Andrew Nelis racing

Racing remains on course to return in France on May 11 despite French prime minister Edouard Philippe announcing on Tuesday that professional sport would not restart before September. A revised fixture list was published last week by France Galop – starting with a high-class card at ParisLongchamp that will feature a number of Classic trials – subject to the relevant approval and lifting of lockdown restrictions amid the coronavirus outbreak, Strict hygiene measures to be enforced will mean meetings are held behind closed doors, with no foreign horses or participants allowed until at least the end of May. France Galop chief executive Olivier Delloye told Sky Sports Racing: “The prime minister made quite a long speech this afternoon regarding the way the country will operate at the end of the quarantine period. “As far as racing is concerned there is not so much breaking news, knowing that a couple of days earlier we got support from the two ministers who are in charge of super

The transformation began at one Cheltenham Festival and was completed at the next. What came before and after were largely mirror images of each other, but it is in no small part due to the before and the after that what came in between was so wonderful to watch. Nobody could fully explain quite why  Rooster Booster  suddenly blossomed in the way he did, and there were times when even those closest to him seemingly found it hard to believe what was taking place, but the racecourse evidence was impossible to deny. A horse who had spent his already long career playing the role of valiant loser had metamorphosed into a regular and brilliant winner. For a memorable autumn, winter and spring we had to redefine our understanding of an animal we thought we knew well. We found there was more to discover about Rooster Booster and the more we learned the more we loved. It helped, of course, that he was grey. No harm was done, either, by the fact he had such a frivolous and catchy name. Yet

Topofthegame could try to emulate Denman by winning the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury en route to a possible Cheltenham Gold Cup run. Denman famously shouldered top-weight to win the Newbury feature in 2007, before going on to beat fellow Paul Nicholls inmate Kauto Star in the Festival showpiece the following spring. Like Denman, Topofthegame won the RSA Chase at the 2019 Festival, but he missed the whole of the last campaign due to a leg injury.

Multiple Grade One-winning chaser Un De Sceaux left the yard of Willie Mullins for the final time on Monday. The hugely popular 12-year-old was retired in February after a ligament problem was discovered in the wake of a piece of work in preparation for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. He finished outside of the first two just once in 21 completed runs over fences – the majority of which were in Grade One company – and ended his career having won 23 of 34 races under rules and more than £1.5 million in prize-money. He ran at five Cheltenham Festivals, winning the Arkle in 2015 and the Ryanair in 2017. Mullins tweeted: “Un De Sceaux is leaving us today for his new life in France. A horse with a remarkable attitude & a will to win like no other, he will be really missed around the yard.” Saluting his charge on the day his retirement was announced, Mullins had said: “You can’t replace horses like him – it’s impossible. He was a once-in-a-lifetime

Clive Cox has plenty to look forward to when he is able to unleash Golden Horde and Positive this season. The pair did very little wrong last year, with Richmond Stakes winner Golden Horde finishing third to Earthlight in the Prix Morny before closing the gap on Andre Fabre's charge to a neck when second in the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket. Positive found only Pinatubo too good in the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood and came out on top in a strong renewal of the Solario Stakes at Sandown, where he accounted for subsequent Verterm Futurity Trophy hero Kameko among others.

It is 10 years ago this week that veteran Church Island created a 20-1 surprise in the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown as the curtain came down on the National Hunt season. The Michael Hourigan-trained gelding stayed best of the 19 runners off a searing early pace to triumph for the County Limerick handler and Adrian Heskin, who was a young 7lb claimer at the time. Heskin had turned 18 a couple of days earlier and was not much older than his mount in the big race, who was by then an 11-year-old. While Tony McCoy was crowned champion jockey for the 15th time that afternoon, Heskin had only ridden his first winner the previous year. It was another great result for Hourigan and Heskin, who had teamed up to great effect at the Cheltenham Festival with A New Story. Piraya set a very quick tempo in front early on and Heskin chose to take a prominent position, settling in second as the gallop started to sort the men from the boys. As Piraya just started to toil, Heskin seized the initia

Few would have fancied Monkerhostin to snap a near 30-month losing streak when he lined up in the 2008 renewal of the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown. Philip Hobbs’ runner was a 25-1 shot and seemingly up against it as he tried to claim a first win since beating Kauto Star in the Haldon Gold Cup of November 2005, a race marred by the death of triple Gold Cup hero Best Mate. Monkerhostin had blotted his copybook for plenty of punters when sent off co-favourite for the previous year’s Grand National won by Silver Birch, not taking to the Aintree fences at all before refusing at the seventh. But those that kept the faith were handsomely rewarded, with Monkerhostin defying his veteran status as an 11-year-old to run out a two-and-a-quarter-length winner from Royal Auclair in the hands of Richard Johnson. The four-times champion recalled: “The Bet365 is one of those races you always want to win – the big prize at the end of the season. “Monkerhostin was a real favourite in the yard, h

Southern Legend denied Beauty Generation in a thrilling renewal of the FWD Champions Mile at Sha Tin. The John Moore-trained Beauty Generation was bidding for a third successive win in the Group One showpiece and settled on the heels of Ka Ying Star through the early exchanges. Waikuku also broke well before being taken back.

