York

York's historic Ebor Handicap will become the seventh win-and-you're-in race for the £4.4 million Melbourne Cup in November. The Ebor, which will be run on August 28 for total prize-money of £500,000, is the first race outside Australia to provide automatic entry to the prestigious staying contest, which has been won over the years by European trainers Dermot Weld (twice), Alain de Royer-Dupre, Mikel Delzangles, Andreas Wohler, Joseph O'Brien (twice) (Rekindling 2017 and Twilight Payment 2020) and Charlie Appleby. William Derby, chief executive and clerk of the course at York,...

The Harry Beeby Premier Yearling S. at York will be worth £500,000 and be renamed the Harry's Half Million by Goffs in 2024, Goffs UK announced on Wednesday. Launched in 1998 by the late Goffs UK Chairman and Honorary President Harry Beeby with current Goffs UK Chairman and Goffs CEO Henry Beeby, the race continues the commemoration of Harry Beeby by the sales company. The 2023 Goffs UK Harry Beeby Premier Yearling S. will be run over six furlongs on Thursday, Aug. 24. Goffs UK Managing Director Tim Kent said,...

NEWMARKET, UK--Oh, to be in England now that April's there. So wrote Robert Browning in 1845, though it is unconfirmed that this had anything to do with Classic trials. An unusually wet and cold April did little to lift the spirits this year, so we shall fast-forward to another line of his lovely poem. And after April, when May follows. May is becoming more marvellous by the day. There's York, of course, and who doesn't love York? It is a racecourse which comes close to perfection, from its location in...

Shadwell already knew they had a special broodmare in Handassa (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) before Friday, but the dam of Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) is looking like a genuine goldmine after her 3-year-old colt Mostabshir (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) seized his TDN Rising Star badge at York. Pitched tellingly by John and Thady Gosden into the G3 Craven S. off the back of an impressive debut win at Kempton in November, the grey had finished failed to light any fires when fifth in Newmarket's leading...

Connections of 14-1 shot Giavellotto (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) had benefitted from the intervention of the stewards when promoted to third in the G1 St Leger in September, but they faced an anxious wait themselves before being allowed to keep Friday's G2 Boodles Yorkshire Cup. Causing notable interference to the tiring Quickthorn (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) as he assumed command late on under Andrea Atzeni, Scuderia La Tesa's Marco Botti-trained homebred had half a length to spare over the penalised Leger hero Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) at the line, with Broome...

The Horseracing Industry Conference (HIC) has been postponed due to the planned train strike on May 31, with additional disruptions expected on major lines to York on June 1, the original day of the event. Organised by the Racing Foundation in partnership with the University of Liverpool Management School, the event will instead take place at York on Tuesday, Oct. 24. The Racing Foundation is committed to environmental sustainability and the 2023 conference was planned with that focus in mind. The goal of the conference was to create a valuable...

Friday's G2 Boodles Yorkshire Cup features two high-class veterans in the G2 Lonsdale Cup winner Quickthorn (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) whose reinvention as a stayer was confirmed with a G2 Dubai Gold Cup success, but it could be that youth counts as Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) makes his seasonal return in the 14-furlong feature. Primed for two major efforts at three when successful in Royal Ascot's G2 Queen's Vase and the G1 St Leger at Doncaster, KHK Racing's flagbearer was only seventh stretching out to...

There was as much uncertainty as to what would start favourite for Thursday's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante S. than what would emerge on top in York's time-honoured Derby trial, but in the end it was one of the benchmark horses The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}--Tanaghum {GB}, by Darshaan {GB}) who held the bragging rights. King Power Racing's G2 Royal Lodge S. winner had been undone by Indestructible (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) in the G3 Craven S. at Newmarket last month but appreciated this step up to an extended 10...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a son of Dubawi (Ire). 16.45 York, Mdn, £30,000, 2yo, 6fT IMPRESSIVE ACT (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) debuts for Godolphin's Charlie Appleby stable and is a son of the G3 Fred Darling S. winner and G1 Prix Marcel Boussac third Dabyah (Ire) (Sepoy {Aus}) who fetched 650,000gns...

   With the Derby picture unclear, it is probably welcome that Thursday's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante S. has no stand-out among its dozen participants. George Strawbridge's TDN Rising Star Epictetus (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) bids to continue the momentum of the Gosdens and Frankie following the Musidora and step forward from his seasonal debut much as his stablemate Soul Sister (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) did on Wednesday. On the face of it, a workmanlike defeat of inferior rivals in Epsom's 10-furlong Listed Blue Riband Trial would not be enough to...

Allowed to start at 18-1 for York's G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. on Wednesday, Lady Bamford's Soul Sister (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Dream Peace {Ire}, by Dansili {GB}) threw her hat into the ring for the Oaks with a dominant display under Frankie Dettori. Ignored due to her tame effort when last in the seven-furlong G3 Fred Darling S. on testing ground at Newbury last month, the homebred travelled best of all with two behind early on ground without give for the first time. As TDN Rising Stars Infinite Cosmos (Ire) (Sea The...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Wednesday's Observations features a half-brother to Group 1 winner Sudirman (Henrythenavitagor). 16.45 York, Novice, £30,000, 2yo, c/g, 5fT THE CARIBBEAN (IRE) (No Nay Never) is a rare Ballydoyle debutante in Britain these days, albeit at the track which the stable used to introduce smart juveniles such as Stravinsky in...