Archie Watson

Few, if any, trainers have been in more consistent form this season than William Haggas, who now finds himself atop the table in Britain, with a strike-rate of 27% for the season. His earnings of £4,611,340 at the time of writing place him narrowly ahead of reigning champion Charlie Appleby. Top of the Somerville Lodge list of horses, and the earner of roughly a third of the yard's prize-money this year, is of course arguably the best horse in the world, Baaeed (GB), around whom continues to swirl uncertainty as...

Hollie Doyle has paid a glowing tribute to Glen Shiel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) after the horse who provided her with a breakthrough Group 1 success was retired on Thursday. The pair combined to strike in the 2020 Champions Sprint on Champions Day at Ascot. However, the 8-year-old suffered a setback in training this season, after which a decision was taken by the connections of the Archie Watson-trained speedster to bring the curtain down on his glittering career.  "He's a star and he is a horse I'll also hold very close...

Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}), the brilliant G2 Coventry S. winner, has been ruled out for the rest of the season after picking up an injury in the G1 Phoenix S. at the Curragh on Saturday.  Sent off favourite in that race, Bradsell stumbled leaving the stalls under Hollie Doyle and could only manage fourth behind the ultra-impressive Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never). The injury was confirmed by the colt's trainer Archie Watson in a statement, "Bradsell unfortunately sustained a season-ending injury in the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh...

Becoming the first of the TDN Rising Stars to emerge successful at Royal Ascot in 2022, Victorious Racing Limited's Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) conquered a host of talent to win the G2 Coventry S. and make Hollie Doyle Royal Ascot's most successful female rider on three successes. Keen initially from her draw in the centre, the Archie Watson-trained £47,000 Goffs UK Breeze-Up graduate ended up tracking the right rival in Royal Scotsman (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) to the two-furlong pole. Taking over soon after, the 8-1 shot forged away for a...

A stakes winner in England and stakes-performed in France and in Sweden, Outbox (GB) (Frankel {GB}) added a stamp from Qatar to his passport for Saturday's His Highness The Amir Trophy in Doha and walked away with the lion's share of the US$1-million in prize money on offer. The Amir Trophy is one of three races contested locall that is recognized internationally as black-type eligible. Ridden aggressively from a wide alley by Hollie Doyle, Outbox took up a pace-pressing position from second, as Qatari Gold (Lemon Drop Kid), with Tom...

Glen Shiel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), who ran sixth in the G1 Darley July Cup on July 10, is enjoying a solid preparation in advance of a start in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest on Aug. 8. Trained by Archie Watson, the 7-year-old gelding won the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S. last term and was second in the June 19 G1 Diamond Jubilee S. "He's bang on course for the Maurice de Gheest now, and we're looking forward to running him there and excited about his targets later in...

Connections of Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) have lost their appeal to have the colt's disqualification from victory in Royal Ascot's G1 Commonwealth Cup overturned. Dragon Symbol and the American-trained filly Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) fought out a thrilling stretch duel in the six furlong contest, with Dragon Symbol crossing the wire a head the better, but the placings were reversed on account of Dragon Symbol bumping Campanelle on numerous occasions during the run and taking her off her line. Stewards on the day deemed the interference was enough...

Trainer Archie Watson has lodged an appeal with the British Horseracing Authority against the decision by stewards at Royal Ascot to disqualify Yoshiro Kubota's Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) from victory in last week's G1 Commonwealth Cup. Dragon Symbol and Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) moved into a joint lead approaching the final furlong of the Commonwealth Cup, at which point Dragon Symbol, ridden by Oisin Murphy, began to drift towards the far side rail, bumping Campanelle, with Frankie Dettori aboard, as he did so. Stewards deemed that at the...

Group 1 winner Glen Shiel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), who won the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S. to give regular jockey Hollie Doyle her first Group 1, is being aimed at the June 19 G1 Diamond Jubilee S. at Royal Ascot. The 7-year-old gelding, who is trained by Archie Watson for Hambleton Racing Xxxvi & Partner most recently ran fourth in the G2 Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands S. at The Curragh on May 22. Hambleton Racing Head Racing Manager Cosmo Charlton said,  "We were happy enough with that for his first...

Fourth behind TDN Rising Star Noon Star (Galileo {Ire}) in a 10-furlong Wetherby novice Apr. 25, Apple Tree Stud's Sherbet Lemon (Lemon Drop Kid) was on top at the end of a close call for Saturday's Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial. Shadowing the leader Loving Dream (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}) throughout the early stages, the 28-1 shot worked her way to the front with over a furlong remaining and dug in to prevail by 3/4 of a length from Save a Forest (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) with less than two lengths covering the...

Unbeaten on the all-weather with three wins at Wolverhampton, Newcastle and Kempton coming by a combined margin of 12 1/2 lengths since the start of March, Yoshiro Kubota's Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {GB}) made his first turf start an impressive one to earn TDN Rising Star status at Hamilton on Sunday. Sent off the 11-8 favourite to transform that prowess to the grass in the valuable MansionBet Best Odds Guaranteed EBF Tangerine Trees Conditions S., the Archie Watson-trained grey raced keenly tracking the early pace dropping back to five furlongs for the first...

Glen Shiel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), who claimed a first Group 1 win at age six last season when upsetting the G1 British Champions Sprint S. at 16-1, could make his seasonal debut in the G3 Greenlands S. at The Curragh on May 22. The Archie Watson-trained gelding also has an option in the G2 Duke Of York S. at York on May 12. Cosmo Charlton, Head Racing Manager for owner Hambleton Racing, said, "Glen Shiel is in fantastic form. Everyone is very happy with him. He's stepped up into faster...