stodge

We've had a drop of rain in London this morning. The problem is it's a showery forecast and as we know, if you cop a couple of downpours, it can be significant or you could miss them completely. The report at 9.20am (before the rain) had the ground at Good - it might now be Good to Soft in places. As for Saturday, who knows?

Yes and up here you can be done under the non-triers rule if your horse or jockey fail to make the maximum effort to achieve the best possible placing. However, it's not applied strictly by which I mean a horse can be considered to have done its best but if it's simply inexperienced or unfit or whatever, there wouldn't be any problem. I didn't see STORM BOY in the paddock at The Curragh so I don't know if those who did realised the horse was lacking in fitness and work (I find on-ourse paddock inspection the only way to bet properly). I see plenty of inexperienced 2-y-o and 3-y-o on debut who would clearly improve for the experience and I know there are horses who improve a lot for a run.

The pre-Derby media event took place at the course this morning with the draw made for both the Derby and the Oaks with the final declarations for the former released 24 hours in advance to develop worldwide interest. 19 stand for Saturday's Derby over the 2400m. Only PUPPET MASTER was scratched at the final stage. All the fancied horses have received high draws - with a big field you really want a middle to high draw (well, that's what I was always told) but a good horse can win from any draw. The money today has been for RULING COURT who is 10/3 against the O'Brien favourite DELACROIX at 11/4. Dante winner PRIDE OF ARRAS is 5s and THE LION IN WINTER at 6s. Aidan O'Brien has brought his Derby winners from one of two paths - one is via the English 2000 Guineas, the other via the Ballysax and the Leopardstown Derby Trial and the latter is how DELACROIX has got to the race. RULING COURT has come via the 2000 Guineas and PRIDE OF ARRAS via the Dante. There is rain forecast and the ground at Epsom could be on the slow side of Good by Saturday. On that basis, my idea of the winner is DELACROIX who we know handles the ground really well and will get every inch of the trip. I'm not convinced RULING COURT will see out the trip on slower ground while PRIDE OF ARRAS will be the one running on for possibly minor honours assuming his inexperience doesn't get him into trouble. DAMYSUS has run well in trials at Sandown and York but the record of placed Dante runners at Epsom is awful. LAMBOURN will doubtless run well for Ballydoyle though I can't see him reversing form with DELACROIX who also holds STANHOPE GARDENS on Newmarket form from last autumn. The one I like at a bigger price is 2000 Guineas fourth TORNADO ALERT who has the valuable assistance of Oisin Murphy and is available at 25s each way. IF Ryan Moore were to choose THE LION IN WINTER over DELACROIX, the former's price would collapse but the Dante run was just too poor and while Aidan got LAKE VICTORIA back to win the Irish 1000 Guineas after a poor run at Newmarket, that was after a decent Newmarket run. On Friday we have the Oaks for which nine fillies go to post. DESERT FLOWER won the English 1000 Guineas and has been strong favourite since. You could argue the quality of the form hasn't yet been proven with the second and third running poorly in Ireland. The Cheshire Oaks winner MINNIE HAUK has bene supported but I was much more taken with the Musidora winner WHIRL and I think she's a sporting alternative at 7s to the favourite. Important though the 3-y-o classics are, my favourite race of the meeting is the Coronation Cup for the older horses and while we have just seven runners, they are headed by two very promising 4-y-o. CALANDAGAN got as close as any horse to CITY OF TROY in his mdsummer pomp and the former's win at Ascot in the King Edward VII was visually spectacular. The trip will be fine - I just question whether easy ground is ideal. He faces JAN BRUEGHEL whose unbeaten run was ended in the Alleged on seasonal debut. That was over 2000m and this horse is crying out ofr 2400m having won the English St Leger last September. I think he will beat CALANDAGAN this time but I look forward to this being but the first of a number of match-ups betwen these two. GIAVELLOTTO might have a chance in an average renewal but this is a strong race. Selections: Coronation Cup: JAN BRUEGHEL Oaks: WHIRL Derby: DELACROIX, TORNADO ALERT (each way).

Even over here, the comment STORM BOY "hadn't been galloped or worked" has raised a few eyebrows. We know Aidan allows his better horses time to come to hand and they are often undercooked for their first run of the season and you only have to see the likes of City of Troy, Auguste Rodin and even the Irish 1000 Guineas winner LAKE VICTORIA to see how much improvement a racecourse run can provide. Not having a horse 100% for its first run happens over here - many trainers will tell you for whatever reason (and this year it's been the very dry spring which has limited grass work) a horse first time up may not be cherry ripe but to publicly state a Group 1 winner hasn't sone any serious work before a racecourse run is further than I've ever heard. STORM BOY will, I'm sure, be much better at Ascot - he'll have to be. Whether he's good enough to win the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee, well, on his very best form, yes, but is that what we'll get? I imagine Ryan Moore will be on him at Ascot.

