A weekly digest from TRC featuring a round-up of recent international racing news
Derby guard of honour by Queen’s jockeys
GB: The Queen is to be greeted by a guard of honour of 40 retired and current jockeys wearing her purple and gold silks when she attends the 243rd Derby on June 4 as part of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Four-time Derby winner Willie Carson, 79, who rode the Queen’s filly Dunfermline to success in the 1977 Oaks, will join a line-up that will also include other Derby-winning riders Frankie Dettori, Ryan Moore and John Reid plus another regular in the royal colours Hayley Turner.
In recognition of Her Majesty's contribution to horse racing and long association with the Derby, which she has missed only twice during her reign, the Queen's Stand at Epsom will be permanently renamed the Queen Elizabeth II Stand.
Two horses, Grand Alliance and Glory Daze, were added to the Cazoo-sponsored Derby at this week’s second entry stage at a cost of £12,000. Godolphin’s Nahanni gained automatic entry to the £1.5m Classic following his success in the Cazoo Blue Riband Trial at Epsom on Tuesday [April 19].
Golden Sixty on verge of HK prize-money record
Hong Kong: If he comes first or second as he defends his crown in the FWD Champions Mile on Sunday [April 24] at Sha Tin, Golden Sixty will establish a new prize-money record in Hong Kong.
The six-year-old took his career tally to HK$102,000,600 ($13m/£10m) with his recent success in the G2 Chairman’s Trophy over course and distance – within touching distance of Beauty Generation’s all-time mark of HK$106,233,750 ($13.5m/£10.3m). The Champions Mile has a total prize fund of HK$20m with $11.4m to the winner.
After two successive defeats, Golden Sixty looked back to his best last time. “He seems to have improved his condition, he seems to be back – he showed that,” said trainer Francis Lui. “I am proud, it’s not easy to have a good horse like him.”
Campanelle set for Platinum Jubilee at Royal Ascot
USA: After returning from a six-month layoff with Listed-race victory at Keeneland last weekend, Campanelle will bid to complete a Royal Ascot hat-trick in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes in June.
Trainer Wesley Ward confirmed the G1 event as the four-year-old’s next target after she surged past her rivals to win the Giant’s Causeway Stakes at the Kentucky venue on Saturday [April 16].
“We’re going to the Jubilee,” said Ward. “She has a big, long stride like you saw today and I’m really excited about it. She’s just gotten big and powerful – She’s just really grown into herself. It was a big, big performance today. It was huge. It was really impressive.”
Campanelle won the Queen Mary Stakes at the royal meeting as a two-year-old in 2020 before getting last year’s Commonwealth Cup on the DQ of Dragon Symbol.
Stablemate Golden Pal, who also scored at the current Keeneland meet, is headed for the G1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, where Ward now has 12 winners to his name. Both horses may also head to Australia in the winter.
Death of Midnight Bourbon
USA: Midnight Bourbon, who finished third in the Saudi Cup and fifth in the Dubai World Cup, has died suddenly while in training at Churchill Downs.
Steve Asmussen, who trained the four-year-old son of Tiznow, told the Daily Racing Form that the colt had succumbed to “an acute gastrointestinal situation” after working on Sunday morning.
Although Midnight Bourbon won two of his 16 starts, he earned more than $3.5 million after being placed in a series of G1s last season, among them the Preakness Stakes, Travers Stakes and Penn Derby.
Controversial ‘nuclear’ scans dropped from Melbourne protocols
Australia: Racing Victoria has dropped a requirement for international runners at the Melbourne spring carnival to undergo a mandatory scintigraphy scan as part of the pre-travel veterinary protocols.
Also known as a gamma scan, scintigraphy is an advanced method of bone-scanning involving nuclear medicine techniques. Aidan O’Brien felt the measures excessive and had no runners in Melbourne at last year’s carnival.
RV said in future scintigraphy scans would be used in a targeted manner but reaffirmed that all Melbourne Cup runners would have to undergo CT scans and pass other veterinary checks before being allowed to participate at Flemington
Elsewhere in racing …
Australia: Jamie Spencer booked for Artorius at Royal Ascot More here
France: Soumillion hits 100 mark with five-timer More here
New Zealand: Opie Bosson completes full set of NZ G1s More here
GB: Sir Mark Todd can return to training after ban for striking horse with branch More here
Canada: Mighty Heart named horse of the year for second year More here
Sweden: Svensk Galopp amends whip rules to avert jockeys’ strike More here
Japan: Oju Chosan wins sixth Nakayama Grand Jump More here
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