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Activist Punter: ... organizes complaints online about the going over UK turf courses, accuses tracks of misleading readings, gains support. Progress lies ahead, reports the Guardian: "This is very much an issue that is being looked at," Paul Struthers, of the BHA, said yesterday. "The problem is that to be able to make realistic comparisons between GoingStick readings at different tracks, we need to compile sufficient data. At the end of this year, we will have two full years' of readings, which should enable us to do just that. "Use of the GoingStick will be required at all tracks from January 1,...; [Posted August 7, 2008 7:55 AM]; ---

Ladbrokes Favorite: Here's one Euro possible for a synthetic Breeders' Cup: Henrythenavigator, at 4-11, just held off Raven's Pass in the Sussex Stakes, adding to his impressive record. "He won't be beaten this year," declared rider Johnny Murtagh after, to which Chris McGrath responds in the Telegraph: That acquired the look of a very bold assertion when John Magnier, his owner, included the Breeders' Cup Classic among the colt's potential targets. The Coolmore boss reasoned that the race's transfer to a new, synthetic surface this year made it even more tempting than when O'Brien had tried his luck with Giant's Causeway, second...; [Posted July 30, 2008 8:55 PM]; ---

Man of Iron Faces First Test: Man of Iron, the 2-year-old half-brother of Rags to Riches, Jazil, and Casino Drive by Giant's Causeway, debuts today in the first at the Curragh for Aidan O'Brien and Tabor et al: He faces a tough introduction though, because Alyazwa was only just touched off at Leopardstown, Tomas An Tsioda ran well last Sunday, and Ballydoyle stablemates Drumbeat and Rip Van Winkle head a clutch of interesting newcomers. I'm not quite sure what all that means, other than the spot turns up quite competitive. Post-time for the 15-starter baby race is 6:00 p.m. Irish time (1:00 p.m. ET). [Results: Man...; [Posted June 27, 2008 9:15 AM]; ---

More Top Hats, Please: I'm watching At the Races' live video stream of opening day at Royal Ascot and thinking, there just aren't enough occasions for men to appear in top hats and morning coats (even racing pundit John McCririck, who I saw wandering around the Breeders' Cup last fall wearing what looked like a large fleece blanket with a polar bear pattern, is cleaned up). Perhaps instead of making the Saratoga clubhouse dress code more casual this summer, NYRA should toughen it up, encouraging a renaissance in classy men's wear. More insightful, less sartorial, comment on the Ascot races available at the Guardian...; [Posted June 17, 2008 10:30 AM]; ---

Monday Morning Links: - Curlin could be Arc-bound. Time to start planning an October Paris sojourn ... - Dear NTRA: Free "Web 2.0" advice worth following. - Check out the Paulick Report, now live. - San Felipe winner Georgie Boy, who missed the Kentucky Derby with a pulled muscle in his hind, is back in training and prepping for races later this year. - Enjoy Met Mile winner Divine Park while you can: Stud plans for the 4-year-old son of Chester House are set. - Posting will be light this week, but I'll back in full swing soon, looking toward to the upcoming...; [Posted June 16, 2008 9:15 AM]; ---

Checkbook Racing: No Dubai World Cup winners for Sheikh Mohammed, but his long-term prospects for racing success look good, if money spent is any indication: "Since the second half of last year he has blown, at a conservative estimate, close to a billion of his estimated £14 billion fortune on horses for racing and breeding, double the sum he is prepared to pay in his ongoing attempt to buy Liverpool FC ..."...; [Posted April 1, 2008 11:00 AM]; ---

Curlin Dazzles, Walks on Water: Curlin, "the most impressive physical specimen at Nad Al Sheba," worked half a mile in :50.16 on Monday, "dazzling onlookers with a show of contained power." Assistant trainer Scott Blasi, who's been overseeing Curlin's preparation for the Dubai World Cup, called the move "perfect," while jockey Robby Albarado, now in Dubai, gushed, "There's so much power, so much confidence, so much ability." Curlin is scheduled to burnish his reputation and secure his global legacy on Saturday when he lines up against 12 overmatched international challengers, then return to the US for a campaign culminating in a second Breeders' Cup Classic...; [Posted March 25, 2008 9:00 PM]; ---