As are many others and we know the Dante winner often goes on to run well at Epsom. The horse wll only be having the third run of his life at Epsom which would be a concern though not insurmountable. The Dante is usually considered the second best trial aftet the 2000 Guineas and the fact they are sending RULING COURT to Epsom is significant. They could have kept him to the mile or even 2000m so they must think he'll stay. I'm not convinced - the dam ran over 2400m at Keeneland on firm turf and was beaten 11 lengths in fourth. Obviously, it's the same sire as City of Troy but did he really get 2400m? He got away with it in a weak Derby (arguably) but Aidan always saw him as a 2000m horse. RULING COURT's dam goes back to Cape Cross and again I'm not convinced. He wouldn't be the first Guineas winner to be cantering at 2100m and then empty. I'd have no concerns about PRIDE OF ARRAS getting the trip and indeed immediately after the Dante, Adele Mulrennan on ITV Racing, who is as good a judge of a horse as there is currently, thought he was a Leger type. DELACROIX looks a sure stayer - he's a half to a Royallieu winner (over 2800m). The question then is whether RULING COURT, who clearly has tactical speed as Newmarket showed, will see the trip out quicker than the other two. If he does, he wins. I could see RULING COURT winning the English Derby, DELACROIX winning the Irish Derby and PRIDE OF ARRAS winning the English Leger but that's not a treble I'd be backing even with your money (or indeed mine).

I've watched the Te Aroha maiden chase. The first thing I noticed was the difference between your fences and ours. The British Horseracing Authority specifications for a steeplechase fence as follows: What are the dimensions of a Fence? | British Horseracing Authority The UK fences are angled so the horse has to stretch to get over them. The NZ fences look more like the French cross country fences, formidable but you can brush through the top. The caller said a couple of time the fences were "live" which I assume means they are permanent rather than portable (or as they are known here, roll on, roll off). As for the race, none of the horses fell as far as I could see. The jockey on MUSE was unlucky mbeing dislodged by the other jockey coming off while CATCH AND RELEASE, I assume, had been schooled but clearly hadn't learnt much and that happens. As for the fence entering the straight at Te Aroha, it was curious the two other unseats looked very similar. As others have said, it looked like the ground was falling away, the horse's hoof hits the ground harder and faster and the energy gets transmitted up knocking the jockey out of the saddle. I don't know if that's true but that's what it looked like. Not everyone finds jump racing to their taste though horses can break down in flat races too as we know. In my experience of watching UK races, speed causes problems. Slow horses tire and get pulled up. On decent ground, pace can become an issue and that's when jumping problems occur. The French overwater Auteuil so ensure it's always soft or heavy turf and that seems to reduce the number of fallers.

20 have been entered for Saturday's Derby at Epsom where the ground remains Good. No real surprises at the morning's five day declarations. Aidan O'Brien has four including DELACROIX, THE LION IN WINTER and LAMBOURN. Two French horses were supplemented this morning - the Greffulhe winner MIDAK from the Graffard yard (possibly because the race is being run in memory of the late Aga Khan and the ownership had no runner) and Francois Devin has entered NEW GROUND who was third back in April to subsequent Jockey Club second CUALIFCAR. MIDAK is 14s and NEW GROUND 33s while DELACROIX is 9/4 favourite with RULING COURT at 7/2 and PRIDE OF ARRAS at 4s. Final declarations on Thursday.

He also had the Poulains winner HENRI MATISSE. He has become the lead stallion for Coolmore and his fee is currently 300,000 euros. I suspect they see him as a potential successor to the great Galileo (and they put a number of the latter's daughters his way) which was how they originally viewed Scat Daddy before his premature demise. While, of the "lads", you often see Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and his son Paul at the races, the power behind the Coolmore throne is John Magnier who has built the Coolmore bloodstock empire. The success of Wootton Bassett has been phenomenal - I'd offer Doncaster Mile runner up ROYAL PATRONAGE who was eighth in the 2022 English 2000 Guineas, runner up in the Dante and one from last in the Derby but has gone on, via America, to huge success in Australia. There's WOOTTONSUN who has won big money in Saudi Arabia having been a handicapper in the UK in 2022 and 2023.

