Frankie Dettori had two rides at Goodwood, above, on Friday but failed to have a winner from two rides and is struggling to kickstart a crucial season. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images First it was Lester Piggott, and then it was Frankie Dettori. Tens of thousands of spectators would make their annual trip to Epsom for the Derby, and look for one name on the racecard first. Even though his long wait for a winner in the premier Classic came to an end in 2007, Dettori will always be the starting point for many once-a-year punters on the Downs, since he is by far the most famous Flat jockey in the country.This year, though, they may search in vain. "I've got nothing in the Derby, nothing ... Continue reading →
Mick Channon, right, at Goodwood on Thursday on the day he announced he was joining forces with Best Mate's trainer Henrietta Knight. Photograph: Julian Herbert/Action Images Henrietta Knight, who trained Best Mate to become the first horse to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup three times since Arkle in the 1960s, will relinquish her licence next month in order to spend more time with her husband, the former jockey Terry Biddlecombe, who suffered a stroke eight months ago.However, Knight will still take a close interest in her former string, which will move to be trained by her near-neighbour Mick Channon, who is in charge of a large string of Flat horses at West Ilsley Stables.Channon, who bred the 1988 Tote Gold Trophy-winning hurdler Jamesmead before taking ... Continue reading →
The heavy ground at Epsom's Derby trial meeting in April seemed a very distant memory on Thursday morning as several contenders for next week's Investec Derby Festival exercised on the track for the benefit of guests at its annual Breakfast With The Stars. The going at the course is now good, and Andrew Cooper, Epsom's clerk of the course, expects it to ride "good or quicker" when the meeting opens with the Oaks on 1 June."Everyone riding there this morning concurred that the ground was good," Cooper said. "We've been dry now for nine days, since Tuesday last week, and we needed a dry spell somewhere along the line to get the track to settle down and carry out normal maintenance and mowing."It will dry ... Continue reading →
Anthony McPartlin, second right, and Declan Donnelly, right, with jockey Hayley Turner, after their horse Primaeval won at Goodwood on Thursday. Photograph: Chris Ison/PA Hayley Turner, who became the first woman jockey to ride a British Group One winner outright last season, will have her first ride in the Investec Derby when she partners Cavaleiro in the Epsom Classic on 2 June. She will be only the second female rider to take part in Flat racing's showpiece event following Alex Greaves, who finished last on the 500-1 chance Portugese Lil in 1996.Greaves, who dead-heated for the Nunthorpe Stakes in 1997, was the only woman jockey to have won a Group One in Britain until Turner won both the July Cup, on Dream Ahead, and the ... Continue reading →
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Bated Breath will make his reappearance in the Temple Stakes at Haydock on Saturday. Photograph: John Giles/PA Archive/Press Association Ima Where is the British sprinter who can give Black Caviar a hard time at Royal Ascot next month? Bated Breath, a contender for the vacancy, makes his return to action in the Temple Stakes at Haydock on Saturday but his trainer, Roger Charlton, is not exactly looking forward to taking on the Australian supermare in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes."It would be [exciting] for the general public," he says, deadpan. "It wouldn't be very exciting for me. I've only seen her on television. What's impressive is the sheer size of her. She's 475kg."Bated Breath is a big horse and he's less than 400kg. She appears to ... Continue reading →
