Royal Ascot

Talk about a dream start. Louis Blanchet and Ruben Elbase, the latest duo to strike up a training partnership in France, couldn't have wished for a better beginning to their venture when sending out Nargiz to win a maiden at Pornichet racecourse last Thursday. The daughter of Lope De Vega carried the distinguished colours of Gerard Augustin-Normand to victory and now the training duo of Blanchet, who up until this point had been working as an assistant to his brother and trainer Xavier, along with Elbase, a former owner, are...

Roger and Tony O'Callaghan talk about Tally-Ho Stud's new addition Maranoa Charlie, buying into Group 1 winner Zavateri and more "We prefer not to say too much, we rather row in behind the horses and let them do the talking," says Tony O'Callaghan from his kitchen table at Tally-Ho Stud.  Both he and his son Roger don't bother to conceal the fact that this is their least favourite part of the job. There is, of course, a silver lining to the fact a journalist with an expectant face and a...

'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' and Europe's Champion First-Season Sire of 2024 Sergei Prokofiev (Scat Daddy--Orchard Beach, by Tapit) will return home to Ontario to stand at stud at Ballycroy Bloodstock, David Anderson of Anderson Farm announced Tuesday. The news was first reported by Canadian Thoroughbred. Originally bred in Ontario by Anderson, the 9-year-old son of Scat Daddy was a $1,100,000 Keeneland September grad in 2017 to Coolmore's M.V. Magnier and he carried the blue and orange silks to victory at second asking to earn his 'Rising Star' status...

Prize-money at Ascot Racecourse will be a record £19.4 million in 2026, an increase of £1.65 million on this year. Figures exclude the industry-owned QIPCO British Champions Day. Across 25 racedays, 88 of Ascot's 169 races (52%) will have a higher total prize fund than in 2025, with all races on the Flat worth £25,000 or more. Royal Ascot will be worth £10.65 million, from £10.05 million. Increases have been made across the Royal Ascot programme, with all eight Group 1 races now worth a minimum of £700,000 (including two...

One of the most exciting young stallions in Europe is on his way to Yeomanstown Stud after Gay O'Callaghan struck the winning bid for the sire of Group 1 winner Time For Sandals at a Tattersalls Ireland silent auction. Sands Of Mali has been at the centre of a legal dispute between Steve Parkin of Clipper Logistics and Ballyhane Stud boss Joe Foley, who has managed the career of the 10-year-old stallion since he joined the roster back in 2021.  In that time, the Group 1 winner has confirmed himself...

Robson Aguiar will send out his first runners as a licenced trainer in Ireland at Dundalk on Friday night but poured cold water on any prospects of a dream debut double under the lights with Square Necker and Bryant, both of whom are owned by Amo Racing. The Brazilian native has taken over officially from Adrian Murray, who has sent out a number of Amo's most important winners from the same Mullingar-based stable, and stresses that 'nothing has changed only whose name the horses are running under'.  His first runner,...

"Tum-ta-tum-tum-TUMS!!" Ordering up some hot sauce with the ring of the bell, Shisospicy (Mitole--Mischief Galore, by Into Mischief) dished out a torrid serving of pace and winged her way to World Championship glory as she downed the GI Prevagen Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint to beat the boys and give them a dose of heartburn. Maybe an appearance by the filly on 'Hot Ones' is in the offing? Shisospicy broke her maiden on first-asking at trainer Jose D'Angelo's Gulfstream base with a 16 1/4-length score last October, which made her a...

NBC Sports and Ascot Racecourse, home to the Royal Meeting have reached a multi-year agreement to extend NBC Sports's exclusive United States media rights to the event through 2028, the network said in a press release on Friday. NBC Sports--who has been presenting Royal Ascot via linear and digital platforms since 2017--will continue to present live coverage of all 20+ hours of the mid-June meet over its five days (Tuesday-Saturday), with Peacock streaming all coverage live throughout the week, and NBC simulcasting coverage during the event's final day on Saturday....

Superstar sprinter Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress) wasn't the only one to break new ground at Royal Randwick Saturday as The Everest itself set a new record for World Pool turnover on a single race and eclipsed the previous all-time high by over HK$16-million, the organization announced via press release. The Everest attracted HK$83,024,693 (£8-million/AU$16.4-million) in wagering, shattering the prior mark of HK$66,197,958 set in 2023 for the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. Ka Ying Rising became the first international winner of the G1 The Everest on...

Bloodstock agent Will Douglass has joined Ocala Breeders' Sales Company as the company's international representative. Douglass, who began his career as a bloodstock agent in January 2010 when he started working with industry veteran Charlie Gordon-Watson, has also served as assistant to trainers Luca Cumani, Ed Dunlop, and David Hayes. He established Will Douglass Bloodstock in January, advising clients on all aspects of private sales, auction purchases, bloodstock, and racing management. "I am looking forward to working with the team at OBS and helping them expand their international client base,"...

A new four-year deal to continue showing exclusive, free-to-air coverage of UK horse racing from 2027 until 2030 was agreed upon by ITV on Tuesday. There will be 117 days of live coverage to be shown across ITV1, ITV4, STV and STV Player--all simulcast on ITVX--along with the morning racing programme The Opening Show. The live coverage will include some of the best races on the UK racing calendar, among them: the Randox Grand National, Royal Ascot, the Boodles Cheltenham Festival and the Betfred Derby. ITV4 will also include five...

G2 Queen Mary-placed Lennilu (Leinster) has emerged from her Leinster Hollywood Beach Stakes victory in good order and is now on target for a tilt at the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. With her lone career loss coming at the Royal Ascot meeting when she ran third in the aforementioned Group 3, the grey has already defeated the boys--in the Hollywood Beach--and will take them on again at the World Championships as confirmed by trainer Patrick Biancone Sunday morning. "She's doing great. Perfect," said Biancone from Palm Meadows, confirming...