The turf
The murky world of bloodstock agents
Top owners are quitting horse racing because bookmakers nervous of a government and a Gambling Commission that know remarkably little…
The charm of Carmel races
Racing at Cartmel probably began in the 15th century when Brother John wagered a mug of ale with Brother Cain…
The fight over jockey saunas is heating up
When the nine equine athletes involved in the seven-furlong contest for Newbury’s Saturday highlight, the Group Two BetVictor Hungerford Stakes,…
Tom Marquand was the star of Goodwood
On no course in Britain does jockeyship count for more than at undulating, tricksy Goodwood and although Frankie Dettori was…
Relief Rally put the Ascot heartbreak behind her at Newbury
‘God it’s hot,’ said a Newbury waitress escaping into the lift from rain-soaked crowds jostling in the bars last Saturday.…
Paddington emerged victorious but Eclipse was an enthralling duel
I should have listened to George Duffield. Sandown Park’s Eclipse Stakes, the first time the Classic generation of three-year-olds take…
Frankie gets his last Royal Ascot hurrah – in spades
We all wanted Frankie to have a last Royal Ascot hurrah. In the end he got four, including a ninth…
The science of horse racing
Everybody in racing is looking for an edge. With 7-4 the field, the punter is looking for a 2-1. The…
My summer Twelve to Follow
Usually in May I am still casting an enviously nostalgic eye backwards to Aintree and Cheltenham, reluctant yet to pack…
Kitty’s Light is the horse of the year
John Trotwood Moore, one-time State Librarian of Tennessee, was a racist and defender of the Ku Klux Klan. But in…
The grand shame of the Grand National protestors
When jockey Derek Fox came over from Ireland to join the Scottish stable run by Lucinda Russell and her partner,…
In praise of small racecourses
Mrs Oakley not being a turfista, she rarely joins me on a racecourse expedition. But before we had a dog…
The magic of Veterans’ Chase Day
Like most people in racing I began 2023 down in the dumps, moaning about insufficient prize money, small fields and…
