Nature Strip

New Zealand-born, but Australian-based jockey James McDonald easily outdistanced Ryan Moore to be named the Longines World's Best Jockey for 2022. McDonald will be honoured at a ceremony during the gala dinner for the Longines Hong Kong International Races Friday, Dec. 9, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The awarding of the Longines World's Best Jockey title is based upon performances in the 100 highest-rated Group 1 and Grade 1 races as established for the year by the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings Committee. The scoring incorporates races...

A total of 127 foreign-based gallopers--of which fully one-third have already succeeded at the highest level--from eight jurisdictions across the globe have been entered for the HK$110-million Longines Hong Kong International Races to be staged at Sha Tin Racecourse Sunday, Dec. 11. With strict COVID protocols in place over the past two years and with a closed-loop system which allowed overseas entrants to train and compete, the Longines Hong Kong International Races still proved to be a target coveted by overseas connections, and saw victorious performances from the likes of...

Royal Ascot 2022 had everything and from Ryan Moore playing with his rivals like a cat does with a mouse, to Charlie Appleby revealing he is eyeing a tilt at the A$10-million Golden Eagle with Noble Truth (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) after the gelding won the G3 Jersey S., the fifth and final day generated many more talking points. Brian Sheerin has been digesting the action for the week and is back once again to flesh out the major takeaways from Saturday's action.   Appleby Bidding To Snare The Eagle With...

Nature Strip (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}), a brilliant winner of Tuesday's King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot, will not bid to double up in the Platinum Jubilee S. on Saturday. Trained by Chris Waller, Nature Strip slammed his King's Stand S. rivals by over four lengths and, despite pulling out of the race in rude health, will not bid to emulate the great Choisir (Aus), who was the last Australian-trained horse to complete the King's Stand and Platinum Jubilee double in 2003. Nature Strip's managing owner Rod Lyons told Racing.com, "No...

And breathe. As starting dishes go, few have been tastier than what Ascot served up on day one of the royal meeting, with promise of more to come later in the week. From bargain buy Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) bolting up in the G2 Coventry S. to Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) disappointing in the G1 King's Stand S., there were a huge amount of talking points to emerge from day one. Brian Sheerin examined the big takeouts from a pulsating day's action.   Bradsell the Best Result Imaginable  You would...

Chris Waller, trainer of Home Affairs (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) and Nature Strip (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}), two of the fastest horses in the world, provided an upbeat bulletin on his Royal Ascot hopefuls after they had their first experience of the track on Friday morning. Home Affairs is on course to run in the G1 Platinum Jubilee S. while Nature Strip is a leading fancy for the G1 King's Stand S. for Waller, who will forever be remembered for his handling of Australian legend Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire})...

Only Choisir (Aus) and Blue Point (Ire) have managed to win the King's Stand and the Platinum Jubilee in the same year but Eddie Lynam has opened the door to his Group 1-winning sprinter Romantic Proposal (Ire) (Raven's Pass) emulating those legendary speedsters at Royal Ascot next month and is eyeing an audacious tilt at the double. Romantic Proposal showed blistering speed in winning the G1 Flying Five S. at the Curragh last season and, despite treating the Listed Woodlands S. at Naas like a piece of work on her...

With his six-length victory in last month's G1 Juddmonte International, Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) has joined St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and Adayar (GB) (Frankel {GB}) atop the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings with a rating of 127. St Mark's Basilica won the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and G1 Prix du Jockey Club before besting Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) and Mishriff in the G1 Eclipse S., while Adayar became the first horse to 20 years to sweep the G1 Derby and G1 King George VI and Queen...

Australian sprinter Nature Strip (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}) has overtaken G1 Dubai Sheema Classic and Saudi Cup winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) and G1 Dubai World Cup victor Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) as the highest-rated horse on the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings, having been assigned a mark of 123 for his victory in the G1 TJ Smith S. on Apr. 10. Mishriff and Mystic Guide now sit a joint second at 122. Just trailing in their wake on 121 are Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), Eduardo (Aus) (Host {Chi}) and Palace...

Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who won his second consecutive Group 1 on Sunday when turning back Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the G1 Coral-Eclipse, leads the latest edition of the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings for 2020 with a mark of 127 for that latest effort. Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) finished 2019 as the world's highest-rated stayer, and he maintains that position after earning a rating of 125 for his third victory in the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. Japan's Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and...