Gorgeous George's Only: The George Washington filly born February 4 at Irish National Stud may be the sole offspring of the late European champion, reports Blood-Horse: Rumors circulating in the aftermath of the recent birth suggested that the filly, out of the Rainbow Quest mare Flawlessly, might be joined by another half-sibling. However, sources close to Coolmore said no more foals by George Washington are expected....; [Posted February 7, 2008 9:05 PM]; ---

Inside Court 12: "Racing's 'trial of the century' lived up to its billing last week as Kieren Fallon and his codefendants fought race-fixing allegations" (Times)....; [Posted October 14, 2007 7:55 PM]; ---

Dylan Thomas Wins Arc: I guess the ground, labeled very soft earlier this week, dried out enough for Dylan Thomas: The Irish colt survived a lengthy stewards' inquiry to win the Arc by a head over Youmzain (Sporting Life), giving trainer Aidan O'Brien his first Arc win and jockey Kieren Fallon something to savor on Monday morning while sitting through his race-fixing trial at Old Bailey (Times). You can watch the replay on the official Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe site, or click on the YouTube video below. Dylan Thomas will start next in the Breeders' Cup Turf, O'Brien said after today's trophy presentation...; [Posted October 7, 2007 12:00 PM]; ---

Yeats Repeats at Ascot: - Yeats went to post at 8-13 odds and looked every bit the well-bet favorite in today's Ascot Gold Cup, romping home to take consecutive runnings of the 2 1/2 mile race. The win was the third of the meet for trainer Aidan O'Brien, who's already considering bringing Yeats back for a third shot at the Gold Cup next year. "This race is the ultimate staying race and a third crack at it would be on the agenda. It would be great to be back again" (Sporting Life). - Today was Ladies' Day at Ascot: Topshop topped Dior in the...; [Posted June 21, 2007 8:00 PM]; ---

Tuesday Evening Notes: - A blanket finish in the Queen Anne Stakes at Ascot, with the Godolphin-owned Ramonti coming out a head in front of the rest, giving Sheik Mohammed his first Group 1 winner in Britain since 2005. "We needed that, badly," said trainer Saeed bin Suroor afterwards (Guardian). Hot favorite George Washington finished fourth. "We were delighted with his run. After going to stud and covering 60 mares you would be a bit fresh, wouldn't you?," said trainer Aidan O'Brien of the colt's effort (Sporting Life Ascot blog). - Aidan O'Brien had better luck in the Saint James Palace Stakes, in...; [Posted June 19, 2007 10:30 PM]; ---

Royal Ascot Opens: Royal Ascot opens Tuesday and stud dud George Washington, winner of last year's Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, will make his much anticipated return to the races in the Queen Anne Stakes. "He's good. We think he has matured, we've been very happy with him and he is behaving very well," said trainer Aidan O'Brien of the colt (Sporting Life). George Washington is the hot favorite in the race, at even money on Ladbrokes, 11-4 on Betfair in the early wagering. On Wednesday, rivals Notnowcato and Dylan Thomas clash in the Prince of Wales's Stakes (Times), won last year by Ouija...; [Posted June 18, 2007 7:00 PM]; ---

Epsom Derby 2007: Authorized wins "by a street," giving jockey Frankie Dettori his first Derby victory (Guardian). --- Dettori followed up on Sunday with a win in the French Derby aboard Lawman. Bookmakers wept: "Plenty of customers picked up their Authorized winnings on Sunday morning and many kept the faith in Frankie doing the Derby double, making this a weekend to forget for us," said David Stevens, spokesman for the bookmakers Coral (Guardian)....; [Posted June 3, 2007 10:00 AM]; ---

Epsom Results: - "Bargain-buy Sir Percy was delivered on the line to gain a famous victory in a pulsating finish to the 227th Vodafone Derby at Epsom." The colt won the race by a head in one of the closest finishes seen in the Epsom Derby in years, with the top four all finishing within a head or nose of each other. The race was marred by the tragic breakdown of second favorite Horatio Nelson, who was pulled up in the stretch after fracturing his right front leg, an injury unfortunately foreshadowed before the race when jockey Kieren Fallon expressed concern that...; [Posted June 4, 2006 10:45 PM]; ---

Dubai World Cup Results: Godolphin could have its first Kentucky Derby starter since 2002 with Discreet Cat. The colt won the UAE Derby impressively by six lengths, beating a field that included older horses like previously undefeated Uruguayan Triple Crown winner Invasor, and is attracting excited attention as a result. British bookmaker William Hill made Discreet Cat its 5-1 Kentucky Derby favorite, but Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford is warning eager fans to wait before wagering: "Punters would be extremely wise to wait before backing Discreet Cat for the Kentucky Derby. "We've already decided he won't run in the Blue Grass Stakes or any...; [Posted March 26, 2006 10:00 PM]; ---

Dubai World Cup Links: Although I have TVG on this morning to watch the Dubai races, I'll offer no picks or analysis here -- I wouldn't know where to begin handicapping fields with such an international cast. John at Not to the Swift, though, has no hesitations and has picks for each race, and Alan at Left at the Gate likes Magna Graduate for the World Cup. Anyone in need of past performances can get free PPs at the Daily Racing Form. A Dubai chat room is open on the TBA site today, and TBA member Katrina is actually in Dubai, live blogging races...; [Posted March 25, 2006 9:00 AM]; ---

Cheltenham Wraps Up: The four-day Cheltenham festival (subject of Bill Barich's new book, "A Fine Place to Daydream" -- more on that next week) ended today, with Irish jumper War of Attrition winning the Gold Cup. "He was something else. He jumped each fence absolutely impeccably. I knew he had plenty in the tank from the way he pinged the last two," said jockey Conor O'Dwyer. Favorite Beef or Salmon "turned in another lifeless effort" and finished eleventh. This year's festival was marred by a high death toll among runners. Five horses died of injuries on Thursday, three in one race alone, bringing...; [Posted March 17, 2006 5:30 PM]; ---

Makybe Mommy: Immediately after winning her third straight Melbourne Cup, Australian champion Makybe Diva was retired to broodmare duty. "The queen of the track is to endure the fate of female aristocrats throughout history: arranged unions and dynastic pressures to continue her line." A breeding expert estimates that a Makybe Diva foal by Storm Cat could fetch up to $8 million as a yearling....; [Posted November 2, 2005 4:35 PM]; ---

A Nasty Little Pill: "The news that Motivator is still a racehorse and will have his final start in the Breeders' Cup Turf later this month was an excellent way to start the week, but in the middle of the sugar was a nasty little pill. A couple of hours before post-time in New York on October 29, it seems likely that someone will enter Motivator's box with a syringe, and administer a performance-enhancing drug to the Derby winner. Had the same thing happened at Epsom on June 4, Michael Bell might well be an ex-trainer by now" (Guardian)....; [Posted October 12, 2005 2:00 PM]; ---

Hurricane Run Wins Arc: "Hurricane Run left little doubt as to who the best three-year-old colt in Europe was with an emphatic two-length victory in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe" (Blood-Horse). The colt may be turned out for the remainder of the year or could run next in the Breeders' Cup Turf. Jockey Kieren Fallon had a very good day, winning not just the Arc, but the two preceding group one races as well. "One broad grin followed another as a jockey at the height of his powers went about his job of work" (Guardian)....; [Posted October 2, 2005 8:00 PM]; ---

London Terror Attacks: Horrific news out of London this morning ... more than 30 dead and hundreds injured in three explosions on the Underground and another on a double decker bus. A group calling itself the "Secret Organisation Group of al-Qaeda" has claimed responsibility. The full text of the statement can be found here on the BBC site, which also has a thorough compilation of breaking news, reporters' notes, photographs, and a map with chronology of today's attacks. American writer David Plotz is in London to promote his new book, "The Genius Factory," and Slate has posted his account of walking around the...; [Posted July 7, 2005 1:15 PM]; ---

