
Dancing Gemini all set to bounce back in Prix Jacques le Marois
However, given plenty of time to recover since the Queen Anne Stakes, Teal is confident of a revival at Deauville where he will recommence rivalries with what are becoming familiar faces.
Teal said: 'He travelled over on Thursday and he had a little hack canter around the track on Friday morning. He was quite perky apparently, so all is good.
'It was just a farce of a pace at Ascot and if you take that run out of it he's bang there, isn't he?
'There's a few coming in off disappointing runs, it's not just him. Notable Speech has had a couple of disappointing runs and Docklands last time didn't perform like he did at Ascot. It's the nature of the beast in these big races I'm afraid – it sometimes comes down to how the dice rolls on the day.
'The Japanese horse (Ascoli Piceno) looks pretty strong, so it's going to be a good race and we're there to do our best and we'll see what happens.
'We only know about our horse, we don't know how the others are performing or training. Our horse seems to be in good form and what will be will be. Whoever wins it is going to have to put up a very good performance and hopefully it goes in our favour.'
The Group One event has been a happy hunting ground for British and Irish raiders down the years, with the last French-trained winner coming in 2017.
Another on the comeback trail is Notable Speech, with Charlie Appleby quickly abandoning the sprinting experiment that saw him contest the July Cup most recently to return to the distance over which he scooped the 2000 Guineas last season.
Speaking on the Godolphin website, Appleby said: 'Notable Speech goes into this in good order and we feel that stepping back up to a straight mile is going to suit.
'He looks very competitive in this field and can hopefully get his head back in front at this level.'
Meanwhile, Aidan O'Brien will rely on both one-time Derby hope and Prix Jean Prat third The Lion in Winter and Minstrel Stakes scorer Diego Velazquez in search of just his second-ever win in the race, with the latter sporting the famous silks of the Sangster family having transferred ownership mid-week.
'He's incredibly exciting and a horse we had been keeping our eye on,' said Sam Sangster on the purchase, with sights set on Group One honours this term.
'There's plenty of racing in him for the rest of the year starting on Sunday and I don't think a Group One is out of his reach at all and it's in Aidan we trust.
'He's done enough for a place at stud already in my opinion and he has a fabulous pedigree as well, but if we can get that Group One it will boost him even more and that will be the aim for the rest of the year.'
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
British horse racing set for unprecedented strike over betting tax changes
British racing will stage an unprecedented one-day strike on 10 September in protest at a proposed rise in taxes on horserace betting. The four scheduled fixtures at Carlisle, Uttoxeter, Lingfield and Kempton will not take place after agreements between the owners of the courses and the British Horseracing Authority, making it the first time the sport has voluntarily refused to race in modern history. The BHA set up the 'Axe the Racing Tax' campaign in response to proposals to replace the existing three-tax structure of online gambling duties with a single tax, with fears the current 15 per cent duty on racing could be increased to the 21 per cent levied on games of chance. Brant Dunshea, chief executive at the British Horseracing Authority, said: "We have decided to take the unprecedented decision to cancel our planned racing fixtures on September 10 to highlight to Government the serious consequences of the Treasury's tax proposals which threaten the very future of our sport. "British racing is already in a precarious financial position and research has shown that a tax rise on racing could be catastrophic for the sport and the thousands of jobs that rely on it in towns and communities across the country. "This is the first time that British racing has chosen not to race due to Government proposals. We haven't taken this decision lightly but in doing so we are urging the Government to rethink this tax proposal to protect the future of our sport which is a cherished part of Britain's heritage and culture. "Our message to Government is clear: axe the racing tax and back British racing." The four tracks involved are operated by the Jockey Club and the Arena Racing Company, with both backing the move. Jim Mullen, CEO at the Jockey Club, said: "We hope this pause for reflection will enable the Government to truly understand the economic impact of horseracing and its cultural significance to communities across the UK, as well as the world-class racing festivals we host. "After this period of reflection, we hope the full implications will be understood, and we can prevent the irreparable damage that threatens a sport the nation is, and should be, proud of." Martin Cruddace, CEO at ARC, added: "We have always been taxed and regulated differently, and it is imperative for our future that we continue to be so. "If the Government wants Britain to be a world leader in online casino and a world pauper in a sport at the heart of its culture, then tax harmonisation will achieve that aim." While the four meetings will be rescheduled, Paul Johnson, chief executive of the National Trainers Federation, underlined the "sacrifice" in calling a halt to the sport for a day. He said: "Cancelling fixtures is a huge sacrifice by racing and should serve as a stark reminder to the Government of the impact its tax raid will have on our sport. "Thousands of jobs are at stake alongside the loss of millions of pounds to the British economy." A Treasury spokesperson said: "We are consulting on bringing the treatment of online betting in line with other forms of online gambling to cut down bureaucracy - it is not about increasing or decreasing rates, and we welcome views from all stakeholders including businesses, trade bodies, the third sector and individuals."


