#Champion Jockey

From Hurricane Fly's fourth consecutive Irish Champion Hurdle victory to The New One brushing aside the opposition in Cheltenham's International Hurdle, it has been an exciting year of racing. As 2014 nears its conclusion racing correspondent Marcus Townend reviews the past 12 months of racing, and picks his best race of each month. JANUARY Paul…

FORMER champion jockey and 15-times Group 1 winner Simon Marshall gives us his insights into all the runners in the 2018 Melbourne Cup. 1. BEST SOLUTION (Barrier 6) Approx win/place odds: $15 / $4. Gutsy Caulfield Cup winner who's drawn perfectly in gate six. It was a terrific win at Caulfield, and came after back-to-back of Group 1 wins in…

The Irish 1000 Guineas winner, ridden by Colm O'Donoghue, powered clear for a scintillating six-length victory over runner-up Threading, with Veracious third. Victory for the 11-4 favourite was another flat racing triumph for the Irish trainer whose successes over the jumps include last year's Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Sizing John. "I have a lot…

Newsboy has napped Dan Skelton's Protektorat in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham races. The horse is part-owned by Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson PROTEKTORAT is fancied to make light of top weight in the Paddy Power Gold Cup (2.15) at Cheltenham this afternoon. Jumps fans are in for a treat as the two-and-a-half-mile test, viewed…

Tommy Lyons ranks the country's greatest horsemen from the past 50 years. A star from the outset, Walsh served notice of what was to come by winning the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham aboard Alexander Banquet, and winning the Aintree Grand National at the first attempt. He showed his outstanding natural ability and adaptability by being able to ride…

Champion jockey Kerrin McEvoy turned down the opportunity to compete at the rich Magic Millions carnival to build some winning momentum at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. "I didn't have a lot doing at the Gold Coast in the major races," McEvoy explained. "So, I thought it was a better option to stay here and hopefully boot home one or two winners. "I…

Kieren Fallon (left) with son Cieren, who was an unlucky third on Maljoom in the St James' Palace Stakes Kieren Fallon has described the agony of watching his son Cieren endure a nightmare defeat in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, saying it made him feel "physically sick". Fallon was speaking to the Racing Post for a major…

Classy sprinter Eleven Eleven is out to make history with a fourth win at the Magic Millions carnival on Saturday. Picture: Getty Images A rousing track gallop from Eleven Eleven has given trainer Greg Hickman a timely boost of confidence on the eve of his sprinter's historic attempt at a fourth win at the Magic Millions at the Gold Coast on…

British-trained runners head the market for Tuesday's Lexus Melbourne Cup and a draw in stall nine was cause for celebration for connections of long-time ante-post favourite Deauville Legend. Trained by James Ferguson, the three-year-old has improved throughout 2022 and capped his British campaign with a dominant Great Voltigeur win at York in…

Sha Tin: FWD Champions Mile (Group 1) 1m, 3yo+ Beauty Generation enjoyed nothing more strenuous than the equivalent of a morning workout to repeat last year's success, coming home a length and a half clear of Singapore Sling, and in the process beating Hong Kong records for the highest career prize-money, and the biggest winning sequence in a…

It sounds like a trick question, but is it possible to have one of the most famous horse races in the world without humans or the actual horses? And considering that gambling goes hand-in-hand with the sport, could members of the public place a bet on the eventual outcome of such an event, with profits benefiting Britain's National Health…

Antony Brittain might not be on a lot of trainer-to-follow shortlists, but, after a quiet start when taking over the reigns at Northgate Lodge, Brittain has really started to find his feet of late, notching up 28 winners in 2019. The way the yard started 2020 was nothing short of extraordinary, with Brittain having chalked up 17 winners before…

Pat Eddery, one of the greatest jockeys of the postwar era, with three victories in the Epsom Derby and four in the Arc de Triomphe to his credit, as well as two Breeders' Cup races in the United States, died on Tuesday. He was 63. Teddy Grimthorpe, the European racing manager for Juddmonte Farms, who worked with Eddery for many years, confirmed…

With Frankie Dettori already off the mark on the first day of this year's Royal Ascot (16 June), we take a look at the reasons why the Italian jockey is such a favourite with the public - and it's not just for his flying dismounts… Lanfranco Dettori, the son of Italian champion jockey Gianfranco Dettori and a circus performer mother, was born in…

News Corp form analyst Brad Waters takes a look at horses to follow and forgive from Saturday's Sandown Hillside meeting. FIVE TO FOLLOW: MONARCH OF EGYPT: Showed something at Flemington first-up before going close to rolling the smart Worsfold at big odds at Sandown. He'll be fitter again for that and the former Hong Kong galloper is ready to win.…

Richard Hughes: was relieved at the alterations made to the BHA's impending new whip rules The best quotes from the racing world this week. . . He's sound as a pound and still loving his work and his racing but you wouldn't want anything to happen to him. He's been an absolute legend Trainer David Griffiths hails the popular veteran Duke Of Firenze…

