Is there anything like a pedigree update to get a consignor's blood pumping in the build-up to a big sale? A little winner here, a black-type update there, it can't hurt when it comes to advertising your wares.  Well, if it's happening pedigrees that buyers want, it won't take long to scope out lot 53 [...]

Racing has been rocked by the news that jockey Stefano Cherchi, 23, has died from the injuries sustained in a fall at Canberra, Australia, two weeks ago. The former apprentice to Marco Botti had been riding Hasime in the third race at Canberra when his mount fell. A statement released on Wednesday morning by NSW Jockeys [...]

Leading trainer Johnny Murtagh has identified the leading juvenile prospects that he is looking forward to unleashing this season but spoke out about the increased levels of frustration that trainers are facing when it comes to hanging on to their big-name stars due to what he describes as stagnant levels of prize-money in Ireland.  The [...]

Humility goes by the household name of humble and you will be hard pressed to find a more humble couple than Donna Cowens and Nicky Souza de Oliveira of DNA Equine. The pair burst onto the scene at the Goffs Breeze-Up Sale at Doncaster last year when selling Mantra (Ire) to Jake Warren on behalf [...]

Ryan Moore would have faced a straightforward decision to ride Opera Singer (Justify) in the 1,000 Guineas had Ballydoyle arrived at Newmarket with a full strength squad, according to Aidan O'Brien, who hopes Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}) can prove an able deputy to the runaway Prix Marcel Boussac winner on May 5 . O'Brien [...]

Aidan O'Brien is busy preparing for what could turn out to be one of his boldest ever campaigns at Ballydoyle with plans in place for City Of Troy (Justify) to tackle the 2,000 Guineas and the Derby followed by an audacious tilt at the Travers S. on the dirt at Saratoga later this summer. Meanwhile, [...]

Barry Fitzgerald may be an under-the-radar trainer but he is by no means unheard of. The County Carlow-based handler registered five winners in Ireland last season and six the previous campaign. What's more impressive is that he was operating at a hugely respectable 10 and 14 per cent strike-rate for those respective campaigns. No mean feat [...]

For the first time since 1996, Seamie Heffernan will not be based at Ballydoyle–but Aidan O'Brien's long and trusted ally has revealed that he still hopes to be riding big-race winners in the Coolmore colours in the future.  It has been one of the worst kept secrets in Irish racing for some time that Heffernan, [...]

There are few more respected figures in French National Hunt racing than Nicolas de Lageneste.  It seems as though everything de Lageneste turns his hand to, be that breeding, training or simply owning racehorses, it is a success. Last year he completed the rare achievement of being crowned champion National Hunt owner and breeder in [...]

Peter Molony, racing manager to Kenny Alexander, says he cannot split the powerful owner's Jade De Grugy (Fr), Kargese (Fr) and previous Cheltenham Festival scorer Telmesomethinggirl (Ire) when it comes to picking the operation's best chance of a winner at Prestbury Park next week.  The Rathmore Stud boss also provided a passionate riposte to some [...]

Trainer Jack Davison says he is convinced that rapid improver Bergamasco (Ire) (Cappella Sansevero {GB}) is a Group horse in the making and is preparing the colt for a tilt at the Britannia S. at Royal Ascot following a career-best performance in winning the Patton Race at Dundalk on Friday.  Bergamasco has gone from strength [...]

Wayne Lordan described his return to race-riding at Dundalk on Friday following an eight-month spell on the sidelines through injury as “a great feeling” and admitted to not realising how much he missed competitive action until he got the leg up aboard Navy Seal (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Patton Race. Alas, the Aidan O'Brien-trained [...]