#John Grossick

Energumene: is entered into the Clarence House at Ascot on Saturday The week kicks off with two seven-race cards at Fontwell and Hereford. At the former, the Chris Gordon-trained Coolvalla is attempting to complete a four-timer in the £20000 3m2f handicap chase (2.30). Three runners go to post in Hereford's feature race, the 3m1f novice handicap…

Noon Star: leading Oaks contender has been declared for the Musidora Stakes at York Teona and Noon Star will clash in Wednesday's Tattersalls Musidora Stakes (3.10) after the two exciting fillies were declared for a race that promises to have major implications for the Cazoo Oaks market. Santa Barbara, fourth in the 1000 Guineas after being highly…

Benoit de la Sayette (left) and Harry Davies: two talented apprentice jockeys Identifying a top-class apprentice can be a golden ticket, for trainers and punters. Horses ridden by apprentice jockeys carry less weight than those with professionals on board. But some precocious apprentices can be just as good as professionals. Several stars of the…

Corrigeen Rock: makes the long trip to Sandown for Lucinda Russell Corrigeen Rock might have less than two miles to run in this race, but he will do over 900 in a horse box to get here and back to Kinross. It almost goes without saying that Lucinda Russell will not enter one at Sandown lightly and her record here underlines that: she is 3-16 at the…

Gemirande: represents last year's winning connections Venetia Williams and Charlie Deutsch Since this 0-130 was introduced in 2015, all but one of the winners has returned a Racing Post Rating between 137 and 150. Considering RPRs and the BHA work to a similar scale, those high figures suggest this is a classy race for the grade and that punters…

Desert Orchid: scooping the Tingle Creek Chase Ahead of the Unibet Grey Horse Handicap (2.45) at Newmarket on Saturday, we take a look at five of the greatest greys to grace the track. . . Desert Orchid One who needs no introduction. Desert Orchid is a hero among jumps fans for his incredible versatility, success and front-running style that led…

Simply The Betts: can he go one better after finishing second in the race last year? In a normal season, the Paddy Power New Year's Day Handicap Chase would be the most winnable of the major handicap chases around 2m4f at Cheltenham. That was the lesson from findings presented in these pages before the December Gold Cup on December 10, but the fact…

Marie's Rock: returns to Cheltenham on Sunday Mares' Hurdle heroine Marie's Rock will return to Cheltenham and take on the boys for her seasonal comeback in the Dornan Group-sponsored Relkeel Hurdle (2.30) on New Year's Day. The Nicky Henderson-trained eight-year-old is one of nine declarations for the Grade 2 prize, with Knappers Hill,…

Stuart Coltherd (left): successful with Wheelbahri Thursday: Kelso Wheelbahri rounded off the year in style as he kept a determined southern raider at bay to notch his sixth success of 2022. The eight-year-old, trained by Stuart Coltherd, followed up last month's course success with a gutsy front-running display to hold off the favourite Jetoile by…

Brazil: produced a smart performance to beat Fil Dor in Grade 3 company at Naas A race that at its entry stage had the likes of Vauban, Pied Piper, Gaelic Warrior, Icare Allen and Irish Point has ended up in an unexpected match - the first two-horse race at declaration stage in Ireland for a decade. There have been nine match races across the last…

Seddon: well supported in Leopardstown's opener on Thursday Seddon, a comfortable five-and-a-half-length winner over hurdles at Cheltenham's October meeting when last seen, has been well backed for the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Chase (12.00), which kicks off the final day of Leopardstown's Christmas festival. The nine-year-old struck at the…

Those in attendance at Newcastle on Fighting Fifth day witnessed an extraordinary performance from Constitution Hill and Kempton racegoers should brace themselves for another majestic display in the Christmas Hurdle. The spectacular five-year-old's already substantial achievements in the sport are mind-boggling considering his relative inexperience…

