Racing week: Pastoral Pursuits retires

A fortnight after Pastoral Pursuits’ outstanding Group 1 victory in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket comes the news that he has sustained a minor leg injury, which will prevent his planned Group 1 campaign this summer.

Heat in his near foreleg led to a scan, after which it was advised that the horse would need a month or two off before training could commence. As the National Stud owns 40% of Pastoral Pursuits and is contracted to purchase the remaining 60% at the end of his racing career concerned parties have agreed he should retire.

“In the best interests of the horse we should retire him early rather than risk running him before complete recovery was assured,” said National Stud chairman Andrew Parrish, “You can’t win Group 1 races at less than 100% and we really don’t have time this season to get him there”.

Pastoral Pursuits will join his sire, Bahamian Bounty at the National Stud to stand for the 2006 season.

Proclamation defeats Soviet Song

Proclamation stormed to victory in the feature event at Goodwood on Wednesday, denying favourite Soviet Song a second win in the Group 1 and her quest to become the first back-to-back winner of the Sussex Stakes.

The grey, three year old colt is trained by Jeremy Noseda and ridden by Mick Kinane whose tactical riding ensured Proclamation held off Soviet Song by half a length, with Ad Valorem two and half lengths back in third.

New owner Princess Haya was present to see Proclamation provide her with her biggest success in racing to date.

New fixtures list revealed

Racing revealed its new competitive fixtures list on Thursday, reflecting direct bidding between racecourses. The chaotic computer bidding process ensured that prime Saturday slots raised more that £5,000 each for the BHB.

The reinforcement of the all-weather programmes is one of the most visible changes along with a further increase in jumps meetings. The BHB is extremely pleased at the addition of 11 jumps fixtures, aiming to have two jump meetings every day of the core season in the next few years.

Great Leighs, the first new racecourse in nearly a century will stage 24 fixtures when it opens in October. Kempton’s rival all-weather track is set to host 49 and Newbury, where construction of a dirt circuit has yet to begin, has claimed two meetings.

Watch this space

Things could get interesting in the race for the top jockey award at Glorious Goodwood with six jockeys all with two wins. Wins yesterday for Martin Dwyer, Mick Kinane, Adrian Nicholls and Seb Sanders have enabled them to join Kieren Fallon and Joe Fanning at the top. Sanders and Kinane will finish on two wins but Dwyer, Nicholls, Fanning and Fallon are all in action again today.

A good week for

Martin Pipe has been cleared of any wrong doing with regards to There is No Doubt, who, having been imported from France and his name changed from Le Saadian, went on to win a spectacular gamble at Exeter last December just weeks after being sold to the late Helen Bridges by Pipe.

A bad week for

Jockey James Mackay who broke his wrist in a fall at Musselburgh on Wednesday and apprentice Dominic Fox who broke his left shin in four places in a paddock accident at Leicester on Wednesday night.

And finally

Betfair is full of the spirit of good will this week, naming Racing Welfare as its charity of the year as well as launching a Pride of Racing Award to be presented at a fundraising dinner in October. For more information or to place a nomination visit: www.racingwelfare.co.uk

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now