#Grade Ones

Gavin Beech puts the six short-priced, ante-post favourites for the 2023 Cheltenham Festival under the microscope and provides his analysis on their credentials. There are currently six horses chalked up at 6-4 or shorter in the ante-post markets for this year's Cheltenham Festival, with Constitution Hill, who is a best-priced 4-11 for the Unibet…

The weekend's action at Leopardstown provided further pointers towards the Cheltenham Festival with plenty of movers in the betting markets ahead of the four-day extravaganza at Prestbury Park in March. Who are the big movers following the sixth renewal of the Dublin Racing Festival? We've taken a look at their impact on the big Grade Ones…

Henry de Bromhead's charge was a brilliant winner of the Prestbury Park blue riband last season, but little has gone right for him since. The nine-year-old was found to be under the weather after being pulled up when bidding for back-to-back wins in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November and was withdrawn on the morning of last month's Savills…

Champions Day at Ascot is without question the best single day of racing outside a festival meeting in the entire year. The card effectively brings the curtain down on the flat season and gives the superstars who've thrilled us all summer long on the level one last chance to strut their stuff before getting a well earned holiday, or a trip…

Twelve months after tipping up at the last in the Grade Two prize, when holding every chance, the nine-year-old son of Milan will bid to atone that defeat when forming part of a strong team Murphy will send to the home of jump racing on Sunday. After getting no further than the first on his return at Aintree in November the Barbara Hester-owned…

Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum has died at the age of 75, but his racing legacy will live on after an involvement with the sport spanning over four decades. From Nashwan to Dayjur, some of the greatest names of the Turf have carried Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum's colours to victory over the years. There are too many to mention, but here is a very select…

The daughter of Milan, who landed the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle at The Cheltenham Festival last season, will return to the scene of her finest moment in the Grade Two contest, which Henderson has previously claimed with Oscar Whisky (2011, 2012) and Zaynar (2009). Marie's Rock has not been sighted since claiming Grade One honours at Punchestown…

The Grade One-winning hurdler was brilliant in winning three times over fences last season and would have been four from four had he not crashed out at the final fence in the Turners' Novices' Chase at the Festival in March. He is a best priced 11/4 to provide trainer Willie Mullins with a third Gold Cup success following the back-to-back wins of…

Nicky Henderson's Constitution Hill is odds-on to take Honeysuckle's crown at Cheltenham in March following his Fighting Fifth romp last Saturday - despite the fact Honeysuckle is already a dual Champion Hurdle winner and yet to meet with defeat in 16 outings. The Henry de Bromhead-trained eight-year-old is tied with Limestone Lad, Solerina and…

Honeysuckle has simply gone from strength to strength and has already won seven Grade Ones. Her latest triumph at the top level came at the Cheltenham Festival last month when she lifted the biggest prize of them all, the Champion Hurdle. Success on Friday would be a fitting way to cap her remarkable campaign. Honeysuckle has never run at…

Top tipster Simon Rowlands has four bets online for the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday, including an each-way selection in the Champion Hurdle. The question of what is the ideal preparation for the Cheltenham Festival is usually confined to the horses, but I find myself wondering whether being battle-hardened or fresh as a daisy…

1pt win Sacred in Breeders' Cup Mile at 25/1 (Sky Bet, Unibet) There have been 11 three-year-old winners of the Breeders' Cup Mile since its inaugural running in 1984, nine of which were trained in Europe. Four of those nine were fillies - namely Miesque, Ridgewood Pearl, Six Perfections and Goldikova - and in total (US and Euro-trained) the race…

Nicky Henderson has insisted he has no plans to retire and remains as eager as ever to recapture the coveted Jump trainers' title when the new campaign gets underway later this week. The 71-year-old, who began training in 1978 and has won the title six times in a glittering career, finished second this year behind Paul Nicholls. However, rather…

Ten-times Grade One winner Altior might now be enjoy a well-deserved retirement, but the silks of owner Patricia Pugh he carried to glory on 21 occasions were seen back in the winner's enclosure following the victory of Attacca at Kempton. Having finished second on his debut at Warwick 221 days ago, the form of which has already been franked by…

