Last week was marked by the loss of significant racing figures from both sides of the Atlantic – while Breeders’ Cup Classic winner is named Japanese Horse of the Year
Death of Mill Reef’s trainer Ian Balding, aged 87
GB: The racing world is mourning the loss of Ian Balding, trainer of the great Derby winner Mill Reef, who died on Friday [Jan 2] at the age of 87.
A Cheltenham Festival-winning rider as an amateur jockey, Balding saddled more than 1,700 winners in Britain during a long training career that began when he took over his Kingsclere base in 1964 after the death of Peter Hastings-Bass.
He was champion trainer in 1971, masterminding the three-year-old campaign of the legendary Mill Reef, who won the Derby, Eclipse Stakes, King George and Arc. Other leading horses to represent his Park House team included Silly Season, Glint Of Gold, Lochsong and Selkirk.
Balding was Queen Elizabeth II’s principal trainer until his retirement in 2002, when he handed over to his son Andrew, who is now one of Britain’s leading handlers. More here
Trailblazing female rider Diane Crump dies aged 77
USA: Pioneering jockey Diane Crump, who in 1969 became the first woman to ride as a professional, died on Thursday last week [Jan 1]. She was 77.
Diane Crump: It took ten years for the sport to open up and start using women regularly
Crump, who in 1970 also became the first female to ride in the Kentucky Derby, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer on October and died in hospice care in Winchester, Virginia.
In 1969, Crump faced so much hostility on her professional debut at Hialeah in Florida that she needed a police escort to walk through the crowds. She went on to ride 235 winners before ending her career in 1999, 30 years after that first ride. More here
Forever Young is Japanese Horse of the Year
Japan: Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Forever Young has landed Japanese racing’s senior accolade with news that he is the JRA Horse of the Year for 2025.
The selection committee for the JRA Awards met in Tokyo on Tuesday [Jan 6], after which it was announced that Forever Young – who also won the Saudi Cup for trainer Yoshito Yahagi – had won 226 votes out of 248. The four-year-old was also named Best Older Horse and Best Dirt Horse. More here
Japan Cup winner Calandagan earned a Special Award, while champion three-year-old colt was recent Arima Kinen winner Museum Mile, who has been handed three entries at the Dubai World Cup meeting. More here
• Japan: JRA Special Award for jockey Norihiro Yokoyama More here
Seventh straight US sires’ title for Into Mischief
USA: Into Mischief ended 2025 with a remarkable seventh successive leading sire title by prize-money earnings in North America.
With dual Classic winner Sovereignty as his flag bearer, the Spendthrift stallion recorded progeny earnings in excess of $32.5m; with 222 individual winners, he was also number one on that list.
Into Mischief, who stands a fee of $250,000 for 2026, is the first sire to record a seven-year streak since Secretariat’s sire Bold Ruler (1963-69). More here
Irad Ortiz held off reigning Eclipse Award winner Flavien Prat to lead the jockeys’ prize-money list in 2025. Both surpassed $40m – a mark never achieved before. Ortiz also led in races won with 351.
Jamie Ness topped the trainers’ charts in wins with 353, while Brad Cox was on top for prize-money with just shy of $30.3m. Godolphin led among owners with nearly $22.4m. More here
• USA: Eclipse Awards finalists announced More here
First French titles for Demuro and Graffard
France: A couple of new names were added to the French championship roll of honour at the end of the 2025 season as Christian Demuro and Francis-Henri Graffard each recorded their first title victories.
Demuro, 33, won his first Cravache d’Or as France’s leading jockey with 217 wins. A dual champion in his native Italy, Demuro is currently spending the winter in Japan, where last month he won a pair of G1 victories.
‘Calandagan gave me the greatest moment’ – Francis-Henri Graffard on his annus mirabilis
Arc-winning trainer Graffard amassed record €10.4m from domestic prize-money alone during a season in which nine of his 14 G1 wins were achieved abroad. The principal trainer for the Aga Khad Studs – France’s leading owner in 2025 – Graffard won 170 races at home in a breakthrough season. More here
• Germany: Thore Hammer Hansen and Henk Grewe win title races More here
Another flying dismount as Dettori scores in Uruguay
Uruguay: Frankie Dettori recorded another winner in on his farewell tour in South America when he rode at Maronas racetrack in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo, on Tuesday [Jan 6].
Having ridden a winner last month at San Isidro in Buenos Aires, Dettori treated a big crowd to a flying dismount after scoring on front-running favourite Soy Poronguero in a seven-furlong maiden.
His other three mounts were unplaced; he did not have a ride in the main event, the G1 Gran Premio Jose Pedro Ramirez, which was won by Joao Moreira on Native Extreme. The Brazilian ‘Magic Man’ also overshadowed Dettori in Argentina when he landed the historic Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini on Obataye.
The final leg of Dettori’s tour comes in Brazil next month when he ends his career by riding at Gavea racecourse in Rio de Janeiro. More here
Elsewhere in racing …
USA: Gerry Duffy to succeed Elliott Walden at WinStar More here
USA: 4,000th career win for Alex Birzer More here
Bahrain: Hi Royal rules in Bahrain Turf Series More here
GB: Death of once-in-a-lifetime Nunthorpe winner Live In The Dream More here
Australia: Royal Ascot plan for Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot More here
Ireland: Irish Derby winner Los Angeles joins Coolmore NH roster More here
Hong Kong: World Pool turnover surges 20% in 2025 More here
South Africa: King’s Plate in BC Challenge More here
UAE: Horses from eight countries clash at Dubai Carnival More here
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