World’s premier Classic worth £2m in 2026, Florida Derby winner Tappan Street back at Gulfstream Park, star-studded Dubai Carnival card – all this and more features in our weekly round-up of international racing news
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Epsom Derby prize boost to £2m
GB: Next year’s Derby at Epsom will be worth a total of £2 million ($2.67m) – a £500,000 increase that makes Britain’s senior Classic the joint-richest race in the country alongside Ascot’s midsummer showpiece, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
News of the Derby prize-money boost was one of a raft of measures announced by Epsom’s owners, the Jockey Club, designed to reinvigorate the event.
Prize-money will be paid out down to tenth place for the Betfred-sponsored Classic, while the Coronation Cup has been moved back to the Derby card. Sponsored by Coolmore, that G1 event will also be worth £1m (a huge increase from £450,000) for the first time.
Entry will be free for under-18s, while a ‘DerbyFest’ will be hosted on the Hill on the infield. More here
• Uproar as Kempton Park future under threat – again More here
Tappan Street back in action at Gulfstream
USA: Sovereignty’s Florida Derby conqueror Tappan Street, the only horse to beat the Horse of the Year-elect this year, is set for his long-awaited return after injury at Gulfstream Park on Friday [Dec 19].
The son of Into Mischief has been sidelined with a condylar fracture in his right front leg sustained while training at Churchill Downs days before he was scheduled to run in the Kentucky Derby. Tappan Street meets six rivals in a one-turn mile optional allowance event in which he will be partnered by Irad Ortiz.
“He’s ready to run,” said trainer Brad Cox. “He’s had several works since returning to training this fall. I’m looking forward to getting his year started. He’s got a world of talent. He showed that last year.” More here
Dubai Carnival: Star-studded ‘Festive Friday’ card at Meydan
UAE: The Dubai Carnival steps up a significant level at Meydan with a ‘Festive Friday’ [Dec 18] card featuring a pair of G2 contests and two Listed races.
Four-time G1 winner Nations Pride reappears in the G2 Al Rashidiya, but Godolphin stable jockey William Buick prefers highly-rated stablemate Opera Ballo.
Meshtri defends his title in the G2 Maktoum Mile against rivals including G1 winner King Gold, while the Entisar (Listed) looks a red-hot contest featuring a pair of top-level scorers in Kabirkhan and Walk Of Stars plus UAE Derby runner-up Heart Of Honor, who last month made a winning Meydan comeback. More here
Australia loses control of Pattern – and ATC goes into administration
Australia: The Asian Racing Federation (ARF) has seized control of the Australian Pattern-race system and will determine the status of the nation's black-type races ahead of the 2026-2027 season via the Asian Pattern Committee.
Racing Australia has accepted the move, which comes after years of ‘grade inflation’ in the country via a slew of upgrades – and not a single race downgrades since 2012. Amid long-term competition between Sydney- and Melbourne-based authorities, Australia has had no functioning black-type committee since 2017-18, leading to accusations of ‘cheap’ Pattern status. More here
In further turmoil, the Australian Turf Club (ATC) – which manages Sydney’s major racetracks, including Randwick and Rosehill – has been placed into administration. Racing NSW said the move was to “provide an opportunity for the ATC to improve its financial performance and address serious financial issues”. More here
G3 disqualification for Tamara after positive test
USA: Leading filly Tamara has been disqualified from a G3 win at Santa Anita owing to a positive drug test for the muscle relaxant methocarbamol.
Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella accepted responsibility, saying Tamara had been treated over a three-day period with the medication (via Robaxin pills) to address back soreness issues, following what he believed was a safe withdrawal protocol ahead of the Chillingworth Stakes on Oct 4.
A G1 winner at two, Tamara’s career subsequently has been restricted to just two runs in two years. The Bolt D’Oro filly is DQ-ed under the auspices of the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU), with Silent Law now the official winner. More here
• USA: Provisional suspension issued against Rudy Rodriguez More here
South American #1 Obataye earns BC Turf spot
Argentina: Obataye rubber stamped his status as South America’s #1 racehorse with victory in the historic Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini – the race renowed as the ‘South American arc’ – at San Isidro on the outskirts of Buenos Aires on Saturday [Dec 13].
Trained by Antonio Oldoni and ridden by Joao ‘Magic Man’ Moreira, the five-year-old was winning his third G1 of the year, having landed the GP Latinoamericano, the continental championship, at home in Brazil on his previous outing. Obataye duly became the first horse to qualify for a fees-paid berth in next year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf as part of the annual Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ Challenge. More here
Frankie Dettori’s mount, the 60-1 outside El Pulque, was only 15th of the 17 runners but the jockey was able to perform a flying dismount after a winner earlier on the card as his farewell tour his Argentina. More here
Internationals out in force for Bahrain Turf Series
Bahrain: The annual Bahrain Turf Series kicks off on Friday [Dec 19] at the Bahrain Turf Club when a strong contingent of British- and Irish-trained horses take on the locally trained home team.
The series spans December to March and comprises six sprint races and six middle-distance races, each worth a minimum of $80,000, with a further $40,000 available in bonuses for the leading horse in each category.
The series begins with an 18-runner field in the Al Manama Cup over the minimum distance of 1,000 metres (5f) followed by the Al Muharraq Cup in the middle-distance category. More here
Elsewhere in racing …
USA: Linda Rice establishes single-season NYRA record with 165 wins More here
USA: NYRA releases 2026 stakes schedule for Aqueduct winter meet More here
GB: Juddmonte mating plans – Enable and Bluestocking both to visit Dubawi More here
Canada: Mark Casse claims 17th Woodbine title More here
Hong Kong: Disaster averted as protestor runs on track at HKIR More here
Hong Kong: Two-day international conference on jockeys’ health and safety report More here
Saudi Arabia: G1 Neom Turf Cup purse upped to $3m More here
New Zealand: Dual G1 winner Ladies Man retired More here
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