#Joseph O'Brien

After a week of action, elation, tears and turmoil, the Cheltenham Festival concluded with the Gold Cup. The Gold Cup is one of the richest races in Britain, and this year's crown went to A Plus Tard as Rachael Blackmore created history. Blackmore had a dream 2021 though she made the decision to go with A Plus Tard last year when stablemate Minella…

Five meetings take place in four countries on a busy day of horse racing across the British Isles on Tuesday. The action commences at Brighton (1.00-4.10pm), which is one of four Flat cards along with Hamilton in Scotland (2.15-5.20), Roscommon in Ireland (4.40-8.10) and Chepstow in Wales (5.50-8.50). The lone jumps card is at Stratford…

Hannibal Barca (right): seen here finishing fourth to Luxembourg in the Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster The presence of Hannibal Barca, having his first start for Joseph O'Brien, adds significant intrigue to this Group 3 which was won by Leading Light in 2013 prior to his St Leger success. Indeed, he went on to win the Ascot Gold Cup the…

Haddex Des Obeaux: could be just the sort for a big handicap following his win at Warwick On a busy day of action across Britain and Ireland, there were plenty of clues on offer looking ahead to some of the major handicaps at Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown this spring, but who caught the eyes of our judges? As Tony Blair might have said, the…

Honeysuckle and Rachael Blackmore will aim to bounce back from her first defeat at Fairyhouse to win a fourth consecutive Irish Champion Hurdle This year's Dublin Racing Festival looks set to play host to a star-studded line-up after early entries for the two-day Irish calendar highlight at Leopardstown were revealed on Thursday. Eight Grade 1s…

Al Boum Photo: new Punchestown Gold Cup favourite following defection of Minella Indo Your guide to Wednesday's Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup (5.55), the feature race on day two at the Punchestown festival. The field was on Monday reduced to six following the withdrawal of hot favourite Minella Indo.

Shark Hanlon has never been one to shy away from the big occasion and believes it will take a "fair one" to beat bet365 Gold Cup winner Hewick in next week's Galway Plate. The trainer is readying the seven-year-old for a tilt at the €270000 contest on Wednesday, July 27 (6.40) on his first start over fences since a dominant display on the final day…

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…

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…

Not without late support but sent off at 100/30 as the Willie Mullins second-string behind stablemate Grangeclare West, Champ Kiely set off in front and barely saw another rival en route to winning Sunday's two and a half-mile feature. The seven-year-old son of Ocavango, who disappointed when only fourth as the odds-on jolly in the Royal Bond over…

Let's start with some detail on our top tips for Sunday's action, you can find a full list of selections for every race across all the tracks at the bottom of the page. Don't forget to check out the racecards, results and live odds in the Planet Sport racing live centre. Lady Adare can defy a lengthy absence and return with a victory in the Stables…

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…

The Naas Novice Hurdle (14:20) on Sunday is available as a free Race Pass, which means logged-in customers can view all our premium comments and ratings. There are several promising types among the nine runners declared for the Grade 1 Lawlor's of Naas Novice Hurdle (14:20) which has been won by Gordon Elliott in four of the last six years. The…

A winner at Kempton first time out this season, he finished runner-up in the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton before coming home fourth of five to runaway winner Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day. The evergreen 11-year-old, owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, will build towards the Cheltenham Festival with a possible…

It was another fantastic festive period of equine action as Leopardstown and Limerick took centre stage at the end of December. Not surprisingly, Kilkenny trainer Willie Mullins continued to dominate the training sphere over the days after Christmas as he saddled 16 winners, of which were five Grade 1's. In total Mullins had 73 runners over the…

Racing expert Kevin Blake was the toast of many punters yesterday when his three selections won at the Cheltenham Festival. Blake picked Mrs Milner (12/1) in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle, Telmesomethinggirl (6/1) in the Mares' Novice Hurdle and Mount Ida (9/2) in the Kim Muir Handicap Chase. One punter from Waterford wagered a €20 each-way treble…

Watch how the Royal Ascot winner held on by a head to provide Aidan O'Brien with his fourteenth victory in the Curragh Classic plus reaction from the Ballydoyle maestro and winning-jockey Seamie Heffernan. Santiago was a 14th winner of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby for Aidan O'Brien - who trained the first four home in this year's Classic at the…

LAS VEGAS - It was sure to happen, wasn't it? With the rising popularity of handicapping contests in horse racing, there had to be growing pains. And you had better believe the news that broke late this week from the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge is a pain. "I have full confidence that there was nothing amiss there," said Nisan Gabbay, 40, the…

Tuesday has headed the market for the Irish 1000 Guineas but is not being labelled with the'certainty' tag as her stablemate Concert Hall is also being supported. Concert Hall narrowly won a 1m2f Listed contest on her reappearance and is now dropping back in trip for a tilt at the Irish Classic with the market suggesting she's in with a chance. The…

