Europe

Coursetrack, the live, in-race timing information system, is now in place at all 26 Irish racecourses, Racecourse Media Group (RMG) announced on Friday. The final course to receive the system was Laytown. Horses carry lightweight GPS trackers, designed to fit within the saddlecloth. In-race data for all races in Ireland--including race clock, leader's speed, leader's time per furlong and distance to finish--is supplied to networks, including RTE, Virgin Media, ITV and Racing TV, for live broadcasts. The data has been published online for all races at all Irish racecourses from...

The seminar 'From Paddock To Parliament', examining the cross section of politics, bloodstock and agriculture, will be held by the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (ITBA) on Thursday, Oct. 31. Set for Goffs, Kildare Paddocks, Kill in Co Kildare, the seminar will include female speakers from three different political parties: Minister Pippa Hackett, of the Department of Agriculture represents the Green party, Senator Fiona O'Loughlin of Fianna Fail, who will be contesting the General Election as their candidate in Kildare South, and Nina Carberry, MEP of Fine Gael who was recently...

The 2025 Irish fixture list was published by Horse Racing Ireland on Friday. The number of fixtures is unchanged from 2024 at 395 after the Board of HRI approved the list in their meeting earlier this week. Only four fixtures remain to be allocated, with the remainder retained as floating fixtures to be utilised during the year to deal with time periods when there is very high demand for opportunities to run from the horse population. There is also a contingency fixture list to reassign Tipperary's dates if needed while...

Sir Michael Stoute trainee Anna Swan (GB) (Almanzor {Fr}--Vivionn {GB}, by Dubawi {Ire}), a G1 Fillies' Mile entry who notched an impressive 5 1/2-length win at Great Yarmouth last month, remained on an upward trajectory and made all to post a two-length tally in Friday's Dubai Duty Free Full Of Surprises British EBF Fillies' Conditions Stakes at Newbury.   🇬🇧 British EBF Fillies' Conditions Stakes @NewburyRacing @BritishEBF Newbury - Classe 2 - 2 ans - 1408m - 4 Pts 🏆Anna Swan 🏇William Buick @WilliamBuickX 📖(Almanzor (Fr) @Haras_d_Etreham - Vivionn (Gb)...

by Josh Spasaro Greg Nichols and Vin Cox have called for a more thorough classification process to Group and Listed races after reports on Friday revealed the Golden Eagle and The Shorts were soon set for Group 1 status. News began circulating on Friday that the Golden Eagle and G2 The Shorts would be lifted to Group 1 status after being reported on News Corp publication Racenet. Other Sydney races mentioned to be boosted to Group 1 billing include The Everest and Victoria's The All-Star Mile, however it is understood...

A free seminar on reducing the risk of fractures and other bone injuries in racehorses will be hosted by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) in The Club at Goffs on Oct. 2. The seminar, which will be delivered by internationally renowned Professor Chris Whitton, is aimed at trainers, owners, veterinarians and anyone involved in the care of racing Thoroughbreds. Whitton, who previously spoke on developing preventative training and management protocols for racehorses at Leopardstown in 2018, leads the Equine Limb Injury Prevention Programme, funded by Racing Victoria, the Victorian...

Defence Missile (Ire) (Sottsass {Fr}) (lot 33), a half-brother to group winners Speak Of The Devil (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Morando (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}), topped the Tattersalls Online September Sale for 41,000gns on Thursday. Consigned by Dullingham Park and purchased by Paul Corrigan, the bay placed in three starts this season and is out of the winner Moranda (Fr) (Indian Rocket {GB}). Paul Corrigan said of the 78-rated colt, "Sam [Haggas, bloodstock agent] said the time of his run at Salisbury was pretty quick so he could be rated...

Having confessed my love for one dual Nunthorpe winner, Borderlescott (GB), in a TDN feature published during York's Ebor Festival, it now seems only fair to revisit the story of another, the force of nature that was Mecca's Angel (Ire), successful on the Knavesmire in 2015 and 2016 and now one of the most exciting young broodmares on the planet through the exploits of her daughters, Content (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Bedtime Story (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). For former owner David Metcalfe it's the story that just keeps on giving, even...

Jean-Louis Bouchard's Group 1 winner Feed The Flame (GB) (Kingman {GB}) has been retired for stallion duty trainer Pascal Bary confirmed to Paris Turf on Thursday. Stud plans are pending for the 4-year-old. Out of Knyazhna (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), the bay was bred by Monceaux, Lordship Stud and Clear Light SAS. Offered by Monceaux during the 2021 Arqana August Yearling Sale, he brought €270,000 from SAS Larrieu Gerard. A winner of his first two starts last spring with the former effort good for 'TDN Rising Star' status, Feed The Flame...

William Hill is the new sponsor for the G1 Futurity Trophy Stakes, the bookmaker announced on Thursday. The race will now be known as the William Hill Futurity Trophy Stakes, which will take place a Doncaster on Oct. 26. Previously sponsored by the bookmaker in 1976, the race headlines the two-day meeting, where eight additional races will also bear the William Hill name. There have also been five Classic winners produced from the previous seven renewals of the Futurity Trophy, and trainer Aidan O'Brien is currently after his 12th edition...

Sacred Spirit (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), a winner of the Listed Grand Prix de Lyon, anchors a quintet of wildcards that were added to Arqana's Arc Sale on Thursday. Consigned as lot 15, the gelding was second in the G3 Prix de Reux and third in the G2 Grand Prix de Deauville and is rated 106. Joining the Andre Fabre-trained son of listed winner and Group 1 producer Sahrawi (Ger) (Pivotal {GB}) is lot 29, listed scorer Rosa Salvaje (Ire) (Maximum Security); multiple group-placed and 109-rated Supercooled (Ire) (Lope De Vega...

Andy Makiv has been appointed as Godolphin Australia's new managing director, it was announced on Thursday. Makiv joined Godolphin Australia in 2008 and was based in Victoria, first as nominations manager and then as general manager which saw him oversee the Carbine Lodge racing stable and Northwood Park. In 2021, he was appointed head of sales. The managing director role was vacated by Vin Cox, who moved over to run Yulong Stud at the end of last year. "I'm honoured to be part of such a dynamic organisation," said Makiv....