All Things Horse Racing

• Seamie Heffernan rides first English Classic winner • The Fugue most unlucky in rough race Aidan O'Brien continued his domination of the English Classics at Epsom on Friday as his filly Was, a 20-1 chance, took the Oaks to add to the trainer's success in both the Guineas at Newmarket last month. Was's starting price reflected her apparent rank in a five-strong challenge from the yard, however, and O'Brien's son Joseph, who will ride the hot favourite, Camelot, in Saturday's Derby, finished only fifth on Maybe and picked up a four-day ban for careless riding on what was just his fourth ride at Epsom. In a rough and tactical race around one of the trickiest tracks in the country, Darryll Holland, who rode the runner-up, Shirocco Star, was also banned for four days, while The Fugue, the favourite at 11-4, was badly impeded and almost brought down after three furlongs before staying on strongly in the closing stages to take third place. However, Seamie Heffernan, who was riding his...

• Winning filly pulls off shock victory at 20-1 • Trainer praises stable jockey after success Jockey Seamie Heffernan squeezed through the narrowest of gaps to give boss Aidan O'Brien a fourth victory in the Oaks at Epsom aboard 20-1 chance Was. Heffernan looked to have the winner perfectly positioned just behind the pedestrian early pace set by Nayarra, but she needed to be brave to squeeze through a narrowing gap between Vow and the far rail two furlongs out. Shirocco Star (16-1) closed in steadily towards the winning post, with 11-4 favourite The Fugue also doing her best work at the finish, but Was had enough in hand to hold on by a neck. The Fugue, clearly unsuited by the way the race panned out, finished a further half-length back in third. Having cost more than a million pounds at the sales, the immaculately bred Was came into the contest with just two runs under her belt so far, but lived up to her purchase price in style. "I had enough horse to take a couple of lengths when I...

Aidan O'Brien's Was claims victory in the Investec Oaks at Epsom in the hands of Seamie Heffernan.

Two top colts who were paddock playmates as foals confront each other for first time since in race that is the stuff of legend Horse racing is a hurricane of chance and possibility that never blows itself out. Rarely does the accumulator from an ordinary seven-race meeting return at less than 10,000-1. As betting-shop regulars will tell you with world-weary resignation, something incredible happens in racing every day, and they always see it a moment too late. Yet even the most jaundiced of punters will marvel at the story of the Derby at Epsom on Saturday afternoon, as three old acquaintances come together on the Downs in Surrey. Only nine horses will go to post for the world's most famous Classic, the smallest turnout for more than a century, and a third of the field – three out of nearly 16,000 thoroughbreds foaled in Britain and Ireland alone in 2009 – spent the formative months of their lives in the same paddock at Highclere Castle in Berkshire. One of the three, Minimise Risk,...

Camelot should win the Derby and Red Cadeaux can land the Coronation Cup under Ryan Moore Beverley 2.00 Boxing Shadows 2.30 Red Lover 3.00 Smoothtalkinrascal 3.35 Lolita Lebron 4.30 Diman Waters 5.05 Ballesteros 5.40 Eeny Mac 6.10 Tabaret Catterick 1.45 Herostatus 2.15 Just Like Heaven 2.45 Viking Warrior 3.20 Powerful Presence 4.20 One For Joules 4.55 Lucky Numbers 5.30 Miss Ellany Cartmel 6.15 An Capall Mor 6.45 Briscoe Place 7.15 Red Kingdom 7.45 Somewin 8.20 Mike Towey 8.50 Sud Pacifique 9.20 Claude Carter Epsom 1.35 Hajras 2.05 Euxton Hall 2.40 Red Cadeaux (nap) 3.15 Judge'n Jury 4.00 Camelot 4.50 Rock A Doodle Doo 5.25 Noverre To Go Haydock 1.40 Bayan 2.10 Lordofthehouse 2.35 Red Jazz 3.10 Dorcas Lane 3.40 Samminder 4.40 Ladies Are Forever 5.15 Heeraat Musselburgh 1.55 Tatlisu 2.25 Aleksandar 2.55 Excel Bolt (nb) 3.30 Clayton 4.25 Rasaman 5.00 Staff Sergeant Stratford 6.00 Adiynara 6.30 Up There 7.00 Plenty Pocket 7.30 King's Legacy 8.05 Rime Avec Gentil 8.35 Tara Royal 9.05...

The latest news from Oaks day at Epsom plus today's best bets and the climax of our weekly tipping competition 12.30pm Market movers Chris Cook: William Hill have weighed in with their movers so far today. Interestingly, the Oaks market doesn't seem to have moved at all. Does this mean no one knows what will happen? Encouragingly, there is plenty of money for horses tipped by the Guardian. Lay Time is 7-4 from 9-4 in the opener at 1.40pm, Gatewood 5-2 from 3s in the 2.15pm, Worthadd is 11-10 from 5-4 in the 2.50pm, Boogie Shoes is 9-2 from 11-2 in the 3.25pm and Laffan is 9-2 from 5s in the 5.25pm. Other horses, not tipped by the Guardian, are still being backed by some benighted souls, it seems. In the 2.15pm, Cry Fury is 8s from 9-1 and Borug 11-1 from 16s. Dance And Dance is 6-1 from 13-2 in Worthadd's race. while Lunar Deity is 14-1 from 33s in the 4.50pm. Highland Knight (8s from 11-1) and Unex El Greco (9s from 10s) are also being backed in the mile handicap featuring Boogie...

Trainer Andrew Balding says Bonfire's temperament will stand up to the test of the electric atmosphere of Saturday's Derby at Epsom.

Trainer Andrew Balding says Bonfire's temperament will stand up to the test of the electric atmosphere of Saturday's Derby at Epsom.

With Camelot looming tomorrow, and six fillies in the Investec Oaks today, Aidan O'Brien and his patrons at Coolmore have every chance of making it four wins from four British Classics this season.

A year after he proved unequal to the weight of patriotic expectation at Epsom, Carlton House last night did his duty on his return to action on the Betfair card at Sandown. His owner begins her Diamond Jubilee tomorrow by attending the Investec Derby as usual, and while Carlton House could manage only third when favourite for that race 12 months ago, his comeback in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes suggested that he could yet make the grade in elite company.

The withdrawal of three stablemates at the final declaration stage for the Investec Derby at Epsom tomorrow means that Camelot will face the smallest field since Orby likewise met just eight rivals in 1907. Imperial Monarch will instead contest the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly on Sunday, while the further defection of Tower Rock and Father Of Science leaves just Astrology, the front-running winner of the Dee Stakes at Chester, to escort the hot favourite from Ballydoyle. Astrology will be ridden by Ryan Moore.

• Godolphin jockey lights up Sandown on Gold Cup hope • Carlton House wins Brigadier Gerard for the Queen Epsom will miss the talent and showmanship of Frankie Dettori on Saturday, when he rides at Haydock rather than at the Derby meeting, but the racegoers at this high-quality evening meeting enjoyed both to the full. The Italian was a most popular winner of the Henry II Stakes on Opinion Poll, the 5-4 favourite, prompting a roar when he made his winning move and cheers as he performed a flying dismount. He later completed a double, on Cogito. Prolonged speculation as to his standing within Godolphin had reached fever pitch the previous evening, with misleading activity on Twitter suggesting he had either retired or become second rider to Mickaël Barzalona, neither of which is true. After dismounting from Opinion Poll, he made a jokey complaint that his dinner had been spoiled by persistent phone calls from journalists, then evaded further questions. Godolphin's spokesman, Simon...

The unbeaten filly Vow is set to enhance William Haggas's impressive 100 per cent Classic record at Epsom.

