Frankel was named the Cartier Horse of the Year during a ceremony on Tuesday night in England, his second straight season earning the prestigious award.
Frankel, who was retired undefeated after winning the Champion Stakes last month at Ascot, was a clear choice to be honored as Europe’s top horse. He ran his unbeaten streak to 14 during 2012, thoroughly dominating the mile division before stepping up to win his last two starts over 1 1/4 miles.
Prominent England-based jockey Frankie Dettori tested positive for a banned substance in France on Sept. 16, and faces an inquiry from that country’s racing body, France Galop, next week.
France Galop didn’t provide any details concerning the positive test. Christopher Stewart-Moore, a lawyer speaking on Dettori’s behalf, released a statement Tuesday saying, in part, that “as a consequence of a positive test at Longchamp on September 16, 2012, [Dettori] will be the subject of an inquiry by the Medical Committee of France Galop next week.”
A year ago, Buffering chased the star mare Black Caviar in the $1 million Patinack Farm Classic at Flemington Racecourse, settling for second against the unbeaten sprinter.
This year, Black Caviar is not part of the Patinack Farm Classic field, leaving Buffering with a chance at his first Group 1 win. A 5-year-old Australian-bred by Mossman, Buffering is part of a field of 15 in the Patinack Farm Classic, which is run over about six furlongs on turf on a straightaway course.
Green Moon, a 19-1 outsider, overcame early trouble to score an upset win in Tuesday’s $6 million Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse in Australia.
Green Moon was part of a trifecta of longshots in the 24-runner Melbourne Cup, which was run over two miles. Fiorente, a 30-1 shot, finished a length behind Green Moon, and 1 1/4 lengths in front of 80-1 Jakkalberry, who won the American St. Leger Stakes at Arlington Park in August.
Dunaden, the defending champion and 6-1 favorite, finished 14th. Americain, the 2010 winner of the Melbourne Cup, finished 11th.
Dunaden may have a difficult time defending his title in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse in Australia.
That’s the opinion of his trainer, Mikel Delzangles, who spent much of last week in California, preparing Flotilla for a win in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Delzangles left California on Friday evening for Australia, traveling from one major racing festival to another.
The mother-son team of trainer Valerie Seignoux and jockey Julien Guillochon pulled an upset in Sunday’s Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris with the 3-year-old outsider Les Beufs.
Les Beufs, sent off at 13-2, led throughout the marathon over 1 15/16 miles, finishing 4 1/2 lengths in front of 26-1 Silver Valny. Rollex Borget, an 11-1 chance, finished third in the field of nine. Dalkala, the 13-10 favorite, finished fifth, fading in the final furlong.
Kingsbarns lived up to his advance billing and won the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths on Saturday at Doncaster in England.
The Coolmore colt, trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by his son, Joseph, had made only one previous start, winning a maiden race at Navaan in Ireland. Nevertheless, he was the subject of heavy ante-post Racing Post Trophy betting all week, and was firmly favored to capture the one-mile race for 2-year-olds.
Ocean Park won his fourth consecutive Group 1 race, all in a span of less than two months, in Saturday’s $3 million Cox Plate at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Australia.
Ridden by Glen Boss, Ocean Park rallied four wide on the turn and was fully extended to catch the 3-year-old All Too Hard in the final sixteenth, winning by a neck in the race over 1 1/4 miles. Pierro, another 3-year-old, finished third, 3 3/4 lengths behind All Too Hard.
Led by the outstanding 3-year-old Pierro and the improving older horse Green Moon, Saturday’s $3 million Cox Plate at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Australia has drawn an outstanding field of 14 in the country’s weight-for-age championship.
Run over about 1 1/4 miles on turf, the Group 1 Cox Plate could produce runners for the two-mile Melbourne Cup on Nov. 6. Of the 14 entrants in the Cox Plate, 10 have won Group 1 races.