Latest news with #AscotStakes
Scottish Sun
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Willie Mullins plotting ‘big surprise' worth £60,000 for King Charles at Royal Ascot with historic runner Reaching High
There could be a right Royal party on day one ROYAL WRIT Willie Mullins plotting 'big surprise' worth £60,000 for King Charles at Royal Ascot with historic runner Reaching High WILLIE MULLINS says it was a 'big surprise' to be given a historic Royal horse to train - and he wants to repay King Charles with Ascot glory. Reaching High, who was bred by the late Queen Elizabeth II, is the first horse to be trained in Ireland by a reigning monarch. 1 King Charles and Queen Camilla will be looking for winners at this year's Royal Ascot - and Willie Mullins might just supply them with one Credit: Simon Jones Jumps legend Mullins is making more and more of a splash in Flat racing these days. And he could break all sorts of new ground should Reaching High really give the King something to smile about on day one of racing's biggest Flat festival. Formerly trained by Sir Michael Stoute, Reaching High was denied a debut win under Mullins at Leopardstown earlier this month. The four-year-old gelding went down in a head-bobber having finished like a train. Mullins has since told the Racing Post that the Ascot Stakes looks like being his next race. The 2m5½f contest is worth just shy of £60,000 to the winner. Mullins knows what it takes to land it having been victorious with Brighton boss Tony Bloom's Stratum in 2021 and 2022. And Ireland have a stranglehold on the race, with Joseph O'Brien claiming it the past two years with Dawn Rising and Uxmal. Mullins, who will look to keep his country's grip on the Class 2 handicap going, said: "It's an honour and a big surprise to be asked (to train a Royal horse). "It's nice to have a horse in that position and it's very exciting. "I'm probably looking at the two-and-a-half-mile race (Ascot Stakes) but we'll look at both staying races on the first day. "When you look at his pedigree, it's all stamina. He seems to stay very well." King Charles actually rode at Cheltenham Festival, where Mullins dominates, but the Royal runners have tended to focus on the Flat. King Charles sends Willie Mullins 'impressive' horse with amazing pedigree in historic deal - as they target Royal Ascot Of them, Gold Cup hero Estimate was by far the best but the King and Queen did have big success in 2023 with Desert Hero. Alsy by Sea The Stars and bred by the late Queen, he was a thrilling 18-1 Royal Ascot winner, reducing the King to tears. He then won the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood before finishing third in the St Leger - the final Classic of the season - at Doncaster. There had been fears King Charles would drastically cut back the multi-million pound Royal racing operation after he inherited it. But Queen Camilla remains a huge supporter of the sport and the couple still have a lot of horses in training with the likes of Nicky Henderson over jumps and William Haggas, Ralph Beckett and John and Thady Gosden on the Flat. FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS 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: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
The Sun
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Willie Mullins plotting ‘big surprise' worth £60,000 for King Charles at Royal Ascot with historic runner Reaching High
WILLIE MULLINS says it was a 'big surprise' to be given a historic Royal horse to train - and he wants to repay King Charles with Ascot glory. Reaching High, who was bred by the late Queen Elizabeth II, is the first horse to be trained in Ireland by a reigning monarch. 1 Jumps legend Mullins is making more and more of a splash in Flat racing these days. And he could break all sorts of new ground should Reaching High really give the King something to smile about on day one of racing's biggest Flat festival. Formerly trained by Sir Michael Stoute, Reaching High was denied a debut win under Mullins at Leopardstown earlier this month. The four-year-old gelding went down in a head-bobber having finished like a train. Mullins has since told the Racing Post that the Ascot Stakes looks like being his next race. The 2m5½f contest is worth just shy of £60,000 to the winner. Mullins knows what it takes to land it having been victorious with Brighton boss Tony Bloom's Stratum in 2021 and 2022. And Ireland have a stranglehold on the race, with Joseph O'Brien claiming it the past two years with Dawn Rising and Uxmal. Mullins, who will look to keep his country's grip on the Class 2 handicap going, said: "It's an honour and a big surprise to be asked (to train a Royal horse). "It's nice to have a horse in that position and it's very exciting. "I'm probably looking at the two-and-a-half-mile race (Ascot Stakes) but we'll look at both staying races on the first day. "When you look at his pedigree, it's all stamina. He seems to stay very well." King Charles actually rode at Cheltenham Festival, where Mullins dominates, but the Royal runners have tended to focus on the Flat. King Charles sends Willie Mullins 'impressive' horse with amazing pedigree in historic deal - as they target Royal Ascot Of them, Gold Cup hero Estimate was by far the best but the King and Queen did have big success in 2023 with Desert Hero. Alsy by Sea The Stars and bred by the late Queen, he was a thrilling 18-1 Royal Ascot winner, reducing the King to tears. He then won the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood before finishing third in the St Leger - the final Classic of the season - at Doncaster. There had been fears King Charles would drastically cut back the multi-million pound Royal racing operation after he inherited it. But Queen Camilla remains a huge supporter of the sport and the couple still have a lot of horses in training with the likes of Nicky Henderson over jumps and William Haggas, Ralph Beckett and John and Thady Gosden on the Flat. 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:
