Rugby

Grace Muir, founder and CEO of HEROS Charity, received her MBE from Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal at St James's Palace on Thursday, January 29. Muir was recognised in the King's Birthday Honours List and appointed an MBE in June last year, having devoted her life to retraining and rehoming former racehorses and providing educational opportunities for young people. HEROS first achieved official charity status in 2006, before Muir – with support from The Racing Foundation – founded HEROS Education in 2015. HEROS Education aims to provide a safe, nurturing environment for young people who, for a variety of reasons, struggle within traditional learning settings. “This is the biggest honour of my life,” said Muir, who was accompanied at St James's Palace by her husband Michael West, sister Anne Janaway and stepdaughter Dulcie West. “I am passionate about what I do because I truly love my work – it is my life. To be recognised and awarded an MBE in the King's Birthday Honours List was incredible and beyond my wildest dreams. It was a great privilege for my family and I to attend St James's Palace, and it felt especially fitting that Princess Anne presented the award, given her deep involvement in the equine world.” She added, “I hope this recognition will strengthen my ability to advocate for ex‑racehorses and young people. As we celebrate 20 years of HEROS, I remain as determined as ever to advance our mission and expand our efforts to support positive, happy outcomes for both horses and young people.” The post ‘This Is The Biggest Honour Of My Life’ – Grace Muir Receives MBE appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A total of 367 of the world's top 3-year-old Thoroughbreds became eligible to compete in the 2026 Triple Crown series during the early nomination phase, which closed Monday, Jan. 26, Churchill Downs said in a press release on Tuesday. This year's early nominees span the globe and include several horses that have already made an impact on the 'Road to the Kentucky Derby', led by graded stakes winners 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Further Ado (Gun Runner), 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Golden Tempo (Curlin), 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Intrepido (Maximus Mischief), Litmus Test (Nyquist), Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map), Nearly (Not This Time) and Paladin (Gun Runner). International representation included 37 horses from Japan, led by Godolphin's Pyromancer (Jpn) (Pyro), winner of the Listed Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun at Kawasaki Racecourse . Eleven fillies were nominated including: Bella Ballerina (Street Sense), Belle of the Barn (Street Sense), Counting Stars (Honor A.P.), Dancin in Old Town (Tapit), Energy Issei (Jpn) (Mozu Ascot), Goldmunze (Jpn) (Suave Richard {Jpn}), Perfect Town (Speightstown), Ten Time Top (Jpn) (Nadal), Tokai Ma Cherie (Jpn) (Drefong), Unnatamsa (Jpn) (Pyro) and Zany (American Pharoah). Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher led all trainers with 31 nominees, followed by Bob Baffert (23), Chad Brown (22), Brad Cox (21) and Daisuke Takayanagi (14). Last year, there were 373 early nominees and another five late nominations. Click here for a complete list of Triple Crown nominees. The post Wide Open Trail: 367 Made Eligible For Triple Crown Series appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After his win in the Holy Bull Stakes (G3), Nearly replaced Todd Pletcher-trained stablemate Ted Noffey in the No. 1 spot on the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Top 3-Year-Old Poll.View the full article

Turfway Park will shift its Feb. 4-5 live racing cards to afternoon programs with a 1 p.m. ET first post in response to forecasted single-digit wind chills expected during the evening hours.View the full article