Chantilly (one of the most beautiful of racecourses) staged the Prix du Jockey Club which is still generally called the French Derby even though it has, for many years, been run at 2050m rather than the traditional 2400m. Numerically, it's proven a smart move and another maximum field of 18 faced the starter on ground described as Good to Soft despite the threat of showers. An open race with the Aidan O'Brien challenger CAMILLE PISSARRO sent off 7/2 favourite following his third behind stablemate HENRI MATISSE in the Poulains a month ago. DETAIN from the Gosden yard was well fancied as were the locals RIDARI and the Andre Fabre challenger SINILEO. Another example of why Ryan Moore is a master of his craft - that was an ice cold ride, not wasting an inch of turf on CAMILLE PISSARRO and his patience was rewarded as the gap opened just enough between BOWMARK and TRINITY COLLEGE for Ryan to challenge on the far rail and that was enough to hold CUALIFICAR and the finishers including DETAIN and AZIMPOUR. The first six were split by a length and a half as is often the case in this race. The quality of the form remains to be seen but we know it's often decent and it'll be interesting to see where the "lads" decide to go with CAMILLE PISSARRO. CUALIFICAR may head for the Grand Prix de Paris as might the Aga Khan pair of RIDARI and AZIMPOUR. They ran the 2050m in 2 Minutes 4.4 seconds which was 2.3 seconds faster than standard suggesting the ground was perhaps nearer Good. On the undercard, the Group 2 Sandringham went to GODSPEED who benefitted from a lacklustre effort by odds on favourite VADINSKA. GODSPEED was eighth in the Pouliches - perhaps the Diane will be an option. The British raider BETTY CLOVER rana fair race in third. The Group 2 Grand Prix de Chantilly saw SIBAYAN collared in the last 50m by ARROW EAGLE who won a shade cosily but the gap, having been a length in the Hedouville, was only a short head here with JUNKO just a neck further back. I'm not sure of the standard of this form - perhaps we'll see ARROW EAGLE step up for the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud but that will be in much deeper waters.

Before I get into the weekend and especially today's action in France, just a reminder next weekend is all about Epsom and the next two British classics. The ground on the Downs is currently Good with an unsettled week forecast. Friday sees two Group 1 races - the Oaks and the Coronation Cup - both over the iconic 2400m trip. The Oaks has nine entries and Godolphin's DESERT FLOWER, the 1000 Guineas winner, is 6/4 to win the second leg of the fillies' Triple Crown. Aidan O'Brien has entered three - the Lingfield winner GISELLE, the Cheshire Oaks winner MINNIE HAUK and the Musidora winner WHIRL. Eight have been entered for the Coronation Cup - the two standouts are the 4-y-o CALANDAGAN and JAN BRUEGHEL and if they both turn up next Friday, it looks a serious race. Both were beaten into second on their seasonal returns but I expect both to be a lot fitter - interesting JAN BRUEGHEL remains in the Ascot Gold Cup reckoning. For Saturday's Derby, DELACROIX is 2/1 favourite, RULING COURT at 7/2, PRIDE OF ARRAS at 4s, THE LION IN WINTER 6s and 10s Bar. More on these races as we go through the week - final declarations for the Oaks and Coronation Cup on Wednesday and for the Derby on Thursday.

Good to have you back. I was worried I might have to rework the headline from the London Times from October 1957. "Heavy Fog in the Tasman - Australia Cut Off".

