British racing’s most prestigious meeting takes place next week – without Wesley Ward! All the latest news in our weekly digest from across the globe
Royal Ascot latest: Lake Victoria and Economics ruled out
GB: British racing is preparing for its showpiece meeting next week with the eight G1 events scheduled across the five-day stand at Royal Ascot from Tuesday to Saturday [June 17-21].
A galaxy of stars will be on show, with the Day 1 highlight being a return match between 2,000 Guineas principals Ruling Court and Field Of Gold – plus French Guineas winner Henri Matisse – in the St James’s Palace Stakes.
However, there are some high-profile absentees. Breeders’ Cup heroine Lake Victoria has been ruled out of the G1 Coronation Stakes and is set for an easy few weeks ahead of an autumn campaign, while leading four-year-old Economics misses the Prince of Wales’s Stakes after pulling a muscle. More here
• Aussie jock Mark Zahra to ride Docklands in Queen Anne More here
Wesley Ward absent from Royal Ascot
USA: Wesley Ward, Royal Ascot’s favourite adopted son, will be without a representative at the meeting for the first time since 2012 after ruling out Outfielder, a leading contender for the G2 Norfolk Stakes. An impressive winner at Churchill Downs, Outfielder has a minor shin issue; he could still visit Europe for the Prix Morny later in the summer. More here
There will be American runners at Ascot, however, with Norfolk Stakes candidate Sandal’s Song – a recent Wathnan racing purchase – and Tough Critic set to represent George Weaver, who won the Queen Mary Stakes in 2023 with Crimson Advocate. Patrick Biancone-trained Lennilu runs in this year’s edition, where rivals include fellow US trainee Bibi Dahl. More here
Colin Keane signed up by Juddmonte
Ireland: Six-time Irish champion jockey has been appointed as retained rider to the Juddmonte operation in Europe with immediate effect.
Keane, 30, will wear the Abdulla family’s famous pink, green and white silks next week at Royal Ascot on G1 performers such as Lead Artist, Babouche and Field Of Gold, aboard whom he won last month’s Irish 2,000 Guineas.
Keane said: “I have grown up watching these famous colours carried to many victories in all the top races around the globe so it’s very special for me to be asked to ride as first jockey for Juddmonte.” More here
He makes his debut as retained rider in the Prix de Diane (French Oaks) at Chantilly on Sunday [June 15] on the Andre Fabre-trained Better Together. More here
Hong Kong move for top trainer James Cummings
Australia: Leading trainer James Cummings, scion of a famous racing dynasty, is to move to Hong Kong for the start of the 2026-27 season. The 37-year-old grandson of the legendary Bart Cummings is to step down from his role as head trainer for Godolphin’s Australian-based operation at the end of July.
“It’s a sliding doors moment for me,” said Cummings. “When the Hong Kong Jockey Club reached out, I felt like the timing was right because it gives me the opportunity to get some certainty into the future.”
Cummings became the youngest trainer ever to achieve 50 G1 wins when he reached the landmark by the age of 36. He has saddled more than 1,500 winners altogether. More here
Sovereignty set for Travers
USA: After beating Journalism in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday [June 7], Kentucky Derby hero Sovereignty will be targeted at the Travers Stakes back at Saratoga on August 23.
World rankings: Sovereignty reigns supreme at Saratoga
“I think we are very lucky, if we are talking about the Travers, we’ll probably stay here until then,” said trainer Bill Mott. “If he was going to have a race before the Travers, it would be the Jim Dandy. I’m sure by the time the Jim Dandy rolls around, he’s probably going to be ready to do something.” More here
• Whitney date for Fierceness More here
Death of four-time champion sire Snitzel
Australia: Four-time champion stallion Snitzel was euthanised on Wednesday [June 11] at Arrowfield Stud owing to age-related issues. He was 22.
The sire of 146 stakes winners in Australia, the son of fellow champion Redoute’s Choice is especially renowned for his speedy juveniles and earlier this year Mahroona became his third winner of the Golden Slipper, the world’s richest two-year-old race. Among his best progeny were Trapeze Artist, Lady Shenandoah, Redzel and Shinzo.
“He’s a very big loss for us, and in fact for the industry as a whole,” Arrowfield owner John Messara told ANZ Bloodstock News. “He’s going to be a difficult horse to replace and it’s a very sad day for all of us.
“He was so healthy and sound for so many years,” he added. “It was only the last few months when he got this liver complaint, and that got worse and worse over the last few weeks, and in the last few days you could see there was going to be no coming back from it.” More here
Elsewhere in racing …
GB: Yorkshire legend Peter Easterby dies, aged 95 More here
Japan: Triple G1 winner Jantar Mantar handed French options More here
Japan: Natural Rise wins Tokyo Derby More here
Australia: Five-time G1-winning trainer Robbie Laing dies, aged 66 More here
Australia: Record-breaking 19th G1 win for Chris Waller More here
USA: Parchment Party wins Melbourne Cup ‘golden ticket’ More here
New Zealand: Death of bloodstock agent Mick Wallace, former China Horse Club CEO More here
Hong Kong: International jockeys’ conference set for HK More here
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