Ascot

French jockey Mickaelle Michel will ride for the first time in next month's Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot as part of the Ladies Team. The leading female rider in France in 2018, Michel then set a record for most wins by a foreign jockey on Japan's NAR circuit with 30 victories from 267 rides. The 26-year-old finished third in Japan's World All-Star Jockeys Championship in 2019, and last autumn she won the G2 Premio Jockey Club in Italy aboard Walderbe (Ger) (Maxios {GB}). The Covid-19 pandemic prevented her...

Godolphin's pair of 2021 Derby winners-G1 Cazoo Derby winner Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby victor Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) are both progressing well since their Classic scores according to trainer Charlie Appleby. The former, who was second in the G3 bet365 Classic Trial on Apr. 23 and the May 8 Listed Novibet Derby Trial S., turned in a solid piece of work on Saturday. The bay is pointing toward the July 24 G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO S. at Ascot....

Guy Henderson will retire from his position as chief executive officer of Ascot after next year's Royal meeting, which will be his eighth in that position. Henderson said, "We make this announcement as the process to appoint the next CEO begins. Meanwhile, it remains business as usual as we deliver the remainder of the 2021 racing and events programme and build towards Royal Ascot 2022 in the Platinum Jubilee year. This will be a unique event at Ascot about which we are all very excited." Sir Francis Brooke, Her Majesty's...

Ascot Racecourse will fund the Professional Jockeys Association's Career Ending Insurance scheme for a period of one month while the PJA continues discussions with industry stakeholders to establish a sustainable long-term funding solution. The scheme pays out a capital sum should a jockey suffer a career-ending injury. The scheme was traditionally funded through commercial sponsorship but for the last two years has been paid for out of PJA reserves, assisted for the last six months by a grant from the Horserace Betting Levy Board. Jon Holmes, chairman of the PJA,...

She has waited long enough, it seems, and the time has finally arrived for the rekindling of Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) at Royal Ascot. Denied outings in the Arc, the Breeders' Cup and the Tattersalls Gold Cup, Ballydoyle's G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Epsom Oaks heroine has everything in her favour at last as the sun beats down on the famed Berkshire strip. Successful in her three 3-year-old starts--which also included the G1 Yorkshire Oaks--by a cumulative margin of 18 1/2 lengths, the chestnut lines up against the colts for...

Godolphin homebred Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {Ire}), who won the G1 Cazoo Derby on Saturday, excited the race in good order and will target the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot on July 24. If he completes the double, he would be the first horse to do so since his grandsire Galileo (Ire) in 2001. Trainer Charlie Appleby said, "He has come out of the race great. As you saw he went on the seawalker yesterday morning and he has been out for a jog this morning...

Group 2 winner Laws of Indices (Ire) (Power {GB}), fourth in the G3 Goffs Lacken S. at Naas on May 16, will likely make a quick return in the G2 Sandy Lane S. at Haydock on May 22. Successful in the G2 Railway S. as a juvenile and third in the 2020 G1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere in October, the Ken Condon trainee was fifth in the Listed Ballylinch Stud "Red Rocks" 2000 Guineas Trial S. at Leopardstown in the wake of subsequent G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas victor Poetic Flare...

Shadwell's Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is aiming to defend his G1 King's Stand S. title at Royal Ascot and is training well trainer Charlie Hills reports. The 7-year-old gelding is thriving at Hills's yard in Lamborne after recovering from a small fracture sustained in the off season. The bay was undefeated in three starts last term, beginning in with the King's Stand in June, followed by the July 31 G2 King George Qatar S. and the Aug. 21 G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. "Battaash has been back with us a...

   Following the exploits of stablemate Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) on Friday, the onus is on Clarehaven's longer-standing cult hero Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) to maintain the momentum for John and Thady Gosden in Wednesday's G3 Longines Sagaro S. at Ascot. Out earlier this year with some excess weight to shed ahead of his bid for a dream fourth G1 Gold Cup at the Royal meeting, the 7-year-old will be a warm order back in his favoured arena despite his 2020 campaign tailing off with a disappointing...

The QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame, the first official Hall of Fame for British Flat racing honouring the champions of the sport, will be unveiled on Monday, Apr. 26, QIPCO announced on Wednesday. Marking the 10th year QIPCO has sponsored the British Champions Series which started in 2011, the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame will immortalise the modern greats of British Flat racing-both human and equine-from 1970 onward. (Click here to view a highlights reel of modern greats). New members of the Hall of Fame will...

Felicity Barnard has been named to the role of Ascot Commercial Director, the racecourse announced on Monday. Barnard, who will report to Ascot Chief Executive Guy Henderson, will be responsible for devising and implementing commercial strategy for in venue sales and marketing, partnerships, sponsorship, licencing, memberships and new income streams. Ascot Finance Director Ian McGregor is in charge of the racecourse's domestic and international broadcast, media and data rights while a review of how these areas should be developed is underway. Previously, Barnard spent four years as CEO of Tie...

Ascot will not host spectators at the upcoming December Racing Meeting, held Dec. 18-19, as a result of the local authority in which Ascot is situated--the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead--moving into Tier Three of COVID-19 restrictions, beginning midnight on Friday, Dec. 18. Additionally, Ascot has decided to exclude the public for the Dec. 18 card after consulting with Public Health England and its Safety Advisory Group. Cases in the south of England have risen over 40% in the last week and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead...