Ruling Court takes charge to give Appleby another Guineas triumph
Ruling Court held off big-race favourite Field Of Gold to give Charlie Appleby his third Betfred 2000 Guineas win in four years at Newmarket.
The choice of William Buick, the son of Justify was ridden confidently by the Godolphin number one, with Kieran Shoemark never far behind on the John and Thady Gosden-trained Craven scorer Field Of Gold, as they raced from stalls 11 and 10 respectively.
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The Sun
7 hours ago
- The Sun
I was a ‘hard as nails' six-time champion jockey – there's two things I HATE about racing today
A WINNER of the Derby, Oaks, Arc and both Guineas - 'hard as nails' and a six-time champion jockey akin to a horse whisperer. Kieren Fallon did it all - some of it not so good - in his legendary career. 2 But the iconic rider has revealed two things he simply cannot stand about watching today. Fallon, now 60, was a punter's pal during his heyday in the late Nineties and early Noughties. Only one year out of seven, when Kevin Darley won in 2000, was he not crowned the best in Britain. The victories and millions upon millions in prize money piled up high for the Irish rider. And he had his own way of doing things. Fallon didn't like to ride hold-up style, sitting at the back and waiting for the gaps to appear with a late burst of speed. He always preferred to be up with the pace, ensuring a true gallop. And that partly explains one of his gripes with the way racing has gone today. Fallon, who won the Epsom Oaks and Derby four and three times respectively, got the issue off his chest on Luck On Sunday. Now a work rider for Godolphin's No1 trainer Charlie Appleby, Fallon said there is one riding style he cannot stand. Opening up on his pet peeves, Fallon, dad of current jockey Cieren, said: "I hate these false rails. "I think, for one, it takes the art of race-riding out of it. "Now, for a punter and from a betting point of view, they're great because it opens up the race. "But when they came out at first I didn't agree with them. "Another thing I don't agree with is coming up the centre of the racecourse - it opens it up for everyone. "But, if you have a bet, and your horse is in behind it gives you a lot more chance than if you stay on the rail. "But that's the fun and that's the art of it." Fallon also opened up on what it's like to work for Appleby. The Southampton boy completed a Guineas double this year with Desert Flower - red-hot favourite for the Oaks - and Ruling Court winning the 1000 and 2000 Guineas respectively. Fallon said Desert Flower is the one of the two he'd most like to ride at Epsom. But, despite his considerable experience, he's not allowed on the top young talent at Appleby's Moulton Paddocks yard. He joked: "He doesn't let me have much to do with the two-year-olds. "He says once you're over 55 you can't be riding yearlings - he's a p***-taker, Charlie is! "But he's a great guy to work for, he's fun." Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who:
The Guardian
13 hours ago
- The Guardian
FA Cup balls are ready for a wide-open Derby with no obvious winner
Epsom has hired the balls and equipment used in FA Cup draws to add a touch of glamour to proceedings when the stall positions in Saturday's Derby are allocated in the town centre on Wednesday. From a punter's perspective, however, a wide-open race and one of the biggest fields this century promise to be the only selling points required for the 246th running of the Classic. Twenty colts remain in contention at the penultimate declaration stage on Monday. There are few sights in the sport to match the spectacle and excitement of a big field charging down the Epsom hill towards Tattenham Corner, but it is 22 years since Kris Kin and Kieren Fallon beat 19 rivals, the only Derby since the turn of the century with a maximum field of 20. That size field is still a possibility thanks to the addition of two lightly raced dark horses on Monday at a cost of £75k apiece. Midak, an unbeaten colt who runs in the colours of Aga Khan IV, who died in February, and New Ground, who was a length behind Cualificar, the runner-up in Sunday's French Derby, in April, will join Ruling Court, the 2,000 Guineas winner, and the significant trial winners at Leopardstown, York and Chester in the probable field when a multitude of questions about the runners' stamina, speed, athleticism and attitude will prove to have just one answer. Delacroix, the comfortable winner of Leopardstown's main Derby trial, heads the ante-post betting at a top price of 11-4, but his position at the top of the market is still far from guaranteed, with Ruling Court little more than a point behind on 4-1 and Pride Of Arras, the unbeaten Dante winner, next at 9-2. The Lion In Winter, Delacroix's stable companion at the Aidan O'Brien yard, is a single-figure price despite his defeat in the Dante, while Damysus, the runner-up behind Pride Of Arras at York, will be the first port of call for many each-way backers at around 10-1. Delacroix is, in some respects, an ideal favourite for one of the few races that can grab the general sporting public's attention. O'Brien and Ryan Moore, his trainer and (probable) jockey, need little introduction, Delacroix's form is impressive with the promise of more to come, and yet, the odds hide the truth in plain sight. Take out the bookies' margin and there is around a 25% chance he will be a record-extending 11th Derby winner for his trainer – and, by the same token, a 75% chance he will not. We have, after all, been here several times before with O'Brien-trained winners of the Leopardstown trial. He has won the race a remarkable 17 times, but only Galileo (2001) and High Chaparral (2002), his first two Derby winners, followed up at Epsom. Delacroix was O'Brien's 14th Leopardstown trial winner since High Chaparral. Eleven of the previous 13 went on to run in the Derby without success, including Bolshoi Ballet, the 13-8 favourite in 2021, Fame And Glory (9-4), Stone Age (7-2), Broome (4-1) and Recital (5-1). When Delacroix is considered as potentially the latest in a long line of failures, even his top price of 11-4 loses much of its appeal. Yet the fascinating thing about this year's Derby is that there is a serious question about every horse near the top of the betting. For Ruling Court, it is stamina, for Pride Of Arras and Damysus, it is experience, while The Lion In Winter needs to bounce back from his Dante defeat. William Buick and Charlie Appleby, Ruling Court's jockey and trainer respectively, have two of the five Classics in the bag this year and could have a third by the time the field goes to post on Saturday as Desert Flower, the 1,000 Guineas winner, is favourite for Friday's Oaks. Leicester 2.17 Ottoman 2.47 Magnatura 3.17 Sovereign Lord 3.47 Korroor 4.17 Archivist 4.47 Chalk Mountain 5.17 Giselles Defence 5.47 Toolatetonegotiate Southwell 2.30 Harel Du Marais 3.00 Jimmy The Digger 3.30 Ladies Day 4.00 Zucayan 4.30 Delgany Bobby Blue 5.00 Champetre Lingfield 6.15 Tatmeen 6.45 Drouthy Neebor 7.15 Beckford's Folly 7.45 Sugar Hill Babe 8.15 Another Abbot 8.45 Me Tarzan Wolverhampton 6.30 Two B Tanned (nap) 7.00 Noble Consort (nb) 7.30 Off The Bench 8.00 Aspire To Glory 8.30 Calibos 9.00 Cheese The One An Oaks success on Desert Flower would complete the set of British Classics for trainer and rider, while no jockey has ridden the first four Classic winners in a season. A win for Ruling Court would set up the intriguing possibility of an attempt to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1970 in September's St Leger at Doncaster. 'They will either stay or they won't, it's as simple as that,' Buick said on Monday. 'Obviously you have to ride them accordingly, but equally you can't make a horse stay and where you find out is inside the last couple of furlongs. You won't get an indication before that. You look to get your position, shut them down and then freewheel until you want to get competitive. 'The Classics are what it's all about. Each season you set out to find a Classic horse. There's the question mark about the distance, but I feel like I'm on the best two horses.'