• Hughie Morrison-trained filly is an excellent each-way bet • Worthadd fancied for the other feature race on BBC2 Horses trained by Aidan O'Brien dominate the betting for Friday's Oaks, just as in the Derby a day later. But, whereas Camelot's credentials for Saturday's Classic are clear, the same is not true of Maybe and Kissed, his leading contenders in the fillies' race. Maybe has yet to race beyond a mile and, since her dam was a sprinter, there must be room for doubt as to whether she has the stamina for a mile and a half. Nor is there much encouragement to be taken from her remote third place in the 1,000 Guineas. She has possible excuses for that effort but there is little enough reason to back her at 11-4. Kissed, an 8-1 shot, is likely to stay this trip, having won a 10-furlong Listed race by eight lengths on her most recent start. Whether she can handle such a sound surface with her high, round action is another question, the suspicion being that she will not enjoy it. It is...

Coquet is the best bet of the day in the Oaks at Epsom Epsom 1.40 Lay Time 2.15 Gatewood 2.50 Worthadd 3.25 Boogie Shoes 4.05 Coquet (nap) 4.50 Producer 5.25 Laffan Brighton 1.50 Amazing Win 2.25 Birdman 3.00 Show Flower 3.35 Moresweets 'N Lace 4.15 Steely 4.45 Ansells Pride 5.15 Ostentation Haydock 6.20 Elspeth's Boy 6.50 Newstead Abbey 7.25 Ian's Dream 8.00 Amour Propre (nb) 8.30 Tawaasil 9.00 Emrani Newcastle 1.30 Chelwood Gate 2.00 Serjeant Buzfuz 2.35 Henry's Gift 3.10 Avison 3.45 Forget Me Not Lane 4.25 Al Wajba 5.00 Penang Pegasus 5.35 Crimea Pontefract 6.30 Talent Scout 7.00 King Kurt 7.35 New Pearl 8.10 Sardanaplus 8.40 Laverre 9.10 Shena's Dream Stratford 5.40 Lady Myfanwy 6.10 Swallows Delight 6.40 Jacks Grey 7.15 Monkerty Tunkerty 7.50 Pollen Jack 8.20 Salsify 8.50 Pequeno Diablo Horse racing tipsHorse racing Chris Cook guardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms &...

• The smallest field for over 100 years for colts' Classic • Aidan O'Brien runner is now a best-priced 4-6 shot The smallest field for the Derby for more than a century will also have one of the shortest-priced favourites in the Classic's 232-year history when Camelot, the 2,000 Guineas winner, and his eight opponents go to post at Epsom on Saturday afternoon. Aidan O'Brien's colt has been the ante-post favourite for the Derby since his victory in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster last autumn and his price has continued to shrink since his victory in the Newmarket Classic. On Thursday afternoon he was top-priced at 4-6 with Paddy Power and as short as 4-7 elsewhere. Tudor Minstrel, the beaten 4-7 favourite for the 1947 Derby, was the shortest-priced runner in the race since Cicero's win at 4-11 in 1905. Seventeen favourites have won the Derby since 1965 but in all there have been 14 beaten odds-on favourites, the most recent being Entrepreneur, who never looked comfortable when...

The latest news and best bets in our daily horse racing blog, plus win a £50 bet on the Derby Thursday's best bets, by Chris Cook The Queen's trainers are doing a grand job of providing Her Majesty with winners in the run-up to the diamond jubilee celebrations, Glittering Gold becoming her fifth of the season last night at Folkestone, at a strike-rate of 23%. Still, none of those five would come close to the significance of Carlton House winning tonight's Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown. Alas for the monarch, I don't think he's quite up to it, even though he's a shade of odds-on. This 10-furlong race often catches out horses who are stepping back in trip, especially when run on fast ground. North Light, the previous year's Derby winner, was caught out by a 12-1 shot when returning to action in this race in 2005, while Conduit, a Breeders' Cup winner, was pipped in 2009. Both were trained by Sir Michael Stoute, trainer of Carlton House, though he has also had six winners in the...

A sport gratified by the monarch's unswerving priorities – she will draw the nation's attention to Epsom on her Jubilee weekend, by attending the Investec Derby as usual – tonight welcomes back the colt who prompted so much patriotic fervour this time last year.

