Nick Luck Daily Podcast

Nick is at Royal Ascot, where he is joined on Day One by Racing Post senior writer Lee Mottershead to look ahead to a sublime day of sport. They look ahead to the potential epic between Nature Strip and Golden Pal, with a notable contribution at the track this morning from the latter's trainer Wesley Ward. With the TRC rankings in flux, James Willoughby assesses the likely impact of the first few races, while Jamie Hart considers how world pool punters might play the International horses and offers exotic possibilities for the Queen Anne. Later in the show Nick talks to Gaie Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, successful bidders at £1.2m for Derby runner-up Hoo Ya Mal at the Goffs London Sale, while farrier Barry Oldman explains his role during Ascot week.

Nick is joined by broadcaster and journalist Cornelius Lysaght to discuss the news and events from around the racing world today. With the focus firmly on Royal Ascot this week, Nick and Cornelius discuss the key themes that are likely to arise from the five days and which ones could bring the most attention to the meeting. With a strong squad assembled for The Queen, Nick talks to her racing manager John Warren about his hopes for the week, including longer term ambitions for Hampton Court favourite Reach for the Moon and which horses he thinks might be best treated in the handicaps. Nick also talks to Rod Lyons, owner of star Aussie sprinter Nature Strip, who runs in tomorrow's King's Stand. Cornelius plucks out one or two horses that impressed him over the weekend, looks back at the action from Belmont Park, while HBA Media supremo Frank Sale joins the show to talk about the extensive international coverage of the Royal meeting this week.

In this episode of the Saturday Edition, Charlotte Greenway looks forward to Royal Ascot next week with a range of domestic and international connections.

John Gosden gives an update on some of his biggest players next week including Stradivarius and Inspiral along with Ralph Beckett who has Scope and Prosperous Voyage.

Amo Racing looks to have a strong hand in the 2-year-old division with the likes of Brocklesby winner Persian Force and racing manager Emily Scott outlines their targets, one of which is trained by Michael O'Callaghan and he discusses his best chances of the week.

We're set to see whether the Australian sprinters are as superior as they say as two of their best have made the journey over. Both trained by Chris Waller, he provides a positive update while US trainer Graham Motion is looking for his first Royal Ascot winner and chats about the chances of Spendarella providing him with this.

Nick is joined by Mirror journalist David Yates to discuss the latest news and events from around the racing world. They lead with the continuing fallout over the collapse of the BHA's initial proposals to cut three hundred races from the calendar to stem the growing uncompetitiveness of the sport. Nick has spoken to a number of racing's leaders in an attempt to determine the thought processes behind the decision to go back to the drawing board. With Royal Ascot on the horizon, we hear from Aussie star trainer Chris Waller on why he took his horses for a leg stretch at the track this morning, while Irish trainer Michael O'Callaghan spins us through his big hopes for the week. Tattersalls Jimmy George outlines the likeliest winners of the Craven bonuses next week, while we enjoy our weekly catch up with Racing Welfare courtesy of Simone Sear, and James Willoughby talks Derby, Oaks and this weekend's Belmont Stakes in our rankings update with TRC.

Tom in for Nick and joined by senior writer at the Racing Post Lee Mottershead to discuss the news that the BHA's proposal to remove 300 races from the British programme is to be shelved. Lee gives his views and we hear from the Chief Executive of the National Trainers Federation Paul Johnson - the NTF who were very much in favour of the proposal. We also have an updated statement from the BHA on the matter. It's Royal Ascot International Challengers Media Morning in Newmarket and we have an update from the camp of US challenger Spendarella who is set for the Coronation Stakes. We also hear from John Gosden on his filly Inspiral and his Gold Cup challenger and former winner Stradivarius.

Nick is joined by writer and broadcaster Lydia Hislop to discuss the news and events from around the racing world today. They lead with the proposal to cut 300 races from the GB calendar in order to increase the competitiveness of the sport, and ponder whether racing's leaders will enable that at a meeting of the executive committee today. Elsewhere, Nick talks to Leigh Jordon, Executive GM racing at the VRC about a massive prize money injection in Victoria, while Emily Scott, racing manager to AMO Racing gives the lowdown on their 2 year olds for Royal Ascot. Jim McGrath and jockey Harry Bentley both bring news from Hong Kong, while Hughie Morrison explains why Quickthorn won't be supplemented for next week's Gold Cup and shares his thoughts on horses he's looking forward to running.

Nick is joined by RTE and Racing TV personality Jane Mangan to celebrate 500 editions of the daily podcast since its inception in July 2020. Looking ahead to Royal Ascot with news from across the globe, they talk to Channel 7's Jason Richardson, who gives a bullish assessment of the Aussie sprinters, and also explains why riding sensation Jamie Kah may be set for a key mount. Nick also catches up with Graham Motion on the chances of Spendarella in the Coronation Stakes, while NBC's Matt Bernier gives his take on Irad Ortiz, the US Ascot challenge and this weekend's Belmont Stakes. After Westover's luckless run in the Derby, Ralph Beckett discusses bold plans for his star colt, while looking ahead to Scope and Prosperous Voyage in Ascot's Group Ones next week. Richard Philips drops in to talk through National Racehorse Week this year, while Goffs Director Nick Nugent is on hand as this week's Weatherbys Bloodstock Guest to preview both the Land Rover and London Sales.

Nick is joined by Daily Mirror writer David Yates to discuss the news and events from around the racing world today. The lead with all the fallout from the Derby, from Desert Crown's resounding victory and his running plans, to the strength of the race, to where the placed horses might end up. Joining the conversation are Andrew Balding, trainer of the second and fourth, and Richard Brown, who bought the Derby winner as a yearling. Nick and Dave also discuss the fireworks before the Derby, the all-male Derby Club dinner and the Racing TV Split screen and late races at Epsom. Nick talks in some depth to Christophe Soumillon, who won yesterday's Prix du Jockey Club on the impressive Vadeni.

In this episode of the Saturday Edition, Charlotte Greenway looks ahead to UK's most famous flat race, the Epsom Derby.

Bruce Raymond is racing manager to Saeed Suhail, who owns the favourite, Desert Crown, and he makes comparisons between this horse and the 2003 winner of this race Kris Kin.

Peter Branch, who bred and co-owns, the second favourite and Aidan O'Brien's first string, Stone Age, explains what it means to have a runner in the English Derby, having won so many big races around the world, including the Kentucky Derby.

Then, with recordings from the Cazoo Derby Gallops morning, Charlie Appleby and Ralph Beckett discuss their contenders while Charlie Fellowes hopes his outsider, Grand Alliance, outrun his odds for his locally born owner.

Nick is joined by journalist and broadcaster Lydia Hislop to discuss the latest news and events from around the racing world. Today, Nick and Lydia come to you from Epsom Downs on Oaks Day, and give you the lowdown on this year's Derby, with added contributions from many of their press room colleagues. As well as previews of the three big races, they also discuss the essence of the day out at Epsom in the company of the Wine Tipster, Neil Phillips, while James Willoughby looks at the big races through the prism of the TRC Global Rankings, picking out a lively outsider in each of the weekend's features. RMG's Seb Vance talks about the impact of the Platinum Jubilee on International TV distribution, while the Tote's Jamie Hart introduces this weekend's world pool opportunities.