group previews

Chester's unique "Roodeye" course swings back into action on Wednesday, with the often-informative three-day May Festival kicking off with the G3 Boodles Chester Vase and Listed Weatherbys Digital Solutions Cheshire Oaks starting the raft of English trials for the Derby and Oaks. With the Epsom picture clouded by the outcome of the 2000 Guineas and no obvious candidate emerging from the 1000 Guineas, we are officially into the informative period and the silly season at the same time with the next fortnight set to witness the usual violent fluctuations of...

Heavy rain hit Doncaster's Town Moor track on Thursday and refused to relent during the following afternoon, so the Saturday feature G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy is certain to be a thorough examination for its protagonists. It will ask a question of Ballydoyle's latest hot favourite for the juvenile endgame, the TDN Rising Star Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) who would have preferred the ground was in the other direction and now has to prove his mental resolve as well as his physical prowess. While the son of the high-class...

It has been mooted more than one this spring, but without labouring a point it seems clear after the declarations for the racing at ParisLongchamp on Sunday that Messrs Fabre and Peslier are linked again, at least for the time being. France's dynamic duo combine with two major chances in the group races on the fixture, with Lady Bamford's Dreamflight (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the nine-furlong G3 Prix la Force and with Gestut Schlenderhan's returning Mare Australis (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in the G2 Prix d'Harcourt over a mile and a...

With Saturday's G1 Pertemps St Leger attracting a dozen runners and Frankie Dettori booked for Ballydoyle's G1 Irish Derby hero Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}), Doncaster's action has its customary focus but before that is a card on Friday that features races at the extremes. In the G2 Bombardier Flying Childers S., 2-year-olds will be flying over five furlongs before the older stayers get their chance to shine in the G2 bet365 Doncaster Cup over almost two and a quarter miles. Such is the rich diversity of the meeting and although...