Into Overdrive: Showed he is still on the up by winning the William Hill Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase Monday: Wetherby Family is everything at Christmas time and few will have enjoyed the festivities more than the Hamiltons, who landed a memorable triumph in the William Hill Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase. Michael Hamilton, a clerk of the scales,…

A scroll through Twitter on the evening of December 26 in recent years has tended to reveal Paul Nicholls celebrating King George success with a McDonald's on the way back from Kempton. The Ditcheat maestro, who is seeking a record-extending 13th win in the race, could well be lovin' it again on Monday with Bravemansgame and Hitman among the main…

The biggest empires in history evolved from one great individual at the very top. From the heady days of Julius Caesar and the Roman empire to Napoleon Bonaparte's French conquests, it takes the best leader to ignite sheer success. For owner John Dance, his expanding racing empire is thriving thanks to his own Empress at the top charting the…

Knight Salute (left): one of Britain's leading juvenile hurdlers last season Milton Harris has been dealt a bitter blow with the news that his stable star and Grade 1-winning hurdler Knight Salute has been ruled out for the rest of the season and may never return to the track after suffering a life-threatening injury. The popular performer, who was…

Domaine De L'isle: joint 44th in the list at Aintree Staging the Randox Grand National after the Coral Scottish Grand National this year has left some trainers wrestling with a £1 million dilemma. Should they take a gamble and wait for Aintree on April 9, risking the possibility that their horse will not make the cut? Or should they forget about…

Robert Waley-Cohen (left): leading owner is adamant Noble Yeats is a Gold Cup contender Robert Waley-Cohen is adamant Noble Yeats is not your average Grand National winner and believes he has a bonafide Gold Cup contender on his hands after Saturday's brilliant win. The Emmet Mullins-trained seven-year-old was cut to a general 10-1 for the Gold…

Look, no hands!: Harry Skelton celebrates Becher success on Ashtown Lad Saturday: Aintree Dan Skelton landed a major prize for the third Saturday in a row as Ashtown Lad stuck on gamely to provide the trainer with a first win over the National fences in the BoyleSports Becher Chase. Skelton's wonderful winter continued as Ashtown Lad followed up…

Dusart: heads the betting for this novice handicap chase This card features the Grade 2 Future Champions Novices' Chase but the highest-rated novice running at Ayr tackles this handicap instead. The 147-rated Dusart has long had a big reputation at Seven Barrows and rightly so. Simonsig's half-brother was sent off the 5-2 joint-favourite for the…

Cheltenham Festival-winning mare Love Envoi makes her seasonal reappearance at Sandown on a huge day for her trainer Harry Fry. The Mares' Novice Hurdle winner tackles handicap company for the first time off a mark of 139 in the Betfair Daily Rewards Handicap Hurdle (2.20). The six-year-old won a Grade 2 on her only previous trip to the Esher track…

Henri The Second: will bid to emulate his half-brother Enrilo by winning the Winter Novices' Hurdle This race has produced a slew of Grade 1 performers since 1987, including winners of the Stayers' Hurdle, Gold Cup and Grand National. Success here usually indicates a penchant for a proper staying test further down the line and outstanding hurdler…

Nomadic Empire (near): a winner over this distance at York last season Yorkshire folk are extremely generous hosts but that does not mean they enjoy watching visitors make off with their money. This 6f handicap has been won by a horse trained in the county in seven of the last eight runnings and it looks set to stay at home again this year as only…

Le Milos and Harry Skelton take the last in the Coral Gold Cup from stablemates Remastered (left) and Gericault Roque The breathy sound that greeted Constitution Hill's thumping victory over Epatante and co in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle was partly awestruck gasp but mainly a collective sigh of relief that this wondrous talent is just as good as…

Greaneteen: won the Haldon Gold Cup but can he strike once again in the Tingle Creek? Monday With the exception of Wolverhampton's Saturday evening card, which was restricted to riders who rode fewer than 30 winners in 2021, there had been an absence of all-weather racing in Britain for just over a week as the season took a short break. However,…

