New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) announced Tuesday that padded whips will become mandatory in that country on Aug. 1, the same day that the new softer instrument will go into use in Australia. New Zealand has been testing the new whips for the past year. Britain, where jockeys rejected padded whips at the start of the new century, now employs a modified, more flexible whip than that which had been used there for hundreds of years. In the United States, the Delaware Thoroughbred Commission has been experimenting with padded whips since 2006.

Trincot came from last to first to win the Group 2, $175,000 Prix d'Harcourt at Longchamp on Sunday, drawing clear for a three-length victory over The Bogberry, as French Derby winner Vision d'Etat was third, a head behind the runner-up.

Mon Mome sprung a 100-1 surprise in the $1.3 million Grand National Handicap Chase at Aintree on Saturday, outsprinting last year's winner, Comply or Die, after those two had jumped the last of 30 fences in tandem. The 12-length victory of the 9-year-old, trained by Venetia Williams, was engineered by Liam Treadwell in his first Grand National ride and illustrated the extraordinary dominance that French-bred horses have assumed in British jump racing.

French Derby winner Vision d'Etat makes his seasonal debut in the Group 2, $175,000 Prix d'Harcourt at Longchamp on Sunday, but trainer Eric Libaud has warned that this 1 1/4-mile stakes is very much a prep for more important races down the road.

Rambling Minster can take advantage of a relatively low weight to win the $1.3 million Grand National Handicap Chase at Aintree in Liverpool on Saturday when 40 jumpers set out on the 4 1/2-mile odyssey over 30 of the world's most daunting fences.

The front-running victory of Gladiatorus in the Dubai Duty Free on Saturday has propelled him into first place among horses in training in the World Thoroughbred Rankings through March 29.

A 4-year-old son of Silic (a Breeders' Cup Mile winner) trained by Mubarak bin Shafya, Gladiatorus was switched to Saeed bin Suroor's Godolphin stable almost immediately after his handy 3 1/4-length Duty Free score. He is rated at 126, one pound ahead of Breeders' Cup winners Conduit, Goldikova. and Zenyatta, and two-time Arc runner-up Youmzain.

Doctor Dino, the winner of four group or graded stakes in three different countries, among them the 2007 Man o' War at Belmont Park, was retired from racing on Wednesday because of a tendon injury he apparently suffered when he finished eighth in the Dubai Sheema Classic on Saturday.

Asiatic Boy and Honour Devil, two of the best horses to be trained in Dubai in the last few years, are on their way to New York to be trained by Kiaran McLaughlin.

"Mike de Kock called me on Sunday and asked me if I would like to have Asiatic Boy and Honour Devil, and I said 'I'd love to,' " McLaughlin said Tuesday. "Asiatic Boy is such a nice horse. I don't know exactly when they'll be arriving, but they'll soon be here with me at Belmont Park."

Laurel Guerreiro sped to victory in the Grade 1, $1.88 million Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo in Japan on Sunday, handing the 5-2 favorite, Sleepless Night, a half-length beating while covering the six furlongs in 1:08 on a firm turf course.

By the Dancing Brave stallion King Halo, the 6.60-1 Laurel Guerreiro is trained by Mitsugu Kon. Second last time on March 3 in the Grade 3 Hankyu Hai, he was winning for the time since having won that race last year.

Recharge upset the even-money favorite, Intense Focus, in the Group 3. $87,000 Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial on Sunday to establish himself as a leading candidate for the Irish 2000 Guineas on May 23.

Recharge, a Kevin Prendergast-trained son of Cape Cross, caught the favorite at the sixteenth pole and was ridden out by Charlie Hayes for a one-length victory. Sent off at 9-4, Recharge covered the mile on good to firm ground in 1:40.65.