Things to know today
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A Ghaiyyath colt closed Goffs Orby Book 2 at 195,000 euro, bought by the American based agent Deuce Greathouse from Gerrardstown House Stud and bred by Donie Fahy. The Thursday session turned over 9,808,000 euro, up 14 per cent, for an average of 28,429 euro, up 13 per cent, and a median of 22,000 euro, up 10 per cent, at a clearance rate of 87 per cent. Nine horses made 100,000 euro or more across Book 2. Fahy said this means everything and that no more than everybody else in the industry they work tirelessly at it, and Henry Beeby of Goffs said the last four days have given everyone a huge lift because the positivity from start to finish of both books has been inspiring (Thoroughbred Daily News) |
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Simon Cox used his first day as chairman of the British Horseracing Authority to set out where he wants the sport to go, saying British racing should be focusing its efforts on growth, not just managing decline. He said he is a lifelong racing fan and that it is an honour and a privilege to be taking the role, that many of the world’s best horses, jockeys, trainers, staff, courses, festivals and races are all in Britain, and that six consecutive quarters of attendance growth make it clear racing retains its popularity. His stated long term aims are new and retained audiences, higher attendance and stronger incentives to breed and own, underpinned by welfare and integrity standards, and in the short term he wants the focus moved from internal negotiation to the audience, governance addressed, a unified strategy delivered and funding defended. He acknowledged pressure on the foal crop, betting, ownership and revenue (Thoroughbred Daily News) |
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Constitution Hill will run in the Group 2 Gran Premio del Jockey Club over 2,400 metres at San Siro in Milan on Sunday 18 October, a race worth 506,000 euro. Nicky Henderson said they were not going to run him at Ascot because of the ground and think they might get his ground out there, that it is where he and Michael would like to go and that they have always said they would like to travel and that he would take them to places they might never go, and that the St Simon Stakes at Newbury is on the same weekend but Milan is the one they are going for. He added that everybody has been so brilliant about the horse that he seems to have his disciples and they will have to take them along, and that this does not mean it will be his last race because they have every intention of being back for all sorts of fun things next year (Racing Ahead) |
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Horse Racing Ireland has published a record 396 fixtures for 2027, six more than this year and an increase of 1.5 per cent, with Tipperary’s new all-weather track due to open in October 2027. Feidhlim Cunningham, chairman of the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association, said the priority is prize-money and that Horse Racing Ireland has committed to increasing it from 74 million euro to 85 million over the next two years, and that any increase in total prize-money must not be absorbed by additional fixtures. He said the association did not lobby for more fixtures and is open to a discussion about reducing the number if that allows prize-money levels to improve, pointing to declining foal numbers and shrinking field sizes (Racing Post) |
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Juddmonte will fund Racing Welfare’s community engagement officer for the stud and breeding sector for the next three years, a role created in 2023 after breeding staff accounted for only 5.7 per cent of those the charity supported in 2022, and held since July 2024 by Keith Haggins, who has close to three decades in thoroughbred breeding. The post was funded for its first three years by the Gerald Leigh Charitable Trust. Mike Saunders, Juddmonte’s chief operating officer, said they recognise the vital contribution of stud staff and the challenges they can face, and Dawn Goodfellow, chief executive of Racing Welfare, said the three-year commitment will allow them to build on strong foundations and reach more people (Thoroughbred Daily News) |
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Gran Dia won the Salisbury Annual Badgeholders Bluestocking British EBF Novice Stakes over a mile on Thursday by two lengths under Callum Hutchinson for Andrew Balding and the owners Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy, with Shared Odyssey second and Star Rose third on good to soft ground. Humble Pyle, the half sister to Pyledriver whose debut had been flagged in the trade press, finished tenth (Racing Post) |
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