Gold Ship, a winner of his last four starts in graded stakes in Japan, will be a heavy favorite to extend his winning streak in Sunday’s $3,437,000 Tenno Sho at Kyoto Racecourse.
A group of 15 horses trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni for Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing stable has been banned from racing until early October after being administered banned substances earlier this year, the British Horseracing Authority announced Thursday.
The crop of 3-year-olds racing last year in Europe looked fairly week once they began to face older rivals later in the year, and it will be at least mildly interesting to see how Trumpet Major, the Craven Stakes winner who managed a fourth in the English 2000 Guineas, fares Friday at Sandown when he makes his 4-year-old debut in the Bet365 Sandown Mile.
It’s a Dundeel, who has won three consecutive Group 1 races against Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds, races outside his age group for the first time in Saturday’s $513,350 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick Racecourse.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and the central figure in the racing and breeding entity known as Godolphin, said Wednesday he was putting the English yard of trainer Mahmood al Zarooni on “lockdown” after 11 horses at the stables tested positive for two steroids, according to the British Horseracing Authority.
Sprinter Sacre, unbeaten in 10 steeplechase races, won his first start outside of England in Tuesday’s $247,000 Boylessports.com Champion Chase at Punchestown, Ireland.
Trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni faces a likely suspension from British authorities after 11 horses he trains for Sheikh Mohammed’s powerful Godolphin Racing stable tested positive for banned substances in out-of-competition testing, the British Horseracing Authority announced on Monday.
On the same day that her older full brother Interaction won the Grade 2 San Juan Capistrano Handicap at Santa Anita, the 3-year-old filly Incabronatta won her debut in the Clasico Juan Boucau at San Ysidro, Argentina, on Sunday.
Sacred Falls, the winner of the Group 1 New Zealand Guineas in 2012, pulled an 18-1 upset in Saturday’s $2,055,000 Doncaster Handicap at Randwick Racecourse in Australia, catching 5-2 favorite Pierro in the final sixteenth of a mile.
Trainer Richard Hannon and jockey Richard Hughes ruled the 3-year-old stakes action this week in England, with Olympic Glory winning the Group 3 Greenham Stakes and Maureen the Group 3 Fred Darling on Saturday at Newbury, two days after Toronado captured the Group 2 Craven at Newmarket.