From the UK: Leaving trainer Michael Stoute was a "massive wrench," rider Kieren Fallon tells reporters. That the Ballydoyle deal is a three-year contract that pays Fallon four times what he was making with Stoute perhaps made the breakup easier. (BBC) More: "It takes a little something to knock the Cheltenham Festival from the main slot on the agenda at this time of the year, but then Kieren Fallon has never been a slave to convention. We shall be seeing less of Kieren -- in the flesh certainly if not the headlines -- following his decision to take the king's euro and ride...; [Posted February 28, 2005 8:40 AM]; ---

Hundreds of Hopefuls Turn Out: Hong Kong is crazy for horseracing, and jockey there are well-paid celebrities. "So when the Hong Kong Jockey Club sought applicants for its apprentice jockey program, 150 candidates showed up -- and almost none had ever been within spitting distance of a horse, much less sat on one." Only six hopefuls made it into the eight-year training program. (International Herald Tribune)...; [Posted December 17, 2004 8:40 AM]; ---

Wagering in the Land of Mao?: A Hong Kong developer is betting $180 million that government officials will finally say yes to wagering on horseracing in mainland China. (MSNBC)...; [Posted December 16, 2004 8:45 AM]; ---

World Drawn to Sha Tin: "For all that has been written about this seething territory, what particularly strikes the visitor is the way extremes can sit side by side in comfort. It is a curious thing. The coming together of China and the former colony's capitalist culture is but one endorsement of the concept that opposites attract. "Another is Sha Tin racetrack, where 37 foreign-trained horses will join the locals in disputing more than $7 million (£3.65 million) on Sunday. Sha Tin is a fusion of the man-made and the natural. It is where towering apartment blocks compete with mountainous terrain to enclose the site...; [Posted December 10, 2004 8:10 AM]; ---

More Arrests Made: Three more arrests have been made in the ongoing British race-fixing inquiry. Trainer Alan Berry, jockey Paul Bradley, and blacksmith Steve O'Sullivan were detained Wednesday on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud. The men join 22 others who have been charged in the investigation, including top jockey Kieren Fallon. [Props to Louis, Man of Kendal, for the link.] (BBC)...; [Posted December 1, 2004 1:10 PM]; ---

Good for Ireland: "Ireland's racecourses are to become among the finest in Europe with a massive €200m cash boost, it emerged today. Minister for Sport John O'Donoghue said the huge five-year funding deal would modernise facilities for punters and match the commitment millions of race-goers had shown to the sport." (Ireland On-Line)...; [Posted November 22, 2004 2:50 PM]; ---

Did He Know?: And could he have stopped it? Those are the questions being asked of Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum of Dubai, a leading Thoroughbred owner, who has been placed "at the center of a longstanding international human rights controversy: the trafficking of impoverished children as young as 3 to the United Arab Emirates, where they are forced into slavery as camel jockeys." Denials abound, but are met with skepticism by international human rights groups, reports the Lexington Herald-Leader....; [Posted November 7, 2004 11:10 AM]; ---

Child Enslavement Alleged: "Sheik Mohammed, one of the richest horse buyers in Kentucky and the world, has been implicated in the slave trade of child camel jockeys by a cable TV news program. A report aired this week on HBO's Real Sports includes footage of appalling living conditions at camel-training camps and alleges that boy camel jockeys -- some as young as 3 -- are kidnapped or sold into slavery, starved, beaten and raped. The report links the abuses to Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum." (Lexington Herald-Leader)...; [Posted October 23, 2004 10:00 AM]; ---

No Racing on Christmas: But maybe a little on Good Friday. (The Independent)...; [Posted October 19, 2004 8:35 PM]; ---

Beaten Favorite Drugged: "The dark cloud of doping returned to threaten racing yesterday, when the Jockey Club confirmed that a post-race sample from Turnaround, who finished last when favourite at York in August, has tested positive for the tranquilliser acetylpromazine." (Guardian)...; [Posted October 15, 2004 8:12 AM]; ---

