Latest news with #EpsomClassic
Irish Daily Mirror
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Winning horse dies in Epsom tragedy as Kia Joorabchian suffers heartbreak
The Derby meeting got off to a heartbreaking start for football agent Kia Joorabchian when his winning two-year-old horse Norman's Cay suffered a fatal injury. Amo Racing, known for their big spending in racing, will bid for Derby glory on Saturday when 66-1 chance Tuscan Hill lines up in the £1.5million Epsom Classic. Joorabchian narrowly missed out on winning the race two years ago when King Of Steel claimed second place, and in 2021 when Mojo Star also finished as the runner-up. Norman's Cay had delivered a statement victory for Joorabchian's Amo Racing team in March by winning the Brocklesby Stakes at Doncaster, marking the first two-year-old race of the British Flat Turf season. The promising colt lined up on Friday for the Woodcote Stakes at Epsom, starting as an 11-1 chance with Amo's jockey David Egan aboard. His trainer, Richard Hannon, had been confident that he would run well beforehand, writing in his Unibet blog post: 'We deliberately decided to give him a break after winning the Brocklesby to allow him time to grow and fill out, and he has done really well. 'We were looking at going to Sandown last week, but it was plenty dry enough, and there's a bit of rain forecast on Friday, which we feel will help because he won at Doncaster on Good to Soft. We've won this race with some nice horses down the years, and hopefully this lad is up to that standard, at least.' Unfortunately, the race did not unfold as hoped for Norman's Cay. He was hampered early on in the race and, after recovering for a comeback with two furlongs left, tragically went wrong one furlong from the finish. He was taken to a horse ambulance and removed from the track for further assessment by vets, who discovered he had suffered a severe injury. An Epsom Downs Racecourse spokesperson said: 'Having sustained an injury in the closing stages of the second race on Ladies Day, Norman's Cay was taken back to the racecourse stables for further assessment by our expert veterinary team. 'In their assessment, it was concluded that the best course of action for the horse's welfare was for him to be humanely euthanised. Our heartfelt condolences are with Richard Hannon, his team and all at Amo Racing.' Amo Racing analyst Charlie Sutton shared his own tribute and commented: 'Very sad to lose Norman's Cay at Epsom today. He was very well cared for at Richard Hannon's during his short career and again by the vets at the track. Can talk about what a nice horse he could've been for the team but ability is irrelevant in these circumstances really.'
Daily Mirror
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Derby tragedy as Norman's Cay dies in heartbreak for famous football agent
The football agent's joy at winning the first juvenile race of the Flat Turf season in March turned to despair at Epsom when Norman's Cay went wrong The Derby meeting began in tragic circumstances for football agent Kia Joorabchian when winning two-year-old Norman's Cay sustained a fatal injury. Big-spending Amo Racing will bid for Derby glory on Saturday when 66-1 chance Tuscan Hill lines up in the £1.5 million Epsom Classic. Joorabchian came close to winning the race two years ago when King Of Steel finished second and again in 2021 with Mojo Star, who also finished runner-up. Norman's Cay posted a statement win for Joorabchian's big-spending Amo Racing when he captured the Brocklesby Stakes at Doncaster in March, the first two-year-old race of the British Flat Turf season. He lined up for his second start in the Woodcote Stakes at Epsom on Friday as an 11-1 chance under Amo's jockey David Egan. His trainer Richard Hannon was optimistic he would run well, writing in his Unibet blog, 'We deliberately decided to give him a break after winning the Brocklesby to allow him time to grow and fill out, and he has done really well. 'We were looking at going to Sandown last week, but it was plenty dry enough, and there's a bit of rain forecast on Friday, which we feel will help because he won at Doncaster on Good to Soft. 'We've won this race with some nice horses down the years, and hopefully this lad is up to that standard, at least.' However the race did not go to plan as Norman's Cay was hampered early in the race and though recovering to launch a challenge with two furlongs to run, he went wrong a furlong out. He was led onto a horse ambulance and removed from the track for further assessment by vets but he had suffered a significant injury. A spokesperson for Epsom Downs Racecourse said: 'Having sustained an injury in the closing stages of the second race on Ladies Day, Norman's Cay was taken back to the racecourse stables for further assessment by our expert veterinary team. 'In their assessment, it was concluded that the best course of action for the horse's welfare was for him to be humanely euthanised. Our heartfelt condolences are with Richard Hannon, his team and all at Amo Racing.' Amo Racing analyst Charlie Sutton posted his own tribute and said: 'Very sad to lose Norman's Cay at Epsom today. He was very well cared for at Richard Hannon's during his short career and again by the vets at the track. 'Can talk about what a nice horse he could've been for the team but ability is irrelevant in these circumstances really.'
