Nick Luck Daily Podcast

Nick is joined by RTE and Racing TV broadcaster Jane Mangan to discuss the news and events from around the racing world today. With 2 days until the Derby, Jane makes her case for the horse that represents the strongest Irish challenge to favourite Desert Crown, while Nick talks to Peter Brant, the owner/breeder of Stone Age. We hear from Hollie Doyle about Oaks fancy Nashwa and what a British Classic would mean to her career, while trainer Owen Burrows drops by to talk about Hukum in the Coronation Cup, which sparks an argument between Nick and Jane as to the merit of the race. Jen Gates joins from Racing Welfare to discuss National Volunteers Week.

Nick is joined by Racing Post senior writer Lee Mottershead to discuss the news and events from around the racing world today. The centrepiece of today's episode is an extended interview with the incoming chair of the BHA, Joe Saumarez Smith, his first day in the role coinciding with a new strategy for the sport that seeks to cement the BHA's place in its governance structure. Nick asks Saumarez Smith whether he conceives of racing primarily as an industry or a sport and whether he will be granted the authority to lead by his stakeholders. As the Cazoo Derby Festival approaches, Nick talks to Clerk of the Course Andrew Cooper for an update on the ground and uncertain weather forecast, while trainer Charlie Fellowes and syndicate manager Tony Elliott talk about their Epsom dreams with Grand Alliance (Derby) and Rogue Millennium (Oaks) respectively. JA McGrath provides his weekly update from Hong Kong with reminiscences of Lester Piggott.

Nick is joined by ITV and Racing TV broadcaster Rishi Persad to discuss the news and events from around the racing world. In this specially extended edition, Nick talks to the PJA's Dale Gibson, jockey and PJA Flat Racing President and Safety Officer PJ McDonald and Goodwood Clerk Ed Arkell in a bid to understand what is happening on Britain's racecourses to have caused 4 abandonments for slippery and unsafe surfaces in the last 5 racing days. Nick and Rishi consider the economic impact of this crisis and the responsibilities now on the racecourses and the BHA to prevent this happening again. They also examine the reactions from the tracks themselves and wonder whether the political tensions within the sport's power structures are simmering to the surface through this issue. Later in the show, Nick talks to Bruce Raymond, racing manager to Saeed Suhail, owner of the Derby favourite Desert Crown, while Kevin Sommerville from South Africa's prestigious Drakenstein Stud is this week's Weatherbys Bloodstock Guest.

Nick is joined by a wide array of personalities and professionals from around the racing world to pay tribute to Lester Piggott, the greatest of his generation and one of the most influential figures the sport has ever seen. Piggott died yesterday at the age of 86 in Switzerland. Among Nick's guests are Tom Magnier and Ben Sangster, scions of the dynasty that founded Coolmore in whose establishment Piggott was such a crucial part. Nick also talks to trainers Luca Cumani and Andre Fabre, to jockeys Kieren Fallon and Jimmy Quinn, and to Vincent Rossiter - the man who became close to Piggott through their time with Sir Ivor at Ballydoyle. TV personality Steve Mellish remembers Lester from a punter's perspective , while the Daily Mirror's Dave Yates provides and overview of Piggott's place in the sport.

In this episode, Charlotte Greenway revisits John Gosden's comments from earlier in the week regarding the favourite and second favourite for the Oaks next Friday, Emily Upjohn and Nashwa.

Then looking ahead to this weekend's racing we hear from Lydia Hislop and Nick Luck as they have their say on the two French Group 1s on Sunday.

Then, on Sunday in Germany, we will see the return of last year's shock Arc winner, Toquator Tasso, and assistant trainer Julia Romich provides a very positive update as well as highlighting his likely targets for the season.

Finally, on Saturday Zaaki will look to add another Group 1 to his CV in Australia and his jockey, James McDonald, gives an update on his wellbeing since his last race 3 weeks ago and makes a strong case for him on the back of his last win.

