Rashabar

Group 1 winner Diego Velazquez will not contest the Breeders' Cup and has been retired, according to syndicate manager Sam Sangster. The son of Frankel--who was bought by Sangster's syndicate directly before his Jacques le Marois victory-- is set to stand at the National Stud in Newmarket. Last seen finishing fifth under Frankie Dettori in the GI Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland, he has won six of his 12 starts for trainer Aidan O'Brien. Raced by the Coolmore partners through his win in the G2 Minstrel Stakes in July, the...

Rashabar, who had been no bigger than 12-1 for Sunday's Poule d'Essai des Poulains at ParisLongchamp, is set to miss the French Classic, according to trainer Brian Meehan.  The winner of last year's G2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot posted a fine reappearance run to finish second in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury last month. However, he is now being re-routed to the Irish 2,000 Guineas after Meehan reported his charge to be "not 100%" after spiking a temperature recently.  Meehan said of the son of Holy Roman Emperor, "Unfortunately...

If you're a jumps devotee, Saturday will be all about the Scottish Grand National meeting and wondering whether Willie Mullins can continue his ominous late charge in the British National Hunt trainers' championship to reel in long-time leader Dan Skelton. There is seemingly nothing the master of Closutton can't do. I wouldn't bet against him returning with a favourable deal for Ireland if he was sent as special envoy to Washington to negotiate with President Trump on tariffs. But let's not spoil our weekend by worrying about the ever-changing diktats...

Royal Ascot winner Rashabar (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) is set for a step up in trip on his next start as connections of Brian Meehan's colt have identified the G1 National Stakes at the Curragh as a likely target for the shock 80-1 winner of the Coventry Stakes.  Rashabar came close to providing Meehan with a third success in the Prix Morny when narrowly failing to reel in Aidan O'Brien's Whistlejacket at Deauville earlier this month. "There's a fair few options, but we will be sticking in Group 1...

ASCOT, UK--A wishlist for the first day of Royal Ascot would certainly have included the hope that a Classic-winning colt would step forward and announce himself as a proper horse, a major win for an international traveller, and the sight of the inimitable Sir Mark Prescott in the winner's enclosure. Tick. Tick. Tick. We'll throw in to the mix a tearful Mark Loughnane proclaiming the 80/1 Coventry S. victory for his jockey son Billy as "the best ever moment of my life", and Sam Sangster, equally tearful as his father's...