York

Opening the batting for the after-dinner speeches at York's 254th annual Gimcrack Dinner was the man of the hour, the winning owner of the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes, Martin Tedham. If Lord Allen's later address led the odd guest to refill their port glass in need of fortification, Tedham, owner of the Declan Carroll-trained colt Lifeplan (Kodi Bear), had them rolling in the aisles. The Scottish Borders native said that his trainer had been supremely confident of the colt's chances in the Gimcrack but Tedham had not realised...

In one of his first public appearances since becoming chair of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) in September, Lord Allen admitted that there is no "single silver bullet" to ease the significant challenges facing the sport. In a question-and-answer session with broadcaster Lydia Hislop following the 254th Gimcrack Dinner at York racecourse, Lord Allen, whose appointment to the BHA was announced in November 2024, spoke of his desire for the BHA to be a "world-leading authority". Addressing a gathering of around 200 guests on Tuesday evening, he said, "I used...

The least-experienced in the line-up for Friday's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes at York, Martin Tedham's Lifeplan (Kodi Bear) stepped up in style to land the six-furlong contest. Coming off a taking Thirsk novice win last month, the Declan Carroll-trained €165,000 Goffs Orby Book 1 purchase who traded at 13-2 tracked the leader Rock On Thunder (Night Of Thunder) throughout and gave all for Zak Wheatley to get up close home and win by a length as they drew clear. "There is no feeling like it, it's amazing,"...

Having won the Oaks and Irish Oaks, Minnie Hauk (Frankel) completed the heralded treble on Thursday in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks with the minimum of fuss. Held up behind as Wayne Lordan set the tempo on the Ribblesdale winner Garden Of Eden (Saxon Warrior), the 8-15 favourite moved up to take control two out and draw away from her main rival Estrange (Night Of Thunder) for a resounding 3 1/2-length success. "She's very straightforward and professional and does everything very smooth," Ryan Moore said of the winner, who also won the...

Palace Pier has got off to a highly encouraging start at stud and his daughter Royal Fixation took it to the next level on Thursday when winning York's G2 Lowther Stakes. Runner-up in the G2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket's July Festival, Opulence Thoroughbreds' 5-2 joint-favourite had to come from off the pace under William Buick to get the other joint market-leader America Queen (Havana Grey) but was in command from the furlong pole en route to a length success. "She's very straightforward and did well in the circumstances at Newmarket, where we...

YORK, UK -- What a day, or perhaps that should be, oh, what a Night. Fresh from providing the €3m top lot at Arqana on Monday, Night Of Thunder was by Wednesday ruling the Knavesmire, courtesy of his sons Ombudsman and Gewan. In Ombudsman, Godolphin and the Gosdens have the classic late improver, who set about his racing in the middle of last season and burst onto the Group 1 scene in impressive fashion at Royal Ascot. The narrowest of defeats in the Eclipse next time out did little to...

For a long while in Wednesday's G1 Juddmonte International Stakes, it looked as if we would have another pacemaker summer shock but ultimately the class of Godolphin's Prince of Wales's Stakes winner Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder) told once again and common sense prevailed on the Knavesmire. Blessed with the best acceleration of the sextet, the Gosdens' 7-4 favourite was the first to claw back the operation's rabbit Birr Castle (Cloth Of Stars), who was proverbially in another district under Rab Havlin turning for home, and register a 3 1/2-length defeat of...

Bouncing back from two disappointing Derby displays, the Aykroyds' Pride Of Arras (New Bay) showed the benefit of a gelding operation and a return to a track on which he excels to land Wednesday's G2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes at York. Sent off at 12-1 despite his impressive Dante success here in May, the Ralph Beckett-trained homebred who had failed to fire at Epsom and The Curragh stayed on powerfully to take control approaching the furlong pole and beat the similarly-penalised Queen's Vase winner Carmers (Wootton Bassett). Where Lambourn...

Emulating Andrew Balding's former star Chaldean on Wednesday, Al Rabban Racing's Gewan (Night Of Thunder) came from the same Newbury novice to capture York's G3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes, an automatic qualifier for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Always prominent under P J McDonald throughout the seven-furlong contest, the 11-2 shot saw off Ballydoyle's Italy (Wootton Bassett) to score by 1 1/2 lengths, with 3 1/4 lengths back to the disappointing 11-20 favourite Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder) in third. "He was very well bought by Billy Jackson-Stops, as...

York's Knavesmire is the battleground for Europe's elite over the next four days, with the Ebor Festival playing out on the flat expanse as renowned for its uncomplicated nature as the folk who emanate from the county. Fair and upfront in true Yorkshire spirit, the track which sealed the reputation of City Of Troy 12 months ago will make or break the leading protagonists of the four Group 1 races staged over the piece, including the newly-upgraded City Of York on Saturday, Britain's first seven-furlong event in this category. That...

Surprise G1 Sussex Stakes hero Qirat (Showcasing) has been supplemented for the G1 Sky Bet City Of York Stakes this coming Saturday. The Juddmonte runner, supplemented for £40,000, will face the rerouted multiple Group 1 winner Rosallion (Blue Point) in the newly promoted Group 1. Trained by Ralph Beckett, Qirat was 150-1 in the Sussex. "It looks the right race for him and Ralph felt strongly about it," said Barry Mahon, racing manager for Juddmonte. "The owners are happy to go along with it, he showed plenty of pace in...

Smart juvenile Lady Iman was supplemented for the G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes on August 22. She is the first 2-year-old to be supplemented for the York sprint since Kingsgate Native (Mujadil) in 2007. Supplemented by her connections at a cost of £40,000, the G3 Molecomb Stakes heroine is one of 19 set to take part as of Saturday. Trained by Ger Lyons, the bay will be ridden by noted lightweight rider Joe Fanning. Joining the daughter of Starman is the fellow 2-year-old filly and supplement Spicy Marg (Starspanglebanner),...