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The five days are also through for Sunday’s meeting at The Curragh, the second part of Irish Champions Weekend. The ground is currently Good, Good to Firm in places with central Ireland having avoided the recent deluges which have affected southern England and south Wales. No less than four championship races on a stellar card - the Flying Five over 1000m has 20 entries but it looks between the first two from the Nunthorpe at York and whether BRADSELL can confirm places with BELIEVING. The stiffer course at The Curragh should favour BELIEVING but she seems to find enough trouble in running to make me doubtful. The juveniles have two Group 1 races over 1400m. First is the Moyglare for the fillies where Aidan O’Brien has six of the eight entries. BEDTIME STORY is 8/11 to maintain her unbeaten record but she hasn’t impressed the last twice and it may be SIMMERING from the Ollie Sangster can give his young trainer a first Group 1 success. The National is the equivalent for the colts. With AOMORI CITY more likely to go for the Champagne at Doncaster, the way looks clear for HENRI MATISSE to maintain his unbeaten record with a fourth win. The Irish St Leger over 2800m is, unlike its English counterpart, open to older horses and only one 3-y-o has been entered. KYPRIOS seeks to build on his strong summer in the staying division but faces British raider GIAVELLOTTO while Melbourne Cup hope VAUBAN is also among the entries. The Group 2 Blandford for the fillies and mares over 2000m has 14 entries and looks wide open. PURPLE LILY, third in the Irish Oaks, is the early favourite for what looks a trappy race. More on all of these at the final declaration stage.  

The five day entries are through for Leopardstown on Saturday where the ground is currently Good, Good to Yielding in places. Twelve have been declared for the Irish Champion over 2000m. Aidan O’Brien has five headed by AUGUSTE RODIN but also including LOS ANGELES and LUXEMBOURG along with CONTINUOUS.  ECONOMICS is 11/10 favourite, but the very strong 3-y-o entry includes GHOSTWRITER and Poulains winner METROPOLITAN. On paper this looks the race of the year in Ireland and possibly Britain too. 14 go in the Matron over 1600m and PORTA FORTUNA is also 11/10 to defeat the likes of FALLEN ANGEL and YLANG YLANG. Aidan O’Brien has five entries and his son Joseph four among the twelve in the Group 2 Champion Juvenile over 1600m.  Two of Aidan’s - DELACROIX and ACAPULCO BAY - head the market. DIEGO VELAZQUEZ has been eating at the top table for much of the season but dropped to Group 3 last time and handed out a seven length beating to the useful Weld filly TARNAWA. He heads the betting for the Group 2 Solonaway over 1600m. He faces an intriguing opponent in MALJOOM who didn’t see out the 2000m in the Juddmonte lasrt time but will I think relish going back to a mile.    

The big news here today has been the announcement at lunchtime of the retirement of veteran trainer Sir Michael Stoute at the end of the year. Stoute is a veteran trainer who reached the heights of the sport in the Northern Hemisphere handling some of the greats noticeably and tragically SHERGAR. He was ten times champion trainer between 1981 and 2009 and his fortunes have declined in recent times. He had a great rivalry with the late Sir Henry Cecil in the 80s and 90s and they dominated British racing. Stoute specialized in the later maturing types and for me his best horse was SINGSPIEL won a series of domestic and international races in the mid 90s.

Breeders' Cup and Del Mar will present an attractive undercard program Nov. 1-2 as part of the 2024 Breeders' Cup World Championships. Eight races with purses and awards totaling more than $1.5 million will be offered.View the full article

After beginning his career with two impressive victories, Owen Almighty is looking to take another step forward in the $300,000 Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs Sept. 14.View the full article

The six-day season will continue through Sept. 22 with racing conducted on a Friday-Sunday basis both weeks.View the full article

Shut up Prick!!!

Why the fuck are you stalking me on Facebook, and how did you know what my actual name was!!!  #STALKER!!!!!!!! As you have seen, my facebook page is locked and you can see stuff all!!

Following another dominating victory in the Sept. 7 Ainsworth Turf Sprint (G2T) at Kentucky Downs, Cogburn ranks fifth in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Top Thoroughbred Poll.View the full article

The ultimate prize is still there for both candidates to either win, or lose. Now that has taken a fair bit of ingenuity to work out, well done Mitey.

Just a bit ??? You obviously got one of the good ones 😆

I was watching live that particular horse in the race with interest, I thought at the time it looked like a primer for next start to my eye and I wondered where the horse was entered next. I would say that once you have had a fall you do think about gaps more than before - let’s let the process play out my view is it’s fair to ask the question - and fair to hear the answer. 

My apologies. Please substitute Morris Marina with Toyota Corolla 🤣

And those drivers should have the book thrown at them , I have  seen horse's deliberately run into and almost go down , as an owner I'd feel like punching the driver on the snout.  

Careful Idolmite. My first car was a Morris Marina. Powerful machine, although it did leak a bit.

Outstanding interview.M G !! You extracted so many amazing responses from one of our greatest NZ Athletes. James McDonald. He trusted you. With his responses to very personal questions. Great stuff from the Kaipaki kid. who raised calves from age 4 and always wanted to own more dairy farms than Lance  O. Rev      

Stop making sense go directly to the naughty corner....🤣

Why would you go for something, spending tens of millions of dollars, and utilise expertise from Flemington (I'm sure I've read that somewhere recently) instead of the likes of Moonee Valley, Sha Tin and/or Strathyr themselves? Once again, I'm no expert, but l do know a bit about cars and I wouldn't order a brand-new, top-of-the-range, Ferrari, ask them to replace their world-renowned V12 engine with a Morris Marina power plant, then get it maintained by the local Hyundai dealer. Recipe for disaster on every level. Who is backing Ellerslie if this all turns to something more like what Greek Meer or Gatcombe's Pride used to revel in at Trentham? Why wouldn't you start with what the doctor ordered, then possibly (and even then only possibly) consider fine-tuning it ever so slightly in later years? 

The above post is factually correct. Quite a number of horses had “jump-out” trials after the official trials concluded. As stated the “jump-outs” were held because the official trials had met what were allowed! GO FIGURE BECAUSE I CANT!  P.S. The “jump-out” trials were for Stakes and Group class horses so I have been told. 

On the Guerin Report Mick said Orchestral was running in a jump out AFTER the actual trials as they could only trial 120 horses. I have no idea if ANY of that is accurate or not, but as for FF getting all excited that "she killed them", what would she meet in a jump out? Likely nothing she couldn't beat running backwards.