Keane up for Cup as Buffer Zone bids for another Irish win Colin Keane is looking forward to partnering Buffer Zone in the William Hill Ayr Gold Cup, on his first trip to the Scottish track. The Fozzy Stack-trained Son Of Rest became the first Irish-trained horse in history to claim victory in the prestigious handicap when dead-heating with Paul Cole’s Baro

Ordinary World delivers for globe-trotting Blackmore Globe-trotting Rachael Blackmore helped Ordinary World win his first race in almost three years in the Eamon Sheridan Groundworks Chase at Ballinrobe. Blackmore was out of luck when she and Bedrock could finish only a distant ninth and last in the American Grade One Lonesome Glory Handicap Hurdle at

Piece of Paradise serves up happy return for Stack Piece Of Paradise provided trainer Fozzy Stack with another big-race victory at Ayr when leading home an Irish one-two-three in the Shadwell Stud/EBF Stallions Harry Rosebery Stakes. The Cashel-based trainer created a piece of history at this meeting 12 months ago when his Son Of Rest became the fir

Smullen thrilled by race to remember and huge sum raised for cancer charity Pat Smullen described himself as “overwhelmed” after over €2.5million was raised for Cancer Trials Ireland at last weekend’s Longines Irish Champions Weekend. The nine-times Irish champion jockey was at the centre of a fund-raising drive which culminated in the Pat Smullen Champions Race For Cancer

Come September trying to cash in at Gowran Gavin Cromwell is hoping Come September can increase her potential value as a broodmare with a bold showing in the Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies Stakes at Gowran Park. A winner over the course and distance on her racecourse debut for Willie McCreery in early June, the daughter of Ro

Arthur’s Kingdom ready to rule Arthur’s Kingdom has an obvious opportunity to open his account in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C & G) Maiden at Gowran Park. Aidan O’Brien’s colt has already finished runner-up at Leopardstown and Killarney – where he was caught on the line. Saturday’s quicker ground should suit him well, and he i

Turbo-charged Pinatubo has Buick purring William Buick is excited at what the future holds for the unbeaten Pinatubo after hailing him as the best two-year-old he has sat on following his demolition job in the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday. The Charlie Appleby-trained son of Shamardal put in arguably the pe

Dakota Gold out to continue improvement in World Trophy Michael Dods hopes the rapidly-improving Dakota Gold will handle a combination of quick ground and a return to the minimum trip in the Dubai International Airport World Trophy at Newbury. Already the winner this season of two valuable handicaps at York, the Great St Wilfrid at Ripon and a Listed rac

Romanised camp lose Moulin appeal Connections of Romanised have lost their appeal against the result of the Prix du Moulin at ParisLongchamp earlier this month. Having doubled his Group One tally in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville in August, last year’s Irish 2,000 Guineas hero was a marginal favourite on his return to Franc

Appleby in wonder at Pinatubo’s National Stakes performance Charlie Appleby is still coming back down to earth following Pinatubo’s spectacular display in the National Stakes at the Curragh. The Shamardal colt has made giant strides since his winning debut at Wolverhampton back in early May, with dominant victories in the Woodcote at Epsom, the Chesham at Ro

Evergreen Byron to don new colours for the day after charity auction Gordon Lord Byron will run in new colours just for his next outing after ownership of the popular 11-year-old was offered as one of the lots in the auction for Pat Smullen Cancer Trials Ireland. Trainer Tom Hogan has chosen the Group Three Manguard Plus Renaissance Stakes at the Curragh later this m

Plans on hold for Elarqam and Madhmoon Future plans for Elarqam and Madhmoon are up in the air after both horses failed to run up expectations in the Qipco Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown. The Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned pair were joint second-favourites for the Group One feature on the opening day of Longines Irish Champions We

Keane takes championship lead with Naas double Colin Keane leads reigning champion jockey Donnacha O’Brien by one winner (85–84) after doubling up on Wednesday’s two-year-old-only card at Naas. On an afternoon to remember for the Trim, County Meath family, Keane’s father Gerry weighed in by sending out Eloy D’Amerval, partnered by Robbie Colgan

Irish EBF unveils juvenile series plan A revamped median sires race series with a minimum prize-fund of €25,000 per race has been announced by the Irish European Breeders Fund. The 24-race series will take place in 2020, with a new €200,000 two-year-old median sires race at Naas racecourse on Bank Holiday Monday, August 3, co-sponsored b

A Toi Phil joins Gary Moore team A Toi Phil is likely to have a second crack at the Randox Health Grand National after being sold to join Gary Moore’s West Sussex team for £70,000 as part of the annual Gigginstown House Stud dispersal at Goffs UK September Sale. A Toi Phil, who landed a timely victory over fences at Listowel last w

Search For A Song takes a break Dermot Weld has confirmed that his Irish St Leger winner Search For A Song will not run again this season. The three-year-old filly continued on a steep upward curve at the Curragh, beating last year’s Doncaster St Leger winner Kew Gardens under a fine ride from Chris Hayes on Sunday. Having finishe

King reigns in Fortune test Richard Hannon’s 2000 Guineas runner-up King Of Change returned from a lengthy absence to win the Chasemore Farm Fortune Stakes at Sandown. While many would have been tempted to strike while the iron was hot with King Of Change (11-4), who was sent off at 66-1 for the Classic, Hannon took the patien

Diamond sparkles again at Galway Diamond Hill continued her love affair with Galway when gaining valuable black type with a gutsy success in the Ardilaun Hotel Oyster Stakes. The Willie Mullins-trained mare had been successful over hurdles at the Festival and was well-backed on her return to the level in the Listed contest. Colin K

Smith eyeing Flat and jumps options for One Cool Poet Trainer Matthew Smith will consider options on the Flat and over jumps for his remarkable stable star One Cool Poet. Having made history in becoming the first horse to win three Flat races in the same week at this year’s Galway Festival, the seven-year-old’s successful run came to an abrupt end when