Constitution Hill: big step up on his first run outside novice company Constitution Hill's stunning win in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle had many calling him the best-ever two-mile hurdler and propelled him into the ranks of the greatest based on Racing Post Ratings, which started in 1988. Here is the kind of company he's keeping…

Al Aasy (left): winner of the Bahrain Trophy last season Al Aasy stamped himself as one of the most exciting three-year-olds in training when landing the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket's July meeting last season, but he raced only once after. Some good horses have won that Newmarket race, including 2011 St Leger winner Masked Marvel and 2018 scorer…

Cloth Cap: heads to Doncaster instead of Kelso this weekend Tom Scudamore hopes he will once again be dreaming of Grand National glory with Cloth Cap after the talented chaser contests the Virgin Bet Grimthorpe Chase (3.30) at Doncaster on Saturday. The Jonjo O'Neill-trained ten-year-old had the option of running in Kelso's Premier Chase, which he…

Protektorat: clears the last under Harry Skelton Saturday: Betfair Chase, Haydock Protektorat took advantage of a flop from odds-on favourite A Plus Tard to land the Betfair Chase in brilliant style. The Dan Skelton-trained seven-year-old, who was partnered by the trainer's brother Harry, travelled best throughout the race and pressed ahead at the…

The Commonwealth Cup has moved on from being racing's new big thing. It is legitimately running with the Classics now as a vital Group 1 for three-year-olds. It has reached the point where it is necessary to write down the stats just to keep up, as in the attached graphic. The seven runnings of the race have already produced 24 wins and 14…

Who can stop superstar chaser A Plus Tard? No horse has even got close on his last two visits to Britain. He ran away with the Cheltenham Gold Cup last March, putting 15 lengths between himself and stablemate Minella Indo from the final fence in a way that even the down-to-earth Henry de Bromhead described as "extraordinary." However, that was a…

Can the Skeltons land the Scottish Champion Hurdle with West Cork? The Scottish and English Grand National meetings have flip-flopped in the calendar this season and a change in the pattern means Ayr precedes Aintree. The 30-day gap between the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and Scottish Champion Hurdle in 2021 is reduced to 15 days this…

With the Tingle Creek in three weeks one of the few remaining genuine championship races run in Britain before March, the stakes are higher than usual in the two-mile chases at this time of year. Greaneteen will be defending champion at Sandown and also the leader in the clubhouse after his mighty handicap performance in last week's Haldon Gold…

Ballyandy: an encouraging third on his return at Perth The Cross Country Chase which once spearheaded this card is replaced by a veterans' event and we have a former Champion Bumper winner facing a past Welsh National hero in a race packed with old friends. Admittedly, we are winding the clock back to 2016 for Ballyandy's Grade 1 strike and 2018…

James Knight, Coral Secret Reprieve was a really popular winner with punters when winning last year's Coral Welsh National (2.50 Chepstow) and I have a feeling he would be a very poor result for us again as he bids for a repeat win in the race. Frank Hickey, Paddy Power Forever Blessed has looked really good in two starts over hurdles and I don't…

Nobody has saddled more winners of the Haldon Gold Cup than Paul Nicholls and it's a race that the Ditcheat trainer targets. Top names like Flagship Uberalles, Azertyuiop, Politologue and Greaneteen are on the roll of honour, and Greaneteen is back for the third season in a row. The eight-year-old was making his seasonal reappearance when winning…

Sedgefield: racing was abandoned due to safety concerns after the fifth race on Thursday Racing was abandoned at Sedgefield on Thursday due to safety concerns after the fifth race was marred by two fatal injuries. Sweet Auburn, trained by Donald McCain, stumbled and suffered an injury when turning for home in the 2m4f handicap hurdle. In a separate…

Henry Candy: hoping Twilight Calls could be the latest in a long line of top-class sprinters The Palace House Stakes has been the seasonal starting point for plenty of Group 1 winners in recent years and usually attracts a calibre of sprinter you would expect to see in the King's Stand at Royal Ascot in the early summer. Mayson, Sole Power,…

