Nick Luck Daily Podcast

Nick is joined by Daily Mirror journalist David Yates to discuss the day's racing news. They begin by considering the retirement of star steeplechaser Altior, as announced by owners Chris and Pat Pugh yesterday afternoon. Nick talks at some length to the horse's trainer Nicky Henderson about the many triumphs and, latterly, tribulations that punctuated a journey of extraordinary and sustained success. Nick and Dave reflect on Nicky's thoughts before going on to discuss the publication of the British racing fixture list for 2022, which accommodates more Sunday racing but further congests several key summer Saturdays. They also add a few thoughts on last weekend's racing. With the Osarus yearling sale in South West France beginning today, their General Manager Emmanuel Viaud is this week's Weatherby's Bloodstock guest.

Nick is joined by RTE broadcaster Jane Mangan to reflect on a frenetic weekend of racing around Europe, analysing the merit of the 8 Group One performances while casting an eye over how the victorious and vanquished might emerge from their respective races. They discuss the rough riding in the Irish Champion Stakes and the Matron, Frankie Dettori's comments after the eclipse of Snowfall, the reputations of Point Lonsdale and Reach for the Moon, the changing Arc picture, and all the high achievers over the two days in three countries. Nick talks to Roger Varian, trainer of Teona and Bayside Boy, and catches up with Naohiro Goda after the success of Japanese-trained Deep Bond, while champion trainer Paul Nicholls pays a heartfelt tribute to his longstanding patron Andy Stewart, who died yesterday aged 70.

Nick is in for Charlotte this week and takes you through the best of the NLD Interviews in the build up to a spellbinding weekend's racing with Jim Bolger, Dermot Weld, Charlie Appleby and Johnny Murtagh. Plus, in a brand new extended interview, Pat Cummings - Executive Director of the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation - talks to Nick about the latest press release from Churchill Downs, the Navarro/Servis latest and which horses have impressed him most at Saratoga and Del Mar. Nick updates the TRC Global Rankings at the end of the show.

Nick is joined by the Daily Mirror's David Yates to discuss the latest news from around the world of horseracing. They canter briskly through a number of topics, including Silvestre de Sousa's lengthy whip ban, an embarrassing regulatory issue for the Britsh Horseracing Authority, the return of Gordon Elliott, the Gosdens' charge towards the top of the traniers' championship and preview the two principal races in the UK and Ireland this weekend. They begin by discussing whether yesterday's news of a merger between upwardly mobile trainers Graeme MacPherson and Fergal O'Brien is a sign of things to come and whether more horses in fewer hands will be a benefit or a deficit to the sport. Later in this edition, Nick catches up with Thoroughbid auction house founder Will Kinsey ahead of their first sale, while agent Charlie Gordon Watson drops in from Paris having inspected the draft of Watership Down Stud yearlings earlier in the week. James Willoughby is away.

Nick is at the Yorton Sale and is joined by Racing Post senior writer Lee Mottershead to discuss the day's news and events from around the Horseracing world. Today's feature guest is Olivier Delloye, CEO of France Galop and the pre-eminent administrator in French racing. Delloye brings positive news surrounding France's recovery from the impact of the pandemic, discusses Arc day and this weekend's trials, and also seeks to address the question of why there are so few top class horses emerging in France despite a robust breeding industry and excellent prize money. Later, Nick and Lee talk about the Jockey Club's decision to extend the Guineas Festival to three days and look ahead to the St Leger. Goffs Director George Stanners explains the unique nature of the Yorton Sale, while eminent broadcaster Brough Scott joins the show to discuss the latest inductees into the QIPCO BCS Hall of Fame.

Nick is joined by broadcaster Rishi Persad to discuss the day's national and international racing news, with the sharpest insight and best interviews from across the sport. Today they look ahead to the rich fruit that this autumn is likely to bear, given the unusually high number of exceptionally gifted horses likely to run through the next week. With that in mind, Nick talks to Charlie Appleby, whose Hurricane Lane is favourite for the St Leger, but whose Derby winner Adayar has suffered a minor setback en route to the Arc. In a heavyweight edition, Nick also get the latest on Tarnawa from her trainer Dermot Weld, plus JA McGrath returns with his first postcard of the new season from Hong Kong. Later in the show, with the news that the Jockey Club has now taken control of the Blenheim International Horse Trials, Olympic Gold Medallist Tom McEwen tells Nick how this could be a shot in the arm for the sport of Eventing.

Nick is joined by Racing Post journalist Maddy Playle to survey the national and global racing scene. They begin by discussing whether there is any meaningful rivalry to Hurricane Lane as the Irish Derby and Grand Prix de Paris winner seeks to add this weekend's St Leger. His chief rival appears to be the progressive Ottoman Emperor, whose trainer Johnny Murtagh is also bidding to win the Irish equivalent this weekend and joins Nick to discuss both horses. Nick and Maddy also look ahead to the Irish Champion Stakes, highlight recent star performances further afield, and pick up an important update on the imminent Japanese highlights from Tokyo correspondent Naohiro Goda. Later in the show, Nick talks to influential South African breeder and administrator Susan Rowett about her decades of success, including this year's Triple Crown winner.

Nick is joined by racing broadcaster Cornelius Lysaght for a concise but comprehensive canter through the latest horseracing news. They discuss the key performances from the weekend, including Baaeed's Prix du Moulin and the Haydock Park Sprint won by Emaraaty Ana. They touch on the upcoming riches on offer at Doncaster and Leopardstown, while also assessing the mood of the racing public to the official comeback of suspended trainer Gordon Elliott this week. Amongst Nick's guests today are trainer Annabel Neasham, whose stable star Zaaki again looked monstrous in the Tramway Stakes in Australia, Francis Graffard, with news of his Group winning two year old Acer Alley and his QE2 defending champ The Revenant, and Freddie Tylicki, racing manager to the Racehorse Club, who have a big transatlantic weekend planned at Leopardstown and Kentucky Downs. With news that the thrice-placed Melbourne Cup legend Prince of Arran has been retired, Nick catches up with his devoted assistant trainer Tash Eaton, who has accompanied him on nearly all his travels.

In episode six of The Saturday Edition, Charlotte Greenway brings you the full feature with General Manager, Simon Marsh, and Stud Manager Terry Doherty, from Watership Down Stud on the process of prepping their yearlings for the sales. This is the first feature of a six-part series on getting their yearlings to Tattersalls Book 1.

Charlotte recaps on an interview with Ed Walker ahead of Starman's run in Saturday's Sprint Cup at Haydock and also William Haggas and Richard Hannon ahead of Baaeed and Snow Lantern's clash in Sunday's Prix du Moulin at Longchamp.

Nick is joined by writer and broadcaster Lydia Hislop to discuss the day's national and international horseracing news, headed by Jim Bolger's announcement to this podcast that stable star Poetic Flare would bypass this weekend's Prix du Moulin for a clash with Tarnawa and St Mark's Basilica in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown. Given this race is sure to have a significant impact on the TRC Rankings, James Willoughby is along to give his weekly update, while Nick also talks to trainer William Stone, who enjoyed his highest profile success with Romantic Time yesterday. Charlotte Greenway visits Watership Down stud for the first of a new six-part series charting the progress of some of the country's best bred yearlings as they prepare to go under the hammer at Tattersalls. Plus details of how you can vote for which Sprinter should enter the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame.