The glorious return of the Grand National crowd
How wonderful after three years to have the crowds back to enjoy the glorious concoction of skill, bravery, razzmatazz and…
The British shone at Cheltenham
For Barbara and Alick Richmond, Living Legend’s game 12-1 victory in Kempton’s 1m 2f Magnolia Stakes last Saturday was their…
He knew a swan from a duck: remembering Andy Turnell
You don’t always have to win to enjoy it. At the end of the £100,000 Paddy Power Imperial Cup at…
My top tips for Cheltenham Festival
Even when the authorities were refusing Milton Harris the right to renew his training licence after he got his finances…
The young trainer Sam Drinkwater is one to watch
Certain sections of the media love to run a knocking story and when champion trainer Paul Nicholls’s horses failed to…
Clash of the two-mile titans
The engine wasn’t what it was, they said. At ten years old the spark that had once made him a…
The new Tote is a ray of hope for British racing
There is nothing like visiting a stud early in the foaling season. As amiable mums-to-be saunter up to the paddock…
The turf
Seen any groundhogs your way? In racing the New Year began much as the old one had ended. At Cheltenham’s…
British horse racing’s debt to the Middle East
A joyful Saturday at Ascot recently reminded me that when the old Hurst Park Racecourse (near Hampton Court Palace) closed…
The culture of the weighing room needs to move with the times
In the first such case for 20 years, former rider Freddy Tylicki, paralysed and wheelchair-bound since his mount Nellie Dean…
A feast of feelgood emotion
Ascot’s image is all champagne and fascinators, high society and high rollers. Said Art Buchwald: ‘Ascot is so exclusive that…
My tips for this season and a look back at our Flat Twelve
There are Flat people and there are jumping people. People like the late Captain Tim Forster, trainer of three Grand…
A brace of new books worth the space in any racing library
In 1986 a young Mark Johnston, having acquired a derelict yard on the Lincolnshire coast, phoned the Jockey Club to…
Charlie Appleby is the trainer to beat
I know what Keats was on about with his mists and mellow fruitfulness, but autumn is less of a joy…
The making of a racehorse trainer
My best fun, through ten years reporting European politics for CNN, was bumping around the Continent with sparky young producers…
My Arc de Triomphe tips
The emphasis may all be on speed horses these days, with breeders interested only in horses that struggle to get…
The importance of second chances
A Sandown Saturday proved the perfect send-off for 12 raceless days on the otherwise wonderful Isle of Mull. A Frankie…
A great contest without the skulduggery of the past
Taking a day off racing to enjoy Joe Root’s regal 180 not out against India on the third day of…
Proper racing is back at last
At last proper racing is back. Through the long days of lockdown horses and jockeys have still given their all…
Jockeys suffer online abuse just like footballers
At least England’s defeat in the European Cup final has spared us the sight of Boris Johnson, who can scent…
The 4,000 spectators at Sandown Park weren’t short-changed
When only four horses were declared to contest this year’s Coral Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park, there were the usual…
The rise of older jockeys
There are many facets to Royal Ascot’s appeal. For some it is glamour, style and opulence. For some it is…
The Derby was a game of musical saddles
We all know it takes courage to win races over jumps, along with athleticism, stamina and speed. But you need…
Racing badly needs the full relaxation of restrictions
Humans are herd animals too. Jockeys, trainers, owners and those enjoying the few prized media attendance slots for racing behind…
My Twelve to Follow on the Flat
Combing through race recordings to try to find some fun horses for Spectator readers this summer, I have been struck…
