Racing (Horse) : General Horse Racing Thread

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Another out of Belmont Stakes.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Sat

Triple Crown aspirant I'll Have Another will not run in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, trainer Doug O'Neill told American radio.

The three-year-old was aiming for racing immortality after his victories in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, but has been taken out of the mile-and-a-half contest in New York after reportedly suffering a leg injury.

Cecil hoping for Camelot clash.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Sat

Sir Henry Cecil believes a clash between his stable star Frankel and dual Classic winner Camelot would be something to savour.

And the Newmarket trainer feels the Juddmonte International at York in August, sponsored by Frankel's owner Khalid Abdullah, would be the most likely race for a showdown between the two unbeaten colts from different generations.

"If he (Frankel) comes through these next two races all right (the Queen Anne and the Sussex), the Juddmonte would be more interesting," Cecil told At The Races.

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Lyons maps out Ascot plan.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Sat

Ger Lyons is assembling a small but select team for Royal Ascot as he chases his second winner at the showpiece meeting.

The County Meath trainer struck with 20-1 shot Elletelle in the 2007 Queen Mary Stakes, with Johnny Murtagh steering the youngster to a half-length success over Starlit Sands.

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So You Think heads Eclipse betting.

http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/n...5.html&BID=465

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British runners placed in France.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...s&sub=&day=Sun

British raiders Archbishop and Coupe De Ville finished second and third respectively in the Prix Paul De Moussac at Chantilly.

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Matz hails Rags-to-riches story.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Sun

Trainer Michael Matz insisted Union Rags had always possessed star quality after the colt claimed the Belmont Stakes.

Although the race was greatly diminished by the withdrawal of Triple Crown aspirant I'll Have Another, New York racegoers were still treated to a blockbuster finish as Union Rags, ridden by John Velazquez, came fast and late in the $1million heat to deny Paynter by a short neck

Shantaram in frame for King Edward.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Sun

Connections of Shantaram are mulling options for the promising colt after he got off the mark at Newmarket on Friday.

The King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot remains a possibility for the John Gosden-trained three-year-old, who made hard work of landing prohibitive odds of 1-8, but that was put down to a dislike for rain-softened ground.

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French glory for Thousand.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Sun

Willie Mullins' outstanding hurdler Thousand Stars put up a superb performance to land the Grande Course De Haies D'Auteuil for the second year running.

The grey stormed past Nikita Du Berlais after jumping the final flight to win the race known as the French Champion Hurdle very cosily in the hands of Ruby Walsh

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Hannon mulling juvenile targets.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Mon

Richard Hannon's two-year-old team for Royal Ascot is taking shape after the champion trainer posted four more wins with his juveniles on Friday and Saturday.

The Taj, Olympic Glory, Havana Gold and City Image added to Hannon's juvenile tally for the campaign, though not all the quartet will be bound for the big meeting at the Berkshire track.

"We have a couple more important work mornings before we finalise plans for Royal Ascot," he told www.richardhannonracing.tv.

Rock on track for Gold Cup.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Mon

Saddler's Rock is on course for the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot after pleasing trainer John Oxx on his reappearance at Leopardstown.

Oxx described the outing as a "nice prep race" after the four-year-old found Midnight Soprano, who was receiving 10lb, just half a length too good in the Listed Saval Beg Stakes over a mile and three-quarters on Friday.

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Planteur primed for big assignment.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Tue

Marco Botti reports his French import Planteur to be going the right way ahead of the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot on Wednesday week.

The son of Danehill Dancer will bid to improve on his fourth in the 10-furlong Group One 12 months ago, when he was in the care of Elie Lellou

Ward planning strong Ascot raid.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Tue

Ground-breaking American trainer Wesley Ward is bringing yet another strong team to Royal Ascot and plans to field runners in every two-year-old event at the meeting.

The Kentucky-based handler burst on to the scene in 2009 when Strike The Tiger won the Windsor Castle Stakes and Jealous Again bounded away with the Queen Mary, becoming the first US-based trainer to taste success at the summer highlight.

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Society ready to rock in Jubilee.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Tue

Connections of Society Rock are unfazed by the prospect of taking on Black Caviar in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Although the Australian sensation will be a short price to defend her unbeaten record, Society Rock's trainer, James Fanshawe, is upbeat about his representative's chances as the five-year-old entire attempts to win back-to-back renewals of the Group One.

Ascot ground currently soft.

http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/n...6.html&BID=465

Royal Ascot is expected to start on easy ground following heavy rain at the Berkshire track.

The going is s currently predominately soft with heavy patches on the round course and there is an unsettled forecast over the weekend.

Clerk of the course Chris Stickels told At The Races on Tuesday morning: "Last week we had a quite substantial amount of rain, 47 millimetres in total, and then at the end of the week it dried off nicely with the strong breezes.

"However the last 36 hours have been quite extraordinary. We've had 55 millimetres since 9pm on Sunday and it has only just in the last hour or so stopped raining. We're now soft ground, there's the odd heavy patch around Swinley Bottom but it is certainly soft ground elsewhere.

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Spencer relishing Glory bid.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Wed

Jamie Spencer is looking forward to being reunited with Fame And Glory as they go for back-to-back victories in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot on Thursday week.

Aidan O'Brien's stayer also won the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at the Berkshire course in the autumn to prove himself top class.

The trainer's son, Joseph O'Brien, was in the saddle when Fame And Glory made a successful reappearance in the Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan last month, and Spencer expects the six-year-old to be in prime condition when he defends his crown.

Kissed heads Chantilly team.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Wed

Kissed, a late withdrawal from the Investec Oaks, is among four Aidan O'Brien possibles for the Prix de Diane Longines at Chantilly on Sunday.

