Marcus Armytage

Jim Crowley has retired from riding at 48 after the leg and hip injuries he suffered in a fall at York last September required multiple operations and prevented his return. The former jump jockey, who became champion jockey in 2016 and rode for the Shadwell operation, plans to begin training next year. He received a guard of honour at Goodwood, where he completed his career and recorded his 2,000th winner. The report also covers Wathnan Racing’s seventh winner of the Goodwood meeting, as James Doyle guided Evening Saigon to victory in the Stewards’ Cup for trainer Hamad Al Jehani.

Gemma Owen finished fourth on Turbo Trotter in the Magnolia Cup at Goodwood, her first public race ride. Her father, former footballer Michael Owen, praised her ability and enjoyment of the experience while criticizing her poor start. Gemma said she wants to win a race and gained a new respect for jockeys, while trainer Hugo Palmer suggested she could pursue further amateur rides or potentially become a Flat apprentice. The race was won by Imaan Rasul-Healer on Khor Al Adaid.

George Boughey has rapidly progressed from a modest first season in 2019 to becoming one of Britain’s leading young trainers, recording more than 500 winners and Classic victories with Cachet and Bow Echo. His unbeaten three-year-old Bow Echo won the 2,000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes and is being aimed at the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, where Boughey believes the colt could become a leading miler. The profile also traces Boughey’s Dorset upbringing, route into racing, early struggles at Newmarket’s Saffron House, and subsequent expansion into the 110-box Craven House yard.

Sir Alex Ferguson's interest in horse racing, encouraged by his late wife Cathy, developed into a remarkably successful ownership and breeding career. His horses included Rock of Gibraltar, whose elite racing achievements led to a damaging dispute with John Magnier over stud rights, and Spirit Dancer, his most lucrative horse after major international victories in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Ferguson also achieved sustained success over jumps through partnerships with owners and trainers including Paul Nicholls and Dan Skelton, winning major races with horses such as Clan Des Obeaux, Protektorat and Caldwell Potter. His willingness to build strong partnerships, combined with rare luck in acquiring high-class horses, is presented as a major factor in his racing success.

Kalpana won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot by a length and a half from Calandagan, becoming only the seventh filly or mare to win the race. Trained by Andrew Balding and ridden by Colin Keane, she improved on her second-place finish in the previous year’s renewal and converted a strong position into a decisive victory. Calandagan’s trainer, Francis Graffard, attributed some of the defeat to the shorter recovery period after the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. The result strengthened Balding’s challenge to Aidan O’Brien for the trainers’ championship, while Kalpana’s connections may now consider the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe instead of focusing solely on the Fillies and Mares Stakes. Saffie Osborne also recorded a 274-1 treble on the supporting card.

Rossa Ryan has been suspended for 28 days after stewards ruled that he briefly stopped riding Thunder Home in the closing strides of a seven-furlong maiden at Sandown. Thunder Home had led by three to four lengths but was caught by Jamie Spencer’s Zero Error and beaten by a nose, despite having traded at 1-100 in running. The ban is expected to damage Ryan’s hopes in the jockeys’ championship and force him to miss major August meetings, including York’s Ebor festival and a planned ride in the Yorkshire Oaks.

Simon Cox, a 58-year-old retired brewing executive and racehorse owner-breeder, has been appointed independent non-executive chairman of the British Horseracing Authority, succeeding Charles Allen on October 1, 2026. Cox was selected over Minette Batters and Peter Savill because of his knowledge of racing and breeding and his extensive commercial and board experience, including leadership at Molson Coors. He has pledged to increase participation, grow racing’s customer base and strengthen its income streams while maintaining welfare and competitive integrity. His immediate challenges include betting affordability checks pursued by the Gambling Commission, declining revenues, a shrinking foal crop, concerns over racing’s social licence and the effects of climate change.

