Willie Mullins: Your gut tells you he has to be a hell of a horse February 12, 2026 FOUR weeks out from this year’s Cheltenham Festival, Willie Mullins, the meeting’s all-time leading trainer, is assembling his battalion of runners once again. By the Closutton maestro’s usual standards he has had a slower beginning to the season, and he trails main rival Gordon Elliott in the Irish trainers’ championship. It’s not something that is [...]
Hong Kong Racing Chief warns of industry at a crossroads February 12, 2026 MAJOR challenges for the racing industry and betting companies were highlighted as global leaders gathered at the 41st Asian Racing Conference (ARC) in Riyadh this week. Front and centre was Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) and Chair of the Asian Racing Federation (ARF). In his opening address as ARF [...]
Saudi Cup set for future away from Riyadh February 12, 2026 Development within Saudi Arabia’s racing sector continues to accelerate. The Saudi Cup, born in 2020 and already the world’s most valuable horse race worth $20 million with Group One status, is set to take place for the seventh time at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh this weekend. However, organisers have already confirmed ambitious plans for [...]
Elliott team hoping for Brighter Days at the Festival February 11, 2026 LAST March, Gordon Elliott had to wait until the last of 28 Cheltenham Festival races to taste success, not something the 41-time Festival-winning trainer would have been used to. “As hard as it was for me, for all my staff that were putting in all the hours, it was harder for them.” Elliott reflected. “The [...]
Pipe’s Juran can fill Ascot punters with Joy February 10, 2026 SATURDAY’s Ascot Chase (3.35pm) is the final Grade One of the season prior to the Cheltenham Festival, and that means we’re due to see some familiar names battle it out for this valuable prize. There’s no more familiar name than Jonbon running here, and it looks like it’s his to lose. The trip, the track [...]
Sober looks a Glorious bet for Cheltenham Festival opener February 10, 2026 RACING fans were treated to some serious action on William Hill Super Saturday at Newbury at the weekend, with plenty of Cheltenham Festival quality on show. Lulamba, Haiti Couleurs and Tutti Quanti all delivered performances which put markers down for the big four days in March, but I was most drawn to SOBER GLORY, who [...]
No Leap of Faith required to back Atzeni at the Valley February 10, 2026 RACING in Hong Kong returns to Happy Valley on Wednesday with a nine-race programme, featuring the Class Three Consensus Cup (1.15pm) over the extended mile. Favourite backers have found it tough going since the beginning of the month, with just half-a-dozen market-leaders obliging from 31 races and plenty of short-priced favourites beaten along the way. [...]
Size’s Spirit can keep him challenging in trainers’ title race February 10, 2026 JOHN Size’s bandwagon continues to roll after the success of Flow Water Flow at Sha Tin last Sunday, with the stable firmly in the equation for the trainers’ title. Size currently trails championship leader Mark Newnham by 10 winners but has quickly cut a large deficit since the New Year. The stable had nine [...]
Barry Connell: I’m not going to big up my horses anymore, apart from Marine Nationale February 10, 2026 THERE aren’t many trainers like Barry Connell; a former hedge fund manager who used to combine his job with riding out six days a week. Born close to Leopardstown in south Dublin, Connell was in his 30s before he learned to ride, yet he notched over 30 winners in the UK and Ireland before taking [...]
Numbers can make experience count in Centenary Vase February 6, 2026 SUNDAY is a day of reckoning for several Four-Year-Old Classic Series hopefuls who line-up on an 11-race card at Sha Tin. The feature race on the programme, The Group Three Centenary Vase Handicap (8.05am) over nine furlongs, includes leading BMW Hong Kong Derby hope NUMBERS, who has already caught the eye since arriving from Australia [...]