Golden Tempo adds Belmont crown to Kentucky Derby victory and Christmas comes early at Epsom

It was a memorable weekend across the world of horse racing as Golden Tempo took the third leg of the US Triple Crown to add to his Kentucky Derby success last month, while Aidan O'Brien won a remarkable 50th Classic with victory in The Derby at Epsom.

At Saratoga, Golden Tempo confirmed himself as the standout three-year-old of the American season, while for trainer Cherie DeVaux it completes a remarkable double, becoming only the second female trainer to win the Belmont after being the first to win the prestigious Kentucky Derby.

At Epsom, it was one of O'Brien's lesser-fancied horses, Christmas Day, who took the honours in the weekend's feature race, this win coming after his son, Joseph, won his first British classic as Thundering On claimed The Oaks.

Elsewhere, Yutaka Take became the oldest jockey to win a JRA Group 1 at the age of 57 as Sixpence won the Yasuda Kinen.

Continue reading for a full round-up of the major stories from the weekend.

What’s Happened

🇦🇺 Australia 🇦🇺

Fireball Miss ran out the explosive winner of the G1 Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm, becoming the fourth horse in the past 25 years to claim The Roses-Queensland Oaks double. Trained by Ciaron Maher and ridden by Declan Bates, she beat favourite Panova by a length and a quarter.

The main supporting race, the G2 Moreton Cup, was tense for favourite backers when Uncommon James just prevailed by a long neck from outsider Oak Hill. The winner was ridden by Ben Thompson for trainer Matthew Hoysted.

🇩🇪 Germany 🇩🇪

Sir Tommy Cen ran out the impressive winner of the 48th Kronimus Badener Meile, a G3, at Baden-Baden. The four-year-old is trained by French-based Patrik Olave Valdivielso.

🇮🇹 Italy 🇮🇹

Best Lightning claimed the latest renewal of the once illustrious, now G3, Premio Presidente Della Repubblica at Milan on Tuesday, running out the emphatic winner in the hands of Benjamin Marie for German trainer Andreas Suborics.

The day’s feature, the G2 Derby Italiano, was run at San Siro for the first time in its 143-year history and was won by the Andrew Balding-trained Venetian Prince. Ridden by Jason Watson, he got up late to secure the Classic, which will return to its traditional home at Cappannelle next season.

🇯🇵 Japan 🇯🇵

Sixpence picked up his first G1 at the sixth attempt when taking a big step up in the Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo on Sunday. The Hiroyasu Tanaka trainee was ridden by jockey legend Yutaka Take, who is now the oldest jockey to win a JRA G1 at the age of 57.

🇿🇦 South Africa 🇿🇦

Questioning won the G1 Gold Challenge at Greyville, beating a stellar field. Ridden by Richard Fourie, the Vaughan Marshall-trainee won by a nose from Legal Counsel.

Marshall hinted that the G1 Mercury Sprint could be next for Questioning, back at Greyville, on July 26th.

🇬🇧 UK 🇬🇧

Aidan O’Brien longshots winning the Derby is becoming commonplace and this time it was Christmas Day who landed the UK’s premier Classic – a 50th in this country for his master trainer.

Ridden by Ronan Whelan, the son of Camelot, only third in the Dante at York last time, beat Maltese Cross by two and three-quarter lengths.

There was a stellar line-up for the day’s other G1, the Coronation Cup, with 2025 Longines World’s Best Racehorse Calandagan facing Jan Brueghel, who beat him in this race 12 months ago. Neither could land a blow, however, as Bay City Roller charged home on his favourite soft ground, winning by ten lengths for trainer George Scott.

On Friday, Joseph O’Brien won his first Epsom Classic as a trainer when Thundering On cruised home in the G1 Oaks under Dylan Browne McMonagle. The daughter of Frankel won by three and three-quarter lengths from Legacy Link.

🇺🇸 USA 🇺🇸

Golden Tempo made it two from three in the Triple Crown, adding the G1 Belmont to his Kentucky Derby – after controversially skipping the Preakness. Cherie DeVaux’s colt wasn’t sent off favourite for the Classic – run for the third and final time at Saratoga due to Belmont’s redevelopment – an honour which went to Kentucky second Renegade. However, he won it well enough under Jose Ortiz, getting into a battle with Commandment before eventually seeing him off by a length and a quarter.

