G1 Queen Anne S.

Julien Leparoux, a two-time Eclipse Award winning rider, collected his 3,000th career win aboard Pike Place (Street Boss) in the third race at Churchill Downs on Thursday, the track said in a press release that same day. Leparoux, 41, launched his career in 2005. Raised in Chantilly, France, Leparoux's passion for horses led him to Southern California in 2003, where he began as an exercise rider for trainer Patrick Biancone. He transitioned to race riding and earned the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey in 2006. Three years later he...

Royal Ascot Tuesday got underway with an admirably professional Queen Anne display from Nurlan Bizakov's Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}--Futoon {Ire}, by Kodiac {GB}) as he finally plundered his Group 1 on the biggest stage. Runner-up in the G1 Lockinge S. at Newbury last month, the grey tracked that race's winner Audience (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) throughout the early stages but whereas he wasn't able to get to him previously this time he was already rolling by with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining. Out in the clear under Silvestre De Sousa chased...

One of the UK's biggest weeks is upon us and with perfect good-to-firm ground, Royal Ascot is set to welcome true summer Flat racing. That of the purest variety, favouring the faster of the breed, offering the opportunity for records to be threatened and broken. Two or three big names fell by the wayside on Monday, but most of the ones that matter in Europe will be here over the next five days as well as a select few from further afield. This meeting should be about the ability to...

Sunday saw the confirmations for 2024 Royal Ascot's opening day fixture, where the G1 St James's Palace S. is the rightful stage for the coming together of the 2,000 Guineas, Irish 2,000 Guineas and Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroes Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) and Metropolitan (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}). The latter has been supplemented for the mile contest and is joined by fellow French raider Darlinghurst (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), while Ballydoyle rely on last year's G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. hero Henry Longfellow (Ire)...

FanDuel TV's coverage of the entire Royal Meeting at Ascot will begin at 9:00 a.m. ET with first post scheduled daily at 9:30 a.m. ET from Tuesday, June 18 through Saturday, June 22, the network said in a release Friday. The broadcast team will include FanDuel TV's Scott Hazelton along with UK-based Nick Luck and Jess Stafford. Over the course of five days, the slate includes four Breeders' Cup Challenge Races--the G1 Queen Anne S., the G1 Prince of Wales's S., the G2 Norfolk S. and the G1 Diamond Jubilee...

Following Wednesday's confirmation stage, G1 2,000 Guineas winner Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is one of 11 possible runners in the G1 St James's Palace S. on the opening day of Royal Ascot on Tuesday, June 18. Unbeaten in four starts for Charlie Appleby, Notable Speech will be tasked with trying to confirm his Newmarket superiority over runner-up Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), who also has Ascot firmly in his sights having resumed winning ways with a determined victory in the G1 Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh last time....

Royal Ascot began with a one-two for Frankel (GB), but it was the 33-1 shot Triple Time (Ire) and not the higher-profile Inspiral (GB) who came out on top after a thrilling finale to Tuesday's opening G1 Queen Anne S. Remarkably, both were having their seasonal debuts but were able to shake off any rustiness to ensure that Juddmonte's giant dominated proceedings in this qualifier for the $2-million GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita in November. Denied a run in the G1 Lockinge S. due to a bout...

Godolphin's decorated multiple Group 1 winner Anamoe (Aus) (Street Boss {Aus}) is aiming at the G2 Apollo S. at Randwick on Feb. 11 prior to the G1 Chipping Norton S. in his last Southern Hemisphere campaign prior to a crack at Royal Ascot, Racing.com reported on Tuesday. "His ultimate goal this year would be to get to Royal Ascot and so his autumn would revolve around that," Cummings told the publication. "We're looking at three to four runs in the autumn with him. We want to bring him over to...

Tuesday's curtain-raiser to the Platinum Jubilee Royal Ascot 2022 went as planned, with Shadwell's Baaeed (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) carrying on his winning streak in the G1 Queen Anne S. in the kind of straightforward fashion that is his hallmark. With the G1 Lockinge S. runner-up Real World (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) taking it to him this time up the centre of the track, the 1-6 favourite was forced to engage with that rival more than he had done at Newbury but while the final margin was narrowed, the...

Godolphin's Classic runner-up Master Of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who won the G3 Earl Of Sefton S. at Newmarket in April, will miss an intended start in Royal Ascot's G1 Queen Anne S., trainer Charlie Appleby revealed. A winner of the G2 Superlative S. at two, the gelding added the G3 Craven S. last term prior to running a narrow second in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas last May. He was third in September's G2 Joel S. and was gelded after finishing unplaced in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II...

Following his imperious display in the G1 Lockinge S. on Saturday, Shadwell's Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) has emerged fresh and well from that effort, trainer William Haggas announced. Now seven-for-seven, the three-time Group 1 winner is now set for the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot in June. "He seems fine, he's very fresh," said Haggas. "He was certainly a bit fresh this morning so everything is great. "You always have a race, there's no such thing as an easy Group 1, but he looked to win...

While it is expected that The Queen will be at Royal Ascot on Tuesday, the fact that the monarch is not going to attend each day and that there will be no royal procession means that as far as normality is concerned we are far from out of the woods. In an upgrade on the atmospheric void that was 2020, there will be 12,000 in attendance to create some buzz at Flat racing's magnificent summer showcase which still boasts a strong, if slightly diminished, international element. While French entries have...