Epsom

Swordlestown Little's Mariann Klay, who along with her husband Des Leadon bred the impressive G3 Chester Vase winner and new Derby favourite Arrest (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), says that soft ground will be key to the Juddmonte colt's Epsom challenge.  Arrest, trained by John and Thady Gosden, shot to the head of the Derby market after sluicing up in his favoured testing ground at Chester on Wednesday.  That prompted bookmakers to propel Arrest to Derby favouritism at odds of 6-1, usurping 2,000 Guineas disappointment Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Klay...

Jessica Harrington has never won the Derby but that could change this season judging by the performance Sprewell (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) posted in winning a key trial at Leopardstown on Sunday.  Sent to post an 8-1 shot for the Group 3 Derby Trial S., Sprewell travelled into the race better than anything under Shane Foley, and quickened clear to win a cosy three lengths at the winning line.  It was a taking performance from the Churchill colt, owned by Mohamed Khalid Mohamed Abdulrahim, who was cut to 20-1 for Epsom. ...

Trying the contours of Epsom in Tuesday's 10-furlong Listed Weatherbys Digital Solutions Blue Riband Trial, TDN Rising Star Epictetus (Ire) (Kingman {GB}--Thistle Bird {GB}, by Selkirk) executed the plan by making a smooth winning return under Frankie Dettori without convincing that the mile-and-a-half trip of the Derby is the way to go. Sent off the 2-5 favourite on the back of his second in the G1 Futurity Trophy at Doncaster in October, George Strawbridge's son of the G1 Pretty Polly S. heroine travelled comfortably in third until asked to take...

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. Tuesday's insights feature the return of Group 1-placed Epictetus (Ire) at Epsom. 14.25 Epsom, Listed, £50,000, 3yo, 10f 17yT EPICTETUS (IRE) (Kingman {GB}) makes his eagerly-awaited 3-year-old bow in this Listed Weatherbys Digital Solutions Blue Riband Trial, which should be his for the taking if he is able to...

Betfred has been announced as the new sponsor of the Derby, described by the company's founder Fred Done as "greatest Flat race in the world". In a deal initially lasting three years, the bookmaking firm will also sponsor the Oaks. This year's meeting takes place on June 2 and 3. The largest independent bookmaker in Britain, with 1,400 high street shops,  Betfred has also expanded into South Africa and currently operates across 10 American states. The company was racing's biggest sponsor between 2011 and 2018, its backing including the ßCheltenham...

The Derby will move away from its traditional yearling entry stage and will operate on a solely three-year-old entry system from the 2024 running of the Classic. A statement released on Thursday by Jockey Club Racecourses, which owns Epsom Downs, home of the Derby and the Oaks, read, "The move comes following discussion with stakeholders and after a three-year-old only entry system worked well for the 2022 race, when the yearling entry stage due to take place in 2020 was not considered feasible due to the pandemic. "As such, the...

James Crespi has been appointed the new General Manager of Epsom Downs Racecourse, The Jockey Club announced on Wednesday. He will begin his duties on Monday, Dec. 5. The Chief Operating Officer of West Wittering Estate PLC since 2015, Crespi also spent 10 years at the Goodwood Estate, where he rose to the position of General Manager of Goodwood Racecourse. Simon Durrant will remain as General Manager of Kempton Park Racecourse while Sarah Drabwell has been appointed General Manager of Sandown Park on a permanent basis, having held the position...

Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) is doubtful to run again this season but connections of the brilliant G1 Derby winner are committed to keeping him in training next year.  Sir Michael Stoute's sixth Derby winner has not raced since his Epsom triumph and Bruce Raymond, racing manager to owner Saeed Suhail, delivered the news on Friday's Nick Luck Daily Podcast that the colt was unlikely to reappear again in 2022.  "The difficult thing is, would he [Stoute] have time to prepare him [for the major races in the autumn] and...

Golden Horn (GB), the brilliant G1 Derby winner and European Horse of the Year in 2015, will take up stallion duties at Overbury Stud after being sold to new investors Dash Grange Stud from Darley and Anthony Oppenheimer. The move will see Golden Horn, who has already sired 13 individual winners over jumps in Britain and Ireland, marketed as a dual-purpose stallion. Golden Horn is best remembered for storming to Derby glory under Frankie Dettori in 2015. He won handsomely from subsequent Irish Derby hero Jack Hobbs (GB), who he...

It hasn't been done in over 25 years, but Cazoo Oaks heroine Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) could bid to become the first filly since Balanchine (Storm Bird {Can}) in 1994 to win the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby on Saturday, her trainer Aidan O'Brien has revealed. Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who many believed was the ace in O'Brien's three-year-old pack, was sidelined shortly after finishing third in the 2000 Guineas and, after drawing a blank in the Derby, the master of Ballydoyle admitted that he may yet turn to the...

He has been branded a pessimist by Sir Michael Stoute for admitting as much, but Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock, who bought Cazoo Derby hero Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), believes Saturday's achievement will never be topped. Brown, a renowned bloodstock agent with over 20 years of experience in the game, went to 280,000gns to secure Desert Crown on behalf of Saeed Suhail at Book 2 at Tattersalls in 2020 and counts himself as extremely lucky to have sourced what he believes is a once-in-a-lifetime colt.  "I ended up at...

Owen Burrows has been dealt a hammer blow with the news that brilliant G1 Coronation Cup winner Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) will miss the rest of the season after fracturing his hind leg.  Hukum made the breakthrough at the highest level when storming to Coronation Cup glory at Epsom on Friday and now his racing career hangs in the balance.  For Burrows, Friday's win also represented a memorable first at Group 1 level, with the trainer describing the success as "massive" at the time.  However, just three days...