Our weekly digest of recent international racing news
Long-time favourite Inspiral misses 1,000 Guineas
GB: Ante-post favourite Inspiral has been ruled out of Sunday’s Qipco 1,000 Guineas with co-trainer John Gosden now eyeing a Listed race at Sandown Park next month for the daughter of Frankel.
Unbeaten at two, Inspiral was winter favourite for the fillies’ Classic at Newmarket but Gosden revealed that her training schedule had been interrupted and she isn’t ready. “She missed those critical eight to 10 days of training during trials week here and from that point of view I couldn’t run her at 80 per cent as that wouldn’t be very clever,” he explained. “You have got to be at full match fitness for a Guineas.”
Inspiral’s target have duly been realigned and she is now set to run in the Heron Stakes at Sandown on May 19 as a prep fr the G1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.
In Inspiral’s absence, Aidan O’Brien’s Cheveley Park Stakes winner Tenebrism has been promoted to the head of the market. Also representing O’Brien is dark horse Tuesday, who broke her maiden at Naas last month.
Aidan O’Brien: 2,000 Guineas is a ‘big ask’ for Luxembourg
GB: The European Classic season kicks off with the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday [April 30] – and Aidan O’Brien reckons it will be a “big ask” for Derby favourite Luxembourg to win without a run under his belt this season.
Bidding to emulate his sire Camelot, who made a winning return to action in the same race 10 years ago, the unbeaten colt is joined by stablemate Point Lonsdale as they bid to give O’Brien a record-extending 11th success in the Qipco 2000 Guineas.
The Ballydoyle maestro said: “He has wintered well and everything has gone well. Everything has gone according to plan since then.
"Obviously it is a big ask to start him off in the Guineas and he is looking like he will be a middle-distance horse, but we started similar horses like Camelot and Australia in the Guineas."
A 15-runner field has been declared for the 2,000 Guineas headed by Godolphin’s two-year-old champ Native Trail (William Buick) and Charlie Appleby-trained stablemate Coroebus (James Doyle).
Whips back at Monmouth Park
USA: Having last year controversially adopted a policy which banned the use of whips, Monmouth Park has announced the reintroduction of the riding crop when racing resumes in May.
The New Jersey Racing Commission voted to accept an application from the track to introduce the new House Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) guidelines, which will become uniform across the US from July.
The guidelines allow jockeys a limit of six strokes per race with no more than two in succession before the horse has a chance to respond.
World #1 Golden Sixty breaks HK prize-money record
Hong Kong: Golden Sixty, the new #1 on TRC Global Rankings, established a new prize-money record for HK racing on Sunday {April 24] with a comfortable success in the FWD Champions Mile at Sha Tin.
With a first prize of HK$11.4m ($1.45m/£1.14m), the Francis Lui-trained superstar enhanced his all-time bank to HK$113,400,600 ($14.45m/£11.36m), thereby surpassing the previous record of HK$106,233,750 ($13.54m/£10.64m) set by Beauty Generation.
The reigning HK horse of the year was completing back-to-back victories in the G1 showpiece and took his career tally to 21 wins from 24 starts, all of them in Hong Kong. Next up, however, may be a trip to Japan for the prestigious Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo racecourse on June 5.
Three-year ban for trainer for meth positive
New Zealand: Rochelle Lockett who tested positive for the recreational drug methamphetamine after the horse she trained also tested positive for the substance has been disqualified for three years by New Zealand’s Integrity Board. The 50-year-old was told she could return to the sport after 18 months if she can prove she is drug-free.
Elsewhere in racing …
USA: Hearing officer recommends two-year ban for Baffert in New York More here
USA: Churchill Downs paddock to undergo $185-$200m redesign More here
Australia: Ascot’s Champions Day a new option for Verry Elleegant as Arc is ruled out More here
GB: Royal Ascot entries – Breeders’ Cup winner Pizza Bianca is part of strong US contingent More here
HK: Caspar Fownes becomes fourth trainer to reach 1,000 wins More here
Singapore: Kranji to welcome spectators again after nearly two years of racing behind closed doors More here
Mauritius: Turf Club expelled from Champ de Mars by city council More here
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