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    • Guy Petit has been appointed as bloodstock director at AKTEM, the new auction house in France which is scheduled to hold its first sales in February next year. A bloodstock agent for more than 30 years, Petit has sourced top-class National Hunt performers such as Min, Royale Pagaille and Thousand Stars, as well as the Grand National winner Mon Mome. On the Flat, his high-profile purchases include the Group 1 winners Rougir and Tribhuvan. “I am delighted by this new challenge, which allows me to move to the other side of the fence,” said Petit. “Supporting a young and ambitious person like Sofiane Benaroussi – who is determined to implement new initiatives for the benefit of the industry – really appealed to me, and I am thrilled to invest myself alongside him.” He added, “My extensive address book of both buyers and vendors allows me to confidently embrace this new adventure and bring my expertise, particularly in the National Hunt sphere, by offering new opportunities to breeders and owners with a service that complements the existing market.” Mégane Martins has also joined the AKTEM team as head of communication and development. After a full-year internship with Arqana Racing Club, Martins gained hands-on experience at Écurie des Monceaux, before returning to the Deauville sales company within the communication and marketing department. In recent years, she has applied her expertise to the charity Au-Delà Des Pistes, among other roles. “I am honoured to join the AKTEM team and lead the communication department,” said Martins. “I return to an environment I know well and appreciate, and I am delighted to put my skills to work once again in this sector. We are committed to offering a new, high-quality service with a truly convivial, modern and professional atmosphere to conduct sales in the best possible conditions.” AKTEM president Sofiane Benaroussi added, “It is a real pleasure to welcome Guy Petit to the AKTEM team. His expertise and network, both in France and internationally, represent a major asset for a young auction house like ours. “Highly active in the National Hunt sector, he brings strong skills to this segment of the market and will provide clients with the best possible support in enhancing the value of their horses. “We are also delighted to welcome Mégane Martins to lead the agency's communication and support its growth. She brings extensive experience in this field, a broad range of skills acquired within the industry, and a young, innovative, dynamic profile.” The post Guy Petit Named Bloodstock Director at AKTEM appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
    • The G2 Richmond Stakes winner and G1 Dewhurst Stakes runner-up Royal Scotsman will take up stallion duties at Michael Swinburn's Genesis Green Stud in 2026. He will stand for a fee of £6,000, in partnership with owners Jim and Fitri Hay. Bred by Rabbah Bloodstock, Royal Scotsman is out of the 100-rated Cheveley Park Stud-bred mare Enrol (Pivotal) and was consigned by Genesis Green Stud when fetching 125,000gns at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. He won the Richmond after finishing a close-up third behind Bradsell in the G2 Coventry Stakes. Having been beaten a head by Chaldean in the Dewhurst, the pair met again in the 2,000 Guineas, in which Royal Scotsman finished third. He also won last year's G3 Diomed Stakes at Epsom. Co-trainer Paul Cole said of the son of Gleneagles, “He was incredibly talented and it is very unfortunate that we did not always get to see him at his best with a variety of factors not going his way.” It had previously been reported that Royal Scotsman would stand at Haras du Taillis in France for the 2026 breeding season. Alex Cole, on behalf of the Hay family, said “Royal Scotsman has given us enormous pride on the racecourse and it was important to them [the Hay family] that his stallion career was here in Britain. Supporting British racing and the British breeding industry has always mattered to them, and we are delighted to partner with Genesis Green Stud and the Swinburns for his next chapter.” Michael Swinburn added, “Royal Scotsman was as good-looking and athletic a colt as I have ever sold. Naturally, we followed him closely on the track and had many conversations about how much we would love to breed to him when the time came. “We had never considered venturing into standing a stallion, but when this opportunity presented itself, we simply couldn't let it pass by. To welcome him back now as a stallion is enormously exciting and we believe, when breeders come to see him, they will be every bit as impressed by him as we are.” The post Multiple Group Winner Royal Scotsman to Stand at Genesis Green Stud in 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
    • Interesting to note that hospitality packages for these are all sold out in the SI from Riccarton to Southland, yet all still available Saturday for Mufhasa Classic and Bonecrusher Stakes day.
    • Prize-money at Ascot Racecourse will be a record £19.4 million in 2026, an increase of £1.65 million on this year. Figures exclude the industry-owned QIPCO British Champions Day. Across 25 racedays, 88 of Ascot's 169 races (52%) will have a higher total prize fund than in 2025, with all races on the Flat worth £25,000 or more. Royal Ascot will be worth £10.65 million, from £10.05 million. Increases have been made across the Royal Ascot programme, with all eight Group 1 races now worth a minimum of £700,000 (including two at £1 million), while all races at the royal meeting will be run for £120,000 or more, up from £110,000. In all, 26 of the 35 races across the week will be run for more than they were in 2025. In July, it was announced that the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes will become Britain's first £2 million race next year, up from £1.5 million. This year's running of the race saw the world's current top-rated horse, Calandagan, triumph in another top-class renewal of Europe's midsummer all-aged highlight. Total prize-money on the day will now be in excess of £2.5 million. Amongst other uplifts on the Flat, the G2 Summer Mile will be worth £165,000 (up from £140,000), while all Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup races will be run for at least £85,000 (up from £80,000), taking the total on the day to £525,000. Investment in Class 3 and 4 races on the Flat takes all races to a minimum of £25,000, with total prize-money increasing by £287,000 at those levels. Overall, Ascot's executive contribution to prize-money will go up from £9.97 million in 2025 to a budgeted £10.7 million next year. Felicity Barnard, chief executive officer at Ascot Racecourse, said, “We are delighted to be making these increases in prize-money for 2026, demonstrating our commitment to the sport and focus on rewarding participants. “We are of course conscious of the macro-economic factors currently at play which make taking a long-term view on prize-money investment even more important. We hope that these uplifts will play a part in encouraging investment in British racing. “In announcing this record figure, an increase of £1.65 million, whilst making an international statement with the King George, we have also focused on improvements across the programme. “Over half of our races across both codes have seen increases and through £25,000 minimum Flat values and a focus on the novice hurdle programme, we are aligning many of our increases with an agreed industry focus on developmental races.” Nick Smith, director of racing and public affairs at Ascot, added, “Prize-money is the most important investment tool that we have in attracting horses to run from home and abroad, at all levels of racing that we stage. “We've seen some world-class racing at Ascot in 2025, with runners travelling here from four continents. It is vital in an increasingly competitive international market that we keep Ascot at the forefront and the flagship £2 million King George is key to this alongside the royal meeting. “We will be promoting the King George alongside our large independent racecourses and Jockey Club colleagues, under the Midsummer Elite Races banner. The July Cup, Sussex Stakes, International and King George are Britain's historical, defining, all-aged summer races over their respective trips and we hope that promoting them together, with increased prize-money all round, will gain traction.” The post Prize-Money at Ascot to Reach Record £19.4m in 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
    • gambling should be taught to all kids!  I have always been happy to do that within my extended family!    its been interesting to see how quickly 'sports' have spread a gambling vernacular in daily coverage!  
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