Joseph O'Brien is keen to start off slowly with Rekindling after welcoming the 2017 Melbourne Cup winner back to his yard. The Lloyd Williams-owned six-year-old hit the headlines when giving O'Brien a landmark success in the 'race that stops a nation' as he beat Johannes Vermeer, trained by his father, Aidan, by half a length. He had one run subsequent to that, in March last year when in the care of Liam Howley, before being retired to stud, but is now in training in Ireland again. j

They say time flies, but it scarcely seems two minutes, never mind five years, since Sir Anthony McCoy bowed out of the saddle. Fittingly his farewell came on a horse called Box Office. The only thing the script got wrong that afternoon on April 25, 2015 at Sandown is that the Jonjo O’Neill-trained gelding did not win. For winning is was what McCoy did best – 4,348 times over jumps in Britain and Ireland to be exact, plus another 10 on the Flat. Born in County Antrim in 1974, McCoy broke virtually every record there was to be broken – and his iron will meant he bounced back from every adversity injury tried to throw at him along the way. He won all the races that mattered and was crowned champion jockey 20 times – every year he was a professional. McCoy said: “It’s very difficult to believe it is five years – some days I think it goes slowly, but on the whole it’s good and I’m very lucky. “I’m one of those very lucky people who got to do what I loved forever, and in terms

Talks are at an advanced stage aimed at keeping the Derby at Epsom this summer – as the centrepiece of a one-day ‘behind-closed-doors’ meeting that would also feature the Oaks. Historically the two Classics have been run on separate days, but plans are having to be redrawn due to ongoing restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The Jockey Club, British Horseracing Authority and Epsom itself would prefer the races to remain at their traditional home – though there are concerns as to how the ‘right to roam’ on public land in the centre of the course may impact on social distancing guidelines. An alternative option would be to move the Derby and Oaks to another venue – as happened in the relevant World War years (1915-1918 and 1940-1945) when they were switched to Newmarket. The races, dating back to 1780 and 1779 respectively, have a rich history in world sport, especially the Derby – the globe’s most famous Flat race. Sources with strong links to the discussion proces

A restriction on field sizes to 12 runners per race and the use of only senior jockeys both feature in the latest plans for the potential resumption of racing in Britain. The last meetings to take place in Britain were at Wetherby and Taunton on March 17, both behind closed doors. Any resumption will be phased and on the Flat behind closed doors, with all plans being subject to Government approval.

France Galop has announced rescheduled dates for the French Classics, with the Guineas meeting set to be staged on June 1 at ParisLongchamp and the French Derby and Oaks to follow on July 5 at Chantilly. The new dates were revealed as the authority works towards a resumption of racing on May 11, with key Guineas trials, the Prix de la Grotte and Prix de Fontainebleau, due to be run on that opening day at ParisLongchamp.

was given a six-month ban after head-butting fellow rider Larry Cassidy during an altercation at Doomben on Wednesday. Tarrant pleaded guilty to a charge after he was involved in in a verbal confrontation with Cassidy at the Brisbane track, which resulted in the rider suffering an injury. A stewards report said: "Jockey L. Tarrant pleaded guilty to a charge under AR115(1)(a) in that he misconducted himself after being involved in a verbal altercation with jockey L. Cassidy in the vicinity of the scales area by head-butting jockey Cassidy, resulting in his helmet making contact with the nose of jockey Cassidy and causing jockey Cassidy an injury."

Jamie Spencer is waiting to hear whether he will require surgery on a hip injury sustained in a gallops fall on Friday. Spencer was riding out for trainer David Simcock in Newmarket when his mount slipped and unshipped his Classic-winning rider, who was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge for treatment.

Multiple Group One winner and renowned stallion Shamardal has died at the age of 18 as a result of recent health issues. Trained by Mark Johnston to win the Vintage Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes as a two-year-old, the son of Giant's Causeway joined Saeed bin Suroor in the Godolphin colours for his three-year-old season. It proved a memorable one, as Shamardal landed the French 2000 Guineas, French Derby and the St James's Palace Stakes, in the year Royal Ascot was held at York. His only defeat in seven career outings came on dirt at Nad Al Sheba in the UAE

More Rust: Racing will be ready when time comes for resumption Suspension of racing extended but ‘daily discussions’ taking place. Thursday 16 April  2020 News Share this         bet365 Sign up to bet365 using bonus code ATR100 British Horseracing Authority chief executive Nick Rust has reiterated that racing will be ready to resume as soon as it is safe to do so. Fixtures last took place in Britain on March 17, behind closed doors at Wetherby and Taunton, before meetings were initially put on hold until May 1 at the earliest. That suspension has now been extended, to an as yet unspecified date, and crowds will not be expected on racecourses until at least June, with a phased reintroduction on the Flat taking place behind closed doors. Rust told Sky Sports Racing: “As soon as we are clear in our daily discussions with Government that we are able to return we will be ready to do so. “When we have the right conditions we will be able

Sir Anthony McCoy has hailed the efforts of the equestrian world after helping to raise £250,000 for NHS charities. McCoy was one of a number of famous faces to take part in ‘Equestrian Relief’, a fundraising initiative launched by the team behind Bolesworth and Liverpool International Horse Shows. Eventing world champions Ros Canter and Zara Tindall, Olympic gold medallists Carl Hester and Scott Brash, plus McCoy and Frankie Dettori from the horse racing ranks, surpassed the goal to raise £100,000 in 10 days by completing a series of tasks. McCoy said: “It was a pleasure to be involved and I’m really proud of everyone from the equestrian world for helping to raise a great sum of money for a cause that has touched everyone in recent times.” The famous faces were split into teams, with two team members taking part in a daily challenge from five categories, culminating in the Dark Horse round, where teams shared their hidden talent. Team Eventing sealed victory with a comical

Wednesday 15 April 2020 12:32, UK Image: A racegoer reads the Paris Turf newspaper at Longchamp       France Galop remains hopeful of resuming racing behind closed doors in May. French racing was staged without spectators last month before France Galop announced a suspension of meetings between March 17 and April 15 due to the coronavirus pandemic. While French President Emmanuel Macron has extended the country's lockdown until May 11, France Galop and LeTROT, which is the governing body of trotting racing, are "in discussion with the government authorities to explore the possibility of a return to racing behind closed doors as quickly as possible".