I wouldn't normally mention an evening card at Sandown but this was a cut above average and made even more so by my personal attendance and presence at the track. It was a lovely evening to go racing - fine with variable cloud and a decent crowd as befitted the quality of the card. The ground was officially Good and the rain earlier in the week had done its job. Sandown, for those who don't know it, is on the edge of London near Esher and has a railway station which is about 12 minutes walk from the course. As I'm a cheapskate, I use my London travel card to get to Esher High Street and walk 10 minutes or so from there. £25 for the single enclosure in operation (it'll be £50 on Eclipse Day and the various Music nights in July and August). On to the track action and a 6-race card with competitive handicaps bookending, two Listed races and two Group 3 races. The first Group 3 was the Henry II over 3200m. Just four went to post and TRAWLERMAN for Godolphin, the Gosdens and William Buick, went off 4/5 and made every yard. Sandown is a front runner's track and Buick set out to make it a decent test of stamina and he gradually burnt off the likes of BURDETT ROAD and eventually COLTRANE who just doesn't have the pace he had in this younger days. TRAWLERMAN came home by five lengths and heads for the Gold Cup where, absent KYPRIOS, he will likely take on the new staying kid, ILLINOIS. TRAWLERMAN is 4s and we know if it's quick ground, he'll see out the 4000m really well. The Brigadier Gerard had a couple of late scratchings but still looked an interesting renewal. There was a late plunge on the unbeaten OMBUDSMAN from 9/4 to 5/4 but this was a rare example of Ryan Moore coming off second best. To my eye, the horse didn't want it enough - he'd won his previous races without having to get into a real fight but he came up against a determined ALMAQAM under Oisin Murphy. ALMAQAM, like TRAWLERMAN, was prominent from the start and as the others came to challenge in the straight, he saw them off. OMBUDSMAN was the last and most persistent challenger and in the final 100m ALMAQAM pulled away to win by a length and three quarters. OMBUDSMAN was four lengths on from third placed PHANTOM FLIGHT and the others. Post race, I heard ALMAQAM's trainer, Ed Walker, say the horse was very much ground dependent. He doesn't perform on really quick turf but this good ground was ideal. That rather impacts on future plans - tilts at races like the Eclipse or the Prince of Wales would depend on the prevailing ground conditions. Whether he's real Group 1 class I'm not sure - there's a Group 2 at York over 2000m which might work or there's always France where it's usually wetter ground. I wouldn't write off OMBUDSMAN but I did feel his attitude let him down and perhaps they'll go for some headgear. They looked a decent group in the paddock for the National over 1050m - juveniles always look better with a bit of sun on them. Viewing for this race isn't ideal as they are racing side on to you the whole way. I thought FIRST LEGION was the one but this is sharp enough for him - he already looks like he needs 1200m - and he was outpointed by the filly ANTHELIA who popped up at 25s. She looked all over the place in the early stages but fair play to Lewis Edmunds, a jockey not that well known as he normally rides at the synthetic meetings (this was his 23rd success of the year so far and 15 of those have come on the artificial surfaces) as he got ANTHELIA up a small gap on the far raIl (always favoured at Sandown) to just hold off the late effort of FIRST LEGION. She's not in at Ascot and the target is a sales race at Newbury in mid July. The Heron over 1609m for the 3-y-o is often the last trial for the St James's Palace and we saw a taking performance from OPERA BALLO who made it a double for Godolphin and Buick. OPERA BALLO isn't an easy ride and got caught out wide early and Buick was only able to get cover on the home turn but in the straight he produced the colt who quickened really well. Very much a work in progress, OPERA BALLO had pulled away his chance in the Craven and the application of a hood seemed to help - he's 14s for the St James's Palace but that is always a really hot race and can I see him beating the likes of HENRI MATISSE? Not really. BAY CITY ROLLER was well held in second but this was his seasonal debut and he was giving the winner 5 lbs so gets plenty of credit. He's 50s for the St James's Palace and is in the Eclipse and the Irish Derby which may be flying a little high but this was still a good effort. The third is the one I will take from the race - JACKKNIFE, a colt by Kameko out of a Pivotal mare. He'd beaten on debut a Haggas trained horse called THE KING'S FALCON (who won a race at Carlisle about 15 minutes later and had I used what small amount of brainpower I still have, I'd have rushed down and had a bet at the away meeting) but this was a big step forward. JACKKNIFE missed the start and didn't get the best of runs but ran on really well. He's got no fancy entries except in the Stodge notebook and I look forward to seeing him over 2000m. All in all, a really pleasant evening. I managed to find a couple of winners and a decent each way pick up in the concluding handicap which made the exorbitant on-course catering a little easier to swallow and I shall be back for some of their summer midweek afternoons where the maidens often produce a good one (RULING COURT last year being a good example) and it's a little less frenetic.

I've spoken on here of some of the great European races. We have the Grand National at Liverpool over 30 fences and 6800m. In Ireland, there's the La Touche at Punchestown over 30 obstacles and 6600m. In the Czech Republic, we have the Velka Pardubice over 6900m and 31 obstacles. Now, we have one to top them all - at Le Lion d'Angers yesterday, they ran the Anjou-Loire Challenge Cross Country Chase over 7300m and no less than 50 obstacles. The race takes 10 minutes to run - there was a huge crowd at yesterday's renewal. If it turns up on YouTube have a look.