The last seven favourites have been successful in this Grade 1, including Envoi Allen and Bob Olinger who went on to win the Ballymore, and Grangeclare West will be the one trying to continue that sequence. Willie Mullins has won this race eight times and had the option of running Boodles runner-up Gaelic Warrior, who won at Tramore by 86 lengths…

Irish trainer John F. O'Neill owes the stalls handlers at Goodwood a good drink or two. In Ireland this season he has run just three horses - Tullyhogue Fort, Daily Pursuit and Pink Fire Lilly - in a total of 13 races at an average starting price of around 100-1. None has won. Last Saturday, Pink Fire Lilly, who had finished twelfth of 13 in an…

Racing is never short of a storyline and 2022 was certainly no different. Be it the good, the bad or the sometimes ugly, racing can at times resemble a soap opera as much as it does a billion dollar industry. With 2022 now in the rear view mirror we look back at the 30 biggest stories to shape the year with Part 2 today covering 15-1. 15) Melbourne…

Few sports can match the world of horse racing in terms of speed, excitement, and the unique partnership between man and beast. It is no surprise that the "Sport of Kings" is so popular with both spectators and bettors keen to assess subjects such as King George VI Chase - Ten Year Trends. Despite that popularity, the sport enjoys something of a…

THIS time next year, horse racing will be facing up to life after Frankie Dettori. The legendary Italian announced last month that he will retire from riding after a brilliant 38-year career at the Breeders' Cup in November. All good things must come to an end, but it was news that horse racing had been dreading for a long time. Not only is Dettori…

Lingfield: the scene of Captain Cisco's 50-1 win Saturday: Lingfield Rainfall so heavy that the parade ring was out of use failed to dampen the spirits of Cross Channel Racing, whose debutant Captain Cisco sprang a 50-1 shock in the 7f novice stakes. The juvenile made all from a wide draw and showed a game attitude to prevail by half a length under…

Reverting to hurdles having been highly tried as a novice chaser last season, the Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old was soon in an early advantage and it was one he would not relinquish. A trait of his time over fences was that he raced keenly, sometimes too keenly for his own good, and while he was racing enthusiastically for Paul Townend, the…

Trainer John Thompson doesn't believe there is much between Jojo Was A Man and Purple Sector ahead of their clash in the Maroubra Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Jojo Was A Man is on the back-up after his good win at Randwick on Christmas Eve while Purple Sector has been racing well without much luck this campaign. "This is a race that…

Star jockey Tommy Berry is ready to hit the ground running as he prepares for his first day back at the races from a timely break to recharge the batteries while preparing to fight a range of betting charges. Berry last rode in Sydney on December 9 but elected to hang up the saddle for a Christmas sabbatical to get his mental and physical health in…

Hans Ebert writes on www.fasttrack.hk that after that, it was friend and South Africa-based writer Robyn Louw who forwarded me articles she had written about both riders- Callan Murray and Lyle Hewitson. Callan Murray had received a license to ride in Hong Kong and it was good to have some background as to what made him tick. Friends in Australia…

All the action, as it happened, at Prestbury Park Another fantastic week of racing at the Greatest Show on Turf. And the Cheltenham Gold Cup certainly lived up to the hype amid a titanic tussle between Native River and Might Bite. Relive that, and the rest of Friday's coverage, below... 1:30pm JCB Triumph Hurdle 1. Farclas 9/1 2. Mr Adjudicator…

Family man: Frankie with wife Catherine son Leo and daughter Ella at the premiere of The Chronicles Of Narnia in December 2005 Star jockey Frankie Dettori today apologised for'letting down my wife and children' after being banned from racing for six months for drug taking. The 41-year-old Italian tested positive for a banned substance, thought to…

Patrick Moloney is thrilled to be riding Alaskan God for the first time and he's confident of making the perfect start to a new year on Sunday. The Victorian hoop will take the reins on Alaskan God in the G2 Perth Cup (2400m) on January 1 after trainer Dan Morton made the shock decision to replace, Chris Parnham. Parnham, Perth's champion jockey…

Class usually tells and it shouted loudly as smart mare Zambella scored a bloodless repeat success in the bet365 Yorkshire Silver Vase. The £75000 contest proved more of a lap of honour than a serious race as Daryl Jacob's mount produced an exhibition round of jumping from the front and scored by a comfortable seven and a half lengths. A seventh…

Verry Elleegant and Nature Strip, the nation's best racehorses, are defying time - but for how much longer? Since the retirement of all-time great Winx three years ago, the Chris Waller-trained duo have reigned supreme. Nature Strip inherited the Horse of the Year title from his former stablemate in 2019-20 before Verry Elleegant claimed the honour…

We are deep inside the final furlong of 2022. I'm hoping plenty of you will be powering to the finishing post hard on the bridle, rather than wearily struggling to the line or having pulled up sometime during the summer heatwave. That was then, this is now. We go again in 2023, and what a momentous year it promises to be. Here are ten reasons why…

