David Carr

Share There is more to life than Epsom, even if you are trained by the man who has had more Derby winners than anyone else in history. An expensive defeat on the Classic trail in this week of last year was only a blip in the seemingly inexorable rise of Illinois , a monster of a colt who now looks sure to have a big say in top races this summer.

You could tell this was a special evening from the start. While we are all used to introductory words on screen from Rishi, they usually come from Mr. Persad, not Sunak. Many a jaw dropped when the prime minister upstaged even Ed Chamberlin and Sir Anthony McCoy as good luck video messages played out before the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards.

Beverley has muscled its way into the top 10 courses in England and Wales judged on the race day experience it has to offer. It joined top-level tracks such as Aintree, Ascot, and York with a place in the highest echelon as the results of the 2022 Quality Assured Racecourse Scheme were revealed. In Scotland, Ayr, Hamilton, and Musselburgh retained their five-star visitor attraction ratings, meaning they are considered "exceptional" venues.