Sunday 12th July, 2026 Stack to aim high with Nola Soul

By Adam Morgan, Press Association

Nola Soul is being targeted at the Curragh’s Futurity Stakes in late August, as Fozzy Stack aims to “shoot for the stars” with his talented Royal Ascot scorer.

The son of Justify has shown plenty of quality in the early stages of his career, beating subsequent Windsor Castle Stakes winner King Of Cloughan at Leopardstown on debut before landing the Chesham Stakes in taking fashion at the Royal meeting.

His handler is now eyeing two further outings this term, beginning in the Group Two event often dominated by Aidan O’Brien and last year won by Constitution River.

Stack said: “He’s fine and in good shape. We’re probably aiming him at the Futurity at the Curragh on the third weekend in August. That’s where we’ll go if all goes according to plan.

“He’s a nice prospect and I’d imagine he’ll only have another two runs this year, the first one being the Futurity and then wherever we end up after that, all being well you’d hope it will be one of those nice Group Ones towards the back-end.

“If you shoot for the stars, hopefully we’ll land on the moon.”

Sunday 12th July, 2026 Thesecretadversary adds Prix Jean Prat to Ascot gains

By Press Association Sport Reporters

Royal Ascot hero Thesecretadversary scooped top honours in Deauville with a brilliant front-running success in the Prix Jean Prat.

Fozzy Stack’s Jersey Stakes scorer had previously fallen short when tackling Group One events, hitting trouble in running at Woodbine last year and also not showing his true colours in both the Newmarket and Curragh editions of the 2000 Guineas.

However, with his tail-up and confidence high following victory over seven furlongs at the Royal meeting, he excelled once again at that distance under Christophe Soumillon who was deputising for usual pilot, the suspended Seamie Heffernan.

Thesecretadversary was still full of running at the line as Aidan O’Brien’s running-on True Love finished strongly to make it an Irish-trained one-two. Christopher Head’s Nighttime was best of the home team in third.

Stack told Sky Sports Racing: “That was great and we thought he would run well but we were taking on two Guineas winners which is tough, especially one away from home and another who doesn’t live too far from us.

“It’s a great day and I would like to thank the Rupert and Magnier families (owners) for sending us this horse and his last two days have been unbelievable.

“Seamie spoke to Christophe earlier and told him about the horse and Christophe asked if I would mind if he made the running as there was no pace. I said don’t fight with him and just don’t get beat and he carried that out to perfection!

“This horse has a great constitution and he’s very tough. Both Christophe and Seamie have said they see six furlongs as no problem and he’s getting quicker. For a horse we thought would get a mile and maybe a little bit with it, he’s getting quicker.

“We trained his grandmother (Scream Blue Murder) and she was a sprinter and a lot of the family have been sprinters so maybe he’s returning to type.

“We’ll see how he comes out of this and get home and we’ll make a plan.

“He’s been on the go since just before Ascot as a two-year-old and has been to Canada and we’ve thrown a lot of things at him but he keeps coming back.”

The victory continues a fine run for Stack who also sent out exciting juvenile Nola Soul to win at Royal Ascot and Stack added: “If you said to me a month ago I would have had two Royal Ascot winners and then a Group One at Deauville I would have said ‘stop it’, it’s amazing.”

Sunday 12th July, 2026 Owen could let Ranga Tang loose in Goodwood Cup

By Adam Morgan, Press Association

After a fine effort in defeat at Royal Ascot, Ranga Tang could evoke memories of staying great Big Orange if taking up his option of the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup later this month.

The James Owen-trained son of Lope De Vega headed to the Queen’s Vase on the back of a win at Salisbury and almost caused a 40-1 shock when reeled in late by Joseph O’Brien’s highly regarded Limestone.

Connections are now keen to dip their toe into the deepest waters of the staying division on the Sussex Downs on July 28 and a race owners the Gredley family enjoyed success in both 2015 and 2016 with Michael Bell’s Gold Cup-winning Big Orange.

Owen said: “Ranga Tang will probably go to Goodwood for their big race. He’s a horse we think an awful lot of and I’m just glad he showed it at Ascot. He stays forever and will be a lovely horse for the future.

“I think on the back of his run at Ascot and with the allowance three-year-olds get, then if the ground is nice the Goodwood Cup looks ideal. Three-year-olds have a good record in the race and if he runs well there he could be a St Leger horse. We’ve huge hopes for him.”

Ranga Tang may have fallen just short at the Royal meeting, but joining him in action at the Qatar Goodwood Festival could well be Owen’s Royal Hunt Cup hero Rogue Diplomat.

The four-year-old, who was beaten a nose when searching a five-timer in the Lincoln earlier this season, has continued to thrive and while holding an entry for the Coral Golden Mile handicap at Goodwood, the Newmarket handler would have no qualms about stepping up in grade to take up his option of the HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes on the opening day of the meeting.

“He’s got a lot of options but going to Goodwood is the main plan and he has a few entries there,” said Owen.

“We’ll see and he’s been busy enough and he’s one I think will improve in the autumn. So he’ll either go to Goodwood or we might just travel with him again. But he’s trained very well since Ascot and will be running before the end of the month hopefully.

“We wouldn’t be scared of going into Pattern company with him now and if he was to go to Goodwood, the Lennox Stakes would be one of the options we are looking at.

“Deciding where to go is a nice problem to have and this horse is not the finished article yet. I would be very disappointed if he couldn’t mix it in Pattern company.”

Sunday 12th July, 2026 Daiquiri Bay has Ebor riches in his sights

By Adam Morgan, Press Association

Daiquiri Bay will head straight to York in a bid to supplement his brilliant victory at Royal Ascot in the Sky Bet Ebor.

Alan King’s four-year-old was a consistent performer last term, including when third in the Melrose Stakes over the same track and trip as the Ebor, but has taken his form to the next level this season after being gelded.

Since returning with victory over a mile and a half at Newmarket, he beat the same rival, Gamrai, when upped in distance for the Copper Horse Stakes at the Royal meeting and is now being readied to seek not only a 2026 hat-trick but a slice of the £500,000 on offer in the Knavesmire’s feature handicap on August 22.

“He’s in great form and will go straight for the Ebor,” said King, with Daiquiri Bay as short as 12-1 with some bookmakers.

“He’s just having a little break now after Ascot and we’ll build him back up for York. I’m very happy with him at the moment and we’re just ticking away quietly.

“He ran well at York in the Melrose last year and it looked the obvious place to go – if it ever rains again and if we can get him on easier ground I think you’ll see an even better horse.

“I think gelding him has made a real difference and he’s settled down beautifully for that.”

Sunday 12th July, 2026 Fraser setting sights on Goodwood after dramatic weekend

By Adam Morgan, Press Association

After surviving a bite from an unruly rival when registering a double at Ascot on Saturday, nothing can dampen the spirits of Kaiya Fraser as he now looks ahead to more golden opportunities at the Qatar Goodwood Festival later this month.

Fraser’s performance in the saddle was one of the highlights at Ascot this weekend but not before there was remarkable drama ahead of the the Juddmonte EBF Restricted Novice Stakes when the withdrawn Mr Twig took out his frustration by biting the jockey and sending him crashing to the turf while waiting to load aboard eventual winner Dr Rascal.

Although in some discomfort – and with the 23-year-old admitting he remains sore from the bizarre incident – thankfully he was was able haul himself off the floor to steer Oliver Cole’s youngster to an impressive all-the-way success.

Fraser said: “Michael Bell’s horse (Mr Twig) was messing about in the stalls and they’ve pulled him out, but as they’ve pulled him out of the gates he’s got loose and run around and then out of nowhere grabbed a hold of my thigh.

“He didn’t give me a chance and my horse got a bit nervous after that and kind of ran off and he got loose. Michael Bell’s horse gave me a sore leg and it’s still a bit sore now. It was a crazy couple of minutes but luckily we were able to get back in the stalls and go and win the race.”

Fraser enjoyed a red-letter weekend in Berkshire, with a win on Friday meaning he was successful on three of his four mounts at the track over the course of two days.

It continues a fine run for the young rider who has notched 32 winners this term and is making the most of his budding relationships with key allies in the training ranks.