Race 10: The John O'Shea-trained Quantico has stamped himself as a real star of the future with a slashing victory in the Listed MSS Security Sprint (1200m). Winner at five of his first nine starts at home in Sydney, the five-year-old son of I Am Invincible savaged the line to score comprehensively at his first experience up the straight. The…

Sydney's superstar jockey James McDonald has dismissed speculation he is considering riding overseas long-term as he sets his sights on one of racing's most revered records. The champion jockey is in hot demand wherever he rides and could command a prized position in the northern hemisphere with a leading stable or jurisdiction. But although…

A schoolgirl who sparked a Twitter hunt for jockey Frankie Dettori was finally united with her hero at Newmarket Racecourse. Lillie May, 10, sent a letter to the Italian jockey in February to ask for a signed picture to display in her school, St. Andrew's Church of England Primary School in Soham, Cambridgeshire, but was unable to reach him. After…

Jimmy Lindley, who has died aged 86, was a jockey who overcame chronic weight problems to win a succession of big races in the 1960s and early 1970s before spending three decades as a highly regarded BBC pundit; his shrewd assessments of horses as they paraded in the paddock before races proved a boon to millions of armchair punters over the…

It's a typically busy Boxing Day on Sky Sports Racing with Wolverhampton hosting a quality all-weather card, while there is top jumping from Fontwell and Newcastle. Art Power is the standout name among seven declarations for the Top Odds Every Day With BetUK Conditions Stakes (3.00). Disappointing when well beaten at Newcastle earlier this month,…

For a man who had achieved the ultimate horse racing prize of a Grand National win, it seemed incredible that something as simple as a dish of lamb and vegetables could bring it all crashing to an end. But the modest dinner, washed down with a large glass of water and followed by a small dessert, proved to be the last straw that broke the camel's…

Champion jockey Tommy Berry is strenuously maintaining his innocence after being slapped with five serious charges by Racing NSW stewards involving his association with a prominent punter. "I don't believe I have done anything wrong,'' Berry told The Daily Telegraph last night. "Stewards have a job to do, I respect that, and I am waiting for the…

Horse racing made its comeback this week and now it's time for the Qipco 1000 Guineas. Here are the runners, odds and a preview of the Newmarket contest The first major Flat races of the season are here- and Sunday brings us the Qipco 1000 Guineas. It's a Classic contest for the fillies over one mile at Newmarket (3.35pm). Favourite for this year's…

Champion miler Baaeed will set a very high standard when he bids to extend his unbeaten run to seven races in Saturday's Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, in which he will start a strong odds-on chance in a field of nine. Newbury's one-mile showpiece, which forms part of the 35-race QIPCO British Champions Series, has attracted a deep line-up,…

Fallon junior only started riding aged 18 and within three years has secured a Group One win and a big retainer. On Saturday, he seeks more success on Oxted at Ascot's British Champions Day. "He's very dedicated. I wish I'd the same mentality, I'd probably still be riding," says Kieren, 55, whose rollercoaster career ended in 2016. Cieren, who grew…

Finding a superlative to describe the year which Charlie Appleby has enjoyed is a relatively easy task, but for those of his training colleagues with aspirations of toppling his team in 2023 they face what looks set to be a challenge of epic proportions. Having raised the bar following a stellar 2021 season, the Newmarket handler once again took…

Godolphin pair Adayar and Hurricane Lane, the Aga Khan's superstar mare Tarnawa and dual Oaks winner Snowfall have been declared for Sunday's Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe as 15 runners stood their ground on Thursday. The Roger Varian-trained Teona, who beat Snowfall in the Prix Vermeille this month, misses the race as the ground will be…

Donnacha O'Brien: aiming at a Group 1 with his first runner in Britain Starting at the top leaves you with an awful long way to fall but Donnacha O'Brien has never looked afraid of heights. Having the favourite for a Group 1 race as your first British runner might faze many trainers, particularly if they were only months into their new career and…

When a jubilant Frankie Dettori and his mount Stradivarius were saluted by a 70000 crowd at Royal Ascot a year ago, life was very different. Covid-19 and social distancing were unheard of. Now flat racing's biggest meeting is set to take place behind closed doors with jockeys wearing face masks. On Tuesday, there will be no Queen, Royal procession…

More has made it all the merrier for the multiple members of the Fred Archer Racing syndicate, who have shared the sort of ride an owner could spend millions on without coming close to thanks to their redoubtable old-stager The Tin Man. Saturday's run in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes marked the sixth year in succession he has competed for Group 1…

The Melbourne Cup is gearing up for its full-blown return on Tuesday following two years of heavy restrictions and capped crowds. Whether you're headed to the racecourse, hosting your own event, or just want to be in the know, see below for your guide to everything you need to know to enjoy the big day of racing. Like every year, the Melbourne Cup…

Kim Bailey reflects on a day of "ruined" racing and modernising the sport Saturday's racing at Ascot was ruined by the unseasonal drying ground conditions. As a result, racing was not shown in a good light on terrestrial TV. A walkover and a two-horse race on a big racing Saturday really is not good enough. Paying customers want to see good racing…