Barratt Redrow holds a 10-year option to develop Kempton Park racecourse for around 2,000 homes, a deal the Jockey Club kept from the public and most members. Local MP Lincoln Jopp is pressing the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to protect the internationally significant venue. The development may be delayed until local government reorganisation in 2027, when a new West Surrey authority could be more receptive to meeting housing targets. The piece argues that Kempton’s racing importance and poor recent investment make outright demolition unjustifiable, while suggesting limited development around the course as a compromise.

Royal Ascot attracted 294,541 spectators, continuing a three-year attendance growth trend, with Saturday drawing 71,610 people. The week was unusually competitive, with 21 of 35 winners shared among five trainers, while Aidan O’Brien led with seven victories. Godolphin had limited success on the track but excelled through its Darley stallion Night of Thunder, whose progeny won about £1.7 million. The meeting also highlighted emerging British sprint talent, strong international performances, and the potential draw of Hong Kong champion Ka Ying Rising in 2027. Racing’s atmosphere, fashion, food and nightly singing added to the event’s broader appeal.

The piece offers selections for every race on the final two days of the 2026 Royal Ascot meeting. Joliestar is identified as the leading choice for the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, with her Australian form, recent Group One victories and James McDonald’s booking viewed as decisive. Other recommended or prominent contenders include Sun Goddess, Warrant Holder, Precise, Water to Wine, Where Love Lives, Ethical Diamond, Double Rush and A Piece Of Heaven. The analysis emphasizes strong international participation, the importance of ground and course conditions, and the form of trainers and jockeys, while presenting alternative selections from Marlborough and Charlie Brooks.

Marcus Armytage provides selections for every race on the final two days of the 2026 Royal Ascot meeting. He favours Australian sprinting star Joliestar in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, Willie Mullins’s Ethical Diamond in the Hardwicke Stakes, and Joseph O’Brien’s A Piece Of Heaven in the Queen Alexandra Stakes. Other leading selections include Sun Goddess, Warrant Holder, Precise, Where Love Lives, Double Rush and Lost Boys, while the preview weighs recent form, race conditions, draw, jockey bookings and stable performance.

Twenty-year-old jockey Billy Loughnane’s three Royal Ascot wins, partnership with star miler Bow Echo and ambitious pursuit of the champion jockey title are presented as a potential catalyst for attracting Gen Z to horse racing. Loughnane argues that spectacular horses, energetic atmospheres and better raceday experiences can draw young people to tracks. The feature also recounts Clifford Lee’s remarkable recovery from a life-threatening motorbike accident to win the Commonwealth Cup on Venetian Sun, while Precise won the Coronation Stakes and Causeway denied Amo Racing victory in the Edward VII Stakes.

Aidan O’Brien became the first trainer to record 100 Royal Ascot winners when Scandinavia, ridden by Ryan Moore, narrowly defeated defending champion Trawlerman in the Gold Cup. Scandinavia produced a late surge to win by a head after Trawlerman had led for most of the race despite limited preparation caused by an eye condition. O’Brien credited the Ballydoyle team and Moore, while John Gosden praised Trawlerman’s exceptional effort. Joseph O’Brien was also enjoying a highly successful meeting, underscoring the dominance of the O’Brien family at this year’s Ascot.

Trawlerman, last year's Gold Cup winner, will wear dark ski goggles in the Royal Ascot parade ring and on the way to the start after developing an unusual sensitivity to sunlight, possibly linked to an earlier infection. Trainers John and Thady Gosden believe he will cope once racing begins, although the goggles must be removed before the race. The article assesses the Gold Cup field, highlighting Scandinavia as the leading favourite, Carmers as a value alternative, and Sweet William as an each-way contender. It also previews other Royal Ascot runners, including Revels, whose ownership marks the Mars family's return to racing.

Reaching High, the 13-8 favourite owned by the King and Queen, finished last of 20 in the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot under Ryan Moore. Kizlyar won the race at 25-1, while Bow Echo narrowly defeated Gstaad in the St James’s Palace Stakes and Ten Bob Tony produced a 50-1 shock in the Queen Anne Stakes. Aidan O’Brien’s Great Barrier Reef and Mission Central victories took his Royal Ascot tally to 98, leaving him on the brink of becoming the first trainer to reach 100 wins at the meeting.