Clan Des Obeaux will face eight rivals as he goes for back-to-back victories in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup, the highlight on day two of the Festival meeting. Paul Nicholls' charge kept on strongly to outgun Al Boum Photo in the hands of Sam Twiston-Davies 12 months ago, but it is Harry Cobden who rides the 10-year-old time around. Having…

Minella Indo and A Plus Tard, last year's first and second, top 30 entries for the Cheltenham Gold Cup - the highlight of the Festival meeting in March. Trained by Henry de Bromhead, the duo were separated by just a length and a quarter in 2021, but it is A Plus Tard who is the ante-post favourite at this stage after winning the Betfair Chase…

Bob Olinger (left) must overcome Flooring Porter (right) if he's to win Leopardstown's Christmas Hurdle This division is all over the place at the moment but if Monday's rescheduled Long Walk Hurdle told us anything, it was that the old guard still has plenty to offer in the new world of staying hurdling. Paisley Park taught the new dogs a few…

Aidan O'Brien: has grand plans for Luxembourg this season The Classics are drawing ever closer and after another busy week of action, including trials at Newbury, here are ten quotes that could give us clues. . . He's a bigger horse than Camelot and I think he has more pace, so that would give you hope going for a Guineas. We'll have to wait and…

Once 5-2 favourite for last year's Derby, High Definition now finds himself among the top six in the betting for this season's Supreme Novices' Hurdle after staying on resolutely to make a winning hurdles debut for Joseph O'Brien. Nearly seven months to the day that he was narrowly denied a Group 1 victory on the Flat by Alenquer in the Tattersalls…

Donkey Years (left) and Panda Boy are both well fancied for the Paddy Power Chase Renowned as one of the toughest handicap chases in the Irish calendar, the Paddy Power Chase has seen just one winning favourite across the last 17 runnings. Another tricky puzzle looks in store, but punters are often well rewarded for solving this 28-runner…

Laszlo Geczo/INPHOA view of the tribute to Davy Russell during the Leoparstown Races today. # expert view Johnny Ward: Crowds return, Mullins lands treble and JP McManus tactics key The first day of the four-day extravaganza was dominated by the champion trainer. Updated at 19.50 AFTER TWO YEARS of this Festival with no crowds, little surprise…

One-time Derby favourite High Definition made a successful start to his jumping career in the opening race of the Christmas Festival at Leopardstown. The Galileo colt looked every inch a Classic contender in the making after charging home to win the Beresford Stakes as a two-year-old, but had failed to get his head in front in 12 subsequent…

Saint Roi and Lossiemouth were the highlights of a sparkling Willie Mullins treble at Leopardstown on Monday. The former came from last to first to open his account over fences in the Brand New Racing Post App Novice Chase at Leopardstown. Fourth in the Irish Champion Hurdle, the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and the Punchestown Champion Hurdle…

Aside from everything that goes with the Cheltenham Festival in March, there is no better time of the year for racing disciples than Christmas with the finest of equine action everywhere you look. he cream of the Irish crop is certainly at Leopardstown over the next four days, although the opening show is a bit of a slow-burner at the Foxrock…

Ado McGuinness once again adopts a scattergun approach as he bids to land a record-extending fourth successive win in Galway's day two highlight. A squad of six was sent out to secure an unprecedented hat-trick in this race 12 months ago when 50-1 shot Sirjack Thomas recorded a shock success. This time McGuinness is going to even further lengths by…

PRINCESS ZOE (4.20) can finally reign supreme for Anthony Mullins in the Gold Cup on Day Four of Royal Ascot. The mare handled this gruelling Group 1 well when a cracking second to Subjectivist 12 months ago. The grey ran another stormer when chasing home Twilight Payment back over 1m 6f at the Curragh. She was then over the top when a lacklustre…

It was when winning the Christmas Grade One in 2020 that the eight-year-old first announced himself as a leading player in the staying division and although having to settle for second behind stablemate Minella Indo at Prestbury Park later that season, got his crowning moment earlier this year when romping away with the blue riband in the hands of…

Delta Work has become a little bit of a forgotten horse. True, he was well beaten in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase on his seasonal debut, but he is never at his best on his seasonal return, and he reportedly came home lame that day, so you can allow him that. Gordon Elliott's horse was one of the top staying novice chasers last season. He beat Le…

Former football star-turned stable owner Michael Owen is expected to score in front of the ITV4 cameras at Chester today with Ever Given, plus Newsboy gives his tips on every other race from Wednesday's race meetings at Kempton, Kelso and Fontwell Michael Owen could be celebrating another'home' victory at Chester today with EVER GIVEN. The colt,…

Galopin Des Champs ran out an impressive winner at Punchestown under Paul Townend (left) Galopin Des Champs was cut to 7-4 favourite from 5-2 by Paddy Power for the 2023 Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup after producing a performance of real quality for trainer Willie Mullins in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase. The eight-day delay in the…

