Maddy Playle

2 days ago | racingpost.com | Maddy Playle

Jamie Snowden sent just one horse to the track and came back with a birthday winner after Roger Pol landed the 2m7½f handicap hurdle. The seven-year-old was pulled up on his latest start over fences at Kempton in February and was last of the three runners at the top of the home straight. He did not look likely to land the spoils until just before the final hurdle, which he took in excellent style from Pounding Poet.

2 days ago | racingpost.com | Harry Wilson |Maddy Playle

There isn’t a great deal that separates top-class handicappers from Pattern performers and this contest has done a great job at providing a stepping stone to better company in recent years. There has been a Group 3 winner, three Listed scorers, and four placed in Group 3 company or higher, as well as a subsequent Grade 1 winner over hurdles, in the last ten runnings.

2 days ago | racingpost.com | Keith Melrose |Maddy Playle

The Coronation Cup is perhaps best seen less as a relative to the Derby and Oaks, and more like the Prince of Wales's at Royal Ascot in a couple of weeks. They represent the last chances over 1m4f and 1m2f for older horses to grab a Group 1 before the three-year-olds join the fray. Of the last ten winners, four were landing their first Group 1, while a further three joined the Group 1-winners club the previous autumn.

3 days ago | racingpost.com | Maddy Playle

It’s somewhat ironic given it has been hit by a €20 million prize-money cut in recent weeks, but several signs point towards French racing being in rude health. As well as training greats like Andre Fabre and Jean-Claude Rouget, the nation is home to one of global racing’s rising forces in Francis Graffard, and the value of its races has been too good to ignore for the likes of Amy Murphy and Adam West on the Flat and Noel George over jumps.

4 days ago | racingpost.com | Maddy Playle

Six-horse trainer Justin Landy got the better of six-time champion Nicky Henderson when Do No Wrong ran out an 11-length winner of the 3m½f handicap chase under Brian Hughes. The nine-year-old was following up a recent point-to-point win at Witton Castle when scoring from favourite Bective Abbey, registering his second win over course and distance.