Horse racing in 2022: A look back at the year
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Horse racing in 2022 was another year of highs and lows and there was certainly a surprise or two thrown in.
Saturday’s action brought the curtain down on a fascinating 12 months and here we reflect on the key events from horse racing in 2022, while we have also picked out 10 horses to follow in 2023.
January
Crack two-milers Shishkin and Energumene served up a real treat for Ascot racegoers in an epic battle for the Clarence House Chase. Shishkin looked in trouble at one stage, but dug deep after the last to reel in his rival and prevail by a length in a race that really lived up to its billing.
Shishkin ⚔️ Energumene
The best race of 2022? pic.twitter.com/0axPJJmyvi
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 30, 2022
On the same afternoon Douvan’s full-brother Jonbon confirmed himself a smart prospect in victory at Haydock.
February
Glory And Fortune held off I Like To Move It to provide jockey Stan Sheppard and trainer Tom Lacey with victory in the most valuable handicap of the season, the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury.
Emblem Road was a hugely popular but shock 80/1 winner for the home team in the Saudi Cup in Riyadh.
March
Rachael Blackmore secured her place in the record books as she became the first female jockey to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup aboard A Plus Tard. In another stellar Festival for the rider and trainer Henry de Bromhead, Honeysuckle defended her Champion Hurdle title, while Bob Olinger was a fortunate winner of the Turners Novices Chase as Galopin Des Champs crashed out at the last when miles in front.
The Champion Chase rematch between Energumene and Shishkin fell flat, with Shishkin never looking happy and eventually pulled up. The ground was put forward as the obvious reason for his below-par effort in the immediate aftermath, but it later transpired Shishkin was suffering from a rare bone condition.
April
Amateur rider Sam Waley-Cohen enjoyed a fairytale finish to his career as he steered Noble Yeats to a shock 50/1 success in the Randox Grand National. Waley-Cohen bowed out a winner of both the Aintree highlight and the Cheltenham Gold Cup – a feat only a handful of professional jockeys achieve, let alone an amateur.
May
Lester Piggott, the epitome of a racing legend, died aged 86 in Switzerland. An 11-times champion jockey, Piggott won no less than 30 British Classics during his lengthy career in the saddle, steering some true giants of the turf to victory – including nine Derby winners.
Charlie Appleby made history in horse racing in 2022 as he landed the English, French and Irish 2000 Guineas courtesy of Coroebus, Modern Games and Native Trail.
June
Sir Michael Stoute won the Derby for the sixth time, with the Richard Kingscote-ridden Desert Crown oozing class on the Epsom Downs. A subsequent setback ruled him out for the rest of the season, although he is expected to return in 2023.
High drama – and long faces – at Royal Ascot, with John Gosden and owner Bjorn Nielsen critical of Frankie Dettori’s ride on Stradivarius in the Gold Cup won by Kyprios.
Dettori bounced back to win the Coronation Stakes the following day on Inspiral, but the tension remained palpable and the following week the pair issued a statement in which they agreed to a “sabbatical” in their long-standing partnership.
Having missed out on running at Royal Ascot, Trueshan produced a fine weight-carrying performance to win the Northumberland Plate to wide acclaim.
July
The much-publicised “sabbatical” did not last too long, and Dettori and Gosden were back together – and winning – with Mighty Ulysses at Newmarket.
In the week’s feature – the July Cup – Alcohol Free showed she retained plenty of her old pace to pick up her fourth Group One. The Andrew Balding-trained filly would later sell for 5.4 million guineas at auction.
Five meetings were called off due to the unprecedented heatwave that swept the country.
Dettori agreed to relinquish the ride on Stradivarius and he was partnered by Andrea Atzeni when he took on Ascot Gold Cup winner Kyprios and Trueshan in the Goodwood Cup. Kyprios came out on top to cement himself as the king of the division.
👑 Stradivarius' final performance 👑
Andrea Atzeni almost pulled off a fairytale finale for the staying legend in the Goodwood Cup 2022.
A fighter until the very end!pic.twitter.com/WXtczOzeSG
— Coral (@Coral) September 26, 2022
The British Horseracing Authority announced an overhaul of the whip rules – to start in the new year – with disqualification a possibility for winners whose riders have severely contravened the revised regulations and whips are also restricted to the backhand position.
August
With nothing left to prove in the mile division, Baaeed stepped up in trip to put his rivals to the sword in the Juddmonte International at York. He thrilled the Knavesmire crowd with his decisive change of gear, leaving defending champion Mishriff – a six-length victor in 2021 – toiling.
September
Racing mourned the death of the Queen, described as “racing’s greatest friend” by Dettori. A prominent owner and breeder, both on the Flat and over jumps, the Queen won every Classic except the Derby, in which she came desperately close with Carlton House in 2011. All racing was called off as a mark of respect on September 9 and 10, with the St Leger staged on Sunday.
October
Sir Mark Prescott enjoyed the “best day” of his racing life when Alpinista capped a six-race unbeaten run with a gutsy success in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, swooping late for a famous victory in the hands of Luke Morris on what transpired to be her final career start. Soumillon finished second on Vadeni.
There was no perfect finale to the career of Baaeed, who was beaten for the first time in the Champion Stakes as Stoute again worked his magic, this time with Bay Bridge.
Kevin Manning did enjoy a dream ending to his riding career though, announcing his immediate retirement after riding one last winner for father-in-law Jim Bolger at Galway.
November
Appleby proved himself to be the King of Kentucky as he recorded another three Breeders’ Cup victories at Keeneland. Mischief Magic (Juvenile Turf Sprint), Modern Games (Mile) and Rebel’s Romance (Turf) were the Moulton Paddocks scorers.
Not to be outdone, there were also three victories for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore who combined to find the scoresheet with Meditate (Juvenile Fillies’ Turf), Victoria Road (Juvenile Turf) and Tuesday (Filly and Mare Turf).
However, the star of the show in Lexington was Flightline, who bowed out with an emphatic victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. A 2.5 per cent fractional interest was later sold for $4.6 million.
Constitution Hill made a flawless return to action in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle, prompting Coral to make him an odds-on favourite in the Champion Hurdle betting.
He came, he saw, he conquered 👏
Constitution Hill lit up Newcastle with a dominant display in the Grade 1 @BetfairRacing Fighting Fifth.#History pic.twitter.com/KrM65ZF6ux
— Newcastle Racecourse (@NewcastleRaces) November 27, 2022
December
Dettori surprised the racing world as he announced he would retire from the saddle at the end of 2023. He had already previously said he would go to Santa Anita for the winter and his spell could hardly have got off to a better start as he bagged three winners from five rides on Boxing Day.
Just 24 hours later, Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning rider Davy Russell retired with immediate effect after riding a winner at Thurles.
Honeysuckle’s 16-race unbeaten streak was snapped at Fairyhouse as the star mare could finish only third behind Teahupoo and Klassical Dream in the Hatton’s Grace.
Bravemansgame lifted the King George VI Chase at Kempton, while Constitution Hill racked up another bloodless success in the Christmas Hurdle.
The Leopardstown Christmas Festival belonged to Willie Mullins, with his tally of 13 winners across the four days including a remarkable six-timer on day two. Star novice Facile Vega and Champion Hurdle hopeful State Man were two of his most notable scorers.
