Wandering Eyes

Shadwell homebred Haikal (Daaher), winner of the GIII Gotham S. and third-place finisher in the GII Wood Memorial, has been scratched from the GI Kentucky Derby due to an abscess in his left front. He is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin. It was also announced early Friday morning that Mike Smith will replace Corey Lanerie aboard Starlight Racing’s GIII Sunland Derby winner Cutting Humor (First Samurai). The Hall of Famer became available after the Wednesday evening defection of morning-line favorite Omaha Beach (War Front). This story will be updated. View the full article

Aidan O’Brien will saddle a team of four after Friday morning’s final declaration stage resulted in fifteen standing their ground for Sunday’s G1 Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket. Waverley Racing’s G3 Prestige S. victress Antonia de Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) was the lone overnight defection from the £500,000 fillies’ Classic. Sunday, Newmarket, Britain, post time: 3.35 p.m. QIPCO 1000 GUINEAS S.-G1, £500,000, 3yo, f, 8fT SC PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT 1 7 Angel’s Hideaway (Ire) Dark Angel (Ire) Havlin Gosden 126 2 14 Dandhu (GB) Dandy Man (Ire) Mosse Elsworth 126 3 1 Fairyland (Ire) Kodiac (GB) No rider A O’Brien 126 4 12 Fleeting (Ire) Zoffany (Ire) No rider A O’Brien 126 5 13 Garrel Glen (GB) Mount Nelson (GB) J Egan Tompkins 126 6 4 Hermosa (Ire) Galileo (Ire) No rider A O’Brien 126 7 9 Iconic Choice (GB) Sixties Icon (GB) Kingscote Dascombe 126 8 3 Iridessa (Ire) Ruler of the World (Ire) D O’Brien J O’Brien 126 9 15 Just Wonderful Dansili (GB) No rider A O’Brien 126 10 8 Lady Kaya (Ire) Dandy Man (Ire) Colgan Lavery 126 11 10 Look Around (GB) Kingman (GB) Murphy Balding 126 12 2 Mot Juste Distorted Humor Buick Varian 126 13 6 Qabala Scat Daddy D Egan Varian 126 14 11 Skitter Scatter Scat Daddy Whelan Oxx 126 15 5 Star Terms (GB) Sea the Stars (Ire) J Doyle Hannon 126 View the full article

Six months after a fruitful claim, trainer Danny Gargan's faith in Tax has done nothing but earn interest. View the full article

It’s 2000 Guineas day at Newmarket and the ITV racing team are bringing us four races form flat racing’s HQ. There are some old sprinting favourites to display in the Palace House Stakes, Marcus Tregoning bids to continue his fine run of form in the Spring Lodge and can Aidan land a third Guineas in […] The post 2000 Guineas Day Preview – Can Aidan Add Another Guineas appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Iconic trainer Aidan O’Brien chases an astonishing 10th victory in the Group One 2,000 Guineas (1,600m) at Newmarket on Saturday and he boasts a strong hand, saddling up the two favourites in Magna Grecia and Ten Sovereigns.Both of his colts go into the feature first-up – a characteristic all nine of his previous winners shared – and they both captured Group Ones in their two-year-old season, with Magna Grecia taking out the Futurity Trophy (1,600m) and Ten Sovereigns winning the Middle Park… View the full article

Te Akau trainer Jamie Richards will line-up juveniles Folk Dress and Louis Luck in the Listed Waikato Equine Vet Centre 2YO Stakes (1100m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. Richards had earmarked the race for both horses after Folk Dress recorded her second win from four starts with an emphatic performance over 1000m at Matamata on April 17, and Louis Luck finished strongly for fifth in the same race. Richards is pleased with his runners heading into Saturday and is expecting a bold showing from the pair.... View the full article

A campaign in Queensland will be considered for impressive Pukekohe winner Nerve Not Verve after the daughter of Shocking raced away with the Haunui Farm Maiden (2100m) on Friday. Prepared by Mike Moroney and Pam Gerard, Nerve Not Verve broke maiden ranks at start number seven, having been placed on three occasions previously and was beaten less than five lengths when seventh in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m). “She ran into a very good one here last time, when second behind Intrigue, but s... View the full article