The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Racing tax: What is it and why is the sport going on strike
What does that mean? It means there will be no racing in Britain on September 10. The meetings scheduled for Lingfield, Carlisle, Uttoxeter and Kempton that day will not take place. They have been rescheduled to other dates. And why has all this come about? The strike announcement has come as part of British racing's 'Axe the Racing Tax' campaign, which is urging the Government to axe the Treasury's proposal to bring existing online betting duties into one single rate. Why would tax rises be so bad? Economic analysis commissioned by the British Horseracing Authority has shown that aligning the current tax rate paid by bookmakers on racing with that of online games of chance could see a £330 million revenue hit to the industry in the first five years, putting 2,752 jobs at risk in the first year alone. Strike action will surely cost the sport money? It will, it is estimated it will cost around £200,000 in lost revenue on the day. So does the racing industry support the strike move? In a word, yes. Racecourses, owners and trainers are all in agreement. The National Trainers Federation said cancelling fixtures was 'a huge sacrifice' which 'should serve as a stark reminder to the Government of the impact its tax raid will have on our sport'. Is this is a one-off, or will there be more strikes? No more strikes are planned, as things stand. Can I still have a bet anywhere that day? Yes, there will actually be one meeting in Ireland, at Cork. Irish racing is run completely separately to British racing.


Glasgow Times
2 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Racing calls one-day strike over proposed betting tax rise
The four scheduled fixtures at Carlisle, Uttoxeter, Lingfield and Kempton will not take place after agreements between the owners of the courses and the British Horseracing Authority, making it the first time the sport has voluntarily refused to race in modern history. The BHA set up the 'Axe the Racing Tax' campaign in response to proposals to replace the existing three-tax structure of online gambling duties with a single tax, with fears the current 15 per cent duty on racing could be increased to the 21 per cent levied on games of chance. Lingfield will not stage racing on September 10 (John Walton/PA) Brant Dunshea, chief executive at the British Horseracing Authority, said: 'We have decided to take the unprecedented decision to cancel our planned racing fixtures on September 10 to highlight to Government the serious consequences of the Treasury's tax proposals which threaten the very future of our sport. 'British racing is already in a precarious financial position and research has shown that a tax rise on racing could be catastrophic for the sport and the thousands of jobs that rely on it in towns and communities across the country. 'This is the first time that British racing has chosen not to race due to Government proposals. We haven't taken this decision lightly but in doing so we are urging the Government to rethink this tax proposal to protect the future of our sport which is a cherished part of Britain's heritage and culture. 'Our message to Government is clear: axe the racing tax and back British racing.' The four tracks involved are operated by the Jockey Club and the Arena Racing Company, with both backing the move. Carlisle racecourse is also involved in the strike (Tim Goode/PA) Jim Mullen, CEO at the Jockey Club, said: 'We hope this pause for reflection will enable the Government to truly understand the economic impact of horseracing and its cultural significance to communities across the UK, as well as the world-class racing festivals we host. 'After this period of reflection, we hope the full implications will be understood, and we can prevent the irreparable damage that threatens a sport the nation is, and should be, proud of.' Martin Cruddace, CEO at ARC, added: 'We have always been taxed and regulated differently, and it is imperative for our future that we continue to be so. 'If the Government wants Britain to be a world leader in online casino and a world pauper in a sport at the heart of its culture, then tax harmonisation will achieve that aim.' While the four meetings will be rescheduled, Paul Johnson, chief executive of the National Trainers Federation, underlined the 'sacrifice' in calling a halt to the sport for a day. He said: 'Cancelling fixtures is a huge sacrifice by racing and should serve as a stark reminder to the Government of the impact its tax raid will have on our sport. 'Thousands of jobs are at stake alongside the loss of millions of pounds to the British economy.'