“It’s always special to ride a winner at Ascot, let alone two and on a Saturday as well,” continued Fraser.

“I was delighted but I was going into the weekend knowing I had some great chances and luckily I’ve had a great weekend and everyone is happy. I’ve got to ride some nice horses over the last few days.”

He went on: “It’s going well this season and I’ve got a lot of great connections thanks to my agent James Forrest and I’m getting put up on some nice horses.

“Harry Eustace has been my boss for over three years now and I like to think we have a great relationship and I also have a great relationship with Rebecca Menzies who started using me when I was an apprentice, and I ride the majority of hers.”

Fraser’s fine run could now put him in the spotlight at the Qatar Goodwood Festival where he will be hoping for a less eventful precursor to Dr Rascal putting his unbeaten record on the line in the Vintage Stakes.

The jockey will also have a trump card up his sleeve in the form of Menzies’ Molecomb-bound speedball Adonius, who has blitzed his way to three impressive victories so far this year with Fraser in the plate.

He added: “I’m looking forward to Goodwood and it has always been one of the targets for Adonius, he’s very quick and obviously I’ve picked up this nice horse for Mr Oliver Cole, Dr Rascal, who is two from two now and showed how much ability he had at Ascot.

“I think after everything that happened you could see how much of a good mentality he has which is one of his main attributes.”

Sunday 12th July, 2026 Hanlon pays tribute as Hewick bows out

By Adam Morgan, Press Association

With the curtain coming down on the fairytale career of Hewick, John ‘Shark’ Hanlon has expressed his gratitude for the “amazing journey” his family went on alongside the pint-sized bargain buy who captured the hearts of the racing world.

Famously bought for just €850, Hewick’s remarkable rise to prominence provided Hanlon and his family with memories to treasure and at the age of 11 he bows out having won 12 of his 51 career starts under rules, but most importantly with his place in racing folklore firmly secured.

Hanlon said: “It’s been an amazing journey and the trip with him has been unreal. From his younger days, to Durham Nationals, to those days in American, Sandown and Kempton it’s been unbelievable and he’s given me memories that for the rest of the my life I’ll never forget.

“He has been here for the last nine years. Paddy is 19 now and Sean is 16 and Hewick has basically grown up with them. Paddy can remember him as a young horse and can remember the day we bought him.

“He was an unreal horse for our yard, Rachel Blackmore has won on him, Gavin Sheehan was absolutely brilliant on him and he was great alongside Jordan Gainsford, he’s been a star for a lot of people.

“It’s only when you go back and look through your phone at all the messages that have been appearing that you get a sense of how popular he really was, it’s been amazing and I’ve never known people follow a horse so much

“Whenever I’ve gone racing in the last few years people just want to talk to me about Hewick. I guess with me being a small trainer it added to it and people would come from England to see the horse and we never stopped anyone seeing the horse.”

From lowly beginnings, the Hewick journey to the top began to gain traction somewhat remarkably at Sedgefield when winning the Durham National in the autumn of 2021 and ever since was a one-way ticket to racing stardom, stopping off at the likes of Far Hills in America, Sandown, Galway and Kempton along the way.

Flagship victories in Sandown’s bet365 Gold Cup and Oaksey Chase sandwiched an emotional triumph on home soil in the Galway Plate and conquering the American Grand National. However, the crowning moment came on Boxing Day 2023 when Hewick came from the clouds to claim King George VI Chase glory.

Hanlon added: “To go to America and win an American Grand National, to win a Galway Plate in my own country and then to go to Kempton and win the King George was special. Every trainer in the world wants to win a King George and we are lucky enough to have done it.

“I remember being called back to America for the Eclipse Awards and you can never dream a horse of ours would be nominated for the American Horse of the Year Awards. I think he’s the only National Hunt horse in Ireland to win an Eclipse Award and that’s just brilliant.”

The Hewick story came full circle when son Paddy Hanlon took up the reins for the final two victories of his career, with the 19-year-old also in the saddle for his emotional swansong at Cork on Friday evening.