British Racing Revives: "It's something to warm the heart at the advent of winter. Bago and Grey Swallow may yet join them. Perhaps the true litmus of racing's gains is to consider instead what it is about to lose. Refuse To Bend and Sulamani will depart to stud, almost certainly to be joined by Haafhd. Otherwise it will be 'as you were' in 2005, with the three-year-old crop thrown in for good measure. Racing has never had it so good. A sport that withered on two decades of inflated bloodstock values has contrived a stunning recovery." (Times)...; [Posted October 12, 2004 10:20 AM]; ---

Well-Laid Plans Go Awry: "By the off Pedrillo was the 7-2 favourite. The plan was laid. All it needed was for everything to go to plan. It spectacularly didn't. The race was won by the joint-longest-priced horse in the Cambridgeshire's history as Spanish Don came home at 100-1. 'I suppose it's my popularity that made him 100-1,' said winning trainer David Elsworth. 'Even the muppets in the Racing Post said you couldn't leave him out. It was a surprise he was 100-1. It wasn't a surprise he won. I had a few quid on, but I'm a mug punter, aren't I?'" (Guardian)...; [Posted October 3, 2004 11:38 AM]; ---

French Trainers: Gathered with journalists to talk about this Sunday's Arc and a few other things: "Of course the main topic of conversation is the big race here this weekend. But that did not stop these horsemen from ranting about who will go to the Breeders' Cup, the foolish behavior of the Italian Racing Authority in a laughable suspension of Gary Stevens, and the terrible statistics of outside post positions on the turf at Lone Star." (ESPN) Related: "Arc features 12 Group 1 winners" (Daily Racing Form); "Take your pick in wide-open Arc de Triomphe" (Blood-Horse)...; [Posted October 2, 2004 8:00 AM]; ---

Turf Serfs: "Ascot will be a millionaires' playground today, but for stable staff it is just another underpaid and overworked day." (The Guardian)...; [Posted September 26, 2004 8:35 AM]; ---

Ascot Closing: "Fancy Royal Ascot next year? Well, don't go to Ascot -- the meeting is at York." Ascot, Britain's most illustrious racetrack, is closing for redevelopment. (Reuters)...; [Posted September 23, 2004 7:52 AM]; ---

Open House, Loose Horse: "I arrived, slightly late, at Richard's to be met by a loose horse galloping down the road with its reins between its legs followed, at a respectable interval, by the screeching wheels of two 4x4s full of expectant horse catchers. Goes well on the firm was the overriding impression the horse gave." (Telegraph)...; [Posted September 20, 2004 11:05 PM]; ---

L'Incroyable Pari: French organizers transformed the Stade de France in Paris into the "world's smallest horse racing track" Saturday. "The idea was to meld sport and spectacle into a giant show designed to attract new fans to more legitimate racing, and in that sense, it is difficult to say whether the bet paid off. The racing Saturday was certainly unlike anything fans would find at a real racecourse." Indeed. The show included a "techno-music light-and-horse spectacle between races." (International Herald Tribune)...; [Posted September 19, 2004 8:00 PM]; ---

Not in Fallon's World: British jockey Keiren Fallon's assertion that it's not possible to fix races comes in for some mocking from Dan Liebman. "Question for Fallon: What world are you living in? Someone get that man some smelling salts. Shake the pixie dust out of his eyes. Watch him closely because his nose must be growing." (Blood-Horse)...; [Posted September 15, 2004 7:40 PM]; ---

Fallon: A Knack for Trouble: Jockey Kieren Fallon may be an inspired rider, but he's also reticent, willful, possessed of a temper, and has been treated for alcohol problems. Ok then, "So the man needs an image counsellor, but is he a criminal?" (The Guardian)...; [Posted September 6, 2004 4:20 PM]; ---