Despite being passed over for Godolphin's lone runner, Kailani, in Friday's Investec Oaks, jockey denies he is to retire.

• Trainer reveals riding plans for weekend's Classics • Ryan Moore has mount on well-fancied Astrology Details of Aidan O'Brien's running and riding plans for Saturday's Derby have begun to emerge. The Ballydoyle trainer has five horses still entered for the Classic but it appears that a maximum of four will take part as Imperial Monarch is now expected to miss the Epsom race in favour of Sunday's French Derby. Joseph O'Brien, the trainer's son, will ride the hot Derby favourite Camelot, as expected. Ryan Moore is in line for the ride on Astrology, while a decision will be taken on Friday morning about the participation of Tower Rock and Father Of Science, according to a report tweeted by the Racing Post. The going at Epsom remains good, good to firm in places and officials are waiting to see if any rain arrives before making a decision about artificial irrigation. "The last few nights we have had suggestions of thunderstorms that have missed us completely," said Andrew Cooper, the...

• Two younger jockeys to be given equal opportunities • No Oaks or Derby ride at Epsom for the Italian Frankie Dettori is no longer Godolphin's principal jockey. It has taken the racing world some time to digest this but the message has finally got home with the booking of Mickaël Barzalona to ride the team's sole runner in this weekend's Epsom Classics and it was confirmed on Wednesday by Godolphin's spokesman, Simon Crisford. "Rides will be split across the board," he said in reference to the team's three jockeys, Dettori, Barzalona and Silvestre de Sousa. "They will all get equal opportunities. Frankie has to share the cake and he understands that." Crisford discussed the signing of Barzalona and De Sousa in Dubai in March, when he said: "It's not like there's going to be a pecking order." He was understood to mean that the others would compete for second-string rides behind the Italian but his true meaning now becomes clear. "We brought in two new, young jockeys and it is...

Irish trainer already has both this year's English Guineas in the bag and his Classic domination appears poised to continue.

Miss Blink at Ayr is the best bet of the day Sandown 6.15 Barathea Dancer 6.45 Sir Prancealot 7.20 Askar Tau 7.55 I'm A Dreamer 8.25 Irish History (nb) 8.55 Highland Colori Ayr 1.40 Jillnextdoor 2.10 Lupin Pooter 2.40 Profile Star 3.15 Insolenceofoffice 3.45 Amazing Win 4.20 Royal Straight 4.55 Miss Blink (nap) 5.25 Florio Vincitore Brighton 2.00 Boleyn 2.30 Dubai Glory 3.05 Aiaam Al Wafa 3.35 Chignon 4.10 Ibtahaj 4.45 Lightning Spirit 5.15 Authoritarian 5.45 Cheylesmore Newcastle 6.05 Ingleby Royale 6.35 Sojoum 7.10 Dream Win 7.45 Everlong 8.15 Rainbow Gold 8.45 Manager Mick 9.20 Misplaced Fortune Ffos Las 2.20 Roses Legend 2.50 Kack Handed 3.25 Al Co 4.00 Domino Dancer 4.30 Tarvini 5.05 Numen 5.35 Sensible And Fair Wetherby 5.55 Glenora Gale 6.25 Stonethrower 7.00 Amuse Me 7.35 Tears From Heaven 8.05 Dj Milan 8.35 Rash Move 9.10 Kapdor Horse racing tipsHorse racing Chris Cook guardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. |...

The latest news and best bets in our daily horse racing blog, plus win a £50 bet on the Derby Wednesday's best bets, by Chris Cook I read some sad news on Twitter this morning: Nine De Sivola has died after an illness, according to a couple of racehorse owners who post on there. The 11-year-old with Ferdy Murphy had bundles of talent but, incredibly, never won a race over fences, despite finishing second in both the Scottish and Irish Nationals in his novice season. It was five years ago now that he ran Butlers Cabin to a length at Fairyhouse and then, a fortnight later, was held off by Hot Weld by half a length at Ayr. He may well have got his win in the National Hunt Chase at that year's Cheltenham Festival if he had not fallen three-out when travelling well, that race also being won by Butlers Cabin. He suffered with injuries after that and his handicap rating remained very high for a long time. Still, it is amazing to me that such a talented beast, who raced as recently as March,...