10 fillies have been declared for the Belmont Oaks which is due off at 21:06 UK time on Saturday evening. Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore have teamed up successfully twice in this mile and a quarter contest in recent seasons, winning it with Athena in 2018 and Santa Barbara last year, both of whom had been placed in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the…

It was back in early April that Point Lonsdale's potential was first highlighted by Aidan O'Brien in the Racing Post's stable tour series and the long-range 2000 Guineas and Derby favourite hasn't put a foot wrong since. "He's doing everything right," O'Brien said at the time, adding: "He's a brother to Broome but is going to be earlier than…

KING'S LYNN can win the Cazoo Temple Stakes (3.45pm) for The Queen at Haydock Park on Saturday afternoon. The Andrew Balding-trained five-year-old can go one better than at Chester last time to upset favourite Winter Power in the Group Two feature on Merseyside. And he can book his ticket to the King's Stand Stakes and bid to give Her Majesty…

Racing fans will be watching Newmarket on Saturday where the first Classic of the Flat season is run at 3.40. The race is one of six on the ITV schedule The first Classic races of the Flat season take place this weekend, with Wembley hoping to score in the Qipco 2000 Guineas. The Galileo colt, named after the home of English football, was backed in…

Jungle Cove: seeking another major handicap win under Dylan Kidd No favourite has won this historic handicap since 2000, so it could pay to think outside the box when it comes to cracking the big-race puzzle. Unexposed three-year-old Janoobi, trained by Ger Lyons, is one of the most appealing candidates towards the head of the market, but…

Empress Josephine ate up ground in the last furlong to give trainer Aidan O'Brien his 10th win in the Irish 1000 Guineas and jockey Seamie Heffernan his fifth, when pipping stablemate Joan of Arc by a short head at the Curragh on Sunday. The 14-1 winner looks likely to head to Royal Ascot for the Coronation Stakes again over a mile, while Joan Of…

Lafayette (pink silks): reopposes High Definition and Bear Story after landing last month's Hollywoodbets Alleged Stakes Noel Meade and Aidan O'Brien served up some excellent early tussles in 2021 with Broome and Helvic Dream, and the leading trainers will likely be to the fore again as Alleged Stakes 1-2 Layfayette and High Definition…

FAKIR D'OUDAIRES can land a big prize for Ireland in the Grade 1 Marsh Chase. Joseph O'Brien's chaser is as tough as they come and bounded clear by 11 lengths in this race 12 months ago. Returning in his usual consistent manner, JP McManus' seven-year-old recorded a 15-length score at Grade 2 level in November. There was no disgrace in finding…

We use the Timeform filter to pick out our two most interesting bets on today's racing. Our Filter tool lets you create your own list of horses to bet on based on the criteria you judge to be most important. River Chorus - 14:20 Lingfield ✔ UK Flat racing ✔ Horse was a winner last time ✔ Horse is top on weight-adjusted ratings ✔ Jockey has…

Well two for Paul Nicholls and with neither Nicky Henderson or the Ditcheat maestro having runners in the feature - he looks firm favourite to take a 13th Trainers' Championship. We had a winner for Ireland - one for Scotland - and one for Wales... Make sure you join Andy Jones and myself for all of the action tomorrow from 10am. The feature race…

He got off the mark on his racecourse debut in a seven-furlong maiden at the Irish Derby meeting at The Curragh last year, getting home by a whisker in in one of the most exciting finishes of the entire 2021 season. Ger Lyons' colt stepped forward from that on his second and final run last season when he landed the Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile…

There are seven meetings across the UK and Ireland on Thursday, five Flat and two National Hunt. Haydock (1.00-4.00pm) and Yarmouth (1.50-4.50) provide the afternoon Flat action and there's also a jumps card at Perth (1.40-4.40). The evening meetings come from Bellewstown (4.35-8.30), Newbury (5.20-8.40) and Epsom (6.01-8.50) on the Flat, with jump…

Our Juvenile Watch (and reigning Tipstar champion) columnist Ross Millar returns to preview the remainder of the two-year-old races at the Royal meeting. Find out which horse he fancies to take advantage of a late change of target, particularly if forecast rain arrives. The first day of Royal Ascot has been and gone it was great to see crowds back…

Denis Hogan had two winners at Dundalk on Wednesday Wednesday: Dundalk County Tipperary trainer Denis Hogan landed an 84-1 double at Dundalk on Wednesday, which was headlined by Robert Whearty riding his first winner for him on Royal Tribute in the opening 7f claimer. Hogan's fine day began with victory as Whearty took advantage of his sole ride on…

Westover will be partnered by Colin Keane for a mouthwatering clash with Oaks heroine Tuesday in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh on Saturday. A fast-finishing third in the Derby at Epsom three weeks ago after enduring a troubled run, the Ralph Beckett-trained Westover has been at the head of ante-post lists for the Irish equivalent…