If a Race Is Fixed ...: Does a punter care? Maybe not. "In all the bluster about the end of racing, this fact has been ignored: insider dealing aids the simple punter as often as it hinders him. If you are a pin-sticker, whether or not a race is fixed does not affect your chances of picking a winner. It is yet another unpredictable factor in an alphabet soup of unpredictable factors." (The Guardian)...; [Posted September 5, 2004 8:10 PM]; ---

More on British Racing Scandal: The BBC breaks down the race fixing allegations against jockey Kieren Fallon and 15 others. Some bettors aren't too concerned about the accusations. "The general feeling was that the allegations were nothing new. 'Everybody knows races are fixed,' said Mr Daniels. 'That's part of the game, part of the allure. There might be 'shock, horror!' in the rest of society but to punters it's more 'tell us something we don't know'. It's like telling a 14-year-old that Santa doesn't exist.'" (The Independent) Fallon says, "I've been treated like a terrorist." (The Guardian)...; [Posted September 2, 2004 10:22 PM]; ---

British Racing Scandal Breaks: In raids across the UK early Wednesday morning, police arrested 16 people -- including six-time champion jockey Kieren Fallon -- for allegedly fixing 80 races. (The Guardian) More: "Racing in crisis after Fallon arrested" (The Independent); "Fixing racing's biggest problem" (BBC); "Solicitors expect Fallon to be cleared" (Racing Post)....; [Posted September 1, 2004 9:50 PM]; ---

280-1 Shot Wins, Sparking Investigation: A longshot's win at Nottingham on Monday cost British bookmakers £500,000. The large payout to bettors on the horse, a two-year-old gelding named Exponential who lost his last race by 17 lengths yet showed dramatically improved form in Monday's race, caught the attention of the Jockey Club, which has opened an investigation. Exponential's trainer Stuart Williams is unconcerned with all the fuss, saying, "I think it was a question of some punters spotting good value for money." (The Independent)...; [Posted August 18, 2004 8:00 PM]; ---

A Blasphemous Scheme?: Aiming to increase tourism in Israel, the Israeli government announced on July 26 plans to build two racecourses in the north and south of the country. But Yael Zisling Adar, writing in Israel Insider, wonders, "Is horseracing the new Zionist dream?"...; [Posted August 10, 2004 9:20 AM]; ---

Jockey Investigated for Non-Triers: British jockey Gary Carter faces allegations that he rode "eight non-triers" last year (Racing Post)....; [Posted July 15, 2004 5:20 PM]; ---

Savill's Legacy: Fearing increased corruption in racing brought on by online gaming sites, the recently retired British Horseracing Board chairman Peter Savill proposed a "banding system" over the weekend, which "would create different divisions of horse racing -- with prize money depreciating significantly in the lower divisions." Said Savill, "The issue is largely about the betting exchanges. I'm fundamentally opposed to the concept of betting exchanges because I think sport is about winning. To have people cheering on a racecourse because a horse is getting beaten is anathema to the whole concept of what sport is about" (Online Casino News). It's Savill's...; [Posted July 12, 2004 8:30 PM]; ---

Needed: Young Bettors: Saying the "current customer pool had just about reached its betting limit," New Zealand racing board chairman Warren Larsen told delegates to the New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing annual meeting that racing needs young fans and it needs them now. No surprise -- young people surveyed by the board expressed distaste for the seedy atmosphere of betting outlets, an irritation at the lack of information on betting, and wanted to see better food service and improved facilities (Otago Daily Times). Comment: It's not just the youth of New Zealand who feel this way. I think of the amenities at Suffolk, and...; [Posted July 12, 2004 8:10 PM]; ---

A Yankee at Ascot: "Monsieur Bond catches my eye, not enough to guarantee a bet, but enough to look closely at a stray note in the form guide — 'Has enough class, but a little rain might help.' Apparently, his père was a mudder, and his mère was a mudder. As if on cue, dark clouds roll in, and it starts to drizzle. Ah, a sign from M (or perhaps Q)! A tenner to win on Le 007 and spread bets on the other two" (Slate)....; [Posted July 5, 2004 5:29 PM]; ---

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