Article Category: Sport of Kings

HARD GOING AT GOWRAN

February 8, 2018

UK-BASED teenage prodigy James Bowen didn’t cover himself in glory on his first trip to Ireland as a fully fledged jockey at Gowran... Read more »

KAVANAGH’S PR EXERCISE

February 8, 2018

THE CHIEF executive of Horse Racing Ireland, Brian Kavanagh, took the opportunity to build some bridges recently when he made mollifying comments on... Read more »

AL SHAQAB’S NEXT MOVE?

February 8, 2018

FRANKIE DETTORI has had his wings clipped slightly by his retained stable, Al Shaqab Racing. The Qatari outfit’s major reduction in their UK-based... Read more »

DONNACHA O’BRIEN’S HEAVY GOING

January 25, 2018

IT WOULD appear jockey Donnacha O’Brien is beginning to lose his battle with the scales if a steward’s inquiry at Dundalk recently is... Read more »

MULLINS RUNNING OUT OF TRACK

January 25, 2018

WILLIE MULLINS finds himself in a tricky situation at the moment regarding the defence of his Irish trainer’s title. With the upcoming Dublin... Read more »

FOGGY STYLE

January 25, 2018

IT APPEARED fairly straightforward that when Devine Star got lost in the fog at Clonmel a few weeks back, resulting in her rivals... Read more »

HUGHIE MORRISON’S SOFT HANDLING

January 25, 2018

HORSERACING’S ongoing efforts to portray the sport’s clean image and to maintain a zero tolerance policy on the use of steroids has hit... Read more »

BIG MONEY MISTAKES

January 11, 2018

GIVEN THE eye-watering sums being lashed out at auction houses in Ireland and England for the perceived cream of the racing crop, it... Read more »

BAD NEWS FOR THE DOYLE BOYS

January 11, 2018

THE PUBLIC fall from grace of South African business tycoon Markus Jooste was bad news for many of his countrymen who had their... Read more »

SHORT ODDS AT THE TOTE

January 11, 2018

WHEN Killahara Castle popped up at 200/1 in a mares hurdle at Thurles before Christmas, her connections – the Burke family (trained, ridden... Read more »

RICCI’S LEOPARDSTOWN WOES

January 11, 2018

LEOPARDSTOWN’S 2017 Christmas Festival will be remembered for many of the wrong reasons. The four-day festival threw up some downright bizarre results and... Read more »

FINING MICHAEL WINTERS

December 14, 2017

WHEN THE Michael Winters trained Churchtown Glen ran at Cork last month, finishing a never nearer seventh under tender handling from jockey Barry... Read more »

REPLACING LEXUS?

December 14, 2017

WITH THE Leopardstown Christmas Festival on the horizon, it is disappointing to learn that Lexus has withdrawn its sponsorship of the Day Three... Read more »

DUKE LOSES OUT

December 14, 2017

HAVING ENDURED a frustrating end to the flat season as he waved goodbye to two of his best prospects – Warm The Voice... Read more »

DECLAN McDONAGH DOWNSIZED

November 30, 2017

JOHN OXX’S decision not to retain a jockey for next season has left Declan McDonagh without a first jockey position at any yard... Read more »

PUNTERS GET BURNED

November 30, 2017

ANTE-POST punters with an eye on the November Cheltenham meeting are unlikely to be toasting JP McManus and his racing manager, Frank Berry,... Read more »

McNAMARA’S PAPER PROBLEM

November 30, 2017

FANS OF Goldhawk will know of the Turf Club’s handy earner of fining trainers U350 for administrative infringements on recording of vaccinations in... Read more »

DRUG TALK

November 30, 2017

IRISH Grand National winning jockey Ger Fox recently took up the position of assistant trainer to Gavin Cromwell and Goldhawk wonders if the... Read more »

ELLIOTT OUTPACES MULLINS

November 2, 2017

WILLIE MULLINS is going through a rare quiet spell at the moment and his chief rival, Gordon Elliott, is certainly taking full advantage... Read more »

BRENDAN DUKE’S BAD NEWS

November 2, 2017

AFTER a few turbulent years, things had been going swimmingly in recent months for Curragh trainer Brendan Duke but all of sudden he... Read more »

Sean Mulryan’s partner

November 2, 2017

AS SEAN MULRYAN gradually increases his re-involvement in racing, it is interesting to note that he is helping to boost Horse Racing Ireland’s... Read more »

FRANCES CROWLEY’S COMEBACK

October 19, 2017

WITH AIDAN O’Brien and his son, Joseph, winning more than their fair share these days, it looks like another branch of the clan... Read more »

DE BROMHEAD’S BOO BOO

October 19, 2017

HENRY DE BROMHEAD runs a tight ship and is one of the most respected trainers in the country. However, even the best are... Read more »

GOOD NEWS FOR THE COOPERS

October 19, 2017

BRYAN COOPER has wasted little time in establishing links with other powerful owners, following his Gigginstown demotion. The news of his alliance with... Read more »

AL THANI’S SHAKEUP

October 19, 2017

QATAR’S SHEIKH Fahad Al Thani is shaking up his racing operation in Ireland, with a few of his horses moving yards in the... Read more »

ANYONE FOR RACING?

October 5, 2017

WITH THE emphasis these days on the efforts of Brian Kavanagh et al at Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) and racecourse managements around the... Read more »

MICHAEL O’HAGAN’S RETURN

October 5, 2017

MICHAEL O’Hagan was back in the limelight recently, making a splash at Tattersalls Ireland’s Yearling Sale when he purchased the top lot for... Read more »

MULLINS MAKES HAY

October 5, 2017

SPARE A thought for Harry Kelly and Philip Rothwell, who are the latest trainers to fall victim to the particular skills of Willie... Read more »

More millions for Ballylinch’s John Malone

October 5, 2017

AS FANS of Goldhawk are aware, the decade-long standoff between the two superpowers, Coolmore and Godolphin, looks like ancient history and, as predicted,... Read more »

CURRAGH DEBATE KEEPS RUMBLING

September 21, 2017

FOR A media savvy, ex-RTÉ employee Jonathan Mullin has certainly made a quiet start to his new role as Director of Communications and... Read more »

PEACE IN OUR TIME?

September 21, 2017

THE TRADE embargo between Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin racing stable and Coolmore appears well and truly put to bed and it seems the removal... Read more »

KEVIN BLAKE’S NEW ROLE

September 21, 2017

PROFESSIONAL punter, author, journalist and general racing pundit Kevin Blake may have to scale back on his At The Races TV appearances now... Read more »