Derby

Swordlestown Little's Mariann Klay, who along with her husband Des Leadon bred the impressive G3 Chester Vase winner and new Derby favourite Arrest (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), says that soft ground will be key to the Juddmonte colt's Epsom challenge.  Arrest, trained by John and Thady Gosden, shot to the head of the Derby market after sluicing up in his favoured testing ground at Chester on Wednesday.  That prompted bookmakers to propel Arrest to Derby favouritism at odds of 6-1, usurping 2,000 Guineas disappointment Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Klay...

Jessica Harrington has never won the Derby but that could change this season judging by the performance Sprewell (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) posted in winning a key trial at Leopardstown on Sunday.  Sent to post an 8-1 shot for the Group 3 Derby Trial S., Sprewell travelled into the race better than anything under Shane Foley, and quickened clear to win a cosy three lengths at the winning line.  It was a taking performance from the Churchill colt, owned by Mohamed Khalid Mohamed Abdulrahim, who was cut to 20-1 for Epsom. ...

Betfred has been announced as the new sponsor of the Derby, described by the company's founder Fred Done as "greatest Flat race in the world". In a deal initially lasting three years, the bookmaking firm will also sponsor the Oaks. This year's meeting takes place on June 2 and 3. The largest independent bookmaker in Britain, with 1,400 high street shops,  Betfred has also expanded into South Africa and currently operates across 10 American states. The company was racing's biggest sponsor between 2011 and 2018, its backing including the ßCheltenham...

While conducting a long overdue tidy-up of my office I came across a copy of the brilliant Pacemaker International magazine of June 1980. (For the avoidance of doubt, it had not been on my desk all that time.) There were some throwbacks, such as an advert for Leslie Combs II's draft of yearlings from Spendthrift, and another for Rover cars (imagine that in a racing publication nowadays!), as well as items that served as a reminder that the more things change, the more they stay the same. To this effect,...

Richard Kingscote is far too nice. He is also a damn good jockey. And if people hadn't realised that before this year, they certainly do now. The 36-year-old is no newcomer to racing's main stage but until this past season he had to a degree been cast as a reliable sidekick to leading actors such as Frankie Dettori and Ryan Moore. Dettori is one of only a few jockeys who is instantly identifiable by his first name alone, and in true 'Frankie style' the recent announcement of his retirement allows...

The dam of this season's Derby winner Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) realized 1.9 million guineas from M.V. Magnier at Tuesday's Tattersalls December Mare Sale. Offered as lot 1891, Desert Berry (GB) (Green Desert) was consigned by Strawberry Fields Stud. The 13-year-old mare is also responsible for Hong Kong Group 3 victor Archie McKellar (GB) (aka Flying Thunder). Desert Crown was sold in foal to Nathaniel, meaning she is carrying a full-sibling to Desert Crown.     ⚜️ . # Desert Berry, whose son Desert Crown won this year's Derby,...

The Derby will move away from its traditional yearling entry stage and will operate on a solely three-year-old entry system from the 2024 running of the Classic. A statement released on Thursday by Jockey Club Racecourses, which owns Epsom Downs, home of the Derby and the Oaks, read, "The move comes following discussion with stakeholders and after a three-year-old only entry system worked well for the 2022 race, when the yearling entry stage due to take place in 2020 was not considered feasible due to the pandemic. "As such, the...

Jim Bolger has offered up a glowing tribute to multiple Group 1 and Classic-winning stable jockey Kevin Manning, who at the age of 55, announced his retirement from the saddle after riding a winner for his legendary father-in-law at Galway.  Manning joined Bolger in 1978. Together, they won the Derby with New Approach (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the Irish Derby with Trading Leather (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and came within a whisker of completing the 1,000 Guineas treble with Finsceal Beo (Ire) (Mr Greeley), who went out on her shield at Longchamp...

One-time Derby favourite Reach For The Moon (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) will return to action at Saint-Cloud on Saturday. Connections of the John and Thady Gosden-trained colt opted to sidestep the Derby after he picked up a mid-season setback. Instead, Reach For The Moon was aimed at Royal Ascot, where he was beaten as a 2-5 favourite behind Claymore (Fr) (New Bay {GB}) in the Hampton Court S. Now owned by the King, he is back in action over a mile in Paris for the Group 3 Prix Perth,...

Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) is doubtful to run again this season but connections of the brilliant G1 Derby winner are committed to keeping him in training next year.  Sir Michael Stoute's sixth Derby winner has not raced since his Epsom triumph and Bruce Raymond, racing manager to owner Saeed Suhail, delivered the news on Friday's Nick Luck Daily Podcast that the colt was unlikely to reappear again in 2022.  "The difficult thing is, would he [Stoute] have time to prepare him [for the major races in the autumn] and...

Golden Horn (GB), the brilliant G1 Derby winner and European Horse of the Year in 2015, will take up stallion duties at Overbury Stud after being sold to new investors Dash Grange Stud from Darley and Anthony Oppenheimer. The move will see Golden Horn, who has already sired 13 individual winners over jumps in Britain and Ireland, marketed as a dual-purpose stallion. Golden Horn is best remembered for storming to Derby glory under Frankie Dettori in 2015. He won handsomely from subsequent Irish Derby hero Jack Hobbs (GB), who he...

An exciting career awaits in Australia but, before Derby runner-up Hoo Ya Mal (GB) (Territories {Ire}) joins Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott down under, he will be prepared by George Boughey for an ambitious tilt at the St Leger at Doncaster.  Trained by Andrew Balding to split Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) at Epsom, Hoo Ya Mal was subsequently snapped up by his new connections for a whopping £1.2million at the Goffs London Sale.  While races like the Melbourne Cup are what Hoo Ya Mal...