Hanlon now intends on giving Hewick one last moment in the spotlight when throwing an open invitation retirement party next month, before he heads off to enjoy retirement with loyal owner T J McDonald.

“It was very special when Paddy won on him in Thurles and I think we were a bit unlucky in some of his later races,” continued Hanlon. “He needed good fast ground and I really fancied him in the Liverpool Hurdle and then the skies opened two hours before the race and it took away his chance.

“I just felt now was the right time to bow out and if anything happened to the horse I wouldn’t be happy. He’s out in one piece and he’s out in the field bucking and kicking. He’s going to enjoy the rest of his life and will be going to live with his owner TJ in Naas and will be well, well minded.

“We’re going to have a retirement party towards the end of August and people have already been emailing asking what date so they can make arrangements to come over, that’s the sort of love people have for Hewick.

“We’ve got to try to find another one now and it’s going to be very hard to get one like him. He kept a lot of people going and it’s amazing the friends I’ve made and people I’ve had the pleasure to meet thanks to this horse.”

Sunday 12th July, 2026 No added pressure for Boughey as Sussex clash looms for Echo

By Gideon Brooks, Press Association

George Boughey is feeling no added pressure to keep superstar colt Bow Echo unbeaten this season as he prepares to put his record on the line again in a red-hot Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

The three-year-old son of Night Of Thunder looks set to face his stiffest test yet in the Group One spectacular on the Sussex Downs on July 29 against the best older horses and familiar faces from the Classic generation.

And while Boughey admitted his 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes winner makes things easy for him at home, he conceded he has a growing public fan club willing him to keep his flawless record intact.

“The whole story of an unbeaten horse always captures the public imagination and we are really looking forward to taking on the older horses for the first time at Goodwood. But I don’t think there is more pressure on me,” he said.

“As I’ve said a number of times he makes my job very easy. He is a very straightforward animal to train and he takes his work well. Consistency with anything in life makes people’s lives easier.

“He just eats, sleeps and trains and has hit every target so far. We have been very lucky that has been the case and hopefully it carries on that way.”

Boughey fired the starting gun on his Sussex Stakes bid with a first piece of serious work since he beat Gstaad for the second time this season by a short head in a rough but thrilling St James’s Palace.

It delivered a second Group One following his runaway Guineas success and a fifth win out of five following his unbeaten two-year-old campaign culminated with a win in the Royal Lodge at Newmarket.

After watching the colt go through his paces, Boughey reported it was “all systems go” for Glorious Goodwood.

“He is in great shape and we couldn’t be much happier with him. He is a very consistent horse whose work has always been very strong and that certainly hasn’t changed. It is all systems go and everyone is very happy with him.”

Sunday 12th July, 2026 Hatteen given Gordon aim after Doncaster romp

By Adam Morgan, Press Association

Hatteen could put his St Leger credentials to the test in Goodwood’s Gordon Stakes, with his free ticket to the Doncaster Classic ready and waiting to be stamped following his victory at the track on Thursday.

Andrew Balding’s son of Lope De Vega relished the step up to a mile and a half when opening his account in the Betfred St Leger Trial Novice Stakes and is getting better with every start, leaving connections delighted with his progress.

Alison Begley, UK racing manager for owners Al Shaqab Racing said: “He was very impressive and had been working well at home.

“The step up in distance to a mile and a half suited. The likelihood is he’ll run in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood next and that will tell us more where we’re heading with him in regards a target for the rest of the season.”

Hatteen’s victory came on the same afternoon the form of his previous Newbury second to the King and Queen’s Point Of Law was further franked when that colt won Newmarket’s Group Three Bahrain Trophy.

The duo could clash again in Classic company at Town Moor in September if both continuing on their current upward trajectories, but for now the Hatteen team are willing to take it “one step at a time”.

Begley added: “The form of when he was second at Newbury is working very well and Andrew has said he has just kept on improving.

“He’s a proper middle-distance type of improving colt which is exciting and we have been thrilled with him. He deserved his win after being second a few times.

“The Leger would be considered for him depending what happens at Goodwood, but he’s going up into Pattern company now and we’ll have to take one step at a time and see after he’s run in the Gordon Stakes where we’re heading with him.”