Bristol De Mai: three-time winner of the Betfair Chase Retirement talk surrounded Bristol De Mai last season but the popular mudloving grey is on course to make his seasonal reappearance in the Betfair Chase - a race he has won three times. A grand servant to the Nigel Twiston-Davies yard, Bristol De Mai is close to turning 12 but he has shown…

Free Wind: stormed home to land the Park Hill at Doncaster last year When it comes to Group races for fillies it's often a case of John Gosden chasing Sir Henry Cecil for the record of most wins. However, the Lancashire Oaks is one race where Gosden has surpassed him, with Enbihaar's victory in 2019 taking him one clear of the late, great…

A total of 19 horses were left in Haydock's Betfair Sprint Cup (3.30) at the six-day stage on Monday with Nunthorpe winner Highfield Princess the most notable absentee. With John Quinn's star filly not going for a hat-trick of Group 1 wins, the £350000 sprint which highlights Saturday's action looks wide open. We assess the key contenders. .…

Tommy's Oscar pips Geromino in the opener at Carlisle Thursday: Carlisle The first race of Carlisle's jumps season produced a rarity as a photo-finish was called to the two-runner novice handicap chase with high-class hurdler Tommy's Oscar just edging out Geromino. The race-fit Geromino, sent off the 8-13 favourite, set the tempo under Brian Hughes…

Nostrum: heads seven declarations for the Dewhurst Stakes Impressive Tattersalls Stakes winner Nostrum will bid to maintain his unbeaten record on Saturday when he lines up against six rivals in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes. The Sir Michael Stoute-trained two-year-old was promoted to favouritism for the Newmarket contest after Sakheer was ruled out…

Emaraaty Ana: beat Starman in last year's Sprint Cup at Haydock The Betfair Sprint Cup (3.30 Haydock) is the standout feature over the weekend and we have looked back over a number of factors to see who may win Saturday's Group 1 showdown. In the last ten years, Twilight Son (2015) has been the only winner rated lower than 110. He was rated 104…

Trillium: leading contender for Richard Hannon This is a two-horse race on form, with The Platinum Queen and Trillium upwards of 10lb clear of the rest of the field on Racing Post Ratings, and both are confirmed speedsters who look at their best over five furlongs. The Platinum Queen holds the strongest claims on RPRs. She recorded a figure of 108…

Saffron Beach: winner of the 2021 Sun Chariot Jane Chapple-Hyam believes that her star filly Saffron Beach has "improved again" as she prepares to defend her Royal Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes (2.42) crown at Newmarket on Saturday. The four-year-old provided Chapple-Hyam with her first Group 1 winner in the £266875 contest last year under William…

Rebel's Romance: landed the Grosser Preis von Berlin last time Godolphin, Charlie Appleby and William Buick bid for more top-level international success when the four-timer-seeking Rebel's Romance contests the Preis von Europa at Cologne on Sunday. The four-year-old gained a Group 1 success at the first attempt with a neck victory in the Grosser…

John Gosden: has six runners on the first day of Royal Ascot With six runners on Royal Ascot's opening day, John Gosden looks primed to start the meeting with a bang. He unleashes the hugely exciting Frankly Darling, one of three runners in the Ribblesdale Stakes (2.25), who bids to build on her brilliant Newcastle win and take a step closer to the…

Fans' Favourites is a weekly feature in the Racing Post Weekender in which we talk to those closest to racing's most popular horses and find out why they tug on our heartstrings. This week's subject: Attraction The best racehorses in history are born with a touch of brilliance about them. Most of the time. Occasionally, however, the brilliance is…

Staxton (far side) gets up late in last year's Ayr Silver Cup Draw biases are often hailed as the be-all and end-all when it comes to big-field sprints but more often than not the location of the pace determines the winner. With no rain forecast and firmer ground expected, a track bias is less likely to influence the result and working out where…