Rob Hornby

Highclere Stud's Land Force (Ire) (by No Nay Never) was the latest first-season sire to get off the mark on Friday as The King and Queen's Serried Ranks (GB) scored on debut in Nottingham's five-furlong Watch On Racing TV Maiden S. Tracking the early pace under Rob Hornby, the Ralph Beckett-trained 7-2 shot mastered the 4-6 favourite Desert Master (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}) approaching the furlong pole before staying on strongly to beat that rival by 3 3/4 lengths. "He'll be better over six--he's a laid-back horse and he needed...

Julian Richmond-Watson and Ralph Beckett tasted Classic success in 2008 with G1 Oaks heroine Look Here (GB) (Hernando {Ger}) and they are once again eyeing a moment in the spotlight after Remarquee (GB) (Kingman {GB}--Regardez {GB}, by Champs Elysees {GB}), who is from the family of Look Here, downed 11 rivals with something to spare in Saturday's G3 Dubai Duty Free S. (Fred Darling S.) at Newbury. Positioned under cover and racing a shade enthusiastically in mid division through the initial fractions of this straight seven-furlong test, the Sept. 29...

Initiating a treble for the talent-rich Ralph Beckett juvenile team at Salisbury on Thursday, Juddmonte's Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}) sparkled on debut to earn TDN Rising Star status in the card's opener. Sent off a 9-1 shot for division one of the Byerley Stud British EBF Novice S. over a mile, the daughter of the operation's G1 Matron S. heroine Emulous (GB) (Dansili {GB}) was keen early for Rob Hornby buried mid-pack. At work with over two furlongs remaining, the homebred had to go to the far rail for a...

Juddmonte's 2-year-old filly Juliet Sierra (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}--Kilo Alpha {GB}, by King's Best) bettered a July 22 debut second going six furlongs at Newmarket with a breakthrough score over much the same trip at Nottingham last month and continued her rapid rise with a career high on stakes bow in Thursday's G3 Ire-Incentive It Pays To Buy Irish Dick Poole Fillies' S. at Salisbury. Finding a smooth rhythm behind the leaders in fifth after an alert getaway, the 9-2 favourite tanked forward to launch her challenge passing the quarter-mile...

It was a weekend in which the Scat Daddy sire-line shone through, at Newmarket and in Deauville, with Group 1 victories for his grand-daughters Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Tenebrism (Caravaggio). No Nay Never now has five crops of racing age and has twice supplied the winner of the July Cup: first Ten Sovereigns, who is now his stud-mate at Coolmore, and now Jeff Smith's Alcohol Free, whose transformation from miler to sprinter has added an interesting element to what is unfurling into an extraordinarily good season. The...

She wasn't supposed to like fast ground, but Jeff Smith's G1 Coronation S. and G1 Sussex S. heroine Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) skipped the light fantastic on Newmarket's balmy July Course to stamp her class on Saturday's feature G1 Darley July Cup. Back to this six-furlong trip for the first time since winning the G1 Cheveley Park S. as a juvenile when under three-lengths ninth in Royal Ascot's G1 Platinum Jubilee S., the 14-1 shot was drawn in the right place with that race's winner Naval Crown (GB)...

There was a surprise of grand proportions in store in Friday's G1 Tattersalls Falmouth S. at Newmarket, as Marc Chan and Andrew Rosen's Prosperous Voyage (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) ruthlessly dragged Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) into the red to strip the July Festival's "good thing" of her unbeaten record. Bridesmaid to the Gosdens' luminary in the G2 May Hill S. and G1 Fillies' Mile at two, the resilient Ralph Beckett-trained bay who had been runner-up again in the 1000 Guineas was asked to go deep by Rob Hornby from the outset...

Ralph Beckett's Group 1-winning stayer Scope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}-Efisio {GB}, by Galileo {Ire}) has been put down after suffering a serious injury in a routine piece of work. The 4-year-old enjoyed his finest hour when lifting the G1 Prix Royal-Oak at ParisLongchamp in October and connections had been looking forward to him making his presence felt this season. However, Beckett reported in his website blog, "Scope was put down this (Tuesday) morning after fracturing his right-hind cannon bone and pastern, whilst at routine exercise. "Having trained him, his entire family,...

The Curragh, IRELAND--Saturday's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby revolved around Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and he didn't disappoint. The fact that Colin Keane was handed the ride at the expense of Rob Hornby, who was aboard the colt at Epsom, provided a fascinating sub-plot to the race and both men emerged from the weekend with reputations not only intact but enhanced. Westover was the winner the Curragh needed and his victory tees up a fascinating rematch between himself and the Derby hero Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the...

Colin Keane will replace Rob Hornby aboard the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby favourite Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) at the Curragh on Saturday. Westover endured a luckless run under Hornby to finish third behind Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the Cazoo Derby at Epsom and connections have explained that Keane's experience of riding at the Curragh swung the vote in his favour ahead of Saturday.  The three-time Irish Champion Jockey has already tasted Classic success in the Juddmonte silks, courtesy of 2020 Irish Guineas winner Siskin, who was trained...

Last orders are being called for the European Flat turf season. Cheltenham and Aintree have been knocking loudly on the door but there are still some important scores to settle on the level, and in Paris, where this correspondent was fortunate enough to be billeted this weekend, the major Group 1 action was conducted in a blaze of life-affirming autumnal glory that may almost sustain us until the spring. The four Group 1 races around the world on Saturday, in England, France and Australia, went to the offspring of Irish-based...

Unsurprisingly, 3-year-olds have come to assume dominance of late in ParisLongchamp's G1 Prix Royal-Oak and it was a case of more of the same on Sunday as Julian Richmond-Watson's Scope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) made the eight-pound weight-for-age pull count in the testing conditions he loves. Following a staying-on sixth in the G1 St Leger at Doncaster Sept. 11 with a powerful 7 1/2-length success in Ascot's Listed Noel Murless S. also over a mile and a quarter at the start of the month, the 15-2 shot was sent up to...