On the Chantilly undercard on Sunday we have the Group 2 Sandringham for the 3-y-o fillies over 1609m. Eve Johnson Houghton sends over BETTY CLOVER who was fourth in the Fred Darling and second in the Listed Conqueror at Goodwood - to be honest, if she's good enough for this, I'll be surprised. VADINSKA won a maiden on debut by ten lengths - that doesn't happen every day and she could be something a bit special. For now, she's in the "could be anything" file. MIMOS, GODSPEED and GHOUFRANN were all down the field in the Pouliches finishing tenth, ninth and eighth repsectively. This will be calmer waters but I'd like to think VADINSKA could be too good. Just four go in the 2400m Grand Prix de Chantilly which is being run in tribute to the late Aga Khan. All four ran in the Hedouville at the beginning of the season. ARROW EAGLE beat the Aga Khan Stud's representative SIBAYAN a length with JUNKO back in fourth and MONT DE SOLEIL last of the sixth. On the same terms but on better ground, I fancy SIBAYAN to be a poignant winner.

A full field of 18 has been declared for Sunday's Prix du Jockey Club over 2050m at Chantilly where after a hot and sunny day, the ground is Good to Soft and likely to improve to near Good by Sunday as the warm spell continues in Northern France. The place to start might be the Poulains where CAMILLE PISARRO ran well in third behind his stable mate HENRI MATISSE (who heads for the St James's Palace). On breeding he's not certain to get the trip but Ryan Moore will ensure no stone is left unturned to ensure he does. LUTHER (fourth), RIDARI (fifth) and DETAIN (sixth) all re-oppose and the first named was a short neck behind CAMILLE PISARRO while RIDARI was only a further neck back and DETAIN a further length down. You'd fancy RIDARI to appreciate the trip most on breeding but they finished in a bunch in the Poulains and there's very little between them. William Buick rides CUALIFICAR for Godolphin and Andre Fabre and this won won the Force and the Guiche, a couple of Group 3 trials so he's right in this for all this is a step up in class. Richard Hannon runs KING OF CITIES who was second in the Feilden at Newmarket in mid April but I'd be surprised if he was good enough. Tom Marquand rides BOWMARK for the Gosdens and this one won a York maiden well enough but again this is a big step up in class. Oisin Murphy rides PARACHUTISTE for Qatar Racing and while this one has won both his starts this year they were minor events. The Fabre second string NITOI won a Listed last time and is on the fringes of this. I think RIDARI is the one to be on but it's not a race in which I'm getting involved.

The best evening meeting of the summer takes place tomorrow at Sandown with two Group 3 and two Listed races which often have a bearing on Royal Ascot which is three weeks away. The Henry II over 3200m is the Gold Cup Trial but with the new generation of 4-y-o stayers such as ILLINOIS and CANDELARI in the ascendant, the home challenge is looking a bit frail. TRAWLERMAN is 4/5 - he won the 2023 Champions Day stayers beating the now-retired KYPRIOS and was second in last year's Gold Cup. We know 4000m round Ascot holds no fears and his current 7s for the Gold Cup could fall if he wins well. COLTRANE is a good old stick and ran well enough in the Sagaro but I cna't see him living with the younger stayersd while BURDETT ROAD is known as a hurdler and was runner up in that dramatic Champion Hurdle. The Brigadier Gerard over 2000m for the older horses commemorates one of the great horses of the early 1970s. Top rated is ALMAQAM who won the Heron on this card last year and went on to run sixth in the St James's Palace. He was then stepped up to 2000m and ran third to ECONOMICS at Deauville, chased home the ill-fated JAYAREBE at Deauville and opened this season with a good third in the Gordon Richards over this course and distance. He's second favourite behind the Godolphin runner OMBUDSMAN who is unbeaten in four and ended last season winning the Group 3 Prince d'Orange at Longchamp. It's not as strong as ALMAQAM and I'm not sure about him first time up in what is a decent renewal of this race. Godolphin run three - OMBUDSMAN is with the Gosdens and ridden by Ryan Moore while William Buick is on MILITARY ORDER who won the Winter Derby on the Tapeta at Southwell - his turf form has been modest and I'm not convinced. The third Godolphin runner is ANCIENT WISDOM who was eighth in last year's Derby and was placed in a German Group 1 in November. He is closely matched with ALMAQAM on Gordon Richards form but the latter was on seasonal debut and you'd think would improve more. With eight of the ten runners rated above 110, this is a good renewal and should provide the ballast for the Prince of Wales field. My fancy is ALMAQAM. The Listed Heron over 1609m is the last clue for the St James's Palace at Ascot. Seven go to post and 2000 Guineas sixth OPERA BALLO and eighth MATAURI BAY seek redemption for their respective Newmarket failures. The latter has course and distance form and I prefer him to the unbeaten BAY CITY ROLLER who scored three times over 1400m as a juvenile, the final victory coming at Doncaster in the Group 2 Champagne but he has to carry a 5 lb penalty which puts me off first time up. The Listed National over the 1010m up the centre of the Esher track has seven runners and is a trial for the Norfolk or perhaps the Windsor Castle. Seven line up and Richard Hannon's juveniles have looked very good so far - FIRST LEGION won on debut at York over 1200m and comes back in trip which is interesting. CLEAR FORCE comes down from the north having bolted up at 1/4 on his second run at Ripon. FIRST LEGION would be my choice.

