Vauban

Eighty of the 123 horses nominated for this year's G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup were bred in Europe. Only 18 of that group are still in training in either Britain, Ireland or France. Aidan O'Brien, who has not had a runner in the race since 2020, when Tiger Moth (Ire) finished runner-up to Twilight Payment (Ire), trained by his son Joseph, has six entered, led by the G2 Queen's Vase winner Illinois (Ire). Meanwhile his fellow Irishman Willie Mullins is planning to send back last year's favourite, the recent G2 Lonsdale...

Flemington beckons for Rich Ricci's Vauban (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) after the classy stayer made light of the switch to 12 furlongs in Monday's G3 Ballyroan S. at Naas. A winner of the Listed Prix Frederic de Lagrange before turning into a high-class hurdler, the five-year-old had marked his return to the Flat with an authoritative success from the front in Royal Ascot's Copper Horse H. and took the move to Pattern company in his stride here. Always comfortable tracking this faster early tempo in third, the 4-6 favourite was sent...

CHELTENHAM, UK--Emotions ran high at Cheltenham on Friday as Rachael Blackmore, the most successful female National Hunt jockey of all time, continued to rewrite the history books, this time by becoming the first woman to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Her willing and sublimely talented partner was A Plus Tard (Fr) (Kapgarde {Fr}), who was runner-up to his stable-mate Minella Indo (Ire) (Beat Hollow {GB}) last year but turned the tables in emphatic fashion this time around. Tackling the defending champion for the lead over the final fence, the 8-year-old...