How many of you remember Derring-Do? Not Many, I suspect. Annoyingly, I can remember the names of horses from the past but very rarely can I recall the races they won or who trained and rode them. It is doubtless because I readily recall names of horses from the past that I get so upset by those names being recycled in the present. Morris Dancer, for instance. Derring-do went through the sale ring at Newmarket's September Yearling Sale in 1962. I know this as fact due to re-reading Bill Curling's biography of Arthur Budgett, 'Derby Double'. All of which I am about to take from the pages of Curling's book will be as new to me as it will be to you, none of which will have any relevance to horse racing in 2026. Derring-Do's first racecourse appearance was in Sandown's National Breeders Produce Stakes, once upon a time the most...

I'm sorry but it is getting embarrassing. I considered the hoo-ha over the Cheltenham hole back in January an over-reaction; I thought the criticism of Chester's clerk of the course for not saturating the course overnight when there was a high possibility of a deluge in the afternoon unfair and unwarranted; I had no thoughts on the failure to complete a meeting at Goodwood a few weeks ago as sometimes with our variable weather these things happen - but a hole large enough to accommodate a man's entire arm is getting to the point of endangerment to man and beast. It is time all racecourses with drainage underneath the racing surface is thoroughly inspected. It is not as if a spade or digger will be required as there is equipment (Ladar?) that can scan the ground and give a picture of what is going on beneath the surface on a laptop....

On Tuesday, May 12th, 1998, The Sporting Life, in its final edition before leaving the field open to Racing Post domination, one of its news headlines was D.DAY AMID DISCONENT, and concerned the contest between Peter Savill and Sir William Purves for the position of chairman of the British Horseracing Board. As now, there was a groundswell of support amongst racing's professionals for Savill as it was believed the sport would benefit from having someone with long experience of the sport as the head of racing's governance body. The B.H.B. board, though, were split, with a general feeling, perhaps fear, that Sir William's expertise in financial matters would get him appointed. Savill was, at the time, president of the Racehorse Owners Association and a director of the B.H.B. He was an insider within the B.H.B., yet many of his fellow directors, of which there were only nine, one of which other...

We should congratulate those in authority who have finally recognised that the Epsom Derby is going out of fashion and pat them on the back for attempting to right the ship before rescue becomes an impossible task I just hope no one working for I.T.V. during its coverage from Epsom uses the hackneyed and obsolete phrase 'greatest race in the world' because the Epsom Derby has fallen a long way down the international pecking order. If anyone had access to the archive of this website, which they have not due to my decision when having the site buffed and polished a few months ago to only back-date the archive to the start of February 2026, would discover that I have banged-on about the decline of the Epsom Derby since 2018. The demise began when Epsom and the B.H.A. submitted to the calls of the bookmaking industry to have the Derby run...

I follow flat racing though, if I am to be truthful, I am not a true fan. My heart lies 100% with National Hunt. Yet I appreciate that the sport of horse racing originated not so much in the hunting field but on the widespread heathlands, with gentleman of the aristocracy wagering large amounts of money with one another as to who owned the fastest horse. In those days there were no rules and argy-bargy and gamesmanship were not necessarily frowned upon and fortunes were lost on these up-to 4-mile match races. I find the history of flat racing a stimulating study, especially during the years when the Epsom Derby held such national importance that Parliament adjourned for the afternoon. For instance, I have a fascination and respect for Brown Jack that no flat horse of my lifetime has yet to equal.Historically flat racing has been given advantages not really available...

Encouraged by the support of over 200 racing professionals, Peter Savill has thrown his hat into the ring. Whether the B.H.A. will want to appoint him as Lord Allen's replacement is uncertain enough for a market to form around whether he will be adopted or not. He was regarded as a success back in the early 2,000's when he was the chair of the B.H.A. and he certainly fulfils my criteria as someone who has worked, and continues to work, at the clif-face of the sport. We will discover next week whether the B.H.A. has listened to the groundswell of opinion that the sport needs a proper racing man or woman at the tiller of the sport. Fingers firmly crossed. Even I cannot argue against the Anglo/Irish classifications for last season's jumps season. Not surprisingly, Gaelic Warrior is way out in front on 180 over 3-miles and 174 over 2-miles 4....

Kia Joorabchian, for whatever reason, doubtless envy, receives a bad press, with journalists quick to seize on any story about him and to paint it blacker than is necessary. On today's front page of the Racing Post, his decision to remove a few horses from his Irish-based trainer Robson Aguiar - 'Horses Removed From Trainer - but Joorabchian Denies Rift' - is another poke in Kia's ribs. Whate Kia is attemting to achieve is to break into the top echelon of horse racing in Europe. He is not going about it in a quiet, methodical and patient way. He is throwing mney at the enterprise as if he has an orchard of money trees in the back gardens of his, no doubt, many homes. And when the blossom on his trees is less plentiful, meaning less fruit for the year, Kia asks his partners in the enterprise to top him up....

