Mark Popham

Zenyatta Above Rachel in World Thoroughbred Rankings

January 12, 2010

Zenyatta has received another boost. The 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic winner was rated one pound ahead of Rachel Alexandra in the World Thoroughbred Rankings, comprising horses that raced worldwide last year and achieved a rating of 115 or mo Read More

Thoroughbred Rankings Revised, Zenyatta Still Tops Rachel

January 12, 2010

It was revealed at the World Thoroughbred Rankings press conference in London, England on Jan. 12 that Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra, instead of being fourth and fifth, respectivel Read More

Sea the Stars Retired

October 13, 2009

Sea the Stars, who secured his place among Thoroughbred racing's all-time greats when he powered his way to a thrilling two-length victory over Youmzain in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) Oct. 4, has been retired to stud.

The Read More

Giant Thoroughbred Statue to Stand in UK

February 16, 2009

A giant sculpture of a white Thoroughbred, 164 feet tall, will dominate one of the main entrances to Britain in three year's time after Mark Wallinger's design for an artwork at Ebbsfleet in Kent was announced the winner of a competition. Read More

British Thoroughbred Sale Tattersalls Down 51%

December 05, 2008

Tattersalls' December sale ended quietly in England with a breeding stock session in which a 3-year-old colt, sold as a jumping prospect, topped trade at 65,000 guineas. The other figures for Dec. 4 were 139 horses sold, a gross of 656,650 Read More

British Racing Group Stiffens Medication Policy

July 21, 2008

The British Horseracing Authority announced July 21 that trainers outside Europe need to say their horses have never been trained on non-therapeutic substances, particularly anabolic steroids, or face a ban from running in British races.

Spot Read More

Horse Owner Liability on Trial in Britain

March 03, 2008

The legal responsibilities of being a racehorse owner in Britain have come to the fore in the wake of a multi-million dollar legal claim against the owners and trainer of a horse that severely injured an assistant trainer in a pre-race paddock Read More

Sole Progeny of Horse Euthanized at Breeders' Cup Born

February 07, 2008

A George Washington filly born at the Irish National Stud Feb. 4 is likely to be the deceased Coolmore stallion’s only offspring.

Rumors circulating in the aftermath of th Read More

Foot and Mouth Disease: Restrictions on U.K. Horse Trainers Relaxed

August 13, 2007

The movement of horses to and from the United Kingdom hasn't been affected by the recent small outbreak of foot and mouth disease at two farms in Surrey in southern England. Providing the correct certification has been completed, overseas-traine Read More

Polytrack Founder Admits Problems at American Tracks

May 01, 2007

Martin Collins, the creator of the Polytrack artificial surface, admitted to having faced problems in North America in an interview with the British monthly racing magazine, Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder.
 
Interviewed in the May Read More

Polytrack Cleared in Problems at British Track

December 18, 2006

Investigations by racing authorities and officials at Wolverhampton Raceocurse in Britain have determined that the Polytrack artificial surface in use at the track is not responsible for five equine fatalities and a series of recent Read More

Irish EIA Outbreak Leads to New British Testing Requirement

August 07, 2006

An outbreak of swamp fever - Equine Infectious Anaemia - in Ireland, with up to 18 horses reported to have been infected, appears to be in check but Britain has imposed controls from August 14 to try and stop the disease entering the Read More

Shipping Mix-Up Sends Studs To the Wrong Countries

October 01, 2005

The search for the Thoroughbred stud Dubai Excellence has turned to Ukraine. This is where the horse thought to be Samood, who was identified as the stallion believed initially to be Dubai Excellence in Australia, is meant to have gone, sources Read More

Stallion Dubai Excellence Believed to be in Ukraine

August 25, 2005

The Blood-Horse has learned that the search for the stallion Dubai Excellence, a half-brother to Dubai Millennium, has turned to Ukraine, the former Russian territory which is an independent country.

This is where the horse Read More

Stem Cell Treatments Successful on Tendon Injuries

May 16, 2005

Mr Cool's victory in the Stanleybet Long Distance Handicap Hurdle at Haydock Park Racecourse, England, on Saturday, May 7 was noteworthy due to pioneering tendon treatment he had received.

After the 11-year-old suffered a tendon injury i Read More

Have Researchers Discovered What Makes Horses Fast?

January 05, 2005

Researchers at The Royal Veterinary College in Great Britain believe they've found the answer to what makes a fast racehorse.

The research, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, combined data about the Read More

Britain's EVA Case Described

December 20, 2004

Britain's Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that its recent case of equine viral arteritis (EVA) occurred in a non-Thoroughbred stallion which was passing through the country from Holland to New Read More

Britain Taking EVA Precautions

April 12, 2004

Mares shipped from Ireland to Britain are being tested for the respiratory and venereal disease equine viral arteritis (EVA). This practice has been routine in recent years for mares visiting Britain from the rest of Europe.

Tests on Read More

Great Britain Revises Codes on Infectious Diseases

December 11, 2003

Britain's Horserace Betting Levy Board has extensively changed its codes of practice regarding the infectious diseases contagious equine metritis (CEM), equine herpesvirus (EHV), and equine viral arteritis (EVA), which can severely disrupt Read More

Morphine Positives Bring Call for Threshold Levels

January 14, 2003

Be My Royal, winner of the one the biggest races of the National Hunt season to date, faces disqualification in connection with a rash of positive drug tests for traces of morphine in British and Irish races due to contaminated feed.

The Read More

Grass Sickness Remains Research Priority

May 25, 2001

The death of Dubai Millennium from grass sickness has again highlighted the devastating effects of the disease, and brought to prominence research tied to finding causes and a cure.

In Great Britain, research is being carried out at Edinburg Read More