Diamond Necklace stays unbeaten, James McDonald creates history & Royal Ascot set to take centre stage
This week's WHR Weekly has landed. We look ahead to a fascinating battle at Royal Ascot and recap the best of the action from last week.
The FIFA World Cup might be dominating the sporting conversation right now, but horse racing had its own global weekend - top-level Group action across seven countries.
At Chantilly, Diamond Necklace extended her unbeaten record to five with victory in the G1 Prix de Diane - a second Classic of the season for Aidan O'Brien's filly, who had to dig deep for the narrowest of wins.
In Australia, James McDonald broke the record for the most Group 1 wins in a single Australian season aboard Tron Bolt in the JJ Atkins Stakes.
But all eyes now turn to England and Ascot, where five days of world-class racing begin on Tuesday, headlined by a blockbuster Prince of Wales's Stakes clash between Arc hero Daryz and defending champion Ombudsman.
Continue reading for a full round-up, plus everything to look out for in the week ahead.
What’s Happened
🇦🇺 Australia 🇦🇺
James McDonald broke the record for number of G1s in an Australian season when Tron Bolt took the J.J. Atkins Stakes at Eagle Farm. Trained by Chris Waller, he overcame a jump in class and a new track to win the juvenile contest.
By contrast, jockey Taylor Marshall celebrated his first G1 win when Spicy Martini won the G1 Stradbroke Handicap, beating Sepals by a length, for trainer Toby Edmonds.
Earlier, Melbourne Cup-winning rider Mark Zahra was in the saddle when She’s Got Pizzazz won the G2 Dane Ripper Stakes for trainers Katherine Coleman and Peter Moody, while Alalcance took the G2 Brisbane Cup for Timothy Clark and trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
🇧🇷 Brazil 🇧🇷
There was a big day of G1 action at a rain-soaked Gavea on Saturday, where the racing took place on heavy ground. Oh Promise Me got the better of favourite Odalisa in the Grande Premio Roberto E Nelson Seabra - Haras Santa Maria de Araras for fillies and mares, winning by three-quarters of a length in the hands of Valdinei Rocha Gil.
There was a close finish to the G1 Grand Premio Major Suckow which went to Eletrizante Dollar by a head, for jockey Altair Domingos and trainer Antonio Marcos Oldoni.
🇫🇷 France 🇫🇷
Diamond Necklace remained unbeaten after winning her second Classic of the season in the G1 Prix de Diane at Chantilly on Sunday. Trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, she was made to work for the narrowest success of her five-race career, getting the better of outsider Pink Panthera by a short neck.
There was a notable British success on the undercard, when Remmooz took the G3 Prix Bertrand for Owen Burrows and Callum Rodriquez, while master trainer Andre Fabre won the G3 Prix Du Lys with Space Waltz.
🇩🇪 Germany 🇩🇪
There was another Englishman making headlines, but this time the German version at Cologne on Sunday. Marcel Weiss’ three-year-old won the G2 Sparkasse KolnBonn - 191st Union-Rennen by a length and a quarter from favourite Westminster Rocket.
🇯🇵 Japan 🇯🇵
Meisho Tabaru became just the third horse to win back-to-back runnings of the G1 Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin on Sunday. Ridden by Yutaka Take, he beat Croix Du Nord by a neck and trainer Mamoru Ishibashi will now aim him at the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in France in October.
🇸🇪 Sweden 🇸🇪
One of the biggest races of the year took place at Bro Park on Sunday, but just six lined up in the G3 Stockholms Stora Pris. The win went to the ex-Aidan O’Brien-trained Mount Kilimanjaro, now trained in Norway by Niels Petersen. Ridden by Carlos Lopez, he beat Icon Bling by a length and three-quarters.
🇺🇸 USA 🇺🇸
There were two notable victories at Monmouth Park in New Jersey on Saturday, starting when Graham Motion won the G3 Eatontown Stakes with Gimme A Nother. The five-year-old, formerly trained in South Africa, was having her first run since success at Del Mar in September.
Later, Brendan Walsh’s G1 winner East Avenue got back to winning ways in the G3 Salvator Mile, his first victory since the G3 Matt Winn Stakes a year ago.
Popular eight-year-old Gold Phoenix picked up his tenth Graded Stakes win in the G3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes at Santa Anita on Sunday, charging home by five lengths under Hector Berrios for trainer Philip D’Amato.
What’s Happening
🇭🇰 Hong Kong 🇭🇰
The G3 Premier Plate and G3 Premier Cup are the twin feature races at Sha Tin on Sunday. The latter is expected to attract Hong Kong Classic Mile winner Little Paradise.
🇯🇵 Japan 🇯🇵
The G3 Fuchu Himba Stakes takes place at Tokyo on Sunday, while the G3 Shirasagi Stakes is the feature at Hanshin.
🇺🇸 USA 🇺🇸
It’s a quiet weekend Stateside, but Churchill Downs stages the G2 Chicago Stakes on Saturday and the G3 Ohio Derby takes place at Thistledown.
🇬🇧 UK 🇬🇧
The best week of racing in the UK gets underway on Tuesday with five days of Royal Ascot beginning with three G1s. Docklands defends his title in the Queen Anne, up against a powerful Godolphin duo of Notable Speech and Opera Ballo.
Aussie star Overpass takes on the best British sprinters, including defending champion American Affair in the G1 King Charles III Stakes, while British and Irish 2000 Guineas winners Bow Echo and Gstaad clash in the G1 St James’s Palace Stakes.
There’s a race for the ages on Wednesday, when 2025 winner Ombudsman defends his crown in the G1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes against the brilliant Arc winner Daryz, while Thursday’s featured G1 Gold Cup pits last year’s winner Trawlerman against rising stars Caballo De Mar and Rahiebb.
There are two G1s on Friday, with Aidan O’Brien looking to hold all the aces in the Coronation Stakes with True Love and Precise both lining up. The G1 Commonwealth Cup has a strong favourite in the brilliant Venetian Sun, trained by Karl Burke.
The action rounds out on Saturday with the G2 Hardwicke Stakes featuring G1 winners Kalpana and Giavellotto, while the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes sees five-time Australian G1 winner Joliestar against last year’s runner up Satono Reve, from Japan.
