The turf
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…
My top tip for the Grand National in 2023
Want to know the winner of the Grand National in 2023? You heard it here first: when the ante-post books…
Hats off to Rachael Blackmore
Sporting heroes in our modern world have an extra burden to carry. Within seconds of their triumph, with the adrenaline…
The secret of Ireland’s racing success
How Father Sean Breen would have loved this year’s Cheltenham Festival. The late parish priest at Ballymore Eustace, who owned…
The true cost of Gordon Elliott’s crass stupidity
Thanks to Covid, there could be no spine-tingling roar at the Cheltenham Festival this year as the first race runners…
Ireland’s love affair with horse racing
With the Cheltenham Festival close, the quest for serious punting money intensifies. I had one potential contributor identified at Kempton…
The coup that nearly cost the bookies £10 million
Since coup conspirators nearly won £10 million from the bookies, the sport has divided into two camps. Some grinned and…
My tips for Cheltenham
Dry January it wasn’t and I am not referring to the trainers who normally undergo an annual abstinence but who…
In defence of gambling
Doing good doesn’t always work out as expected. A regular entering his local pub takes pity on an old lady…
The poetry of Bryony Frost
Hearing that the Queen has both a real and an official birthday, a small boy asked the obvious question: ‘Does…
The horse with a taste for human flesh
Greville Starkey’s great victories as a jockey included the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Star Appeal at 119-1. In…
Racing books to get you through lockdown
Who owns Altior? I ask because of the brouhaha over Nicky Henderson’s late withdrawal of his stable star, winner of…
Why racing is not a ‘posh’ sport
Why hasn’t Bristol De Mai become as beloved by the racing public as his fellow greys Desert Orchid and One…
Our Twelve to Follow have generated a record-breaking profit
First the company report. Readers who invested a tenner on the nose each time our Twelve to Follow for the…
Nowhere does racing quite like Cheltenham, even behind closed doors
With or without the crowds, nowhere does racing like Cheltenham. The four winners, including her first Group One shared equally…
It is time to fight for the future of racing
Fortunately for me and the politicians we entertained over my years covering the darkest profession, Mrs Oakley didn’t do a…
The trainer who sings opera to her racehorses
Wetumpka Racing? When your yard is running at a handsome strike rate of 40 per cent wins to runs you…
The heirs to Frankie Dettori
It is all, it seems, in the tweaks. So said Aidan O’Brien, Ireland’s master-trainer supreme, before his tough filly Magical…
