Newbury

Saturday's G3 Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham S. looked a renewal short of a potential big name beforehand and with a blanket in contention a furlong from home, that was duly borne out. In the event, it was Cheveley Park Stud's 16-1 shot Esquire (GB) (Harry Angel {Ire})--a gelding and therefore excluded from the upcoming 2000 Guineas--who emerged on top in the seven-furlong Newbury trial whose relevance to the Classic is questionable this year. Runner-up in York's Listed Rockingham S. and sixth in the Listed Doncaster S. over...

Further Guineas clues abound at Newbury on Saturday, with the pair of seven-furlong trials offering a springboard to next month's Newmarket and ParisLongchamp features. In time-honoured fashion, the G3 Fred Darling S. sees a high-profile sprinting filly being asked to stretch out for the first time and at this point all are in the dark as to whether Yuesheng Zhang's acquisition Relief Rally (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) can go the extra furlong having signed off her highly profitable juvenile campaign with a win in the G2 Lowther S. In contrasting style,...

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. Friday's Observations features a 'half-sister to Group 1 winner Naval Crown (GB). 14.42 Newbury, Mdn, £12,000, 3yo, f, 10fT MAGIC DREAM (IRE) (Shamardal) is an eyecatching debutante for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby in this race which saw the future Oaks winner Eswarah (GB) (Unfuwain) and Irish Oaks heroine Star...

Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) is one of the star names among 21 entries for the £400,000 G1 Al Shaqab Lockinge S. at Newbury on Saturday, May 18. Trained by Christopher Head, Big Rock ended his three-year-old campaign with an emphatic six-length win in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot in October, finally making the breakthrough at the top level following a hat-trick of runner-up finishes. He could be joined at Newbury by Andre Fabre's Tribalist (GB) (Farhh {GB}), who won the G3 Prix Edmond Blanc...

Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey Steve Jobar was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in April 2022. Shocked to discover that there wasn't a cure or any form of effective treatment for his illness, he set about raising funds for research into a cure for future generations. With the assistance of his committee, Jobar, who won the 1980 Triumph Hurdle for David Elsworth aboard Heighlin, has organised a fundraising lunch and race for the MND Association at Newbury on March 22. "You will not be surprised to hear that we have received...

The inaugural Goffs UK Coral Gold Cup Sale of young National Hunt prospects was held after racing at Newbury on Saturday with 18 of the 21 horses offered sold for a total of £2,145,000. Two horses shared top billing at £200,000. The Muhtahir (GB) filly Half Past Tipsy (Ire) (lot 6) was bought from Sam Curling's Skehanagh Stables by Gavin Cromwell after winning a 4-year-old mares' maiden point-to-point last month.  Matching her leading price later in the select catalogue was The Bluesman (Fr) (Crillon {Fr}) (lot 18), a 4-year-old half-brother...

The G3 Horris Hill S. and the G3 St Simon S. have both been rescheduled for early November, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) confirmed on Friday. Both races were set to take place at Newbury on Oct. 28. That meeting was abandoned. The St Simon will now be staged on Friday, Nov. 3 at Newmarket, with the Horris Hill taking place at that venue the day after. Original entries for both races have been cancelled and entries for these replacement races will now close at noon on Tuesday, Oct. 31....

The first Coral Gold Cup Sale, featuring select point-to-pointers at Newbury Racecourse on Saturday, Dec. 2, was launched by Goffs on Thursday. Held after racing on Coral Gold Cup Day in the Newbury winner's enclosure, the sale is the latest offering by the sales company that also conducts point-to-point sales at Aintree, Punchestown, Sandown and Yorton among other locales. In the past, Newbury also featured on that list, and a sale there set a world-record price for a National Hunt horse-in-training at public auction when Un Temps Pour Tout (Ire)...

With the ground riding heavy at Newbury, Saturday's G2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef S. had the potential to become a war of attrition and ultimately it was Juddmonte's Array (Ire) (No Nay Never--Joyeuse {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) who proved toughest. Off the mark in a Newmarket novice before finishing third in the G3 Sirenia S. over this six-furlong trip at Kempton earlier this month, the Andrew Balding-trained homebred was placed near the fore by Oisin Murphy from the outset. Committed passing two out, the 7-4 favourite was forced...

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. Friday's Observations features the return of a 'TDN Rising Star'. 13.40 Saint-Cloud, Cond, €34,000, 2yo, f, 7 1/2fT BAUHINIA (IRE) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) earned TDN Rising Star status at ParisLongchamp last month and Godolphin's daughter of the G2 Rockfel S.-placed Desert Blossom (Ire) (Shamardal) is kept away from...

Having caused a 50-1 shock in Royal Ascot's Buckingham Palace H., William Stobart's Witch Hunter (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) was at it again on Saturday as he swooped to conquer in Newbury's seven-furlong G2 Hungerford S. Tried over six furlongs after his Royal success, the Richard Hannon-trained gelding had found the action a touch too quick when third in Newcastle's G3 Chipchase S. before failing to handle Chester's tight track when third in the Listed City Plate S. and running fourth over a mile in Pontefract's Listed Pomfret S. Switched off...

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 Insights features Reliant, a half-brother to G1SW Mishriff (Ire). 14.40 Sandown, Mdn, £10,000, 2yo, 7fT RELIANT (IRE) (Frankel {GB}) is the focal point of all the newcomers on a tantalising Thursday, being the fourth foal out of Nawara Stud's star broodmare Contradict (GB) (Raven's Pass), whose 100% record...