The ITV Racing team will pitch up at Exeter on Tuesday afternoon, before the coverage heads over to Keeneland for day one of the Breeders' Cup. Exeter's card on Friday is headlined by the Haldon Gold Cup, a Grade Two handicap that's been won by top chasers like Viking Flagship, Best Mate and Cue Card down the years. We look through the confirmed…

The 2022 Breeders' Cup kicks off at Keeneland racecourse on Friday afternoon and viewers in the UK will be able to watch the five main races live on ITV Racing. Future Stars Friday kicks off with the Grade Two on turf, before we jump into four highly lucrative Grade One races for juveniles. Here are our free Breeders' Cup day one tips. As with the…

Dan Skelton is happy to let Protektorat again take on Cheltenham Gold Cup hero A Plus Tard in the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park on November 19. Skelton's seven-year-old finished third, more than 17 lengths adrift of Henry de Bromhead's Gold star in the Cheltenham Festival feature in March, before he disappointed when only fourth in the Betway Bowl…

Never one to duck a potentially difficult assignment, the success-hungry Skelton is completely focused on getting his seven-year-old in the best possible shape for the first Grade One chase of the British jumps season at Haydock. Protektorat - the highest-rated horse in Skelton's top-class yard according to Timeform (164) - has reportedly summered…

After launching his career as a conditional jockey with the now-retired Colin Tizzard back as a teenager the 27-year-old has come full circle to hold the position he enjoys as first-choice jockey to his son Joe Tizzard, who is now at the helm of Venn Farm Stables. Twelve months on from providing Tizzard senior with his second, and final, victory in…

No, Frankie Dettori is not riding and no, you won't find Red Rum on the race card. Racing is the easiest sport to understand - the first across the line wins - but sometimes it has a language of its own that can be pretty tricky to comprehend. Our bluffers' guide to the Cheltenham Festival will stop you looking like a novice if you are off to…

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Spendthrift Farm has announced stud fees for its roster of 27 stallions set to stand at the Lexington-based farm for the upcoming 2023 breeding season, led again by North America's reigning three-time champion General Sire, Into Mischief who will stand for $250000 S&N. Spendthrift has added four new stallions including 2022…

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Spendthrift Farm has announced stud fees for its roster of 27 stallions set to stand at the Lexington-based farm for the upcoming 2023 breeding season, led again by North America's reigning three-time champion General Sire, Into Mischief who will stand for $250000 S&N. Spendthrift has added four new stallions including 2022…

4561 total views, 4561 views today Paul Nicholls might have turned 60 earlier this year but his hunger for success remains as strong as ever as he bids to defend his Jump Trainers' Championship and claim a 14 title. The Ditcheat handler is confident he has another "great team" on his hands for his 32 season as a licence holder and is excited to…

Paul Nicholls might have turned 60 this year but his hunger for success remains as strong as ever as he bids to defend his Jump Trainers' Championship and claim a 14th title. The Ditcheat handler is confident he has another "great team" on his hands for his 32nd season as a licence holder and is excited to unleash an intriguing mix of established…

For a long time through 2022, anyone who checked the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe antepost market will have seen Japanese raider Titleholder in pole position and wondered, 'who?'. Days away from Europe's middle-distance climax, there is only a little bit of shame in admitting you are none the wiser (guilty!). The important thing is you are ready,…

Dermot Weld has been around the track enough times to know never to get too high or too low about his stable's latest'good thing'. But even at this time of his career, the 74-year-old master of Rosewell House hardly bothers to contain his enthusiasm for his superstar filly, Homeless Songs. The three-year-old Irish 1000 Guineas winner will be back…

The question everyone wants to know in Saturday's $400000 Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) in New Orleans, La.: what will 2021 juvenile filly champion Echo Zulu do for an encore in 2022? Since hitting the racetrack last summer at Saratoga, the Gun Runner filly has been everything and more for her owners, L & N Racing and Winchell…