Richard Guest’s travelling head lad, Richard Thompson, found safe after going missing for over a week – he was discovered in Ripon and is now spending time with his family in Scotland
A gift to headline writers, the John Gosden trained Too Darn Hot firing up the Sandown crowd when scorching home in the Solario Stakes after Frankie Dettori turned on the burners half-way up the finishing straight to put the heat on his rivals and becoming a warm favourite for the Derby (Enough puns, Ed)
Ten Sovereigns following up his debut win a week earlier with an emphatic win in the Round Tower Stakes at the Curragh for team Ballydoyle and giving every impression he’s a genuine prospect for top honours next season
The father and son combination of trainer Aiden O’Brien and jockey Donnacha O’Brien landing a four-timer at the Curragh, including Ten Sovereigns, with Joseph O’Brien also training a winner with brother Donnacha aboard
Take Cover winning the William Hill Beverley Bullet Stakes for the second year in a row at the age of 11 after shooting from the stalls, tracking to the far rail and never getting headed – the David Griffiths trainer sprinter will have his final race in Newbury’s Dubai International Airport World Trophy later this month, a race he also won last year
Royston French returning to action after receiving multiple injuries in a fall at Jebel Ali in January and riding a winner three days into his comeback
Nineteen-years-old Cieren Fallon, son of Kieren, coming second on his debut ride at Thirsk only eighteen months after he’d taken up riding
Bryony Frost continuing to recover from internal injuries, which have now healed, after being unseated and trodden on at Newton Abbot in early July – a return to race-riding is still to be confirmed but the 23-year-old jockey is hoping to be back when the jump season gathers pace
Seven winning favourites at Ripon
York Racecourse hosting a charity ball on 27 October in memory of former jockey Laura Barry who died last month at the age of 25 from cancer – money raised will go to three charities who helped her during her illness: Injured Jockeys Fund, Macmillan Cancer Support and Sarcoma UK
Trainer John Bridger announcing the retirement of 17yo Megalala who won 20 races, eight at Brighton, and was placed 32 times from 148 starts
Racing returning to Bath this week after dry weather made the ground too quick forcing the cancellation of five summer fixtures
STEWARDS ROOM
…and what hasn’t been so good
Jockey Dave Crosse, who returned to race-riding a fortnight ago following a three-month layoff due to a fractured thumb, facing a further long-term spell on the side-lines after a work-riding fall in which he suffered multiple fractures to his humorous
The Curragh, undergoing a €70m redevelopment due to be completed by next April, being forced to tear-up and rebuild part of its new parade ring because it is deemed unsafe for races with large fields
Chepstow abandoning a meeting after two races because of unsafe ground – an upcoming fixture is being moved to Ffos Las
Some rails bookmakers at Saturday’s Sandown card complaining that after four races they’d not taken enough bets to cover the day’s expenses
Despite full notification, Lingfield experiencing some non-runners because trainers hadn’t realised that two sprint races due to run on the turf were switched to the all-weather track because of drainage problems
Trainer Peter Hedger being fined £140 at Epsom when a member of his team squirted water at a horse which was refusing to go down to the start – such practice is normal and does not harm the horse and sense prevailed to a point when the fine was changed to a caution
