Sport’s ruling body says the existence of Galileo as a stallion explains why the home defence was pulverised on SaturdayRacing’s ruling body has spoken up on behalf of the sport in Britain, following a dismal showing by the home defence in Saturday’s Derby. The first six finishers in the country’s most prestigious Flat race were all trained in Ireland and the race has been won by British-trained horses only twice in the past nine years, but the British Horseracing Authority said that could be attributed to the freakish potency of the Irish-based stallion, Galileo.“We are seeing a period at present where the Derby is being dominated by one specific sire in the form of Galileo,” said a BHA spokesman. “However,...
In the early 1990s, Derby day was visibly dying from one year to the next and the switch to Saturday gave it a huge boost and opened up the race to new potential audiencesAs soon as Lucas Moura scored his winning goal in Amsterdam last month, it was obvious that this year’s Derby was going to have even more of a struggle than usual to grab the attention of the British sporting public. What with the big match in Madrid, the Cricket World Cup, a Brit in a heavyweight title fight and England women’s last warmup before the World Cup, Flat racing’s most famous race had a lot to contend with both before and after the event.Inevitably, there were calls...
Chances must be seized as the second-string jockey and it seemed as though Heffernan had missed his opportunity in the Derby when beaten on the favourite a decade agoChances must be seized when you’re the second-string jockey and it seemed as though Seamie Heffernan had missed his opportunity in the Derby when Fame And Glory was the beaten favourite a decade ago. Not, it should be hastily added, that he did anything wrong that day and in hindsight it was clearly mad of us punters to make Fame And Glory favourite over Sea The Stars, but on Saturday the most quiet of many quiet men at Ballydoyle got due reward for his durability with a first Derby success at the...
Staying the trip is the only significant doubt about the well-backed filly before the Classic at Epsom on FridayIt takes around 20 seconds for a horse to cover the last two furlongs in the Oaks, and for Maqsad (4.30), it could feel like the longest 20 seconds of her life. Stamina is the one significant doubt about William Haggas’s filly before Friday’s Classic at Epsom, but even after support from 7-1 to 11-2 since Thursday afternoon, that is factored into her price and she is well worth supporting to give her trainer a second Oaks winner.Despite having spent some time sifting through the stats for Siyouni’s offspring in search of positive evidence that she will get 12 furlongs, the news...
Cape Of Good Hope is the only one of Aidan O’Brien’s eight entries at the five-day stage who will miss the raceThe final list of runners and stall positions for Saturday’s Derby is complete following a draw ceremony at Epsom Downs racecourse, with 13 runners due to go to post including seven trained by Aidan O’Brien, who will be hoping to saddle a record-equalling seventh winner of the race.Cape Of Good Hope is the only one of O’Brien’s eight entries at the five-day stage who will miss the race, having been declared instead for the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) at Chantilly the following afternoon. Roger Varian’s Surfman, third behind Telecaster in the Dante Stakes, will also skip Epsom...