Record breaking jockey Lester Piggott has died aged 86

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/61623271

Desert Crown will head a 17-strong field of runners on Saturday at Epsom for the Cazoo Derby, which will be run in memory of jockey Lester Piggott.

 

Thursday's final confirmation stage saw Eydon miss out, after the colt suffered a setback in training on Wednesday.

 

Early favourite Desert Crown, trained by five-time Derby winner Sir Michael Stoute and ridden by Richard Kingscote, has been handed stall 12.

 

Aidan O'Brien's best hope of landing a ninth victory lie with Stone Age.

 

The Irish trainer is one win away from a record 41st British Classic victory.

 

Stone Age, with Ryan Moore on board and handed stall four, was among six horses aimed at Epsom by O'Brien, but now only Chester winners Star Of India and Changingoftheguard will join him.

Epsom fireworks: Sometimes the smallest of things tell the biggest of tales. The Jockey Club (no less) thought it a very fine idea to set off fireworks on a racecourse just before the start of the Derby. Think about that ... then wonder again at the state of our sport.

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Two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo and stablemate Melon have been retired from racing.

 

Irish trainer Willie Mullins said the pair are now set to begin eventing careers.

 

Al Boum Photo gave Mullins a first Gold Cup win and was the first horse since Best Mate sealed a treble in 2004 to win consecutively.

 

The 10-year-old was third to Minella Indo last year when attempting a hat-trick after victories in 2018 and 2019.

 

He was last seen in the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris at Auteuil on 22 May, when he was pulled up by jockey Paul Townend.

Champion jockey Oisin Murphy says he drank so much alcohol he had blackouts and feared it could end his racing career.

 

Murphy, 26, was given a 14-month ban in February for breaking Covid rules and two alcohol breaches.

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Sierra Nevada beats Sierra Nevada - name clash in Gowran Park race: Punters could have been forgiven for confusion when two horses with the same name ran in the same race at Gowran Park

Frankie Dettori's business manager said on Thursday the rider would "have to move on with whatever John and Thady Gosden have done" after he lost rides on the yard's runners at Newmarket on Saturday.

 

Peter Burrell said he and Dettori were "in the dark as much as anyone else" after James Doyle and Robert Havlin were chosen to ride for the Gosdens, despite the three-time champion jockey being available to take the mounts.

 

The move came a week after John Gosden strongly criticised his number one jockey for his riding at Royal Ascot, chiefly when beaten in the Gold Cup on Stradivarius.

John Gosden and Frankie Dettori have agreed to "take a sabbatical" after the pair met on Friday in Newmarket.

 

In a statement, Gosden, who trains with his son Thady, said the situation was amicable and that he does not intend to appoint a stable jockey at Clarehaven.

 

Gosden said: "Following speculation in the press, Frankie and I have amicably decided to take a sabbatical from the trainer-jockey relationship but we remain the closest of friends and colleagues.

 

"Frankie has been – and always will be – one of the family here so I wanted to meet face to face after he returned from his post-Ascot holiday.

 

"I do not intend to appoint a stable jockey at Clarehaven."

Confidence is building behind top Australian sprinter Artorius's bid for next Saturday's Group 1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket, where he will aim to improve on his excellent third in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes.

 

The four-year-old is the only overseas Royal Ascot visitor to stay in Britain for another outing and acquitted himself well last month when dead-heating with Campanelle behind Naval Crown and Creative Force.

 

Artorius, a Group 1 winner in Australia, is the 7-2 second favourite behind Commonwealth Cup winner Perfect Power for the premier sprint and enjoyed some match practice on the July course under Jamie Spencer on Friday morning.

Five race meetings on Monday and Tuesday have been cancelled because of the forecasted extreme heat.

 

Monday's meets at Beverley and Windsor have been cancelled, as have Tuesday's fixtures at Chelmsford City, Southwell and Wolverhampton.

 

Temperatures could hit 40C in parts of the country next week and the Met Office has issued a red warning level.

 

The British Horseracing Authority said the courses fell "either within the warning area or are situated nearby".

 

Southwell had brought their races forward to 10:00 BST to try and avoid the worst of the weather before the red warning was announced.

Just 32 runners at Haydock tonight. Where will it end? Madness.

George McGrath, legend of Irish racing and twice champion jockey has sadly passed. Rode 4 classic winners including Weaver's Hall in the 1973 Irish Derby. Also rode Furry Glen and Sadler's Wells to victory in the Irish 2000 Guineas. May he rest in peace.

A small but select field for the King George, however, there has only been a double figure field 15 times since 1980. Apart from the Derby winner, realistically, who’s missing?

Baaeed is unlikely to be the only odds-on Group 1 shot at Glorious Goodwood next week with Nashwa’s Nassau Stakes task made easier by the defections of stablemate Inspiral and La Petite Coco.

 

The €1 million Prix Jacques le Marois is under consideration for Inspiral following her shock first defeat in the Falmouth Stakes, while Pretty Polly Stakes scorer La Petite Coco, who was similarly prominent in the ante-post betting for the Nassau (3.35 July 28), was on Tuesday scratched from the £600,000 feature event on day three.

Few people gave Pyledriver a fighting chance but joint-trainer William Muir was so confident he predicted his stable star would win the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes two weeks ago.

 

The five-year-old was an 18-1 outsider in a field of high achievers, including winners of the Irish Derby, Juddmonte International and the Arc, but they did not land a blow as he scored by two and three-quarter lengths.

 

He beat Torquator Tasso, once again forgotten in the market just as he was at Longchamp last year, in this battle of the generations, with three-year-olds Westover and Emily Upjohn finishing fifth and sixth.

Stradivarius bids for a landmark victory without his usual partner when Glorious Goodwood starts on Tuesday.

 

Andrea Atzeni replaces Frankie Dettori aboard the eight-year-old who bids for a fifth Goodwood Cup win (15:35 BST) in what could be his final race.

 

Dettori was criticised by owner Bjorn Nielsen and joint trainer John Gosden for his ride after Stradivarius was third in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

 

Aidan O'Brien's Gold Cup winner Kyprios is among Tuesday's rivals.

 

Stradivarius set a European landmark as he won a record third Yorkshire Cup in May.

 

It was a 20th career triumph, and an 18th victory at the top Group level - the best ever achieved in Europe.

 

Stradivarius also created history in 2020 by becoming the first four-time winner of the two-mile Goodwood Cup, but was forced to miss last year's race because of testing ground.

Coltrane looks an absolute beast of horse! Fancy this to take on Trueshan in the 3:35 at Goodwood.

Pre-race favourite Baaeed claimed victory in the Sussex Stakes on the second day of Glorious Goodwood.

 

The William Haggas-trained four-year-old, who was ridden by Jim Crowley, extended his unbeaten record to nine races with ease, while Modern Games finished second.

 

Baaeed's task was made easier as 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes winner Coroebus did not run.

 

Alcohol Free finished third, while Bathrat Leon came fourth.