O'Brien took the unbeaten daughter of Galileo out at Epsom because of the drying ground, yet still went on to win the fillies' Classic with Was.

The Ballydoyle trainer has also left in Twirl, who was only 11th at Epsom, plus French 1000 Guineas second Up, as well as Wonderful, at the latest forfeit stage for the French equivalent of the Oaks.

Smullen sweet on Emulous.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Wed

Pat Smullen is excited at the prospect of Emulous going for the Windsor Forest Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The jockey was delighted with her victory in the Group Three Equestrian Stakes at the Curragh on her seasonal reappearance last month, when she had to give weight to all her eight rivals and comfortably beat One Spirit by a length and three-quarters.

Colombo backed for Coventry.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Wed

Cristoforo Colombo has virtually halved in price for next week's Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot after being the subject of a sustained gamble.

Coral now make the Aidan O'Brien-trained colt their 7-2 favourite from 6-1 for the Group Two event, the fourth race on the opening afternoon of the showpiece meeting, following his maiden win at Navan last month.

His sire, Henrythenavigator, who was also trained by O'Brien, won the Coventry in 2007.

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No ground worries for Caviar.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Thu

Big-race rider Luke Nolen is confident Australian superstar Black Caviar will not be inconvenienced by the prospect of soft ground in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Ascot on Saturday week.

The unbeaten mare arrived in Britain last Thursday and stands on the verge of her 22nd straight victory, with all but three of her wins having come under Nolen, who has experience of the Berkshire track riding in the Shergar Cup.

Moody plots Diamond workouts.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Thu

Peter Moody is likely to crank Black Caviar's Royal Ascot preparations up a notch with a more serious piece of work in Newmarket this weekend.

The unbeaten Australian superstar arrived in Britain last Thursday ahead of her tilt at the Diamond Jubilee Stakes, and has only been spotted doing light exercise on the gallops as Moody had ensured she was fighting fit before she left home soil.

Two added to St James's Palace.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...Palace&day=Thu

Richard Fahey's Gabrial and the Francois Rohaut-trained French 2000 Guineas winner Lucayan have been supplemented for the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

Their addition to the Group One contest for three-year-old colts brings the number of horses for the mile feature to 22 at the confirmation stage.

Power, winner of the Irish 2000 Guineas, heads Aidan O'Brien's six remaining entries and is joined by Daddy Longlegs, Reply, Requisition, Vault and Wrote. The Bryan Smart-trained Foxtrot Romeo, runner-up to Power in the Curragh Classic, is also expected to take his chance.

Frankel in Queen Anne dozen.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Thu

Frankel features among 12 possibles for the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday and is long odds-on to win.

Sir Henry Cecil's brilliant colt has swept aside everything put before him in his career to date, and seeks to take his unbeaten run to 11 in the Group One over the straight mile that brings the curtain up on the five-day meeting.

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Head not running scared of Caviar.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Thu

Freddie Head is relishing the prospect of taking on Black Caviar in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes with Moonlight Cloud next week.

Some already have the Australian mare home and hosed in the Group One over six furlongs - but the French trainer believes his classy filly will put up a stern fight. Having beaten Society Rock by four lengths in last season's Prix Maurice de Gheest, she returned to action this term with an easy win at Longchamp.

Group One pair top Forest field.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Thu

Emulous and Nahrain are the class acts in Wednesday's Windsor Forest Stakes at Royal Ascot at the six-day stage.

As both are Group One winners already, they will be forced to carry a penalty in the Group Two event

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Aigles aim undecided.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Fri

Corine Barande-Barbe has still not made a final decision on whether Cirrus Des Aigles will take his chance in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot on Wednesday.

The six-year-old, who has won nearly £4million in prize money, also has the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, in which he was second to Sarafina 12 months ago, as an option.

With the ground currently on the soft side at Ascot, Barande-Barbe is leaning towards bringing him over from France due to his ability to handle a bit of cut.

Bolger takes Coventry approach.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Fri

Jim Bolger has confirmed Dawn Approach an intended starter in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

The unbeaten son of Bolger's Classic hero New Approach has a perfect record from three outings, and was last seen winning a Listed race at Naas from the Richard Hannon-trained Mister Marc. The seven-furlong Chesham Stakes had also been mentioned as a possibility, but Bolger will go for the six-furlong Coventry on the opening afternoon.

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Late decision likely on Bated run.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Fri

Roger Charlton will make a late decision on whether Bated Breath takes his chance in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

With a preference for a decent surface, the Beckhampton handler may switch his sights back to the Diamond Jubilee Stakes on Saturday, giving the ground a chance to dry out.

Fame on track for more glory.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...e&sub=&day=Fri

Last year's winner Fame And Glory heads 13 horses left in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot on Thursday.

The six-year-old, trained by Aidan O'Brien, warmed up for the defence of his crown by giving 10lb and a neck beating to Unaccompanied in the Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan last month.

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Lightening bows out.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Sat

Last year's Cheveley Park Stakes winner Lightening Pearl has been retired to the paddocks.

The filly gave trainer Ger Lyons and owner Sheikh Fahad their first Group One success but after disappointing at Leopardstown on Thursday night, the decision has been taken to draw stumps on her career.

"She hasn't been giving us the vibes this year, which I was afraid of as her mum and her sister didn't train on," said Lyons.

Minidress added to Ribblesdale.

http://www.attheraces.com/article.as...=&sub=&day=Sat

Godolphin have supplemented Minidress into the field for the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot on Thursday.

A total of 22 fillies are now possible for the Group Two event with Mahmood Al Zarooni's charge added at the latest stage. Stablemate Kailani, seventh in the Investec Oaks, is also a possible.

The Fugue, considered by many to be an unlucky loser in the Classic when third, could bid for compensation, while William Haggas' Vow, fourth at Epsom, has stood her ground.