Laurens tenaciously repelling boarders to win the Prix de Diane at Chantilly for trainer Karl Burke, jockey P J McDonald and the Middleham team
York’s Macmillan Cancer Support raceday generating close on £500,000 for the charity, taking the total money raised since the fixture’s inception in 1971 to over £8m
Naas carrying out alterations on a bend, where jockeys were concerned about the state of the ground resulting in the loss of two races, which have now been tested and meet riders’ approval
Yorkshire trainers going through the card at the Knavesmire on Friday and adding four more wins at Saturday’s big charity fixture
BHA taking further measures to make novice races more competitive by preventing older, more experienced horses from contesting such race and amending the penalty structure
Franny Norton riding a treble at Chester, including one from stall eight in a 6f race
“Bridley’s Lettice has run a little gem of a race” Richard Hoiles commentating
Gordon Elliott ending a quiet period with a season-first treble at Downpatrick
Senior executives from Arena Racing Company, including chief executive Martin Cruddace, visiting Worcester to placate connections and promising improvements after strong criticism of the track’s owners and trainers’ facilities
The planned train strike which would have impacted travel to Ascot being suspended
No harm coming to trainer Rebecca Bastiman, those travelling with her and a runner, Indian Chief, when a motorcyclist seemingly crashed into the back of their horsebox on the way to York – the horse had to be cut free and the motorcyclist is recovering from broken ribs and bleeding on the chest
STEWARDS ROOM
…and what hasn’t been so good
Ascot having to introduce additional sniffer dogs and breathalysers for arriving racegoers suspected of being inebriated – in under five minutes three people at an entrance to Sandown Park were intercepted by sniffer dogs
Raul de Silva receiving a 21-day ban for striking Jim Crowley in a weighing-room altercation at Goodwood
The Times posting a picture of Kauto Star when reporting the death of Denman
The London Evening Standard describing Lizzie Kelly as a “horse jockey” in an online feature on Royal Ascot
The London Evening Standard devoting less than a quarter-page to the first day of Royal Ascot and that’s with Ascot heavily advertising in the paper
