horse racing

Evening Standard

All-conquering champion jockey: AP McCoy. Image courtesy of Evening Standard

The good news for those trying to be champion jump jockey is that AP McCoy, who has held the crown since 1996, is thinking of retirement. The bad news is that the Northern Irishman will not quit until he has ridden 3,930 winners. As he is on 3,534 before the start of racing today, that could be some time away.

McCoy has set this target because that would pass the number of British jump winners Martin Pipe, for whom he rode for seven years, trained.

Targets matter to McCoy. For all his achievements, the one he rates most highly is riding more winners than Sir Gordon Richards in one season, setting the new mark of 289 in 2002.

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Evening Standard

In the running: John Gosden takes a break from the action at last week's Tattersalls bloodstock sales in Newmarket. Image courtesy of Evening Standard

Saturday’s new-look British Champions Day at Ascot has been hyped by racing bosses as a day like no other in the history of the Flat in this country.

With £3million in prize money, it is the richest raceday in Britain, attracting the best horses on the level, and the Queen will be in attendance.

However, its real significance lies in racing finally getting what other sports have always had. As trainer John Gosden put it: “A grand finale to the Flat season.”

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Evening Standard

Calm before the storm: John Warren, above at Highclere Stud, admits he will be much more nervous than The Queen on Saturday. Image courtesy of Evening Standard

This is the story of the moment the Queen knew she might have a Derby winner. Just over three weeks ago Carlton House, the hot favourite for this Saturday’s race at Epsom, ran in the Dante Stakes at York, the premier trial for Derby hopefuls. The Queen was watching on television when John Warren, her racing manager, came on the phone.

Warren takes up the story: “I’m not going to go into too many personal details. She managed to get to a television. She squeezed it in which was quite difficult. When I was put through, the race was just off. Carlton House was behind a couple of horses. The jockey, Ryan Moore, thought, ‘Well I can take the easy run on the side or I can shove him in between the two horses and hope that he is going to learn something.’ Carlton House didn’t flinch and the Queen then shouted, ‘Goodness, he’s gone straight through the gap.’”

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Evening Standard

Highs and lows: Nicky Henderson with his Gold Cup hopeful Long Run and Binocular, who was forced to miss today's Champion Hurdle. Image courtesy of Evening Standard

Forget the Cheltenham Festival being about the Irish, their horses and their wonderful punters.

The racing world is convinced that this year’s meeting is really a fight between two contrasting Englishmen.

In the blue corner is old Etonian Nicky Henderson – one race at the annual gathering is named after his father, Johnny Henderson.

In the red corner is Paul Nicholls, the son and grandson of policemen who hated school.

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Evening Standard

On the lookout: top jump jockey Ruby Walsh surveys the scene at Leopardstown and has plenty to say about the future of racing. Image courtesy of Evening Standard

Ruby Walsh, nursing yet another injury — a double-leg fracture while riding at Down Royal five weeks ago — may not be seen on a horse until Cheltenham is almost upon us. But, on Sunday, he will be glued to his television in County Kildare, hoping Tony McCoy becomes the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

“It will be great for him but not just for him. For racing. No jockey has ever won this prestigious award. We are not high up in the pecking order of sport. Racing has a limited following, a select group of people follow us and not everyone likes us. AP’ absolutely deserves it, 15 times champion jockey and he has won the Grand National.”

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