To me, there little to compare in this world for elegance and excitement than to see a horse jumping steeplechase fences in perfect unison with its rider. I would like to imagine that the phrase 'poetry in motion' was created to define such a sight. A few weeks ago at Perth, though she ultimately did not win the race, I witnessed Panic Attack and Harry Skelton jump every fence with precision and aplomb. No one could ever see such an exhibition and think the horse was not enjoying her job. As good a horseman as Harry undoubtedly is or how great a trainer his brother is, they cannot take all the credit for Panic Attacks jumping style. She jumps the way she jumps for no other reason than she enjoys the opportunity to put on display her exuberance for her work. Of course, Panic Attack is not alone in jumping fences...

I am not someone who envies the rich. As long as I do not personally become poorer than I am content with my lot. I can live happily with the few who have so much wealth that they can lose 100-Grand and not feel the pinch of looming poverty. Let's be honest, without the wealthy, the filthy rich and the obscenely well-to-do, this sport would be even more impoverished than it is. But it does beg the question, why can't the racing rich help the sport thrive; why can't they extend the hand of wealth so that racing can improve its infrastructure, to speed along the programme of allowing female jockeys to have separate changing areas at racecourses, to invest in prize-money, to donate large quantities of money to the Injured Jockeys Fund, Racing Welfare, racehorse rehabiliation charities. Perhaps they already give a little but they could so easily give a...

The Grand Steeplechase de Paris is one of the major steeplechases in the world; why can't I.T.V. televise the race live during their coverage of the Sunday Series meeting at Hamilton? National Hunt racing in Britain would be better-off if we could encourage more French trainers to run their horses over here. Taking a greater interest in French jumps racing might help that cause. The Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil was won yesterday by Losange Blue. Home By The Lee was on a non-going day and pulled-up. Apple Away finished sixth. It is true, form is temporary, class is permanent, all the more so when the seemingly out-of-form trainer is blessed with having a stable choc-a-bloc with racehorses with the best pedigrees and the best gallops. Charlie Appleby always turns-up at the top meetings and yesterday's success in the Lockinge, bolstered by a clutch of lesser winners at Newmarket in the...

Today, at 2.15 British time, Home By The Lee will attempt to add the Grande Course de Haires d'Auteuil, or the French Champion Hurdle to you or someone not French, to his Cheltenham and Aintree victories, neither of which hade the title of champion in their name. At the age of eleven, Home By The Lee has risen to the status of a champion, even if the folk of Cheltenham racecourse refuse to confer on the Stayers Hurdle the title of staying hurdle champion. Home By The Lee is every bit a champion as Lossiemouth, yet the former will be referred to next season as 'the Champion Hurdler', whilst Home By The Lee will not, though he might be referred to as the French Champion Hurdler if he should win at Auteuil. Will he win? I am far from being an expert on French racing, or anything else, for that matter,...

You may disagree but it is my belief that the Dante Stakes at York yesterday was the strongest Derby trial run this season. I am not saying that the Ballydoyle winners of the trials at Chester will not turn out to be the top 3-year-olds but no one in their right mind could argue that Benvenuto Cellini or Constitution River had quality finishing behind them. Item certainly did have quality to beat yesterday and he did so in the manner of a horse on the up. Will Epsom, though, be his bag? Of course, and this does no favours when it comes to marketing and promoting the Epsom Derby, it is a guessing game as to which horse or horses from Ballydoyle will line-up at Epsom. I suspect that Constitution River will head for the Derby that I no longer consider a bone fide Derby at Longchamp. Though, as Aidan often...

I cannot see any horse winning either the Derby or Oaks this season. Hardly worth staging either race, is how I see it. I could not even be sure if an O'Brien will be holding the trophy aloft. Yes, something will have to win the Derby and Oaks, it is just, thus far, my instincts are telling me that all the talking horses (the Ballydoyle horses) are a mixed bunch and all the others are ordinary fare. My mind's eye is empty; all I see is a racecourse with no horses and all the fun of the fair poised as if in wait of Prince Monolulu calling for punters to pay him their hard earned money in exchange for the name of the winner of the Derby. If you tied me up and put a gun to my head and I was told by my nervous captors 'your Derby tip or...

