Racing Post

Much-loved racing journalist Alastair Down has died, the Racing Post reported on Friday. He was 68 and recently attended the Showcase Meeting at his beloved Cheltenham for a ceremony to mark the renaming of the press room in his honour. Speaking in an interview with ITV Racing on the day of the ceremony, Down said of that tribute, "It's a cliched way to put it, but it's very moving. By the end of the day I may have had a cup of coffee and a glass of champagne, and I...

Respected racing journalist Howard Wright, one of the founding members of the Racing Post, died on Friday, that publication reported. He was 79, and was writing up until a few months ago. The Doncaster native joined Timeform as a clerk in 1964, before moving to the Sheffield Morning Telegraph as racing editor for 11 years, eventually becoming the deputy sports editor. After a time as deputy racing editor of the Daily Telegraph, he switched to the Racing Post when it began in 1986, alongside the publication's founding editor Graham Rock....

Frankie is coming back to America. The Italian-born superstar jockey Frankie Dettori, 52, had planned to retire at the end of the year, but pulled a U-turn Wednesday night when he told racing commentator Nick Luck that not only will he ride in 2024 but he plans to ride full-time in the U.S., beginning with the traditional opening day at Santa Anita, Dec. 26. "I want to carry on a little bit longer in California, where I had such a lovely winter," Dettori told Luck. "The dynamic of my year...

Sarah Guest, the yard manager for trainer John O'Shea, was named the Employee of the Year during the 2023 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards sponsored by Godolphin in ceremonies held Monday evening at York Racecourse. It was the first in-person event since 2020 and was held for the first time in Yorkshire. Guest took home a cash prize of £10,000 and an additional £10,000 to be divided among her colleagues at the John O'Shea yard. Earlier in the evening, Guest was also presented with the Leadership Award, carrying a £5,000 prize...

The 18 finalists for the 2023 UK Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards sponsored by Godolphin were announced on Friday. Three finalists remain in contention for each of the prizes which recognise and reward the outstanding skill, commitment and contribution of over 10,000 stud and stable staff in England, Scotland, and Wales. All of the finalists will receive a £250 prize for reaching this stage of the judging process. Judging day for the 18 will be held on Monday, Feb. 20, with the winners announced during a ceremony at York Racecourse later...

Nominations for the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards 2023, sponsored by Godolphin, opened on Wednesday. Formerly the UK Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff Awards, the awards are an opportunity for employees from across the various areas of the Thoroughbred industry, be it in training yards, studs or in administrative roles, to be celebrated for their hard work and dedication to the sport. The nomination period closes on Nov. 8. Run by the British Horse Racing Authority (BHA) in association with the Racing Post and Racing TV, the awards carry a prize-money...

Johnston Racing's Patrick 'Paddy' Trainor was named the Employee of the Year at the Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff Awards on Monday. Hosted by Oli Bell, the ceremony was held virtually and broadcast live on Racing TV. The awards were organised by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) in conjunction with media partners Racing Post and Racing TV. Trainor will receive £10,000, with the same amount shared with his colleagues at Johnston Racing, as well as the Godolphin Trophy. Earlier in the night, Trainor, who has worked for Johnston Racing for...

The shortlists for six awards of the upcoming 2022 Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff Awards were revealed on Monday. Sponsored by Godolphin and run by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) in association with the Racing Post and Racing TV, the awards recognise and reward the outstanding skills, commitment and contribution of over 10,000 stud and stable staff in England, Scotland and Wales. The 2022 awards will carry total prizemony of £128,500, with as much as £30,000 available to a single yard or stud. The finalists will be announced early next...

Nominations are now open for the 2021 Irish Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards, and close at 5 p.m. local time on Monday, Apr. 19. The Irish GSSSAs are held in association with the Irish Stablestaff Association, the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association, Racing Post and Horse Racing Ireland. The 10 award categories offer combined prizemoney of over €85,000. Besides prizemoney allocated for the winner, the two finalists and their employers, €100 will be set aside to the short-listed candidates in eight of the award categories. Sandra Hughes, Godolphin's Irish Stud...

Rebecca 'Beck' Edmunds of Bryan Smart Racing was named the 2021 Employee of the Year at the virtual Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards on Monday evening. The free-to-air broadcast was hosted by ITV Racing's Ed Chamberlin on Racing TV, while the GSSS Awards were organised by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) in conjunction with the Racing Post and Racing TV. Edmunds, Head Girl of Bryan Smart Racing and married to Smart's assistant trainer Kevin Edmunds, has worked at the yard for 17 years. She will receive £10,000 for herself...

The 17th UK Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards will be shown live and free-to-air for the first time in 2021 on Racing TV, the British Horseracing Authority, Godolphin and Racing TV jointly announced on Sunday. As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the awards ceremony will be held virtually on Feb. 22. The awards are sponsored by Godolphin, and run by the BHA in association with the Racing Post and Racing TV. Nominations for the GSSS Awards will close on Nov. 10. For more information or to nominate,...

Racing Post will suspend the publication of its printed paper following Thursday's edition. A letter to readers from editor Tom Kerr read in part, "Unfortunately, with racing in Britain and Ireland halted, betting shops closed, and our governments urging everyone to stay at home as much as possible to slow the spread of the coronavirus, we have been left with no other choice. "Recent events have had an unfathomable impact on our world. We have seen harrowing pictures of overcrowded hospitals and overwhelmed medical professionals in other countries, and in...