Latest news with #WilliamBuick
The Sun
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘I'd back her in the Derby' – Legendary jockey says £325,000 Epsom Oaks runner is an absolute good thing
LEGENDARY jockey Kieren Fallon says the £325,000 winner of the Oaks is a 'foregone conclusion' - and he'd even back her in the Derby. Ryan Moore has opted to ride Aidan O'Brien's Minnie Hauk in the prestigious Group 1 for fillies and the dream duo have combined to win two of the past five renewals. 1 But Fallon is certain Desert Flower is an absolute good thing this year. Charlie Appleby's Godolphin three-year-old - who will be ridden by William Buick - was awesome in winning the 1,000 Guineas last month. And Fallon believes there are absolutely no question marks over her ability to stay the 1m4f trip on the Downs. The six-time former champion jockey - who recently revealed two things he hates about racing today - said of the 13-8 favourite: "If the filly was running in the Derby I would think she would be very competitive, I would be wanting to back her. "I think the Oaks is a foregone conclusion and she ticks all the boxes. "She settles and will switch off nicely and she will be fine over the trip and she will go on any ground. "She's the nicest filly I've seen in a long time and I thought she would maybe even be good enough to beat the colts." Fallon knows what he is talking about. He won the Oaks four times between 1997 and 2006 and bagged the Derby three times in six years from 1999. Buick and Appleby combined to land the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas last month. And their superstar colt Ruling Court is joint-fav with O'Brien's Delacroix to win his second Classic in a row in Saturday's £1.5million Derby. But Fallon, who rides out at Appleby's Moulton Paddocks base, isn't so sure on his credentials. He added: "Maybe it's best to stick with Ryan Moore and the draw for Delacroix (in 14) doesn't really matter if the horse is good enough. "Ruling Court has lots of speed and won the best trial, but will he stay? "I think Delacroix is guaranteed to stay whereas Ruling Court isn't. "He's a horse with a lot of speed, but if there is a bit of cut in the ground it might not be ideal. "Aidan has a great record in the race and you have to respect that, but it would be a very nice double if Charlie could do it." . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who:
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Epsom Oaks CONFIRMED runners and riders as red-hot favourite gets dream draw for William Buick
Can anything get past the 1,000 Guineas victor? JUST DESERT Epsom Oaks CONFIRMED runners and riders as red-hot favourite gets dream draw for William Buick WILLIAM BUICK has got the dream draw on red-hot Oaks favourite Desert Flower. The 5-4 1,000 Guineas winner will break from the perfect spot in stall one in Friday's blockbuster Group 1. Advertisement 1 Oaks fav Desert Flower has got the perfect draw in stall one Credit: PA Minnie Hauk, who looks like being the mount of Ryan Moore, will be next to him in two. A field of nine will go to post for the 1m4f contest won last year by Dermot Weld's Ezeliya. Below you'll find the confirmed runners and riders for the third Classic of the season. Epsom Oaks confirmed runners, riders and draw Advertisement DESERT FLOWER Jockey: William Buick Trainer: Charlie Appleby Owner: Godolphin Stall: 1 MINNIE HAUK Jockey: TBD Trainer: Aidan O'Brien Owner: Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor Stall: 2 GISELLE Jockey: TBD Trainer: Aidan O'Brien Owner: Brant/Magnier/Tabor/Smith/Westerberg Stall: 3 GO GO BOOTS Jockey: Oisin Murphy Trainer: John & Thady Gosden Owner: Mr Bobby Flay Stall: 4 Advertisement ELWATEEN Jockey: Jim Crowley Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor Owner: Shadwell Stall: 5 REVOIR Jockey: Hector Crouch Trainer: Ralph Beckett Owner: Mr J H Richmond-Watson Stall: 6 QILIN QUEEN Jockey: Tom Marquand Trainer: Ed Walker Owner: TBT Racing Stall: 7 WEMIGHTAKEDLONGWAY Jockey: Dylan Browne McMonagle Trainer: Joseph O'Brien Owner: Cayton Park Stud Stall: 9 Advertisement WHIRL Jockey: TBD Trainer: Aidan O'Brien Owner: Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier Stall: 9 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
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Epsom Oaks CONFIRMED runners and riders as red-hot favourite gets dream draw for William Buick
WILLIAM BUICK has got the dream draw on red-hot Oaks favourite Desert Flower. The 5-4 1,000 Guineas winner will break from the perfect spot in stall one in Friday's blockbuster Group 1. 1 Minnie Hauk, who looks like being the mount of Ryan Moore, will be next to him in two. A field of nine will go to post for the 1m4f contest won last year by Dermot Weld's Ezeliya. Below you'll find the confirmed runners and riders for the third Classic of the season. Epsom Oaks confirmed runners, riders and draw DESERT FLOWER Jockey: William Buick Trainer: Charlie Appleby Owner: Godolphin Stall: 1 MINNIE HAUK Jockey: TBD Trainer: Aidan O'Brien Owner: Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor Stall: 2 GISELLE Jockey: TBD Trainer: Aidan O'Brien Owner: Brant/Magnier/Tabor/Smith/Westerberg Stall: 3 GO GO BOOTS Jockey: Oisin Murphy Trainer: John & Thady Gosden Owner: Mr Bobby Flay Stall: 4 ELWATEEN Jockey: Jim Crowley Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor Owner: Shadwell Stall: 5 REVOIR Jockey: Hector Crouch Trainer: Ralph Beckett Owner: Mr J H Richmond-Watson Stall: 6 QILIN QUEEN Jockey: Tom Marquand Trainer: Ed Walker Owner: TBT Racing Stall: 7 WEMIGHTAKEDLONGWAY Jockey: Dylan Browne McMonagle Trainer: Joseph O'Brien Owner: Cayton Park Stud Stall: 9 WHIRL Jockey: TBD Trainer: Aidan O'Brien Owner: Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier Stall: 9 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 Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Buick confident his Classic aces can strike again at Epsom
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. William Buick celebrates winning the 2000 Guineas on Ruling Court (David Davies/The Jockey Club) '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.' William Buick on board Desert Flower following her Guineas triumph (David Davies/The Jockey Club) 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.'
