Things to know today
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The Levy Board has approved a 2.2 million pound increase in its prize-money funding for 2027, which the British Horseracing Authority estimates will put 3 million pounds into prize-money and associated bonuses. Developmental races on the Flat and over jumps gain a minimum of 1,000 pounds, Elite Midsummer Group 1 races take 100,000 pounds each in additional support match funded by the tracks, and Grade 3 and Grade 2 novice chase minimums rise from 75,000 pounds to 80,000. Richard Wayman, the BHA’s director of racing, said British racing has a clear strategy for the coming years to stabilise and ultimately grow the numbers of horses being bred, trained and raced in Britain, and Alan Delmonte, chief executive of the Horserace Betting Levy Board, said the board is pleased to continue the trend of recent years and again increase its contribution to prize-money (Racing Post) |
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Infraad took the BetMGM Noel Murless Stakes, a Listed race over one mile six furlongs and 34 yards at Ascot on Friday, by half a length under Tom Marquand for William Haggas, with Galiyan second and Galilean Quality third on good to firm ground in 3:06.08 (Racing Post) |
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Arqana holds its Arc Sale at Saint-Cloud this evening at 6.30 local time with about 40 horses in training catalogued. They include Bright Light as lot 43 and Chestnut Rocket as lot 50, both of whom run in Sunday’s Arc, Siciliano as lot 7, who runs in Saturday’s Prix Daniel Wildenstein, and the Group 3 winner Space Waltz as lot 52. Last year’s sale sold 23 of its 39 lots for 6.24 million euro at an average of 271,305 euro (Racing Post) |
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Katie Scott sends Naana’s Shadow to the Prix de l’Abbaye on Sunday from a yard of 21 horses at Galashiels in the Scottish Borders. Scott, who is 38, said a Group 1 is what everyone wants but she respects the challenge, that it is a big step up again, that the filly has got her black type, has had a great season and won plenty of prize-money for her owners, and that all she can do is have her right (Racing Post) |
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My Cloud has been retired to Mickley Stud, where he stands from 2027. The Blue Point colt out of the Nayef mare Beach Frolic won four of his seven starts, took the 2025 Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot to go to a rating of 104 and is a half brother to the five time Group 1 winner and sire Palace Pier. Richard Kent of Mickley Stud said he combines the speed and precocity of the Blue Point and Shamardal sire line with one of Europe’s most accomplished contemporary families, and Roger Varian, who trained him, said he was a very progressive horse with a wonderful temperament and a huge amount of talent whose work had been top class before his injury in the spring. The fee is to be announced (Thoroughbred Daily News) |
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Billy Loughnane leads the British Flat jockeys’ championship by 22 winners, a margin Oisin Murphy has conceded puts his bid for a sixth title, and a third in a row, all but beyond him (Racing Post) |
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Dermot Weld runs Purview in the Canadian International at Woodbine today, a Grade 1 over one mile four furlongs worth 750,000 dollars, with Chris Hayes riding for Juddmonte. The four year old won the Orby Stakes by six lengths, then beat the same rival and the subsequent Irish Champion Stakes winner Hotazhell in the Group 3 International Stakes, and was third in the Kilternan Stakes. Weld said the horse has been running well for them all year and that he thinks he is in very good form. Aidan O’Brien, with Joshua Tree in 2012, was the last Irish trainer to win the race (Racing Post) |
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The British Horseracing Authority is seeking a formal meeting with the gambling minister, Vicky Foxcroft, who told a Labour conference fringe event in Liverpool that the government is preparing a consultation on the Gambling Act’s aim to permit rules. Greg Swift, the BHA’s director of communications, said she is very concerned about the black market and that it is an area of focus for her, and that there is much less speculation about the Budget than there was last year. The conference closed on Wednesday, the Budget falls on 28 October, and the BHA goes to the Conservative conference in Birmingham next week (Racing Post) |
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Blue Bolt won the BetMGM Sun Chariot Stakes, a Group 1 over a mile on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket, by two and three quarter lengths under Colin Keane for Andrew Balding and Juddmonte, with Evolutionist second and City Of Memphis third on good to firm ground in 1:34.60. It is a fourth Group 1 in succession for the four year old filly and her sixth win from six starts this season. Balding said she saw it out really well, that it was an enjoyable watch and that he did not really have any nervous moments, and Keane said she has gone from strength to strength and was probably fresher than she has been in the past (Ireland Live) |
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Al Aasy took the BetMGM Cumberland Lodge Stakes, a Group 3 over one mile four furlongs at Ascot, by a neck under Danny Tudhope for William Haggas and Shadwell, with Royal Playwright second and Tenability third on good to firm ground in 2:34.97. It was the 14th win of the nine year old’s career. Richard Hills of Shadwell said he is unbelievable, that he has won a Group 2 this year and has now won a Group 3 while giving weight away, that they had worried the ground might be too quick, and that he still has plenty of enthusiasm (Express and Star) |
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Hidden Force won the John Guest Racing Bengough Stakes, a Group 3 over six furlongs at Ascot, by three quarters of a length under Billy Loughnane for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin, with Prince Of India second and Stratusnine third on good to firm ground in 1:12.55. It was the Frankel colt’s first turf start since the Craven Stakes. Alex Merriam said they went a good gallop which suited him and that it was very nice to get him back on track (Express and Star) |
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Caballo De Mar beat Scandinavia in the Qatar Prix du Cadran, a Group 1 over 4,000 metres at ParisLongchamp, under Oisin Murphy for George Scott and Victorious Forever, with Queenstown third on good to soft ground in 4:18.94. It is a second Cadran in a row for the five year old. Scott said it was an amazing performance from the horse and the team at home, that he is a special horse to them, and that they wanted to track Scandinavia and it all went to plan. Aidan O’Brien said Scandinavia ran a great race, that it has been a long season for him and that the ground was a little bit on the slower side for him (Thoroughbred Daily News) |
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Fairy Glen landed the Prix de Royallieu, a Group 1 over one mile six furlongs at ParisLongchamp, by a neck under Mickael Barzalona for Simon and Ed Crisford, with Sunly second and Amelia Earhart third on good to soft ground in 2:59.16. It is a first Group 1 for the five year old Farhh mare, who runs for Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum. Ed Crisford said she is a really good filly who has won a Group 1, that she will be retired at the end of this year and that she is entered at Ascot on Champions Day (Thoroughbred Daily News) |
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