'attempts to become the first British-trained winner of the Group 1 since 2022' is an example of the sort of writing that irritates me, up there when I have noticed error and laziness in my own creative efforts. 2022 is only 4-years in the past. Since 2022 there have only been three renewals of this particular race, the name of which eludes me for the moment. It is in the same category as 'creates history', when sporting or racing history would be more accurate. The word history in this instance refers to a time in the long past, 'to be of historic significance, being one of a kind'. You get my drift. The first horse trained in Germany, Italy or Peru to win the Epsom Derby that would be of 'historic significance'. No British-trained horse winning a race for 4-years is of no historic significance at all and was not worth...

Racing journalists often question why there are so many Derby and Oaks trials in so short a time span. How can it be  anything other than a classic trial orgy when there is barely more than 4-weeks between the Guineas meeting at Newmarket and the Epsom Derby? Of course if there were less classic trials the more information punters would have, with classic trials becoming more meaningful races. For all the kind words directed towards the trials at Chester, as actual races they were one-horse affairs with little excitement generated and nothing we did not already know coming from the results. There is an argument to be made, I suggest, while the pool of available horses remains low, for the Dee Stakes to become a handicap, thereby directing more classic hopefuls to the Vase. You see, as things stand, losing classic trials is the only solution if you believe the orgy...

The O'Briens, father and two sons, currently hold 3 of the top six positions in the Irish Trainers' Championship table, with Joseph top and Aidan second. The father, of course, has reigned as Irish champion for the past twenty-years or more. Being champion is what Aidan does; I dare say when he was driving a fork-lift for the Co-Op he was, if only in his own mind, the champion at stacking pallets. Recently, going against the grain of popular opinion, I suggested that Joseph was perhaps the top trainer in the world right now and though not expecting readers to take my opinion strictly seriously, if you go by the diversity of the top races he wins, as well as his success abroad, Joseph is unique if he isn't the best in the world. But that is just opinion; there is no real formula for deciding such accolades. Yes, Aidan wins...

I have thought for a long time that it must be disappointing for Maureen and William Haggas that Derby horses rarely come their way. Haggas is, of course, a Derby winning trainer, though he was not long out of short trousers when Shaamit won the race. But at least Haggas was able to prove to his father-in-law that he was up to the task, which so few son-in-laws are able to achieve. So I was as pleased as those who backed Maltese Cross yesterday that Haggas will again be represented at Epsom in a little over 3-weeks time. You can never be sure how good the form will work out when two-horses finish so far in front of the third, especially when the third would be considered a no-hoper if he were to run at Epsom. Of the classic trials run this week, to my mind Maltese Cross looked the most...

Recently I purchased a book from a Book Relief charity shop for £3. It was great value. It would be of greater value if bought by someone whose interest of horse racings lies in not what happened on the racecourse but in the breeding sheds. Do not get me wrong, Lesley I Sampson's book 'Nijinsky. Blue Riband Sire' is a mighty tome and a good specilist topic for anyone wishing to take part in Mastermind but for someone who only knew Nijinsky as a racehorse, even if as a teenager I had a print of him on the wall of the living room of the family home, this is a book that disappointed. Rarely do I skip whole chapters in a racing book but with this book, I admit, I flipped more than I read. But if you want to know all that there is to know about Nijinsky the stallion,...

The weather forecast for North Devon yesterday afternoon was for heavy showers and possible thunder and lightning. It was dry all day. I am not 100% sure if the forecast for Chester was the same - the summary I read suggested Northern and Western regions would receive the largest dollop of rain - yet the outcome was the same as here in North Devon. Eloise Quayle was a hostage to fortune. If she had put 8mm of water on the course and it had rained as forecast, Chester would have been a quagmire before the third race and the ground for the Chester Cup today would have been compromised. In complaining about the state of the ground, Chester's clerk of the course was hung out to dry. I thought I.T.V. dealt with the impasse in a professional manner, even if I would have preferred an additional race from Huntingdon rather than long...

In the 'Another View column in the Racing Post today, Catherine Macrae makes the point, I think, that Cherie DeVaux becoming the first female to train a Kentucky Derby winner should not be seen as great news, even if it was an historic event in racing history, but a tide mark in the sand in the continuing domination of the male gender in our sport. As Macrae points out, it remains a rare event for a female trainer in this country to even have a runner in the Epsom Derby, with Jesse Harrington the only female to be represented in the last two decades. Female jockeys in the Epsom Derby are rarer still. In Australia, the Melbourne Cup has in recent years had a female winning jockey and Rachel King won the latest running of that country's Derby. In the U.S., though, the days of female jockeys regularly riding in the...