Nick is joined by writer and broadcaster Lydia Hislop to canter through the key news and events from around the racing world today. The cover the sparkling seasonal debut from Bay Bridge at Sandown last night and discuss where he likely to fit at Royal Ascot before reflecting on this morning's confirmation of Godolphin's Nations Pride as a supplementary to the Derby field. They also cover the Coolmore court case into contaminated feed, the likely date for a decision on the proposed race cutting in 2023, and RCA Chair Wilf Walsh's comments in a Racing Post interview as well as looking ahead to the Group One action in France this weekend. Nick talks to Charlie Budgett of Kirtlington Stud about winning a Darley nomination to Harry Angel and the family ties that fuel his ambition to breed a Derby winner, while milliner Lisa Tan talks Epsom, Ascot and an important fundraising opportunity for brain tumour research. James Willoughby covers the globe in our weekly quest to rank the world's top racehorses with TRC.

Nick is joined by Racing Post writer Jonathan Harding to discuss the news and events in the racing world today. The lead on whether an outsider can once again prevail in the Cazoo Derby, with Jonathan giving a good shout to Mark and Charlie Johnston's Dante Stakes runner-up Royal Patronage. His York conqueror, Desert Crown, continues to impress at home and Nick talks to his assistant trainer James Savage, who also gives notice of the strong Stoute squad for Epsom and tonight's exciting Brigadier Gerard runner Bay Bridge. Nick and Jonathan discuss Jon's recent Racing Post column in which he cautioned against the increasing growth of the superstable, while Julia Romich - right hand to trainer Marcel Weiss - joins the show to discuss what the season might hold for Sunday's returning Arc hero Torquator Tasso, and Racing Welfare COO Gemma Waterhouse talks about the Great Racing Welfare Cycle and how you can get involved.

Nick is joined by Racing Post senior writer Lee Mottershead to discuss news and events from around the racing world today. They lead with a curious arsenic positive in horse trained by Richard Hannon, one which appears to have both trainer and investigators foxed, but whose central themes may lead to further debate when the case is concluded. Nick talks to trainer Conor O'Dwyer about his 300/1 winner at Punchestown yesterday, the joint longest in Irish racing history, while TRC No 1 jockey James McDonald drops in to talk about his Royal Ascot sprinting stars and another likely victory for Zaaki in this weekend's Doomben Cup. Nick and Lee talk two Stoute stars - Desert Crown and Bay Bridge - while consignor Timmy Hillman talks a rare store sale in Newmarket for Tattersalls, JA McGrath brings his update from Hong Kong and we meet MyRacehorse shareholder Nick Lowe, enjoying his first experience of racehorse ownership.

Nick is joined by RTE and Racing TV broadcaster Jane Mangan to discuss the latest news and developments from around the horseracing world. They begin by looking at how The Curragh can get back on its feet from a consumer standpoint after returning underwhelming crowd figures at the weekend. CEO Brian Kavanagh joins the show to discuss. Nick and Jane also consider the rumours that tracks in the UK are considering a return to 'Behind Closed Doors' to save costs at smaller fixtures, on which topic Nick has received a denial from Arc that this is under consideration. Later in the show, we get the lowdown from Ralph Beckett on his Derby contender Westover, hear from Constitution Hill's breeder Sally Noott on why she is selling his dam today, while Morristown Lattin's Robert O'Callaghan is this week's Weatherbys Bloodstock Guest.

Tom in for Nick and joined by Newsboy of the Daily Mirror David Yates from Epsom Downs Racecourse. It's Cazoo Gallops Morning and we hear from John Gosden and Charlie Appleby who have sent some of their leading lights to Epsom for track experience ahead of next week's Cazoo Derby Festival. Rider Chris Hayes is along to reflect on the performance of Moyglare Stud's Homeless Songs in yesterday's Irish 1000 Guineas and we also hear from Tom Marquand who won on Alenquer in the Tattersalls Gold Cup. Dave gives his thoughts on the events at Epsom this morning and also reflects on the feature action from Ireland over the weekend.