Martin Hassett, who worked with Coolmore for 36 years before concentrating on training, sent out Moonverrin to win at the Dublin Racing Festival National Hunt racing returned to its roots on Sunday when small-time trainer Martin Hassett hit the headlines with 20-1 shot Moonverrin battling to victory in the Grade 2 Mares Bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival. This was a success that Hassett, who overcame a near-death experience before walking away from full-time employment at Coolmore Stud in a bid to concentrate entirely on training, had worked all of his life for. And boy did he celebrate. However, the 61-year-old on Tuesday morning shared contrasting emotions after stablemate Battle Of Ridgeway could not be saved after suffering an injury and being forced to pull up in Monday's 2m1f handicap chase at Leopardstown.   “We're gutted,” the County Tipperary handler said. “It's after ruining the whole thing to be honest. Couldn't have been better above in Leopardstown on Sunday and then the horse died on Monday. It's just gutting. We're absolutely devastated. We don't have a big number of horses and, to go to a Dublin Racing Festival with two of them, it's dream stuff. We really get behind our horses as well and sure this fella was a legend – he was only getting going.” He added, “We only ran him on Monday because we thought he'd win and that would guarantee us a spot at Cheltenham. We were on top of the world on Sunday and I couldn't sleep that night because I was so wound up from the excitement of it all. I couldn't sleep last night but for a completely different reason – I was so depressed after losing the horse. It's an awful game at times.” It was around this time six months ago that Hassett faced an altogether more serious setback. In two minds whether or not to ignore a little flutter in his chest, he decided to visit his doctor. It was then that the room fell silent and Hassett was provided with a whole new outlook on life.  “I had a triple bypass about six months ago,” he said, just the same as if he was telling you he picked up bread and milk from the shop. “Before that, I gave 36 good years to Coolmore. My brother, Michael, is the same – he worked for Coolmore and Ballydoyle and only retired recently as well. I worked in one of the outside farms mainly with broodmares and a bit of weanlings in the off season. They were 36 great years and I worked with some seriously great people – the likes of Christy Grassick, Tom Lynch and Aidan Archdeacon, who is probably the greatest horseman I have ever come across. I could not say one bad word about my time there.” He continued, “I had the triple bypass and the Magnier family never flinched. They were very good to me during that time and, it's as simple as this, if I had ignored the problem I'd be dead by now. I never drank, never smoked and I used to run when I was younger. I always considered myself to be the last man that would get heart problems. In fairness, I went to the doctor and I was lucky. He came to me and he said, 'bad news'.” Just a few weeks later, stalwart sprinter Harry's Hill won at Tipperary. Up until that point, Hassett deservedly wore the title as being Irish racing's great early riser by getting his work done while many others were only rolling over in the bed.  Training by and large in the dark before scuttling off to the day job at Coolmore wasn't exactly going badly, either. Hassett has consistently enjoyed decent tallies under both codes in recent times. But the triple heart bypass provided him with an opportunity to step back and take stock of it all.  He explained, “Harry's Hill won for us in Tipperary shortly afterwards and your perspective on life changes when things like that happen. That's when I decided to give this training thing a proper go. We were going well with the horses we had but I was getting up mad early to muck out and get the work done here before going to the day job at Coolmore. We're going to give it one shot here and we've got 24 horses in at the minute. We're going to give it a right, good crack, I can tell you that. We always felt we could train a bit but it's all about getting the right horses. In Moonverrin, now we have the horse.” Moonverrin's win was achieved in fortunate circumstances with Royal Hillsborough's rider Stephen O'Connor misjudging the winning post. Just a short head separated the two fillies at the line. Yet, Hassett admitted to being slightly peeved about the fact the postscript revolved around the runner-up rather than Moonverrin, who he believes is not being given the credit she deserves. He said, “I'll be honest, I'm a small bit p****d off over the whole thing because I don't think we've got the credit we deserve. Now, I'm not downing the runner-up [Royal Hillsborough] and I genuinely feel sorry for the young fella, [Stephen O'Connor] but she's been a small bit disrespected given the manner in which the win came on Sunday.”  On the added emotion surrounding Moonverrin's emergence as a top-notch prospect, Hassett added, “Ned Morris bred her and owns her. After she won at Cork, he said to me that he wasn't selling her unless we got a lot of money. There were plenty of offers but I did what Ned told me to do and I asked for a lot of money. I'd say they [the buyers] got shied off for the money we were asking for and, in the meantime, Ned's poor grandchild, David Lahart, was killed in a car accident just before Christmas. He was only 19 years of age. Ned didn't know whether to laugh or cry after the mare won shortly after David's passing. It was bloody emotional. I never felt as much pressure with a horse before in my life. It was nothing to do with winning or losing, nor money either. It was because the man was broken and all we were trying to do was provide the Lahart and Morris family with a reason to smile. That's all we were trying to do. “Genuinely, when the mare won in Cork, I shed tears myself. After that, he told me not to sell the mare. But what's very funny about the whole thing is that I felt absolutely no pressure going to Leopardstown on Sunday. I don't know why but, in the build-up to the race, my biggest worry was the jeep breaking down on the way up to the races. I know lads will say, 'easy to say it now,' but I couldn't see her getting beaten. That's a fact.” Hassett is leaning towards side-stepping the Cheltenham festival with Moonverrin in favour of a tilt at either Aintree or Fairyhouse in the spring. What's most exciting about the filly, according to the effervescent handler, is that she should develop into an even better jumper next season and beyond. Successes like this, and indeed Declan Queally's breakthrough Grade 1 triumph last month with I'll Sort That, have breathed new life into the National Hunt sphere of late and Hassett's outlook on the game – for all that it can tame lions at times – is a refreshing one.  He concluded, “It was bred into us to just drive on – keep trying, keep trying, keep trying. My father used to train a few under a permit and I suppose that's where the love came into it. We're well able to do it. And so are a lot of other lads. Lads will say the game is dominated by Gordon Elliott or Willie Mullins but that's a narrative that lads put out there to down everyone else. What about Declan Queally and all of the other trainers who've had a great time of it over the jumps? There are plenty of trainers who are having a go at this game and that's what National Hunt racing was built on. If you know what you're doing, you'll make a living. We feel like we know what we're doing and we're not lying down. We're having a go.” The post ‘I’d Be Dead If I Didn’t Go To The Doctor – That Gave Me The Perspective I Needed To Give Training A Go’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article