous Royal Ascot double for trainer Archie Watson and jockey Hollie Doyle by edging out favourite Highfield Princess in the G1 King's Stand Stakes. Last year's brilliant Coventry Stakes winner showed blistering…

The Newmarket handler is "delighted" the champion jockey will partner Asadna in the Coventry Stakes and Soprano in the Albany Stakes, both of whom are at the forefront of the market for the respective races. Both worked nicely on the watered Rowley Mile gallop on Tuesday, as the Classic-winning trainer put the finishing touches to his preparations…

Midnight Affair is Royal Ascot bound after a neat performance in the Hilary Needler Trophy Fillies' Conditions Stakes at Beverley. The Richard Fahey -trained bay was denied a clear passage on her debut at Newmarket in May, but still ran with promise and was highly fancied on the Westwood as a result. Starting as the 5-6 favourite under Danny…

The excitement for Royal Ascot is building with the big meeting just under two weeks away. Here we take a look at the best of the Irish juveniles from the Flat season and consider their credentials for the leading two-year-old races. . . T&C's apply18+begambleaware.org River Tiber holds strong claims in the Coventry Trainer: Aidan O'Brien Odds: 3-1…

Excitement for Royal Ascot is building with the big meeting just two weeks away. Here we take a look at the best of the British juveniles from the Flat season so far and consider their credentials for the leading two-year-old races. . . Trainer: Karl Burke Odds: 15-8 Sky Bet (Norfolk Stakes) Racing Post Rating: 108 Elite Status: has a 2-2…

Emily Dickinson's Ascot Gold Cup claims took a knock as Yashin produced a 14-1 surprise in the Saval Beg Levmoss Stakes at Leopardstown. Aidan O'Brien would have hoped to dominate the staying scene again this year with Kyprios, but with his superstar five-year-old on the sidelines there is space at Ballydoyle for a horse to step up. O'Brien has…

Emily Dickinson's Ascot Gold Cup claims took a knock as Yashin produced a 14-1 surprise in the Saval Beg Levmoss Stakes at Leopardstown. Aidan O'Brien would have hoped to dominate the staying scene again this year with Kyprios, but with his superstar five-year-old on the sidelines there is space at Ballydoyle for a horse to step up. O'Brien has…

Aidan O'Brien speaks to Kevin O'Ryan on Emily Dickinson, exciting debut winner River Tiber and more in this must-listen interview Emily Dickinson could be a ready-made substitute for Aidan O'Brien to fill the void left by Kyprios in the Gold Cup following her easy win in the Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan. O'Brien often uses the Listed contest over a…

Being trained as a 1000 Guineas horse last season did not bring out the best in the Aidan O'Brien-trained filly Tenebrism, but she could be a different proposition as a sprinter and started her season in style with a decisive success under Ryan Moore in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Cork Stakes. Always travelling sweetly, she did not fully…

Richard Hannon will be disappointed if Persian Force doesn't avenge his Royal Ascot defeat by Bradsell as they meet again in a red-hot edition of the Group One Keeneland Stakes at the Curragh. Rossa Ryan's mount was beaten by a length and a half by Archie Watson-trained, Hollie Doyle-ridden Bradsell in the Coventry Stakes, a race which looks even…

Persian Force pleases favourite backers with a straightforward win in the July Stakes Thursday: Close Brothers July Stakes, Newmarket When comparisons are being made with Canford Cliffs and next season's 2000 Guineas is already being talked about, it is well worth taking note, and winning connections were making all the right noises following…

The Royal Ascot Festival is back for another year and Wesley Ward is the top American trainer in action. Royal Ascot doesn't have huge stakes up for grabs but it's all about prestige. It's a destination for many trainers around the world, including Chris Waller from Australasia. Ward always takes a top team to England in the hopes to win. Horse…

Blackbeard extended his unbeaten run to three with an impressive success in the GAIN Marble Hill Stakes at the Curragh. Trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, Blackbeard was a Dundalk maiden winner in April before making the leap to Listed success at this track earlier in the month. Moore was happy to let him bowl along in front in this…

Ross Millar provides his expert analysis on the leading juveniles we have seen so far this season and also suggests a couple of ante-post bets for next year at large odds. Finally, he got the job done! Ebro River justified my high opinion of him and put it all together to win the Group One Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.

TRUESHAN backers have no grounds for concern in the Group 1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup (3.35) as Glorious Goodwood 2021 gets underway today. Hollie Doyle's mount was a last-minute defector from the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot last month after the forecast rain stayed away. But a deluge of downpours on Sunday has turned the Goodwood terrain to the easy side…

Since 2010, seven winners of this race had competed at Ascot on their latest start, a statistic that is likely to be enhanced as this year's market is dominated by those exiting the royal meeting. However, they contested several different races over a range of trips, so what has been the ideal prep? In the same 11-year period, horses who were…

The fifth and final day of Royal Ascot 2021 had a single Group 1 on the card, the Diamond Jubilee Stakes, with two-time runner-up Dream Of Dreams (3/1f) finally getting a victory in the six-furlong contest. The seven-year-old fought off the determined challenge of Glen Shiel (7/1) to claim a one-length success, with Art Power (7/2) coming home to…

Tactical wins the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot While the July Stakes is sometimes regarded as the first test of the Royal Ascot juvenile form, the average RPR recorded by the winner is about 1lb lower than in the Coventry. Even though just three weeks tends to separate the races, these are ever-developing two-year-olds and that is…

ASCOT, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND - Day Three of Royal Ascot will be one to remember as we saw a thrilling Group 1 Gold Cup and another Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race at Royal Ascot. See the full day's recap below: British racing's finest American import, Wesley Ward, had not enjoyed the best Royal Ascot until Shang Shang Shang landed the Group 2…

Karl Burke expects to see dual Group One winner Quiet Reflection to "strip a lot fitter" than on her seasonal return at Haydock when she runs in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. Last year's Commonwealth and Sprint Cup heroine will bid for a third top-level success when she steps back up in trip for the six-furlong contest on June…