Andrew Balding

Britain's first-crop Kitten's Joy stallion Kameko got his first Grade I victory Saturday across the pond with Qatar Racing's New Century (GB) (c, 2, Kameko--Potent Embrace, by Street Cry {Ire}), who captured the GI bet365 Summer Stakes at Woodbine for conditioner Andrew Balding and earned a Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar in November. Al Qudra (Ire) (No Nay Never), a Charlie Appleby shipper whom New Century chased home in July at Ascot in the Pat Eddery Stakes, was...

Saratoga works for many reasons. The combination of great racing, a historic venue, iconic races like the GI Whitney S. and the GI Travers are reasons why more than one million fans file through the turnstiles every meet and the handle for the season now tops $800 million. But Saratoga's success also has a lot to do with its exclusivity. It's only open for eight weeks and there are just 40 racing days. That, as much as anything else, is what makes it special. There's an opening day and there...

It doesn't take long for the Kentucky Downs meeting to hit full gear, as Saturday's program features three graded contests, including the GIII DK Horse Nashville Derby Invitational Stakes, with prize money that could reach $3.1 million. The purse remains intact should one of the 10 Kentucky-breds--eight in the main body of the field and two also-eligibles--is home first over the mile and five-sixteenths journey along the Kentucky/Tennessee border. The four foreign raiders are ineligible for the KTDF money, but the base purse of $2.5 million already makes it one...

For the last several years, Kentucky Downs has been the track that had almost everything. Big fields, huge purses and a betting handle that increases exponentially every year. But one thing has largely been missing--European shippers. Despite an all-turf meet, the purses and the fact that Kentucky Downs is much like a European turf course, the meet hadn't really registered with European horsemen. That has changed. According to Martin Panza, the co-director of racing at Kentucky Downs, which kicks off its annual seven-day meet Thursday, as many as 16 European-based...

Jeff Smith's G1 Nassau Stakes runner-up See The Fire (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}--Arabian Queen {Ire}, by Dubawi {Ire}) had been winless in six starts since annexing her debut at Newmarket last year and rectified matters with a decisive success in Saturday's G3 Sky Bet Strensall Stakes at York. The 3-1 favourite was settled in rear, with just one behind, for most of this extended one-mile test. Coming under pressure to close approaching the quarter-mile marker, she threaded her way into contention passing the furlong pole and kept on strongly...

Fourth in Royal Ascot's G2 Coventry Stakes and third over seven furlongs in the G2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood, John Wallinger's Cool Hoof Luke (GB) (Advertise {GB}--Dutch Monument {GB}, by Dutch Art {GB}) showed that speed is his game by taking Friday's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes at York. Anchored towards the rear early by Oisin Murphy, the Andrew Balding-trained 8-1 shot was delivered with a potent kick to lead passing the furlong pole and get to the line 3/4 of a length ahead of Shadow Of Light...

Andrew Balding trainee New Century (GB) (Kameko--Potent Embrace, by Street Cry {Ire}), last seen running second in Ascot's July 27 Listed Pat Eddery Stakes, made the step forward to secure a first stakes triumph for his freshman sire (by Kitten's Joy) with a pillar-to-post victory in Wednesday's Listed British Stallion Studs EBF Stonehenge Stakes at Salisbury. Breaking smartly for an immediate lead, the 15-8 second choice held sway throughout and kept on strongly under a late drive to defeat the hitherto undefeated Luther (GB) (Frankel {GB}) by a half-length. Coolmore's...

ASCOT, UK -- Far from the madding crowd of the royal meeting, the exploits of those five heady days were still being celebrated at Ascot on Friday. And rightly so, for this was the day of the annual Royal Ascot winning breeders' lunch, a lovely touch from the racecourse to recognise those who make this great sport happen.  There's no one-upmanship here. Every breeder will tell you how much they need the owners - most of them are also owners themselves - and all the various participants in racing matter,...

Horsepower, the acclaimed four-part documentary series following the fortunes of trainer Andrew Balding and jockey Oisin Murphy, will be available to watch on BBC platforms from Tuesday, July 9. All four episodes will be on BBC iPlayer, with the first two episodes set to be broadcast on Tuesday evening on BBC Four and the final two episodes broadcast on BBC Four a week later. Produced by Lorton Entertainment and Equine Productions, Horsepower was filmed from autumn 2020 through to the summer of 2021, providing behind-the-scenes access as its two main...

There was a buzz around Newbury for The King and The Queen's newcomer Handcuffed (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}--Make Fast {GB}, by Makfi {GB}) and the filly did not disappoint with a debut win full of promise. Sent off the well-backed 13-8 favourite for the six-furlong fillies' novice, the homebred half-sister to the G2 July Stakes winner Tactical (GB) (Toronado {Ire}) travelled easily in the pack until asked to close by Oisin Murphy passing halfway. Finding the front under hands and heels with half a furlong remaining, the Andrew Balding trainee asserted...

One of the least-likely candidates on paper for Wednesday's G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. at York, Guy Brook's Secret Satire (GB) (Advertise {GB}--Secret Pursuit {Ire}, by Lawman {Fr}) defied formbook logic to run out a clear-cut winner of one of the premier Oaks trials. Only third in a Sandown novice last month, the Andrew Balding-trained 22-1 shot raced freely early before being found cover by Oisin Murphy behind the leader. Staying on strongly to gain the advantage a furlong out, the homebred drew away late to score by two lengths from...

Originally slated to contest the G2 Dante S. next month, Listed Blue Riband Trial winner Bellum Justum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) will instead head straight to the G1 Derby on June 1, trainer Andrew Balding confirmed on Thursday. A winner of a Newmarket maiden at fourth asking in September, the King Power Racing-owned colt ran out a three-quarter length winner of the Epsom pointer on Apr. 23. "We were delighted with his win in the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom and the plan now is to go straight for...