Daily Mirror
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Ryan Moore rates his ride in the £1.5m Derby race and picks out the main dangers
The world-renowned jockey has won the Derby four times and bids for a hat-trick in the historic race after victories on Auguste Rodin and City Of Troy Ryan Moore has rated his prospects of completing a hat-trick of wins in Britain's richest race, the £1.5 million Betfred Derby on Saturday. The world-renowned jockey has won the iconic race four times including the last two editions on Auguste Rodin and City Of Troy. As the retained jockey of the powerful Coolmore-Ballydoyle axis he has the pick of the best talent to come out of the Aidan O'Brien stable. Moore has the choice of three colts in the 19-runner Epsom Classic and while opting to partner Delacroix, he admitted there is little to choose between him and stablemates The Lion In Winter and Lambourn. Speaking on his World Pool blog, Moore said: 'Delacroix has form with give in the ground, so should handle a bit of ease, but we don't know how much we're going to get. The closer it is to good ground, the more it will suit everyone, while soft ground means some horses will struggle in it. 'He's had a very good preparation for this, having won nicely on both his starts this season and he has plenty of experience on his side. Everything has gone very smoothly with him, we think he's in good shape and we expect him to run a big race.' On O'Brien's other two runners, Lambourn and The Lion In Winter, Moore commented: 'Lambourn will stay well and he's an uncomplicated horse that can probably handle most types of going, while we're not sure about The Lion In Winter. 'He's never run on anything slower than good ground, but I don't see any reason why he wouldn't go on it, he's a good moving horse. At York, he was only just about ready to start back, so he should take a big step forward, and going up to a mile-and-a-half shouldn't be a problem based on his pedigree. 'There's very little to separate the three of them to be honest. They're all there to run their race and I just have to hope that it pans out well for me.' Delacroix heads the betting from Dante Stakes winner Pride Of Arras and Ruling Court, the Godolphin colt who captured the 2,000 Guineas. Moore went on: 'For me, the Guineas winner, Ruling Court, has the best form in the race. Stepping up markedly in trip does raise a big question mark, but he's by Justify out of a High Chaparral mare, so there's a chance he'll stay. If it got very wet, you wouldn't be sure if he'll handle that. 'Both of the Frankel horses for the Gosdens, Damysus and Nightwalker, look like improving for the step up in trip, while Pride Of Arras is an obvious challenger having won the Dante well and it looks like he'll stay. 'Midak is an interesting runner, having won a trial in France. The late Aga Khan has a good record in the race, and it would be fitting for him to run well with the race named in his honour this year.'
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Epsom aims to put showpiece Classic back at level of Kentucky Derby
Having staged the draw for last year's Derby with hand-scrawled ping-pong balls outside the local Wetherspoons, the only way was up before the 246th running of the Epsom Classic and there was a welcome sense of occasion and sporting heritage as 19 runners – the biggest field since 2003 – were handed their spots in the starting stalls for the race on Saturday. For that, thanks were due in no small measure to the Football Association, which agreed to lend its famous balls, velvet bag and Perspex bowl, familiar from FA Cup draws gone by, for the ceremony. As Willie Carson, four times a winner of the Classic and on hand to draw the stall numbers, pointed out during the rehearsal, the FA's crest was still obvious on the bag. Advertisement Related: FA Cup balls are ready for a wide-open Derby with no obvious winner But if a little borrowing from elsewhere can help to rebuild the Derby's popularity and status, both locally and further afield, then Jim Allen, Epsom's new general manager, will ask away. 'I came here [to the local Picturehouse] to watch a movie a few months ago, and I thought it would be an ideal venue for the draw,' Allen said on Wednesday. 'I called a friend of mine at the FA to ask if there was any chance we could use their equipment, and within 45 minutes, they said: 'Yes.' 'We tried to get a set of starting stalls into town as well, which everybody was on board for, but it was the size of them, we just really couldn't quite fit them in, so we're looking at that for next year.' Allen never missed a Derby when he was growing up in nearby Croydon – 'it was the one day all year when I missed school' – but nearly a quarter of a century working in a variety of roles, including director of racing at Arena Racing Company from 2006 to 2015 and a spell training horses in the US and France, has kept him away from Epsom on the big day since the turn of the century. Advertisement He has thought of little else since his appointment last October, however, and this year the Classic meeting, which opens with the Oaks and Coronation Cup card on Friday, will be his first chance to put a stamp on the event, and tempt racegoers back to an occasion that has seen attendances decline steadily. The 2004 Derby drew 48,000 spectators, but 10 years later the figure had dropped to 34,000 and last year it was just under 27,000. 