Richard Fahey

One of the more exposed fillies in the line-up for Wednesday's G3 Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn S. at Newmarket, Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum's Pretty Crystal (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}--Pretty Baby {Ire}, by Orpen) emerged on top of a battle with Dubawi's other runner Dance Sequence (GB). Sent off at 18-1, the homebred whose five juvenile efforts included a second in the G3 Princess Margaret S. raced prominently under Oisin Orr throughout the early stages. Getting to Kathmandu (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) a furlong out, the Richard Fahey-trained chestnut had Godolphin's Dance...

Sir Alex Ferguson was back in Britain by Monday after enjoying a second major international victory with his homebred Spirit Dancer (GB) at the Saudi Cup meeting in Riyadh. "It's been fantastic. He's an improving horse. As a younger horse he had some issues but now he seems to be getting better every year," Ferguson told TDN.  "In his races in Bahrain and Saudi there was no catching him. There's no end to him at the moment. The next question is can he go a mile and four furlongs? That...

A passion that was held against him by some, 20 years ago, has given Sir Alex Ferguson a new universe of pleasure. They say there are no second acts in the lives of the famous - but you would have disputed that after seeing the former Manchester United manager's Spirit Dancer (GB) win the Howden Neom Turf Cup in Riyadh on Saturday night. Ferguson's greatest thrill as a manager was to spot and develop young talent. David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and the Neville brothers were products of Ferguson's...

A properly international Saudi Cup meeting saw the major races claimed by stables from  Japan, America, Britain and Ireland. A clash with two rugby internationals will have had plenty of viewers indulging in some channel-hopping, but for some of racing's most crucial workers - those on stud farms - the work can't just be put aside for an afternoon on the sofa. Such was the case for Greg and Lottie Parsons of Upperwood Farm Stud in Hertfordshire, who had a "36-hour day" on Saturday, having been up all night foaling....

Saturday marked the fifth edition of the blockbuster G1 Saudi Cup, with Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) racing into the history books as another American-trained winner of the $20-million race at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Connections of horses worldwide benefitted from the $33.5 million in purses on offer throughout the card, with Europe claiming a trio of wins, and Japan two victories on a night that is rapidly becoming one of the can't-miss events of the year in international racing. Sir Alex Ferguson, best known for his Manchester United...

In the pantheon of the promotional stakes, the Sir Alex Ferguson-owned Spirit Dancer (GB) (Frankel {GB}) winning the $1 million G2 Bahrain International Trophy would have ranked pretty highly as a dream result for everyone associated with this relatively new race.  To have one of the most recognisable sporting figures in the world in attendance all week was something, but for Spirit Dancer to play with his rivals in a similar fashion to some of the best teams Ferguson assembled at the helm of Manchester United exceeded all expectations.  You...

Charlie Appleby says Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) will line out in Friday's $1m Bahrain International Trophy with a favourite's chance but admitted that stall 12 could make things tricky for the dual Group 1 winner as Godolphin ready a five-strong team for the Group 2 contest. Last seen winning the G1 Canadian International in October, Nations Pride will be joined by stablemate Highland Avenue (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), with William Buick opting to ride the former in his bid to win the race for a first time. Appleby said, "Nations...

Paul Hanagan, the former dual champion jockey in Britain, has announced that he will retire from the saddle at York on Friday. The 42-year-old will take one ride at the track in the first race for Richard Fahey, the trainer with whom he has enjoyed a significant portion of his success. Hanagan was crowned champion apprentice in 2002 and eight years later gained the first of his two consecutive championships in the senior ranks, becoming the only jockey based in the north of England to have landed the title more...

In the European edition we really shouldn't be overstepping our boundary to encroach on the territory of our American colleagues who did such a fine job in conveying the stories from Belmont Park last week. Racing faces different problems in different jurisdictions and, from an outsider's perspective, it is hard to get fully behind racing in America when a number of its major participants remain overly reliant on medication. But if you read Cynthia Holt's wonderful account of being at Belmont 50 years ago to bear witness to arguably the...

It never bodes well when a trainer starts an interview with the words, "I don't really like doing interviews." This, from Richard Fahey, was far less intimidating, however, than when TDN went to interview David Elsworth some years ago to be greeted by him marching across the yard and stating, "I'm in a murderous mood." I Having mercifully escaped from Egerton House Stables unscathed to live to annoy many more trainers, our recent mission to Malton was a comparative cakewalk.  For a start, it would be impossible for either interviewer...

Midnight Mile (Ire) (No Nay Never) will make her 3-year-old bow in the G3 Musidora S. at York in May, according to trainer Richard Fahey, who also set early season targets for several stable stars. Last seen in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland when she was fourth to Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never), the bay filly was a debut winner at Doncaster in July and followed that with a victory in the G3 Oh So Sharp S. at Newmarket in October. Fahey will have her skip...

Group 1 winner The Platinum Queen (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) (lot1924B) will be offered as a wildcard entry during the Tattersalls December Mares Sale. Successful in the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye, the bay will be sent through the ring during the second Sceptre Session on Nov. 29. The first Group 1-winning juvenile filly to be offered during the Tattersalls December Mares Sale this century, she was also the first of her age and sex to take the l'Abbaye since Sigy (Fr) (Habitat) in 1978. The Middleham Park Racing runner was...