#Lys Gracieux

The idea of moving the Cox Plate to the end of November - a radical change to the structure of the spring racing carnival - was always going to spark fierce debate among industry participants and fans. It is the biggest switch among a raft being considered by Racing Victoria, which includes the Thousand Guineas going back a month, new dates for the…

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…

Maximum Security, the colt disqualified from victory in the Kentucky Derby, returns to the winner's circle Saturday at Belmont Park. Photo courtesy of New York Racing Association Oct. 28 (UPI) -- It was a very good weekend of horse racing for Japan as Lys Gracieux landed the Group 1 Cox Plate in Australia and Almond Eye returned to her dominant…

Lys Gracieux cruises to victory in Sunday's Grade 1 Arima Kinen in Japan. Photo courtesy of Kasumi Saito Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Lys Gracieux roared to victory over a loaded field in the Arima Kinen in Japan in the marquee event of weekend horse racing while Diamond Oops upset the apple cart in a key Florida sprint with international implications. Firenze…

The good news for Japan is that there are no Croatian horses - or penalty shootouts - at this year's HKIR. The bad news is that Hong Kong (and perhaps Ireland) will provide stern opposition in Sunday's four G1 contests and now looks as good a time as any to allocate some Rising Sun Ratings on a scale of 1-3 for the key Japanese contenders. Set to…

Reine Minoru draws clear of Soul Stirring in the Oka Sho Report: Japan, Sunday There was no instant Classic success for Frankel as Soul Stirring finished third behind surprise winner Reine Minoru (Masaru Honda/Kenichi Ikezoe) in the Oka Sho, Japan's equivalent of the 1000 Guineas, at Hanshin on Sunday. Soul Stirring, who became the debut top-level…

Contrail looked a monster at two and could become one of the stars of the Japanese spring Unlike many other major northern hemisphere racing and breeding nations, Japan has thus far been able to keep its Graded race programme intact in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. With the sport continuing minus its passionate on-course chorus of fans,…

It will be a different scene this year at the Cox Plate, with the COVID-19 pandemic still heavily affecting Victoria and crowds unlikely to be able to attend the big race. The 2020 edition of the Group 1 Cox Plate will be held on Saturday 24th October at Moonee Valley, capping off a big weekend that also includes the Group 1 Manikato Stakes on the…

So far, so good for Baaeed, who might not be Frankel yet and probably never will be, but he is not doing a bad impression of the Juddmonte superstar's 2012 campaign. Then, as a four-year-old, the legendary colt swept to victories in the Lockinge and Queen Anne before the midsummer miling highlight, which he won in customary commanding…

In the days leading up to the 38th Breeders' Cup at Del Mar in California, usracing.com is publishing profiles on the horses in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (Saturday, Nov. 6). The profiles will be updated following the post-position draw on Monday, Nov. 1 (5:30 p.m. ET) By Ed McNamara In 1999 I was there at Longchamp, along with thousands…