The turf
The Derby is the most interesting race of the year – and I missed it
In 1949, the 18th Earl of Derby revived the tradition of the Derby Club dinner in London, three days before…
The film producer with eyes on the Derby
I broke into a skip last week as I walked up the steps of Carlton House Terrace towards the Turf…
The secret to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s racehorse success
You meet an eclectic bunch of people in the horse-racing business. Yet it was at prep school 55 years ago…
My meeting with ‘The Godfather’ of flat racing
Trainer John Gosden is a colossus in Newmarket, the centre of the horse-racing industry. Two-and-a-half-thousand horses are trained here and…
Zack Polanski’s plan to abolish the Grand National
Having trained the runner-up in the Grand National twice – and once in the Topham Chase for good measure –…
‘I always have a smile on my face up there’: jockey Sam Waley-Cohen on the art of winning
Last week, I had a commuter-hell day. The Great Western train to London was standing room only, horribly delayed, and the…
I love Cheltenham… but there’s only so much chaos I can take
Flipping heck! Thank goodness the Cheltenham Festival only happens once a year. There’s only so much chaos and controversy my…
The sword of Damocles is hanging over Cheltenham
What better way to limber up for the Cheltenham festival than lunch with Richard Phillips? Thirty years ago, Richard was…
The future of racing is in the Middle East
You can always judge a country by the reception you get at passport control. America is aggressive. Don’t even think…
How to cope with losing: a trainers’ guide
When the celebrations are kicking off in the winners’ enclosure, I dare say being a racehorse trainer looks glamorous. But…
Cocklebarrow gives Cheltenham a run for its money
The second-best day of the year is finally here. Obviously, nothing beats the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival –…
What makes a good trainer?
We’re spoilt for choice in the Cotswolds. There’s a brilliant National Hunt trainer in every valley and the villages are…
Can Ben Wallace defend racing from Labour?
I met Ben Wallace for the first time the other day. He was pretty well the only minister who came…
My House of Lords dinner disaster
It was just a straightforward dinner in the bosom of the House of Lords, talking to members of the Jockey…
Only the Tote can save British racing
For the past 30 years Robin Oakley has taken you through the front door of the horse-racing world and kept…
After 30 years, it’s farewell to The Turf
It was Frank Johnson who as The Spectator’s editor asked me to mix my then day job as the BBC’s…
My most profitable day on a racecourse ever
The Champions Day finale at Ascot gave us, as it should, the best race of the season. Thanks to weather…
Gambling tax hikes could kill British racing
Back in the days when politicians were real flesh and blood rather than social media pushovers, I sat down with…
Where was everyone at Newbury?
The West Wing scriptwriter Aaron Sorkin had it about right when he said that so long as you keep one…
My favourite memory of Geoff Lewis
To be a great jockey takes character as well as ability and Geoff Lewis, whom we have lost at 89,…
Being a jockey is a tough ride
It has been quite some year for jockey-churning, the latest example being the mid-season decision by owner-breeder Imad Al Sagar…
The unorthodox appeal of the Shergar Cup
With DJs and MCs inviting the crowd to dance on the parade-ring steps as if they were on a beach…
How John Egan has stayed in the saddle
Pop stars rock on nowadays into their seventies. And jockeys too – despite the physical dexterity and instant-decision-making required –…
Labour is risking the future of racing
The only political party with a serious chance of winning office I will ever vote for again is the one…
‘Boldness was his friend in betting and in life’: A tribute to the great Barry Hills
I have always enjoyed Royal Windsor Racecourse, as it styles itself. It may not have quite so many dignitaries popping…