Their second child is due within days, but David Lanigan yesterday reported his wife and secretary to be still diligently at her desk in the office of their new stables in Lambourn. Should things start happening sooner than anticipated, Amy knows just what to expect – above all on Saturday, when her husband will have no less a distraction than an unbeaten colt in the Investec Derby. "For our first-born, she drove herself to the hospital," Lanigan confessed. "I joined her there after third lot."

Coolmore's 2,000 Guineas hero is odds on for the ultimate test of a three year old. And it is utterly logical that he is

• Colt triumphed in Classic trial at Lingfield this month • Jockey believes Epsom will suit his fancied mount "It's really exciting," said Ted Durcan at Lingfield on Tuesday as he pondered his chance of winning the Derby on Main Sequence this weekend. "Everyone in the world wants to be riding in these races. "I do appreciate how lucky I am to have a live ride. A lot of much better riders than I, over the years, haven't been able to win a Classic. I've been lucky to win an Oaks and a Leger. I hope my luck won't run out on Saturday." Frankie Dettori will watch this Derby from the weighing room, as will big names like Kieren Fallon, Mickaël Barzalona, Johnny Murtagh and Richard Hughes, unless they are called up by Aidan O'Brien for his third, fourth or fifth-string runners. Meanwhile Durcan is one of three very experienced jockeys for whom the race represents a rare shot at the Classic that matters most of all. Now 39, he has had a couple of big jobs, as second jockey to Godolphin and...

Lady Kashaan at Beverley is the best bet of the day AYR: 2.10 Party Royal 2.40 Madam Bonny 3.10 Style And Panache 3.40 Orbit The Moon 4.10 Social Rhythm 4.40 Vittachi 5.10 Shaker Style BEVERLEY: 6.35 Salacia 7.05 Soshoni Wind 7.35 Lasilia (nb) 8.05 Sabhan 8.35 Lady Kashaan (nap) 9.05 Unknown Rebel FOLKESTONE: 5.45 Yankee Storm 6.15 Mingun Bell 6.45 Red Adair 7.15 Esprit Dancer 7.45 Backtrade 8.15 Glittering Gold 8.45 Naseem Alyasmeen NEWTON ABBOT: 2.00 Kings Lad 2.30 Battle Group 3.00 Lord Lescribaa 3.30 Beside The Fire 4.00 Battlecat 4.30 Woodlark Island 5.00 Flanshan SEDGEFIELD: 2.20 Ghaabesh 2.50 Whatshallwedo 3.20 The Darling Boy 3.50 Ballyvonee 4.20 Solaras Exhibition 4.50 Sonic Anthem 5.20 Mount Hope Horse racing tipsHorse racing Chris Cook guardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Don't get caught dressing inappropriately at Royal Ascot this year, follow this handy guide to the dress code, plus put your style queries to Lisa Armstrong.

The latest news and best bets in our daily horse racing blog, plus win a £50 bet on the Derby Tuesday's best bets, by Chris Cook Cathy Gannon, firmly established as the most popular jockey among those of you who post comments on Talking Horses, is proving her resilience once more, having ridden four winners since her return to action last week. She had been on the sidelines with a broken jaw, which itself followed shortly after her return from a broken leg. The superstitious will be waiting for her third piece of misfortune but let's hope this tough, determined rider can get a clear run through the rest of the season. She has a fine chance of another winner today in Bermondsey Bob (2.30) at Chepstow. He comes from the John Spearing yard that has a 24% strike-rate here, to which he has made his own contribution, winning three times from five runs at the track. That record is even more impressive when you consider that he beat fields of 16, 13 and nine for those wins, albeit he...