Equinties - the Brocklesby King

Gm Equinauts

Sadly, legendary veteran trainer Bill Turner died yesterday. Here’s a touching interview with his daughter Kathy.

We’re not crying, you’re crying!

Let’s dive in.

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BILL TURNER

William "Bill" Turner was celebrating his 78th birthday only Sunday but sadly now, is no longer with the racing world after a freak accident on his yard - with out even a damned race horse involved!

Based in Sigwells, Somerset, he was renowned for his remarkable success in the Brocklesby Stakes at Doncaster, which he won six times between 1996 and 2013.

Starting as a jump jockey in 1968, Turner transitioned to training in 1979 after a leg injury, achieving his first Flat win with BAZZ’S BOY that year. His mastery with precocious two-year-olds led to victories in the Brocklesby with horses like INDIAN SPARK (1996), THE LORD (2002), SPOOF MASTER (2006), SALLYS DILEMA (2008), HE’S SO COOL (2011), and MICKS YER MAN (2013), the latter ridden by his grandson Ryan While, marking a career highlight.

Turner's ability to prepare juveniles for the first two-year-old race of the Flat season earned him the nickname "Brocklesby King”.

Beyond the Brocklesby, Turner’s 46-year career included Listed wins with THE LORD (2006 Achilles Stakes) and MICKS YER MAN (2014 Pavilion Stakes), alongside other notable victories like YOURS BY RIGHT (1992 Golden Gates Nursery). Operating a small stable, he trained both Flat and jump horses, with his last win coming in June 2025 with SPUDDLING at Windsor.

Known for his hands-on approach, Turner rode out daily until age 75 and was celebrated for his passion, mentoring many in racing, and even taming a zebra for publicity. His death yesterday, following a skull fracture from a stable accident, marked the end of a storied career that left a lasting legacy in British racing.

RIP the Brocklesby King.

AN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIR

Think about races we’ve been excited for this season. The Coral-Eclipse is one, and the Sussex Stakes is another. There’s nothing quite like three-year-olds taking on their elders, and while we didn’t actually get to see this in the Eclipse, the Juddmonte International could provide exactly that next Wednesday at the York Ebor Festival.

We say could, because it’s not the greatest Juddmonte we’ve seen in recent years. Hell, last year’s race with CITY OF TROY, CALANDAGAN, GHOSTWRITER, BLUESTOCKING, DUREZZA, DOCKLANDS, ALFALILA, and more was a corker.

But still, next week’s race should let us see the oldies against the youngsters. Yes, WHIRL and MINNIE HAUK will likely miss the race, and ANMAAT could skip it if the ground is too hard, but the top five all have solid cases behind them winning, and we got some new news about the race yesterday.

The first involves a pacemaker. You know what pacemakers are, right? Those horses who get put into races and aren’t supposed to win but sometimes do at three figure odds?

Anyway, Godolphin are set to supplement Andre Fabre’s BIRR CASTLE for the Juddmonte International in order to set the pace for OMBUDSMAN. The five-year-old will join the Gosdens temporarily ahead of the Juddmonte International, so it really seems like Godolphin are taking no chances with OMBUDSMAN this time around.

Why are they doing it? Well, John Gosden felt like the Eclipse didn’t run to suit, as he said: “The Eclipse was a muddling race and we didn’t want the prospect of a repeat, so Godolphin have kindly provided us with a nice horse to use as a pacemaker and he arrives sometime today.

"It’s no good putting something like a 75-rated horse in there as they can’t do the job. Hopefully Ombudsman can get a nice pace to aim at next week.

“This is just a one-off, the plan is for Birr Castle to return to Andre after the race.”

This is race tactics taken to the next level, and why not? It’s their money and horses, and ultimately, if we get to see the best version of OMBUDSMAN because of it, then that has to be a positive.

BIRR CASTLE isn’t the only French-trained horse in the Juddmonte, as it was confirmed that DARYZ will run.

Now, there had been plenty of speculation regarding the SEA THE STARS three-year-old running in the race because the updates around him had been fairly infrequent. Furthermore, he was the only entrant in the Prix Guillaume D’Ornano for the Aga Khan, and they sponsor that race. But, due to a nice piece of work on Thursday morning, he will head to York. Exciting.

"Daryz worked this morning and worked very well, so we're going to run in the International at York," said Nemone Routh, racing manager for Aga Khan Studs. "He worked with Sibayan and Surabad, who are both Group horses.

