GODOLPHIN MILE Won last year by the Godolphin runner African Story in blistering fashion, the son of Pivotal has this year been rerouted towards the Dubai World Cup after an explosive performance over a mile on his comeback run this campaign. I can see the logic in the Godolphin thinking given how open and poor [...]

It has been a fair while since the last entry on this blog but fear not I haven’t been sitting on my hands doing nothing, which is usually why there is often a lull in activity on here. We have been working on the Cheltenham Festival! As majority of our attentions are beginning to be [...]

Thursday afternoons rarely have a purpose other than bringing the workforce another half day closer to that Friday feeling. That is unless you’re a fan of quality flat action as those wealthy fellas out in the Emirates are about to host another weekly Carnival of racing- I have been counting down the days until I [...]

On the greatest stage of all for the season finale, three-year-old GOLD SHIP put in a powerful performance in the home straight to lift the Arima Kinen for trainer Naosuke Sugai and rider Hiroyuki Uchida. Settled in rear early, the grey son of Stay Gold made ground on the outside of the field into the [...]

26th December 2005 was the first time the family really had to face up to the fact they had lost me to racing. The whole extended family on my mum’s side gathered at the local carvery for what was becoming a traditional Boxing Day lunchtime meal- everyone that is except me; I was sat in [...]

With Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and Japan Cup runner up Orfevre not taking to the field this weekend in Nakayama, the 57th Arima Kinen will be lacking a little in ‘big names’ especially if you take into account that Fillies Triple Crown winner, and Japan Cup victor Gentildonna doesn’t make the line up either. [...]

The history of the Nakayama Daishogai dates back to 1934 when the biggest jump race in Japan was established in the aim of providing equal excitement to the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), which was the most popular race in flat racing. The highest level of steeplechase racing was originally held as a biannual event held [...]

When Krypton Factor took to the track at Meydan Racecourse at the start of last season, he was a handicapper rated 100. This season he will embark on the defense of his 2012 US$2m Dubai Golden Shaheen Crown a Group 1 winner rated 123. Within the span of just four races last term the highly [...]

Along with the Royal Bond Novices Hurdle and the Hatton’s Grace this Sunday, Fairyhouse has a Grade 1 chase on a quality packed card. Won last year by Bog Warrior, owners Gigginstown Stud will be hoping to keep the race in their possession for another year, sending out another Tony Martin trained runner in the [...]

A race named after the Arthur Moore trained Royal Bond, a successful national hunt horse in the early 1980’s; the race itself was established in 1994 and has held Grade 1 status throughout its history. It is usually staged on the same afternoon as the Drinmore Novices’ Chase and the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle and is [...]