South Wales Guardian
20 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Buick confident his Classic aces can strike again at Epsom
Having completed the 2000 and 1000 Guineas double over the Rowley Mile in early May, Buick is in an enviable position as the same two horses prepare to line up at Epsom later this week. He said: 'Every year you go into Oaks and Derby week, it is always exciting but of course I must admit this year there is a little bit more excitement as both of our Guineas winners are going to turn up. Naturally it is exciting week for all of us.' Should the Charlie Appleby-trained duo both emerge triumphant on the Surrey Downs, Buick will become the first jockey ever to win the first four Classics in the same season, but he is not getting carried away. 'We'd like to just take one step at a time, that's a big ask, it's a huge thing to do. Winning both Guineas was a big achievement in itself and we'll just take each race as it comes,' he added. 'Both horses are really well. I haven't sat on Ruling Court but I've sat on Desert Flower once. Everything they've been doing has been really routine. Immediately after Newmarket they recovered well and everyone has been very happy with them, it's been quite smooth.' Ruling Court narrowly denied the subsequent Irish Guineas hero Field Of Gold at Newmarket and he will be stepping into the unknown over Epsom's mile and a half, but Buick is hopeful the Justify colt's stamina will stand up to the test. The @betfred 2000 Guineas is BLUE 🔵 Ruling Court beats Field Of Gold to deny John Gosden again 👊 — Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) May 3, 2025 He said: 'We're confident he will get a mile and a quarter. There are so many horses that go to Epsom with those sort of credentials. Very few three-year-olds have gone the full mile and a half before the Derby, most are trying it for the first time bar a select few who run in the Lingfield Trial or the Chester Vase, so you never quite know until the day. 'They do say if you get a mile and a quarter you've a chance of getting a mile and a half round Epsom and most good horses are well balanced, do everything you ask and have a good turn of foot, which he has. I was asking him for an effort going into the dip at Newmarket and he responded – he never needed any real help. 'He's well-balanced, travels well through his races and has a good turn of foot so in that regard he ticks all the boxes. He's a high-quality colt.' Buick is similarly unconcerned about the razzmatazz of Derby day getting the better of Ruling Court, adding: 'Nothing has ever given us the impression he won't handle it, but it really is a different day. 'There's a lot of people, the fanfare, there's a lot of noise, it's a long canter down so that in itself is a challenge. We don't expect it to be a problem but you respect the occasion and try to take every precaution you can to get him to the start in a good frame of mind. 'We all still get the buzz before the Derby, it is our most important race and everyone would be of the same opinion – it's our Holy Grail.' Just under 24 hours before Ruling Court's bid for Derby glory, Desert Flower is set to line up as a hot favourite for the Betfred Oaks. Unbeaten in five career starts, the Night Of Thunder filly also has her stamina to prove, but Buick said: 'I don't want to sound like a broken record but they are similar horses in regard to distance, neither have gone beyond a mile, I'm very confident about 10 furlongs and we'll see about a mile and a half. 'Desert Flower is a high-class filly and we've always thought the world of her. She has never stepped a foot wrong. 'She's well-balanced, she travels well through her races, she relaxes, she's tactically incredibly versatile and I don't think Epsom will pose any problem to her. 'She's always been strong towards the end of her races, as you could see in the Guineas where she had to make her own running and she was strong when she hit the rising ground. I'm hopeful of her getting the trip. 'I've ridden in the Oaks a few times and never quite managed to pull it off. It would mean a lot to win it, the Classics are what it is all about, each season you set out to find a Classic horse for the Guineas, Epsom and the St Leger, they are our most important races.' While Buick is not taking for granted, it is clear confidence is high. He added: 'I feel like I'm on the two best horses. There is of course the question about the distance as neither has been beyond a mile before, but I do feel like I'm on the two best horses. 'Horses will either stay or they won't, it's as simple as that. You have to ride them accordingly but equally you can't make a horse stay. Where you find out is inside the last couple of furlongs and you won't get an indication before that. 'To be going to Epsom with two horses of the calibre of these two is a pleasure, so fingers crossed everything goes well.'