Irish Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Horse owned by King Charles and Queen Camilla finishes second at Leopardstown
A horse owned by King Charles and Queen Camilla has finished second at Leopardstown this evening. Four-year old Reaching High - who is owned by the Royals - is trained by Willie Mullins and was in action in the final race of the day at Leopardstown. Saddled by Jody Townend, Reaching High challenged well but was unable to reel in the Patrick Flynn trained 'Not just any eagle.' Even in defeat, it was a history making night as Reaching High is the first horse owned by a monarch and trained by an Irish trainer to race on Irish soil since John Oxx Snr trained a horse called Mascara in the 1970s for the Queen Mother. Reaching High is a Sea The Stars gelding out of Estimate and was previously trained by Michael Stoute in England, who retired at the end of last season. Mullins was introduced to King Charles and Queen Camilla at Royal Ascot and featured in the Royal procession at the meeting in 2023. Reaching High is to be aimed at the Ascot Stakes over two and a half miles on the opening day of this year's Royal Ascot meeting. The Irish and British champion trainer told The Irish Field: "We were introduced to King Charles and Queen Camilla at Royal Ascot last year. The next thing, we got a phone call asking if we would take a horse for them. "I said I would be delighted and Reaching High arrived here shortly afterwards. We have schooled him over hurdles and had hoped to get a run into him over jumps recently but it didn't work out. "The plan now is to run him in a lady riders' race at Leopardstown on Friday night. Jody Townend will ride him and, looking further ahead, he could be a contender for the Ascot Stakes over two and a half miles on the opening day of Royal Ascot. His pedigree is all stamina, so those kind of races could suit him." Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email.
Rhyl Journal
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Kyprios seeking Saval Beg hat-trick
Aidan O'Brien's champion stayer has twice won this Group Three event en route to the Gold Cup and will be a very warm order to secure a hat-trick after his winning seasonal return at Navan in the Vintage Crop Stakes. However, racegoers at the Dublin track will have to wait until the very last race for a sight of the King and Queen's silks as Reaching High makes his debut for the Mullins team in the Leopardstown Lady Riders Handicap. The four-year-old is another who could be bound for Ascot next month and will be partnered by Jody Townend as connections get a feel for their new recruit. 'I'm delighted to train for Their Majesties and it's something we talked about at previous Ascots. It's an honour to have such owners in the yard,' said Mullins. 'The horse arrived after Cheltenham this year and this is a nice opportunity to get a run into him. It's probably going to be a little short of his best trip and he's had a small wind procedure since his last run, which could bring about some improvement in the future. 'Friday evening will tell us where we are with him and it's perhaps a little quick, but I need to get a run into him to make a plan from there. We would hope he's an Ascot Stakes horse in an ideal world and this will give us all an opportunity to see how he is. 'Jody is delighted to ride him and I'm delighted to put up the five-time champion female amateur – nowadays we say Paul Townend is Jody's brother rather than the other way round.'
Glasgow Times
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Kyprios seeking Saval Beg hat-trick
Aidan O'Brien's champion stayer has twice won this Group Three event en route to the Gold Cup and will be a very warm order to secure a hat-trick after his winning seasonal return at Navan in the Vintage Crop Stakes. However, racegoers at the Dublin track will have to wait until the very last race for a sight of the King and Queen's silks as Reaching High makes his debut for the Mullins team in the Leopardstown Lady Riders Handicap. The four-year-old is another who could be bound for Ascot next month and will be partnered by Jody Townend as connections get a feel for their new recruit. 'I'm delighted to train for Their Majesties and it's something we talked about at previous Ascots. It's an honour to have such owners in the yard,' said Mullins. 'The horse arrived after Cheltenham this year and this is a nice opportunity to get a run into him. It's probably going to be a little short of his best trip and he's had a small wind procedure since his last run, which could bring about some improvement in the future. 'Friday evening will tell us where we are with him and it's perhaps a little quick, but I need to get a run into him to make a plan from there. We would hope he's an Ascot Stakes horse in an ideal world and this will give us all an opportunity to see how he is. 'Jody is delighted to ride him and I'm delighted to put up the five-time champion female amateur – nowadays we say Paul Townend is Jody's brother rather than the other way round.'