Longchamp staged its best card of the season so far with two Group 1 races last Sunday. Six went in the Ispahan over 1800m and they included the very useful SOSIE, who went off 8/11 having won the Ganay last month. He didn't impress but he got the job done. It was fortunate for Maxine Guyon on the winner he got a decent gallop (unlike the norm in French races) from CARAMELITO though I think that also helped the English raider SARDINIAN WARRIOR. It turned into a solidly run race and ELMALKA didn't see it out but SOSIE, who we know gets 2400m, ran on too well for SARDINIAN WARRIOR, who put up a much improved effort in second for the Gosdens. He's got a 10/1 quote for the Queen Anne and in most years that would be tempting but this looks one of the strongest Queen Annes since Frankel won back in 2012 and he may be in very deep waters. SOSIE may meet LOS ANGELES again in the Arc later in the year and we may yet see him in England as he's being considered for the Eclipse at Sandown where he could meet, among others, FIELD OF GOLD and perhaps one or two of those who have run in the English Derby. The Vicomtesse Vigier over 3000m has been awarded Group 1 status for the first time - it's overdue as it is traditionally the starting point of the French staying pattern and it doesn't really impact on the Ascot Gold Cup. It looked a decent renewal featuring the English raiders TRUESHAN and PASSION AND GLORY and the likes of SEVENNA'S KNIGHT and DOUBLE MAJOR as well as the improving young stayer CANDELARI. Apologies for the absence of an English commentary. CANDELARI did this really well in the Aga Khan colours and connections suggested the Ascot Gold Cup as his next target. With the retirement of KYPRIOS today, the staying division is up for grabs and the staying 4-y-o have a real opportunity to take on the torch from the older types. To be fair, 4000m on quick ground at Ascot will be very different to 3000m on soft turf at Longchamp but I thought the winner looked like the type who would a) stay and b) relish some decent turf. SEVENNA'S KNIGHT ran his usual honest race and while you could argue he has gone backward since winning the 2024 renewal, this was a better race and the winner looks very promising. PRESAGE NOCTURNE saved my each way Euros in third with another decent effort. TRUESHAN is just not the horse he was and can't live with the younger legs at the head of the staying table. The Group 3 Palais-Royal over 1400m was won well by favourite TOPGEAR from the Christopher Head and he is 12s for the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee at the Royal meeting.

The big news today is the retirement of dual Gold Cup winner and top stayer KYPRIOS following the recurrence of a knee injury when winning the Levmoss last week at Leopardstown. ILLINOIS is 5/4 favourite with CANDELARI (of whom more in the next) 4/1 and JAN BRUEGHEL at 6s. KYPRIOS won 17 of his 21 races and was unbeaten in seven last year including the Ascot Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup, Irish St Leger, Cadran and Champions Day Stayers. He earned nearly £2.7 million in win and place money and in the two seasons when he was at this best (2022 and 2024) he was supreme in the staying division. Looking ahead to the coming weekend, the feature is the Jockey Club at Chantilly on Sunday over 2100m where the ground is currently Soft after recent rain. Likely to be a strong English and Irish raiding party with John Gosden running BOWMARK and DETAIN and Aidan O'Brien having entered four. Poulains fourth LUTHER has been entered by Charlie Fellowes who lost his appeal to have the Pouliches result reversed. More on the Chantilly card after final declarations on Friday.