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE 'Racing is irrelevant when you can make a difference for kids': William Buick on the inspiration behind his bid for a clean sweep of the first four classics
History is creeping into view for William Buick but the potential for galloping through the record books will not form part of this discussion. 'Way too soon to think about,' Buick says with a smile that demands fate is not tempted. This week, he will partner Desert Flower and Ruling Court — the Godolphin-owned horses he rode to thunderous wins in the 1000 and 2000 Guineas — in the Betfred Oaks and Derby respectively. No rider has managed to collect the first four British Classics in the same season and you have to go back to 1949 to find the last time the same filly and colt (Musidora and Nimbus) went on from success at Newmarket and followed up on Epsom's helter-skelter Downs. We could easily spend time talking about champions but, today, Buick is at home with his wife, Jane, and their young sons, Thomas and Oscar, and he is busy being Dad. Thomas, who is six, needs his socks and Oscar is nibbling with uncertainty at the lettuce he has just helped his mum, Jane, unearth. 'I've been in this situation before, when you have two live ones for Epsom,' says. 'I'm not really someone who gets too wound up and, if I feel myself getting that way, I'll try to get myself back quickly, though Jane might tell you differently! What distracts me? Thomas and Oscar!' Buick has become accustomed to scaling peaks. He is living a dream, emulating the exploits of his heroes, Frankie Dettori, Mick Kinane and Olivier Peslier, in contesting the biggest events — just as he hoped he would when riding his pony as a boy growing up in Norway. Of course, success at Epsom would be out of this world but, in some respects, he has had his most satisfying win of the season. At Haydock last Saturday, this Liverpool fan and willing partner Symbol Of Honour prevailed in a photo-finish that meant the world. Parenthood enables you to see life in a different way and he fully understands the challenges that are presented. Thomas is autistic, and to raise awareness of the condition, Buick, 36, and his wife became ambassadors for Autism In Racing two years ago; they take their responsibilities seriously. 'Horses are therapeutic,' says Buick, who has twice been Champion Jockey. 'We've seen it with Thomas. He's actually quite a competent rider now. He doesn't always hold his reins but he's got a very good seat and he'll be able to ride by himself one day. We're very fortunate.' The impact a horse can have on a child, though, was really brought home by Symbol Of Honour. Before he was due to contest the Sandy Lane Stakes, Daryl Jacob, the former jump jockey, had ventured into the weighing room to see if he could find anyone to help with a request. Jacob was accompanied by three children from the Owen McVeigh Foundation, a charity which provides life memories for youngsters living with cancer and their families. Buick did not hesitate to step forward and the whole experience was profound. 'It was a beautiful moment to be a part of,' says Buick. 'Daryl asked me if I would go and see these kids, they had leukaemia. I said, 'Of course I will'. I was trying to scramble a few things together to give them, goggles and what have you. 'I looked at them and I nearly broke down. I really had to work hard to compose myself. It was just before the Sandy Lane and the joy on their faces was incredible. 'They saw the horses, they saw the jockeys in their colours and the joy it gave them — and their parents — was amazing. Everything else became irrelevant. It really brings reality to everything. I remember going down to the start and I was thinking to myself, 'Please, just win'. I just wanted them all to be on the podium with me. Bless him, Symbol Of Honour put in a good shift and won.' Buick pauses for a moment. This part of the conversation had materialised organically but it reveals an unseen side. Yes, you might see him on a racecourse flashing past in those famous royal blue silks but this is the true version of him. 'Everyone at Godolphin — Charlie Appleby (trainer), Sheik Mohammed (founder) — they love to be part of it when children are involved,' says Buick. 'I knew it wouldn't be an issue for them to collect the trophy. We were in the one spot and I saw the kids smiling. It was incredible. 'If you think you can make a difference (in life), you have to grasp it with both hands — and you are in a fortunate position if someone asks you to do it. Do it with integrity, do it with a good heart. Racing is full of people like that. When it comes to making a difference, racing really does come to the fore.' Coming to the fore is something he will strive to do at Epsom but, really, he has been doing that since he partnered his first winner, Bank On Benny, at Salisbury on September 27, 2006; his father, Walter, was the Champion Scandinavian Jockey eight times and his mother, Maria, was a dressage rider. Racing was always going to be his vocation but it is how he has progressed. After an apprenticeship with Andrew Balding, he was appointed first rider to John Gosden in 2010, aged 21, before joining Godolphin 2015, the equivalent of moving from Liverpool to Real Madrid. Pressure has been omnipresent all through his career but he has carried it comfortably, switching off by spending hours in his gym or immersing himself in box sets — he's currently enjoying MobLand after raving about Eddie Redmayne in The Day Of The Jackal. 'One of the best I've seen to be honest,' he says. 'He travels the world (as a hitman) but it's a bit more stressful than being a jockey!' There will, inevitably, be stress at Epsom this week as these are the two races that matter more than anything during the summer. Buick won the Derby in 2018 on Masar and the glint in his eye when he muses about Ruling Court's potential indicates the wonderful possibilities. 'These are two very good horses and they sum up what racing is all about,' he says. 'We all want the horse to be the next champion. We are optimists, every single one of us in this industry. We start with the same dream and it comes from one thing: the love of the horse.' William Buick is a Jockey Club Ambassador and represented by H Talent Management. Visit
