Latest news with #IrishField
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Racing royalty: Mullins trains King's Irish runner
Willie Mullins is training the first racehorse owned by King Charles III and Queen Camilla to be based in Ireland. Reaching High, formerly trained by Sir Michael Stoute in Newmarket before his retirement, has been moved to Mullins' County Carlow stables and is due to run at Leopardstown on Friday. Jody Townend will take the ride in the Lady Riders Handicap on the four-year-old gelding, who is being aimed at a Royal Ascot run next month. The Royal couple own racehorses trained by a variety of British trainers including Andrew Balding, John and Thady Gosden, William Haggas, Ralph Beckett and Nicky Henderson. It is believed Reaching High, who has won one of his eight races, will be the first horse owned by a reigning British monarch to be trained in Ireland. The move is the latest landmark in an illustrious career for record-breaking champion Irish trainer Mullins, who won the British jump trainers' championship for the second year last month. "We were introduced to King Charles and Queen Camilla at Royal Ascot last year," Mullins told the Irish Field. "The next thing, we got a phone call asking if we would take a horse for them. "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." Mullins has won the Ascot Stakes four times, including in 2012 with Simenon, who a year later was denied by Queen Elizabeth II's Gold Cup winner Estimate - the dam of Reaching High - in the Ascot feature race. Whirl was an impressive winner of the Musidora Stakes at York to continue Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien's dominance of the Classic trials. Despite her odds drifting beforehand to 7-2, Ryan Moore was able to send his mount clear for a five-and-a-half length win from Serenity Prayer. Whirl, a daughter of Wootton Bassett, is as low as 8-1 for the Oaks at Epsom next month, but part-owner Michael Tabor indicated the French Oaks might be a more likely target. O'Brien saddles Derby favourite The Lion In Winter, who he says will "come on a ton for the run", in the Dante Stakes at York on Thursday. O'Brien's major Classic trial winners In May 2025 Whirl 7-2 - Musidora Stakes, York, 14 May Delacroix 1-3 favourite - Derby Trial, Leopardstown, 11 May Giselle 100-30f - Lingfield Oaks Trial, 10 May Puppet Master 4-5f - Lingfield Derby Trial, 10 May Mount Kilimanjaro Evens f - Dee Stakes, Chester, 8 May Minnie Hauk 13-8f - Cheshire Oaks, 7 May Lambourn 11-8f - Chester Vase, 7 May Latest horse racing results
Daily Mirror
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Willie Mullins has Royal Ascot goal with first runner for King and Queen
The record-breaking champion jumps trainer has joined the ranks of Royal trainers for the first time and will give Reaching High his debut on Friday Willie Mullins's record-breaking exploits have caught the attention of the King and Queen. The record-breaking jumps trainer last month completed another extraordinary jumps season in which he was crowned champion in both Ireland and Britain for the second season in succession and saddled the 1-2-3 in the Grand National. The all-time winningest trainer at the Cheltenham Festival has established an enviable depth of equine talent with the support of many of the sport's leading owners. Until now that did not include the Royal couple whose mostly Flat racehorse string is generally divided among the top British stables of Andrew Balding, John & Thady Gosden, William Haggas, Ralph Beckett and Nicky Henderson. But in the wake of the retirement of Sir Michael Stoute, one of his former runners has been sent to Ireland to continue his career with Mullins. Reaching High, who was bred by Queen Elizabeth II, raced eight times for Stoute, winning his only race at Wolverhampton in August last year. The four-year-old gelding is a son of Estimate, the champion staying mare who gave the late Queen her most memorable moment at Royal Ascot when winning the Ascot Gold Cup in 2013. He is believed to be the first horse owned by a reigning British monarch to be trained in Ireland. Reaching High has been declared to make his debut on the Flat in a Lady Riders Handicap at Leopardstown on Friday night. He will be ridden by top amateur Jody Townend, sister of Mullins's jumps stable jockey Paul Townend. Mullins 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 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 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.'