Royal Ascot opens with Reaching High aiming to give King Charles III and Queen Camilla another major victory, following Desert Hero's 2023 success and a recent royal three-timer. Trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Ryan Moore are confident despite the horse's year-long absence from racing. The opening day's other key contests include rematches involving Bow Echo and Gstaad, Notable Speech's bid in the Queen Anne Stakes, Overpass and American Affair in the King Charles III Stakes, and Aidan O'Brien's strong Coventry Stakes challenge. The preview backs American Affair to retain his title and Richard Hannon's Cut A Dash to delay Ballydoyle's expected winning run.

Princess Zahra Aga Khan says Shergar was killed within two days of being kidnapped from Ballymany Stud in 1983, earlier than previously reported, and describes the killing as brutal and badly executed. She explains that her father could not unilaterally pay the £2 million ransom because the celebrated stallion was owned by a 40-share syndicate, while concerns about financing the IRA also influenced the decision not to pay. The interview also examines her succession to the Aga Khan's racing and breeding empire, her long involvement in the operation, and the Aga Khan Studs' outstanding recent results, including major victories for Calandagan and Daryz. She favors concentrating the horses in France while leaving open the possibility of returning to British training in the future.

The British Horseracing Authority’s decision to declare 3-1 Derby favourite Benvenuto Cellini a non-runner after the colt’s hind leg became partially trapped in the stalls has overshadowed the race won by stablemate Christmas Day. Bookmakers, led by Entain, said the ruling caused market confusion and customer dissatisfaction, with Entain estimating a £7 million cost from refunds and waived deductions. The BHA defended the decision as necessary to ensure bettors receive a fair chance, while acknowledging that each case must be judged on its merits. William Haggas praised the Derby’s improved atmosphere and attendance but regretted that the controversy had displaced attention from the event.

Christmas Day won the 247th Betfred Derby at Epsom by two-and-three-quarter lengths on soft ground, giving jockey Ronan Whelan his breakthrough victory and trainer Aidan O’Brien a record-extending 12th Derby win, his fourth in succession. Maltese Cross finished second and James J Braddock third, while favourite Benvenuto Cellini was declared a non-runner for betting purposes after an unfair start. The wet weather also affected the Coronation Cup and exposed the challenges facing Epsom’s efforts to rebuild attendance, although the Jockey Club plans to invest £6 million over five years to attract more than 100,000 racegoers by 2031.

King Charles and Queen Camilla left Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling’s wedding in Kemble, Gloucestershire, by helicopter and reached Epsom shortly after 3pm to attend the Derby. The King presented the trophy after the 247th running of the race, marking the first Derby day attended by a reigning monarch since Queen Elizabeth II’s 2019 visit. Their appearance gave prestige to the Jockey Club’s £6 million effort to revive attendance through free transport, parking and entry for under-18s, a concert and increased prize money.

Film producer George Waud is hoping Maltese Cross can win the Epsom Derby after the horse became a contender in his first attempt at buying a Derby prospect. Bought for £350,000 as a yearling and trained by William Haggas, Maltese Cross has won his last three races, including the Lingfield Derby Trial, though quick ground and starting from stall one present challenges. Waud credits the expertise of Sam and William Haggas and his wider racing team rather than luck, while drawing on earlier racehorse ownership and his involvement in Old Gold Racing. The article also profiles his film and theatre career, including producing Snakes on a Plane and Cabaret.

Jim Allen, appointed general manager of Epsom Downs Racecourse in 2024, is leading efforts to revive attendance and enthusiasm for the Epsom Derby after a record-low 22,000 paying spectators attended the 2025 Saturday event. His immediate goal is 60,000 visitors across this year's two-day festival, with a long-term ambition of returning to 100,000. The article traces Allen's unconventional career from apprentice and racecourse manager to an arduous period training a horse in alligator- and rattlesnake-filled Florida, before he returned to Britain and took charge of Epsom. He faces complex ownership arrangements, public-access land and numerous stakeholder interests, but remains committed to transforming the racecourse.