Star stayer Kyprios retired, top US miler Carl Spackler sold, Romantic Warrior surgery, Rosehill Gardens plans thwarted – all this and more in our weekly digest of recent international racing news
Belmont Park back on Breeders’ Cup roster for 2027
USA: The Breeders’ Cup will return to New York for the first time in more than two decades with Belmont Park set to host the two-day championships for the fifth time in 2027.
The last time the event was held in New York was 2005, also at Belmont, which is currently closed for a $455 million renovation project. “The return of the Breeders’ Cup to New York has been years in the making,” said Breeders’ Cup president Drew Fleming. “The reimagined Belmont Park will provide an exceptional stage for the world’s greatest racehorses and participants as we welcome contenders and fans from around the globe.”
Keeneland has also been announced as next year’s Breeders’ Cup venue, marking the fourth time the event has been held at the Lexington track. More here
Death of trainer Christophe Clement, aged 59
USA: The death of leading trainer Christophe Clement at the age of 59 has cast a shadow over the US racing community.
Clement, who died on Sunday [May 25], announced his own passing in a prepared statement on X. “Unfortunately, if you are reading this, it means I was unable to beat my cancer,” it said. “As many of you know, I have been fighting an incurable disease, metastatic uveal melanoma.”
Based in New York since setting up on his own account in 1991, the hugely respected Frenchman won the Belmont Stakes with Tonalist 2014. However, his highest-profile representative was turf champion Gio Ponti, the multiple G1 winner who was runner-up to Zenyatta in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2009.
According to Equibase, Clement saddled 2,576 winners in North America for career earnings of more than $285 million. More here
Superstar stayer Kyprios retired after setback
Ireland: Outstanding stayer Kyprios, an eight-time G1 winner and former world #1 according to Thoroughbred Racing Commentary’s Global Rankings, has been retired after aggravating an old injury.
According to a Coolmore statement, the seven-year-old has aggravated an old ringbone lesion. “He’s been the most incredible horse, he had an incredible mind to go with his incredible ability,” said trainer Aidan O’Brien.
Kyprios retires with a career record of 17 wins from 21 starts, including Gold Cup victories at Royal Ascot in 2022 and 2024. Having returned from a life-threatening joint infection in 2022, the son of Galileo has won his last nine starts, while no other Ballydoyle horse has won as many G1s.
O’Brien added: “I don’t think any other horse in the world would have come back from the injury that he had.” More here
Royal Ascot plan for top miler Carl Spackler after Aussie sale
USA: Top US miler Carl Spackler has been sold to Yulong Investments and will run next for at Royal Ascot for his new Aussie-based trainer Ciaron Maher.
Last seen winning the Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland for Chad Brown in April, the three-time G1 winner is set to contest the Queen Anne Stakes for his new connections, whose colours are carried by nine-time G1 winner Via Sistina.
Carl Spackler will need to be supplemented to the Royal Ascot opener at a cost of £53,000. The Cox Plate is his principal target after he arrives in Australia. More here
• Flavien Prat to ride Facteur Cheval in Prince of Wales’s Stakes More here
• Wathnan Racing buy Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes favourite LazzatMore here
• Wesley Ward eyes Norfolk Stakes with runaway winner OutfielderMore here
• Lennilu the ‘right horse’ to take to Royal Ascot More here
Romantic Warrior has surgery on injured fetlock
Hong Kong: Former world #1 racehorse Romantic Warrior had surgery on Wednesday to insert a screw inserted into his near foreleg.
The world’s highest-earning racehorse of all-time was found to have an injury in his his left-fore fetlock forcing the cancellation of a ‘welcome home’ ceremony at Sha Tin on Sunday [May 25] following the ten-time G1 winner’s three-race campaign in the Middle East.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club issued a statement, saying: “A decision was made for the horse to undergo a veterinary procedure at the club’s equine hospital in which a single screw was inserted under standing sedation and local anaesthesia. The procedure was performed without complication.” More here
ATC members reject controversial Rosehill sale for housing
Australia: In what has been described as “one of the most significant votes in Australian racing history”, ATC (Australian Turf Club) members have turned down a controversial A$5bn ($3.2bn/£2.39bn) plan to turn Rosehill Gardens into housing.
The ATC had proposed selling the famous Sydney track – home of the Golden Slipper, the world’s richest two-year-old race – to the NSW Government, who planned to sell the location onto developers to build 25,000 new homes.
The ATC had pledged massive upgrades to the remaining Sydney tracks, including promoting Warwick Farm to a G1 venue,
However, a rancorous 17-month saga came to an end on Tuesday [May 17] when just over 56 per cent of the ATC’s 11,000 members voted against – a result labelled as “disappointing” by NSW premier Chris Minns. More here
Elsewhere in racing …
Australia: Waller stars set sale ring alight – led by A$5.25m Zougotcha More here
France: Camille Pisarro favourite for Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) More here
USA: Death of Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Don Combs, aged 86 More here
Canada: Death of owner-breeder and longtime trainer Paul Buttigieg More here
Canada: J.P. Souter receives Avelino Gomez Award for 2025 More here
Norway: Niels Petersen targets Royal Ascot with Swedish winner More here
Hong Kong: 12-time champion trainer John Size reaches 1,600-win milestone More here
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