'It's my job to try to bring some of those crowds back,' Allen says. 'It will take a while to learn about Epsom, it's quite a complicated racecourse with its temporary-structure build, but basically we'll review everything, including the marketing, the promotion, and the temporary structures, and at the heart of it will be the race. I'd like to build everything around the race.' One of Allen's models for the Derby's future will be Louisville, Kentucky, where he has seen first-hand how the buildup to the Kentucky Derby takes over the city in the days before. 'We'd love to get it to that level,' he says. 'It'll take a bit of time but there's no reason why we can't. Epsom is a fantastic town and there are venues here to do all sorts of different things. And as we develop the strategy now, going forwards in the next six months and the next five years, the town will be a big part of that.' Advertisement Uttoxeter: 2.00 Miss Goldfire 2.30 Ernest Gray 3.00 Lost Connections 3.30 Baltray 4.00 Hecouldbetheone 4.33 Auntie Maggie 5.05 Crystal Mer. Hamilton: 2.12 Blue Nguru 2.42 Betweenthesticks 3.12 Sea Legend 3.42 Korker 4.12 Yermanthere 4.43 Sir Garfield (nap) 5.17 Arch Legend. Lingfield: 2.20 Dubai Harbour 2.50 Blewburton 3.20 Keybaar 3.50 Gallant 4.25 Touchwood 4.55 Maid In Chelsea. Chelmsford City: 5.00 Eclipser 5.35 Nifty 6.05 Smokey Malone 6.35 Hot Dancer 7.07 Danza Parigina 7.42 Maxident 8.17 Ornately (nb) 8.47 City Captain. Ffos Las: 6.15 Reina Del Mar 6.45 Unspeakable 7.20 Gavin 7.55 Ferret Jeeter 8.30 You Say Nothing 9.00 Twist Of Fatecatch. Advertisement The most significant news after the draw on Wednesday was the confirmation that Ryan Moore, Aidan O'Brien's stable jockey, will ride Delacroix, the winner of Leopardstown's Derby trial, from stall 14, while Colin Keane and Wayne Lordan will take the reins on his stable companions, The Lion In Winter and Lambourn, drawn in 19 and 10 respectively. Delacroix remains favourite at a top price of 3-1, with Ruling Court, the 2,000 Guineas winner, on 7-2 and Pride Of Arras, who took the Dante Stakes at York last month, at 5-1. The Lion In Winter is 6-1 to bounce back from his defeat when odds-on for the Dante, and it is 12-1 bar.
Daily Mirror
04-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Frankie Dettori names the horse ‘I'd put my fiver on' at The Derby this weekend
The world famous jockey, who won the Epsom Classic twice when based in Britain, has his say on the likely outcome of the 2025 Betfred Derby Frankie Dettori has named the horse once-a-year punters should 'have a fiver on'. During a 35 year career in Britain, Dettori established himself as the most recognisable figure in the sport, replacing the legendary Lester Piggott as the 'housewives' choice' at Derby time. He was crowned champion jockey three times and rode the winners of 23 British Classics, including two in the Derby on Authorized in 2007 and Golden Horn in 2015. Dettori quit Britain for good after riding at British Champion's Day in October 2023, an occasion sealed by victory on King Of Steel in the Champion Stakes. Now based in the United States, Dettori has mounts at Saratoga on Saturday, but has been keeping an eye on the field for the £1.5 million Derby the same day. He has shared his thoughts on the race in an interview for betting site Stake, for whom he is a brand ambassador. Dettori said Ryan Moore's mount Delacroix is "guaranteed to stay and he seemed very straightforward to handle." He added: "The Lion In Winter came from a long lay-off and was perhaps too fresh on his reappearance after The Dante. He looked a bit hot at the start and he's got to come back from that. 'Of course, Aidan (O'Brien) is a genius at doing things like that, bringing the horses back from bad runs, like with City Of Troy, for example, last year. But don't forget you still have to take the horse all the way around the mile and a half.' But he nailed his colours to the Ralph Beckett-trained winner of York's Dante Stakes, Pride Of Arras, who will be ridden by Rossa Ryan. "Pride Of Arras won in the style of a Derby winner in the Dante. The only thing that might muddle him is the size of the field. I suspect it will be a maximum field and he's only run twice, so it won't be easy. "He'll have to manage his way through the traffic. He does have a good cruising speed, though, and a good turn of foot. He's the one which has impressed me the most in the Derby trials. It's just the lack of experience which disadvantages him. It's very hard to win this race on only your third start, so that's the one thing which puts me off a bit. "Ruling Court is a serious horse. What he showed in the Guineas was very impressive, but it's that massive question mark, will he get a mile and a half? "We know that a mile and quarter is within his reach because he hit the line very strongly at Newmarket, but this is another two furlongs. He's an amazing, talented horse, but he's got a massive question mark to me. "Damysus looks a very solid horse, but to me Pride Of Arras was much better than him in the Dante and we expect him to improve a bit here, so the gap is looking a bit too far to bridge to me. "Pride Of Arras would be the one I'd put my fiver on. It's a very exciting race and it is wide open. We've already made a case for a good number of them, and it's very interesting."
