International  

Prix Jacques le Marois Deauville - in what may yet turn out to be the mile race of the season so far when we see St James’s Palace Stakes winner Palace Pier take on Coronation Stakes winner Alpine Star, 2019 French 2000 Guineas winner Persian King, Queen Anne Stakes winner Circus Maximus, and last season’s victor Romanised

Even by the standards of a race designed as a bridge for horses between the Prix du Jockey Club and the big all-aged targets, attracting the first three from Chantilly sets up a fascinating scenario.

The Geoffrey Freer and Hungerford Stakes have always shared this Newbury card, but their roles have been at least partly reversed this year. The Hungerford appears fresh and informative. The Geoffrey Freer, won by three-year-olds in two of the last three years, has shades of more of the same.

Sottsass is the main attraction in the Group 3 Prix Gontaut-Biron Hong Kong Jockey Club (2.50) which connections have opted for as the start of a two-act prep for the Arc.

Grade 1-winning jump jockey Sean Bowen rode his first winner on the Flat on Friday evening aboard sprinter Doc Sportello in the 6f handicap at Chepstow.

Oisin Murphy has exciting rides to look forward to at York, including Kameko in Wednesday’s Juddmonte International, and it is the likes of Tom Marquand, William Buick and Ben Curtis who will need to play catch-up if they are to halt his seemingly irresistible march towards a second successive jockeys’ title.

There is a distinct sense that the seven-furlong division is coming of age. Too Darn Hot and Pinatubo have used the trip to relaunch their careers in the last two seasons and Space Blues graduated from winning the Lennox to defeating the best sprinters in last week's Prix Maurice de Gheest.

Hopes that spectators could return to racecourses in a limited form at pilot events have been raised after the government said this weekend's World Snooker Championship final at the Crucible in Sheffield could host 300 fans.

Weekend horse racing brings the 45th and final stop on the "Road to the Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" races at Saratoga and at Deauville on the coast of France.

Happy Star will be vying to keep his undefeated record intact this preparation when he contests the Gr.3 Winning Edge Presentations Winter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton Park on Saturday.

The Canterbury Jockey Club together with New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has made the decision to plan for Saturday’s race meeting to be run with only people essential to the running the race meeting permitted on course

Ladbrokes Coral owner GVC Holdings said it had produced an "encouraging performance" in the first half of the year, despite the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Frankie Dettori will partner Lord North when he chases a record-breaking sixth win in the Group 1 Juddmonte International at York on Wednesday.

Connections of 2,000 Guineas winner Kameko are confident their Classic winner has the required arsenal to down hot-favourite Ghaiyyath in what is shaping up to be a monster clash of the generations in Wednesday's Group 1 Juddmonte International at York

Ascot Racecourse and At The Races announce that they have agreed to extend their partnership on domestic pay TV and digital platforms of all of Ascot's 25 annual fixtures until at least 2024

Woodcote Lass was part of Stephen Autridge's team of horses based in Christchurch last spring and a bold performance at Waverley on Friday would assure her of a place in the travelling squad this year too.

Coral Pritchard-Gordon, a popular figure in the Newmarket racing community and the long-term partner of trainer Sir Michael Stoute, has died at the age of 73 after a long illness.

A French government decision to prolong the limit of 5,000 people allowed to gather in one place until the end of October has made the prospect of a recognisable Arc day at Longchamp more difficult, though "all is not lost" according to France Galop chief executive Olivier Delloye.

What you see is what you get with Ancient Spirit. Winner of the German 2,000 Guineas in 2018, he has done well since joining Jessica Harrington, wearing his heart on his sleeve to win back-to-back Listed races before coming unstuck behind Patrick Sarsfield in the Meld Stakes last month.