Conundrum of what is best for the sport conflicting with what is best for a horse rears its ugly head once again Lucinda Russell described the decision to retire Corach Rambler, her 2023 Grand National winner, as one “laced with sadness” yet “joyous” last week and the gelding’s many fans and backers knew exactly what she meant. Cheaply bought and owned by a syndicate who paid £3,000 a share, Corach Rambler’s rise through the chasing ranks to win twice at the Cheltenham festival and then land jumping’s most famous and valuable race was an unalloyed feelgood story that also seems to have conclud ..read more

Seize the Grey wins middle jewel of Triple Crown Colt owned by 2,570 people via MyRacehorse group D Wayne Lukas worked his way to Seize the Grey after his horse won the Preakness Stakes and kept getting interrupted by well-wishes offering congratulations. “I think they’re trying to get rid of me,” Lukas said. “They probably want me to retire. I don’t think that’ll happen ..read more

Punters in search of an each-way alternative to unproven market leaders alight on Ambiente Friendly and Los Angeles The betting for the Derby at Epsom on 1 June lost another significant player on Friday when Arabian Crown, the Godolphin operation’s leading candidate for the Classic, was ruled out after suffering a setback at Charlie Appleby’s Newmarket stable. His absence leaves Ancient Wisdom, the runner-up in the Dante Stakes here on Thursday, as the only likely Derby runner for Appleby’s stable as he seeks a third win in the Epsom Classic since 2018. Arabian Crown, who won three of his four ..read more

Winner may be favourite if switched to run at Epsom Colt pulled out as trainer fears would not act on track The Dante Stakes, the last recognised Derby trial before the Classic on 1 June, had the emphatic winner that everyone had turned up hoping to see on Thursday, but with one significant caveat that left the ante-post market murkier than ever. Economics, a strapping chestnut trained by William Haggas, cruised up to the leaders and then accelerated six lengths clear of Ancient Wisdom, one of last season’s best juveniles, a performance that one bookie suggested would be more than enough to ..read more

Hispanic put down after breaking leg Secret Satire heads for Oaks after win in Epsom trial A faller in the second and third races, one of which involved a fatal injury, made for difficult viewing for racegoers and armchair fans alike as York – the Ascot of the north – opened its 2024 season on Wednesday. The result of the Group Three Musidora Stakes,with the odds-on favourite, Friendly Soul, finishing well beaten behind Secret Satire, a 22-1 shot, was also not one for many punters to celebrate. There is no need to look back any further than last year’s running of the Musidora to find an exam ..read more

Aidan O’Brien believes that ‘a wrong few seconds’ at Newmarket starting stalls cost colt his unbeaten record It was January weather on the gallops at Ballydoyle on Monday, but the first Saturday in June was the focus of all thoughts as many of Aidan O’Brien’s stable stars, including City Of Troy, the colt with a lofty reputation to redeem after his no-show in the 2,000 Guineas, went through their morning exercise routine in the run-up to the Derby at Epsom. City Of Troy was pushed out to 8-1 for the Derby after he beat only two of his 10 rivals to the line at Newmarket this month, shattering t ..read more

Colt beat stablemate Euphoric at Leopardstown Spokesman confirms horse is bound for Epsom The team of horses that will attempt to give Aidan O’Brien a record-extending 10th win in the Derby at Epsom next month signed up another new recruit here on Sunday as Los Angeles, an imposing son of the yard’s 2012 winner, Camelot, ground out a one-length success from stable-companion Euphoric in Leopardstown’s Derby Trial to remain unbeaten after three career starts. Los Angeles went to post for his three-year-old debut having started as the stable’s second-string, both on jockey bookings and in the b ..read more

Colt is now in to 12-1 from 100-1 to triumph in Epsom Classic You Got To Me beats Rubies are Red in Oaks Trial at Lingfield One of the aspects of the two-week run of Classic trials after the Guineas meeting at Newmarket that makes it so much fun is that you can never be entirely sure when a realistic – and previously unconsidered – contender for the Derby or Oaks will suddenly throw their hat into the ring. Ambiente Friendly was a 100-1 shot for the Derby before the Lingfield Derby Trial but he is now no bigger than 12-1 after a powerful run down the middle of the track saw him stride nearly ..read more

Triumph for locally trained horse, narrowly denied last year, was the ideal result on this unique race’s 200th anniversary The trophy – and the 30lb Cheshire cheese that comes with it – were handed to Alan Peterson, the owner of Zoffee, after the Chester Cup here on Friday, but it was a sign of how much this unique race means to the locals that Michael Owen, the landlord of Manor House Stables where Zoffee is trained by Hugo Palmer, was celebrating as if he had just scored the winner in an FA Cup final. “That’s pretty much a lifelong dream to win that race,” Owen said. “I said to the owner bef ..read more

Marathon contest round the tight turns of the Roodee has become an obsession for some owners and trainers A double century is an impressive age for any sporting event, so there promises to be a party atmosphere at Chester racecourse on Friday when the country’s oldest active racecourse celebrates the 200th anniversary of its most popular race, the Chester Cup. The annual charge around two-and-a-bit circuits of this unique, almost circular, track was first run in 1824 as the Tradesman’s Cup, and has been beguiling and frustrating punters in equal measure ever since. It is not quite th ..read more