A fascinating Sunday card at The Curragh with hopefully plenty of clues for the rest of the season took place on ground described as Good despite a few passing showers. Two Group 1 races headlined by the Irish 1000 Guineas which saw LAKE VICTORIA go off at 10/11 to atone for her sixth place at Newmarket in the English version. Trainer Aidan O'Brien had taken her to the classic without a racecourse gallop and everyone knew she would come on a lot for the run. In the circumstances, sixth was a more than decent effort albeit behind the Ollie Sangster pair of FLIGHT and SIMMERING who filled the minor places. An impressive performance by LAKE VICTORIA who returned, if not to her very best then something close to it by winning the first Irish fillies' classic. CALIFORNIA DREAMER set the running and kept on well for second in front of a bunch for third headed by fellow outsiders CECENE, DUTY FIRST and CITY OF MEMPHIS. With the two Sangster runners disappointing, there's a question mark over the overall form of the race but the winner did it very well. LAKE VICTORIA will likely head for the Coronation for which she is already 4/5 and after that, who knows? She could well step up to 2000m if not further for the Irish Oaks or the Yorkshire Oaks and obviously when the time comes she'll be a highly desirable broodmare for Coolmore. The time was a very strong 1 minute 36.38 seconds (0.32 seconds below the Standard). The other Group 1 was the Tattersalls Gold Cup over 2000m. This drew a quality field headed by LOS ANGELES but included last year's winner WHITE BIRCH, the English Champion Stakes winner ANMAAT and the improving KALPANA. A contender for race of the season to be honest. LOS ANGELES toughed it out to hold the late challenge of ANMAAT with both KALPANA and WHITE BIRCH close behind. With CONTINUOUS missing the break, it was a confused early until Wayne Lordan got to the front after which it became a brutal gallop. Suspect stayers such as GHOSTWRITER and ROYAL RHYME were found out in the final 150m but the first four were split by a length and three quarters. It's likely LOS ANGELES, ANMAAT and kALPANA will meet again in the Prince of Wales at Ascot. LOS ANGELES is 7/2 favourite for the 2000m feature on the second day with ECONOMICS at 4s, ANMAAT at 5s and KALPANA at 6s. You'd expect the last named to come on most for her seasonal bow and in receipt of 3 lbs from the boys has to be considered while we know ANMAAT is very strong over the Ascot track. The race was run in 2 minutes 08.61 seconds (a full 4.19 seconds below Standard) which is very strong. The supporting Group 2 Lanwades Stud over 1600m for the older fillies and mares saw a triumphant return for last year's top filly miler PORTA FORTUNA who, despite a market drift from 8/11 to 5/4, held off the late challenge of ONE LOOK, a much improved filly, with the front two nicely ahead. PORTA FORTUNA is 6s for the Queen Anne but it sounded in the post race interview with Donnacha O'Brien she wouldn't take on the boys but go for races like the Falmouth and the Rothschild before taking on the males in the Jacques Le Marois at Deauville in mid August. ONE LOOK is in the Pretty Polly at the Irish Derby meeting over 2000m. Ryan Moore had a four timer on the Curragh card and his fourth winner was the 2-y-o ALBERT EINSTEIN who won the Group 3 Marble Hill over 1200m and is now favourite for the Coventry. Both Ryan and Aidan O'Brien were waxing lyrical about the colt in the psot race interviews, he's apparently one of the fastest juveniles they've ever had a Ballydoyle despite him weighing 540 kg which is a lot for a 2-y-o. Aidan may be two-handed in the Coventry but it's quite clear he thinks a lot of ALBERT EINSTEIN. The opening juvenile fillies' over 1200m saw a huge gamble on the Wayne Lordan mount COMPOSING who, despite seemingly the second string of the Ballydoyle runners on paper, was backed in from 14s to 3s. She ran okay in fifth, her stable mate BEAUTIFY showed a lot of promise on debut in third but this was a 1-2 for Donnacha with BALANTINA (Albany bound) beating CAPE SOUNION (who will likely swerve Ascot).

Top US miler Carl Spackler set for stellar Queen Anne at Royal Ascot to kick-start ambitious campaign for new owner | Racing Post CARL SPACKLER was two lengths behind NOTABLE SPEECH in the Breeders Cup Mile but is linked in to the winner of that race, MORE THAN LOOKS. The Queen Anne is a straight mile, not a round mile, and I wonder if the American milers have the stamina to cope with a track like Ascot. It adds a dimension to what is looking a fantastic opening day race. Going the other way (to Australia) will be Temple winner MGHEERA who is part owned by one Arthur Mitchell, who, I believe, owns Yarraman Park Stud. I suspect once she finishes racing, MGHEERA could go to the paddocks in Australia. MGHEERA is a daughter of Zoustar.

I've seen the Greenlands. They did have some rain at The Curragh and the ground eased to Good (and later in the afternoon Good to Yielding). It wasn't rattling firm turf. The sprint division is weak at both 1000m and 1200m - he's 16s for the King Charles III and 14s for the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee. He wouldn't be the first Aidan O'Brien horse who improves a bundle for a run but he'll have to. Nonetheless, it was a dismal event and I think a far better trial was run by ARABIAN DUSK at Haydock.