"The horse is in top form and obviously it's a massive step up for him and it's going to be very tough, but Francis feels this is his distance and he'll probably have his ground so we're going to go. It might come a bit early in his career but we've decided to go."

So, we have the reigning Eclipse winner, the impressive Prince Of Wales’s winner, a Japanese raider who beat CALANDAGAN on his last start, a Group 1 filly who is two from two at the track, an unbeaten French raider, and last year’s Champion Stakes winner all in contention for the Juddmonte.

When it’s put like that, the race would excite anyone.

ROAD TO REDEMPTION

Ralph Beckett has made a huge, huge decision, and fair play, it was very brave of him. QIRAT, this season’s Group 1 Sussex Stakes winner, will not run in the Clipper Handicap at York off 108.

Beckett doesn’t know what he’s doing with QIRAT yet – could he go to the Prix du Moulin, maybe – but Beckett has some ideas for PRIDE OF ARRAS and AMILOC, two horses who are both owned by David Aykroyd.

They were both entered for the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York, and it was always going to be interesting to see which one went. They may both be only three-year-olds sporting baby blue and white silks, but they come with very different profiles now as one is unbeaten in five and the other has been beaten by a combined distance of 70 lengths in his last two races.

So, what call has Beckett made? It’s PRIDE OF ARRAS, fresh from a wind-op, to the Great Voltigeur, and AMILOC will head for the Irish St Leger.

He said: “Amiloc will go to the Irish Leger. Pride Of Arras has been gelded, and he’s been working well, so hopefully, he can put it all back together again.

“I think the gelding operation has made a difference. We’ll see next week, but it makes sense to take him back to where he enjoyed himself. It’s going to be a warm edition, and he has a penalty as well, but it seems like a good fit.”

That seems smart. If LAMBOURN goes, he could be hard to beat, and CARMERS could well go as well, but still, he did look very good in the Dante. It will take a mountain of faith to trust him in the Voltigeur, but it could be a proper race.

ANOTHER ONE

LADY IMAN, ARIZONA BLAZE, ASFOORA, SAYIDAH DARIYAN, and SPICY MARG. These are the horses we’ve done newsletter pieces on regarding the Nunthorpe, and at a time when the top sprinting division is a bit ‘meh’, it’s lovely to see this famous race shaping up to be a big field event full of classy juvenile and experienced talent.

Well, we have another one to add to the list, as Jack Davidson thinks SHE’S QUALITY “is the one they all have to beat”. Okay. SHE’S QUALITY is a nice horse, but ultimately, she is rated 108, her biggest win to date is in a Listed race, and she has always found one too good so far this season (she’s finished second in all her four starts!). She did look like winning the Coral Charge at Sandown two starts ago, but her finishing effort was saw her get chinned by our selection RUMSTAR.

Still, she look to have improved this season now as a 4yo - we’ve always said horses get better with age if they’re just allowed to train on!

She will be travelling to York for the first time, and is a10/1 shot for the race and Davison is bullish. He said: "I think York is going to suit her even better than Goodwood. I suppose you could call it the British equivalent of Tipperary in that it's such a sharp five furlongs and all about speed. It feels like the track was invented for her.

"She's got so much natural speed and she has the pace to put the race to bed. I know I'm biased, but I think she's the one to beat in the Nunthorpe.

"She could not be in a better place than she is right now. It was a very efficient losing performance at Goodwood. She's learning to race properly with every run and she did things the right way at Goodwood. She got cover, gradually moved through the gears and finished out her race. I know she didn't win, but I couldn't have been any happier with the run.

"I genuinely could not be any happier with her going into the race. I can't wait for it and, as I said, I do think she is the one they all have to beat."

We love the bullishness, and she has been well-backed, but to a set of objective eyes, she does have to improve. She also has to do this while giving 24lbs away to the SPICY MARG and LADY IMAN, which will not be easy.

RISK ON

We’re excited to watch the 16.35 with SNOW MASTER. He looked very good last year and will be tough to beat if fit and ready to after such a long lay off.

There is huge value in the stat horse today who should be half the price. Looks a great ew.

Else where we like:

14.05 GASCONY

Write off his last race in heavy ground, before that he nearly won and had a couple of these behind him. We think he wins at 11/4.

15.40 BUTTERFLY BEACH

Well regarded at home and should strip a whole lot fitter than her debut where she was a bit fat.

16.10 BOW ECHO

Bougheys horses might be turning a corner in the coming weeks and this is one of his better ones. 11/8. Also small bet on ARMSTRONG to beat the fave in the 14.15 at 10’s. You could bet without fave to lever BOW ECHO.

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