Royal Ascot

Saturday's G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot will see a field of 14 sprinters line up in an open-looking renewal which includes last year's surprise winner Khaadem (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). Jamie Spencer, who partnered that Charles Hills-trained 80-1 shot 12 months ago, will instead be on Fitri Hay's other runner Mitbaahy (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}) from the same stable following his success in The Curragh's G2 Greenlands Stakes last month. Peter Harris's G2 1895 Duke of York Stakes winner Mill Stream (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) represents the Jane...

George Bernard Shaw offered the pithy observation that, "England and America are two countries divided by a common language." The quote seems appropriate when viewed through the lens of a pilot program set up by the Organization of Racing Investigators (ORI). This week, ORI board members donned the famous finery--don't forget the millinery either--of the Royal Meeting at Ascot, but it wasn't all about one's garb. They were on hand to impart their own tradecraft to the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and their investigators, while in turn soaking up English...

There was no shortage of talking points to unpick from Wednesday. From Sands Of Mali bagging a breakthrough winner at the royal meeting to Karl Burke and Wathnan racing enjoying a change of fortune and even Ryan Moore coming out of his shell to defend Auguste Rodin, the action on and off the track did not disappoint.  Sands Of Mali Puts His Name In Lights It proved to be a big day for Ballyhane Stud's Sands Of Mali (Fr), who became the first of the freshman sires to get off...

Kevin Ryan trainee Ain't Nobody (Ire) (Sands Of Mali {Fr}--Burmese Waltz {GB}, by Showcasing {GB}) became his first-crop sire's fourth individual winner when notching a decisive debut victory over Carlisle's stiff five furlongs at the end of last month and registered a first black-type success for the Ballyhane Stud resident in Wednesday's Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot. Drawn alongside Stateside challenger Gabaldon (Gone Astray) and caught in the wash as that rival blazed a trail on the stands' side, the 5-1 third choice emerged as the most serious...

Granted the ideal conditions of fast ground and a true pace to run at, Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}--Rhododendron {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) carved a landmark 400th group 1 success for Aidan O'Brien as he became the first Derby hero to come back and win at Royal Ascot since Royal Palace (GB) in 1968. Unique in his achievement in that he was augmenting his Blue Riband triumph with this feature prize in its current guise as a group 1, Ballydoyle's ground-breaking colt put any doubts that he was yesterday's...

David Howden's 4-year-old filly Running Lion (GB) (Roaring Lion--Bella Nouf {GB}, by Dansili {GB}), last of eight in Epsom's G3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes earlier this month, halted a six-race losing streak with a dominant performance in Wednesday's G2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot. Last term's Listed Pretty Polly Stakes victrix kept wide of the peloton initially and drifted inwards to assume control after the opening exchanges. Holding sway thereafter, she was nudged along in early straight to poach a decisive buffer approaching the final furlong and kept on...

Franking the form of the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial, Ballydoyle's Illinois (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Danedrop {Ire}, by Danehill) relished the extra trip of Wednesday's G2 Queen's Vase to justify Ryan Moore's faith and reward him by bringing up his 80th Royal Ascot. Always content on the front end, Ballydoyle's 7-4 favourite veered left in the straight when in command but found the line 1 1/4 lengths ahead of stablemate Highbury (Fr) (Galileo {Ire}), with compatriot Birdman (Ire) (Free Eagle {Ire}) 3/4 of a length away in third. Aidan O'Brien, who was...

Wathnan Racing struck the woodwork more than once during Tuesday's opening day of Royal Ascot and made a belated breakthrough in Wednesday's opener, the G2 Queen Mary Stakes, with £190,000 Goffs Breeze-Up acquisition and once-raced Nottingham maiden winner Leovanni (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}--Kassandra {Ire}, by Dandy Man {Ire}). The Karl Burke trainee broke smartly and raced to the fore in the smaller far-side group throughout the five-furlong dash. Shaken up to gain an overall advantage soon after passing the quarter-mile marker, the 22-1 chance refused to buckle once in front...

Wednesday saw the draw made for Friday's two group 1 contests at Royal Ascot, with the 10 fillies set to contest the Coronation S. headed by Ballydoyle's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Opera Singer (Justify) and Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's 1,000 Guineas heroine Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Opera Singer, who was returning from a setback when third in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, has drawn an outside stall in nine for the mile feature while the Roger Varian-trained Newmarket Classic heroine is in seven. James Doyle takes over from Silvestre De...

Scott Sander had an idea for a rom-com movie floating around in his head, but wasn't quite sure what the setting should be. Then it hit him. Why not horse racing, and specifically the breeding industry? That's the story behind the story when it comes to the movie Sander is working on, "Breeders." "I thought I had what was a really good idea for a big, fun romantic comedy," said Sander, who was this week's Green Group Guest of the Week on the Thoroughbred Daily News Writers' Room Podcast presented...

It was a day that had everything. From Rosallion landing the St James's Palace S. to yet another Australian sprinter showing the Euros how it's done, day one of the royal meeting did not disappoint. Here are some of the talking points.   Faux Pas For The French Anyone who backed the French raiders Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) and Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) in the Queen Anne knew pretty early that they were not going to get off to a winning start at the royal meeting....

ASCOT, UK--A wishlist for the first day of Royal Ascot would certainly have included the hope that a Classic-winning colt would step forward and announce himself as a proper horse, a major win for an international traveller, and the sight of the inimitable Sir Mark Prescott in the winner's enclosure. Tick. Tick. Tick. We'll throw in to the mix a tearful Mark Loughnane proclaiming the 80/1 Coventry S. victory for his jockey son Billy as "the best ever moment of my life", and Sam Sangster, equally tearful as his father's...