The Schick family’s Windsor Park Stud, in Cambridge, has announced the stud fees for its seven-strong stallion roster headed by triple Group One winner Charm Spirit at $18,000+GST. The son of Invincible Spirit has made an excellent start to his stud career in both hemispheres, with the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained Group Two winner Aretha his best performer from his first crop to date. Hitherto the sire of five stakes performers, Charm Spirit’s Listed winning son Kick On will cont... View the full article

Owner-trainer Andrea Dickson is thrilled with a surprise victory for her gavelhouse.com purchase Pableau at Riverton yesterday. “He was entered in the 1600m but it was cancelled so we entered him in the 2147m for the run as we were not too sure how he would go over distance,” commented Dickson. Dickson purchased the son of Burgundy in January for $1,400 as an unraced four-year-old who had won a trial at two and having his fourth career start on Thursday, Pableau demonstrated his staying pr... View the full article

Disturbance will step up to a distance past 1200m for just the second time this season when he tackles Saturday's Listed Daphne Bannon Memorial Great Easter Stakes (1400m) at Riccarton. The Shane Kennedy and Anna Furlong-trained gelding has long shown the potential to compete with the best gallopers in the country but has only started to fulfil that promise this autumn. Disturbance's only previous stakes placing came on the corresponding day three years ago when he finished second to Zigwig in t... View the full article

Not only does Kentucky Derby (G1) hopeful Maximum Security feature an atypical past-performance line, trainer Jason Servis believes it benefits his star 3-year-old. View the full article

Veteran jockey Eddy Lai Wai-ming has pulled the pin on his career in the wake of his controversial 10-meeting suspension.The 45-year-old stood himself down from riding on March 27 after he was charged with failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures to secure the best possible placing when aboard Winning Controller at Sha Tin on March 17.The inquiry resumed on Tuesday where Jockey Club stewards found him guilty and he was hit with a 10-meeting ban, backdated to when he originally… View the full article

Pukekohe trainer Nigel Tiley has experienced plenty of success in Queensland over the last few years and he is returning to the Sunshine State in a bid to collect some more winter spoils. Tiley had a successful campaign last year, spearheaded by grey galloper Megablast. The seven-year-old galloper was victorious in the Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) and placed in the Gr.3 The Queen’s Cup (3200m) and Gr.2 PJ O’Shea Stakes (2200m) at the Sunshine Coast. While pleased with last year’s re... View the full article

Preparation for the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) is just as important as the pace factors heading into the nine-furlong event May 3 at Churchil Downs. View the full article

Roz Southey couldn’t resist a tongue-in-cheek comment when describing the thrill of Zed Em’s amazing win under 70kgs when leading home a New Zealand-bred trifecta in the Grand Annual Steeplechase (5500m) at Warrnambool on Thursday. Southey and her husband, Mike, co-bred and part-own Zed Em with their fellow Wairarapa farming friends, Bill Shannon and Craig and Jenny Booth and she says she will never forget the day, being among the massive crowd gathered at Warrnambool for the highly popular ... View the full article

At odds of 24-1, A Little Bit Me upset the $125,000 Unbridled Sydney Stakes, taking the May 2 turf sprint at Churchill Downs by a neck over favored Morticia. View the full article

Not only does Kentucky Derby (G1) hopeful Maximum Security feature an atypical past-performance line, trainer Jason Servis believes it benefits his star 3-year-old. View the full article

Blue Devil Racing Stable's Come Dancing enters the one-mile Ruffian Stakes (G2) for older fillies and mares at Belmont Park May 5 off a career-best effort in which she merengued to a dazzling 7 3/4-length victory in the Distaff Handicap (G3). View the full article

Top Knight shines in the Classic View the full article

Brian Dean back in Kranji winner's circle with Archie View the full article

Forever Good lands boilover win View the full article

Burridge spot-on with Lim's Passion at fifth start View the full article

Horses' body weights May 3 View the full article

Track conditions and course scratchings May 3 View the full article

Early scratchings May 3 View the full article