His last two starts were in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, but Reef Runner showed he’s just as good at home with victory in the G1 Jaipur Stakes. David Fawkes’ star beat defending champion AG Bullet by half a length to book a spot in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in November.

The most impressive winner of the day was Englishman, who bolted up in the G1 Woody Stephens for lady of the moment, DeVaux. The colt was beaten by Crude Velocity last time out, but turned that around, storming home by five and three-quarter lengths under that man again, Jose Ortiz.

Crude Velocity’s trainer Bob Baffert gained recompense when Nysos took the G1 Metropolitan Handicap. Second to Forever Young on his previous outing, the colt came from just off the pace here for a four-length win over Knightsbridge.

Deterministic went back-to-back in the G1 Manhattan Handicap, the card’s premier turf event. Miguel Clement’s five-year-old beat a rallying Test Score by half a length, under Kendrick Carmouche.

It was only a G3, but the True North featured 2025 Champion Sprinter Book’em Danno as well as G1 Breeders’ Cup winner Bentornato. They finished in that order, with Derek Ryan’s Book’em Danno arriving late to snatch the victory under a confident Paco Lopez.

Mark Casse had a brilliant weekend, including when his Classic Q made all the running in the G1 Just A Game Stakes. Ridden by John Velazquez, she held off Francis Graffard’s Mandanaba by a length and quarter.

The G1 action got underway on Friday when it was fillies to the fore. There was a reversal of the Kentucky Oaks form when Counting Stars, third at Churchill Downs, overturned Churchill Downs winner Always A Runner in the G1 Acorn Stakes. It was an impressive performance by the Casse trainee who came home by three and three-quarter lengths in the hands of Irad Ortiz.

Casse claimed a G1 double, completed when Nitrogen blew away her rivals in the Ogden Phipps, earning a spot in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Ridden by Jose Ortiz, she dominated the race, crossing the line 12 and three-quarter lengths ahead of Fully Subscribed.

Out of luck with Always A Runner, trainer and Saratoga local Chad Brown still picked up a G1 when Portfolio Duration landed the New York Stakes, beating Francis Graffard’s French raider Cankoura by a head.

Brown also combined with Flavien Prat to take both the card’s G2s, The Bed O’Roses Stakes with Ways And Means and the Wonder Again with Fitz Right.

Thursday’s card saw a delegation from the Victoria Racing Club at Saratoga for the G2 Belmont Gold Cup – a ‘Golden Ticket’ race for the Melbourne Cup. It went to the Miguel Clement-trained Tawny Port, ridden by Flavien Prat, who beat Navy Seal by two and a half lengths.

Trainer Graham Motion could have another nice filly in Roja, who won the G2 Intercontinental Stakes. Ridden by Irad Ortiz, she beat Italian Soiree by a length and a quarter.

What’s Happening

🇦🇺 Australia 🇦🇺

Eagle Farm is back in G1 action again, staging the JJ Atkins Stakes and Stradbroke Handicap. With Jimmysstar sitting out the latter, G3 Fred Best Classic winner Regal Award is among the contenders for the 1400metre contest, alongside G1 Kingsford Smith Cup winner Headley Grange.

🇫🇷 France 🇫🇷

The G1 Prix de Diane – or French Oaks – is the feature at Chantilly on Sunday. Aidan O’Brien’s unbeaten Diamond Necklace will be among the leading contenders.

🇯🇵 Japan 🇯🇵

The G1 Takarazuka Kinen is the big one at Hanshin on Sunday, with recent Tenno Sho winner Croix Du Nord likely to line up in search of his fifth career G1.

The G3 Hakodate Sprint Stakes takes place at Hakodate on Saturday.

🇺🇸 USA 🇺🇸



Santa Anita keeps the Graded Stakes ball rolling with three G3s, the Summertime Oaks and Daytona Stakes on Saturday and the San Juan Capistrano Stakes on Sunday.