Time to start the review of what is a Bank Holiday weekend with a look back at Saturday's racing. The feature card was at The Curragh in County Kildare, Ireland. The dry spell had broken down overnight and the rain had changed the ground to Good and they certainly looked to be taking the top off. The Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas over the mile saw English 2000 Guineas runner up FIELD OF GOLD bid to emulate his sire, Kingman, who had been beaten at newmarket but had then won at The Curragh. FIELD OF GOLD went off Evens with COSMIC YEAR, also in the Juddmonte ownership, at 4s. Money had come for the Aidan O'Brien trained OFFICER. the chosen of Ryan Moore but this one had a lot to prove having run last time in Group 3 company. A sparkling performance from FIELD OF GOLD who, despite racing wide and without much cover, was just too good for these winning by three and three quarter lengths from COSMIC YEAR, who ran on well for second and HOTAZHELL, who probably needed the first run of the season, a decent third. The two Ballydoyle horses were well beaten. As said, FIELD OF GOLD emulated his sire, Kingman, in coming on from a second place at Newmarket and he's clearly a very good 3-y-o miler. He's 4/5 for the St James's Palace at Ascot and 2/1 for the Eclipse at Sandown over 2000m and against the older horses. Whether the Gosden team will keep him to a mile (the older miler division looks very strong this year) or step him up in trip I don't know. He may still bump into a Derby winner at Sandown and the Guineas winner somewhere down the line. COSMIC YEAR looks a more than adequate second string for Juddmonte. He's 8s for the St James's Palace while I thought HOTAZHELL ran well on seasonal debut. Final note - they ran a very decent 1 minute 36.58 seconds (0.12 seconds below standard) suggesting the rain hadn't really got into the ground. The supporting Group 2 Greenlands over 1200m saw STORM BOY, the ex-Australian galloper, sent off 6/4 favourite on his first European run but he ran no sort of race and finished last. The British raiders finished first and second but it was 22/1 outsider JAMES'S DELIGHT who just prevailed in front of the Karl Burke trained LETHAL LEVI. The winner was eighth in the Champions Day Sprint last autumn and is 16s for the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee at the Royal meeting. At Haydock, there had been 6 mm of rain but the ground remained on the quick side though officially Good. The Group 2 Sandy Lane over 1200m saw SYMBOL OF HONOUR back up from a Listed win at Newbury just last week with a gutsy performance to just defeat the fillies ARABIAN DUSK and FIRST INSTINCT. The first six were split by less than three lengths so I'm not sure of the value. SYMBOL OF HONOUR is a gelding so can't run in the Commonwelath Cup but could go for the July Cup though that means taking on the older horses and I'm not convinced he's of that level just yet. ARABIAN DUSK is 16s for the Commonwealth Cup - fillies can run. The other Group 2, the Temple over 1000m, rounded off a 401/1 four timer for William Buick (no Godolphin runner in the Irish 2000 Guineas so he was free to take on rides at Haydock) as MGHEERA followed up her Saint-Georges win two weeks ago and is another example of a French type relishing some quicker turf. Whether she's King Charles III class, I'm not sure, but in a weak looking division she has claims and 14s looks a fair price. Currently, BELIEVING is the 6/1 favourite for the 1000m Group 1 on the opening day. A few other parish notices - I quite looked the Aidan O'Brien newcomer BRYSSELS who won a maiden at The Curragh - he's one for the notebook. At Goodwood, AMILOC won the Cocked Hat, a Listed over 2100m which used to be called the Predominate and in its day was a Derby trial. AMILOC is in the same ownership as PRIDE OF ARRAS but is a gelding so can't run in the Derby - he's 20s for the Eclipse which I consider far too short.

I'm indebted to you - thanks for allowing me to post my musings and I hope they are enjoyed by most. Given I spent three months of the English winter enjoying a New Zealand summer, as you say, I don't think the jumping stuff would be missed. Perhaps next season I'll just concentrate on the Grade 1 races and the big festivals such as Cheltenham and Aintree. The Flat racing coverage continues and I know many appreciate it - after all, it's interesting to know where the Melbourne Cup and Cox Plate winners are coming from and the odd "new" jockey for the summer.

You're not too far (if you have road transport) from Newbury, Bath and Goodwood. All three probably have meetings during your stay. As you're coming during the English summer, bring an umbrella and/or the wet weather gear.

I'd be happy to meet up if you were ever in London - obviously NOT during Ascot week. The Bibury Cup is a very old race - as I recall, the Members' stand is the Bibury Stand. One of the unique things about Salisbury is for the 2800m races they start just past the winning post and run up the straight in the "wrong" direction. The only two courses where that also happens are Hamilton and Goodwood.