#Paul Hanagan

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…

The summer of 1966 was a memorable one, as Aunt Edith became the first filly to win the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in what was the 16th renewal. Trained by Noel Murless and ridden by Lester Piggott, Aunt Edith was bouncing back from an odds-on defeat in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, where she finished a 15-length…

Last Saturday Harry Skelton was crowned champion jump jockey after a long tussle with Brian Hughes and now the Flat battle gets under way, and it could be just as exciting. After a pandemic-affected title chase last year, the race returns to its 2000 Guineas day to Champions Day format this time, with Oisin Murphy hoping to finish top of the table…

Richard Kingscote: gets the plum ride back on board Great Ambassador in the Ayr Gold Cup Richard Kingscote will be reunited with Great Ambassador in the Ayr Gold Cup (3.40) after the ante-post favourite was confirmed in a full field of 25 runners for Saturday's feature race. The son of Exceed And Excel has been in flying form since moving to Ed…

After a productive Friday, Racing TV ambassador Paul Mulrennan talks us through his five rides on Saturday at Redcar. Away from the testing conditions at Royal Ascot, it was a different scene on the North East coast at Redcar on Friday where I enjoyed a productive day at the office with a couple of winners - Southern Voyage and Boltaway - and I'll…

THE Ayr Gold Cup is Scotland's richest Flat race and one of the biggest betting heats of the season. The overall pot is £150000, with the winner netting over £75000 for connections. The value of the six furlong race attracts horses from some of England and Scotland's top yards. Great Ambassador won the Garrowby Stakes at York earlier this month and…

PALACE PIER started Royal Ascot 2021 with a bang with a comfortable victory in the Queen Anne Stakes. The four-year-old son of Kingman - who also won the St James's Palace Stakes at the Royal meeting last season - was the leading three-year-old miler last season and he has picked up where he left off as he cruised to victory in the Group One…

Peaceful: won last season's Irish 1000 Guineas Your guide to Sunday's Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh, the second Irish Classic of the season.

Santa Barbara: a well-supported favourite for the 1000 Guineas Santa Barbara heads a maximum field of 12 for the Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on Sunday. The daughter of Camelot, who was successful on her only start as a two-year-old, has been well backed in recent weeks and is now the general 5-4 favourite following the withdrawal of second…

In a disintegrating country, stuck for the moment with a Prime Minister who can't see the difference between a proliferation of photo-ops and the act of governing, we needed a Royal Ascot week. No racecourse in the world does photo-ops better than Ascot - the carriage processions, the toppers and tails (and yes, Madam, wear what appears to be a…

Santa Barbara: at home at Ballydoyle Your guide to the Qipco 1000 Guineas (3.40), the first fillies' Classic of the season and Sunday's big race at Newmarket. Won the Cheveley Park Stakes and the Fred Darling; leading contender if she stays a mile Trainer: Andrew Balding Jockey: Oisin Murphy Odds: 100-30 Juvenile wins came in Sandown Listed event…

1st Ribchester 11/10 favourite 2nd Mutakayyef 5/1 3rd Deauville 12/1 Ribchester, widely thought of as one of the best bets of Royal Ascot following his victory in the Lockinge Stakes, didn't disappoint with an impressive victory in the Queen Anne Stakes. Pacemakers Toscanini and Dutch Uncle set a rapid tempo and were ignored by the majority of the…

The Ridler: controversial winner of the Norfolk Stakes Paul Hanagan could hardly have hoped for a better start to life as a freelancer after landing the Norfolk Stakes with 50-1 shot The Ridler. It has been a turbulent month for the dual champion jockey and he could not hide his emotion after winning for Richard Fahey, with whom his formal…

Mother Earth winning the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket Top honours in the three-year-old fillies' mile division will be up for grabs as Guineas winners Mother Earth and Empress Josephine face off in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot on Friday. Ryan Moore will partner Qipco 1000 Guineas winner Mother Earth with Seamie Heffernan continuing his…

In her Platinum Jubilee Year, the Queen's odds-on favourite Reach For The Moon was beaten by Claymore in the Hampton Court Stakes. Dettori was also a runner-up on Saga, as Thesis won the Britannia Stakes. And he had a nightmare passage as Stradivarius was denied a record-equalling fourth Gold Cup. The 13-8 favourite Kyprios, ridden by Ryan Moore…

Bielsa: aiming for back-to-back Ayr Gold Cup wins Bielsa and Kevin Stott will bid to become the first back-to-back winners of the Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup Handicap (3.40) after the defending champion was declared for Scotland's most valuable race. The seven-year-old is yet to score since winning the £150000 handicap last year and will face a full…