Almanzor won a thrilling race for the Qipco Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.

Kevin Ryan believes conditions are likely to favour The Grey Gatsby in the Qipco Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on September 10.

Aidan O’Brien’s domination of the British Flat season continued apace as he saddled three of the first four home in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks with Seventh Heaven coming out on top.

Due to the problem I spoke of in this column last week - rain, or, more specifically, the lack of it - we’re still waiting to really get going with our National Hunt horses, but Don Cossack didn’t half throw down an early marker with a brilliant comeback this week at Punchestown.

 

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Free Eagle is set to make his seasonal bow in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh on May 24.

High Chaparral, winner of the 2002 Derby, has been put down at Fethard Equine Hospital, aged 15.

Trainer Corine Barande-Barbe is taking nothing for granted as her French superstar Cirrus Des Aigles bids to regain his crown in the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot today.

Roger Varian has confirmed Kingston Hill will not run again this season, ruling out a crack at Saturday’s Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot.

Connections of Ectot and Avenir Certain remain unconcerned by ground conditions at Longchamp as Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe draws ever closer.

Three-time winner Frankie Dettori is increasingly likely to be teamed with Aidan O’Brien’s number-one hope Ruler Of The World as he bids to make his 26th ride in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe a winning one on Sunday.

Taghrooda delighted connections in a workout over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket yesterday as part of her preparation for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Sunday week.

Treve’s already perilous grip on Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe favouritism was firmly loosened at Longchamp yesterday as Criquette Head-Maarek’s star could finish only fourth in the Prix Vermeille.

Ryan Moore - perhaps the world’s most in-demand jockey - offered the perfect example of his talent aboard The Grey Gatsby in the Qipco Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown today.

A new chapter begins with an old associate for Treve tomorrow as she makes her comeback under Thierry Jarnet in the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp.

Jockey Thierry Jarnet insists Treve still possesses "a lot of quality" when the partnership is reunited in the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp on Sunday.

Yesterday’s Prix d’Aumale at Chantilly was due to be a warm-up for Al Naamah ahead of next month’s Prix Marcel Boussac but Al Shaqab Racing might have a different contender altogether after pacemaker Shahah caused a mighty turn-up.

Frankie Dettori has lost the ride on Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Treve and will be replaced by Thierry Jarnet in the Prix Vermeille on Sunday, at the request of trainer Criquette Head-Maarek.

The topsy turvy state of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe market was thrown into further chaos after Sea The Moon lost his unbeaten record to Ivanhowe in the Longines – Grosser Preis von Baden at Baden Baden yesterday.

Gold Cup hero Leading Light made the perfect return to action in the Palmerstown House Estate Irish St Leger Trial Stakes on another fine afternoon for Aidan O’Brien at the Curragh yesterday.

Taghrooda could earn a tilt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe if she can clinch a third Group One of a glorious summer in today’s Darley Yorkshire Oaks.

She was not the lady most expected to be winning the Prince of Wales’s Stakes but The Fugue gave another reminder of how she must never be underestimated after receiving a Royal Ascot coronation in a record-breaking time yesterday.

Yet another wonderful ride from Ryan Moore aboard The Grey Gatsby was enough to secure a first British-trained winner of the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly since 2005 yesterday.

Aidan O’Brien is back on the Gold Cup trail at Ascot with Leading Light and it is going to be fascinating to see how this pans out next month.

He may argue otherwise, but trainer Aidan O’Brien can once again dare to dream about winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic tonight.

Trainer Andreas Wohler remains confident there is lots of improvement in leading Arc contender Novellist following hisworkmanlike victory at Baden-Baden on Sunday.

Novellist continued his preparations for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with a workmanlike victory in the Grosser Preis von Baden yesterday.

Cirrus Des Aigles continued his worrying decline with yet another defeat at Deauville yesterday.

Dual Derby-winner Camelot produced a workmanlike display to beat stable-companion and pacemaker Triumphant on his seasonal debut in the Group 3 High Chaparral Mooresbridge Stakes at the Curragh yesterday.

Aidan O’Brien has mapped out an early-season plan for his dual Derby winner Camelot that will culminate with an appearance at Royal Ascot.

Excelebration could finish only fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita on a day of fluctuating emotions for trainer Aidan O’Brien.

Masterstroke is “unlikely” to run again this season after his fine run when third in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp yesterday.

Frankie Dettori will sensationally partner Camelot in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on Sunday.

Camelot faces a crucial workout this morning as trainer Aidan O’Brien insists he is looking “very strongly” at running his Classic hero in Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Camelot faces a crucial workout on Wednesday morning as trainer Aidan O’Brien insists he is looking “very strongly” at running his Classic hero in Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Danedream has been officially scratched from the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on Sunday.

Danedream’s bid for back-to-back wins in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Sunday appears over after Cologne racecourse, where she is stabled, was dramatically placed into quarantine yesterday.

Joseph O’Brien will not ride Camelot if this season’s Epsom Derby winner runs in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe next Sunday.

Christophe Soumillon left Longchamp yesterday with the belief Orfevre had the potential to provide him with a third Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe after the Japanese Triple Crown star made a successful European debut.