Olympics

Thoroughbreds will now be recognised in the starting lists and results beginning with the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, in an agreement announced on Tuesday. Previously, retired Thoroughbred racehorses were listed as 'breeding unknown'. The agreement--which applies to dressage, show jumping, and eventing--follows discussions between the European and Mediterranean Horseracing Federation (EMHF), the World Breeding Federation for Sports Horses (WBFSH), the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) and the International Stud Book Committee (ISBC) and will extend also to all FEI competitions. Historically, under a Memorandum of Understanding between the FEI and the WBFSH,...

In the second episode of his handicapping-focused podcast Bettor Things With Joe Bianca, the host welcomed popular NBC Sports horse racing television analyst Randy Moss, where the two shared a drink and engaged in an expansive, free-flowing discussion on all things racing, sports and betting. Recently returned from China where he covered the 2022 Winter Olympics for NBC, Moss talked about his upbringing in Hot Springs where he'd sneak into Oaklawn Park, his work in creating the revolutionary Moss Pace Figures, how he ended up covering football for NFL Network,...

Dual Olympic gold medal-winning equestrian and licensed trainer Sir Mark Todd has become the subject of much criticism after a video showing him repeatedly striking a horse with a tree branch emerged on social media. The video, from 2020, shows the New Zealand native striking a reluctant horse some 10 times when it baulked at a water crossing. "I wholeheartedly apologise to the horse and all involved for my actions in this video clip," Todd said in a statement. "One of the main things I preach is about establishing a...

The concept of the super trainer is by no means a new phenomenon in horse racing, but the huge stables run by super trainers have undoubtedly changed the landscape of the sport in many ways, from the backside to the racing entries. Are super trainers bad for the sport?  Are there any benefits for an owner in using a "smaller" trainer? We asked these questions and more to a few trainers who may not be considered super trainers in terms of their stall numbers, but they have made the most...