Ian Wade

Countdown to Ladbrokes St Leger Stakes at Doncaster 2011

It is ten days to the fifth and final classic of the 2011 Flat season, the Ladbrokes St Leger Stakes at Doncaster. The race is worth £500,000.00 and run over 1 mile 6 furlongs. Sea Moon (pictured) is the antepost favourite after his win at York in the Voltigeur Stakes. Either all the other horses…

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes 2011

July is always a terrific month for Flat racing, starting with the Coral Eclipse on the 2nd where So You Think beat Workforce, then my favourite meeting, the three day July Festival at Newmarket, but the big race of the month is the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on the 23rd.…

Coral Eclipse at Sandown 2011

The Group 1 Coral Eclipse worth £400,000.00 which will be run over one mile two furlongs at Sandown Park tomorrow (2nd) should be a cracking race. There are only five runners and the race does look as though it will be fought out between So You Think and Workforce. So You Think comes over again…

Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby 2011

The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby will be run this Sunday at the Curragh in Ireland. The race is worth 1,250,000 euros and will be run over 1 mile 4 furlongs. There will be eight runners and the Queen’s horse, Carlton House (pictured), is a warm favourite to run a big race. The Aidan O’Brien stable…

Royal Ascot 2011

Royal Ascot which kicks off tomorrow (Tuesday 14th) is the Flat racing equivalent to the Cheltenham National Hunt Festival. Royal Ascot is over five days as opposed to Cheltenham’s four. There are some mouth watering races in store, none more so than the reappearance of Frankel (pictured) in Tuesday’s St James’s Palace Stakes run over one mile…

Epsom Derby Festival 2011

The Investec Epsom Derby Meeting got underway today, Friday 3rd June, when the Coronation Cup and Investec Oaks, both Group 1’s, were run over the Derby distance of 1 mile 4 furlongs. St Nicoholas Abbey and Midday fought out a thrilling finish in the Coronation Cup and Dancing Rain received a great tactical ride from Johnny Murtagh…

Newmarket 2000 and 1000 Guineas 2011

The first two flat classics for the three year olds, the 2000 and 1000 Guineas, will be run at Newmarket over the straight mile on Saturday and Sunday this weekend. This years sponsors are Qipco and the races are each worth £350,000.00. Frankel (pictured) has shown his well being at Newbury already and it would be a major…

Bet 365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase 2011

It is only two weeks since all the drama and excitement of the Aintree Grand National Meeting and although we have had the  Scottish Grand National together with the Classic Trials for the Guineas since, the racing to me has been low key. However the two day Bet 365 Meeting gets underway on Saturday the 23rd at…

John Smith’s Grand National Day at Aintree 2011

The greatest horse race in the world, the John Smith’s Grand National worth £950,000.00, will go off at 4.15 pm this Saturday the 9th of April. There will be a maximum field of 40 runners. Not many will truly stay the 4 miles 4 furlongs but we know last years winner, Don’t Push It, will…

John Smith’s Melling Chase Day at Aintree 2011

The centre piece for Day 2 of the Aintree Grand National Meeting is the John Smith’s Melling Chase worth £175,000.00 and run over 2 miles 4 furlongs. Albertas Run won the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham and will be favorite to complete the Ryanair Chase/Melling Chase double for the second year running. Master Minded, Somersby and Kalahari…