Racing Ahead
EYES FIXED FOR THE LATE SHOW: Robert Cooper focuses on track action with help from his optician
One Monday a month I dedicate a fair chunk of the day to composing this column; you will already be aware every full stop and semi-colon...
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Robert Cooper
/ 2 months agoJungle Drums: Robert Cooper races off without laptop – but with eye on the track thrills
Can the long hot summer of 2025 really be drawing to a close? More than likely, although mine is still going strong, as I’m girding my loins for...
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Columnists
/ 3 months agoRobert Cooper: It’s a man actually, Derek Thompson…
Robert Cooper welcomes Derek ‘Big Fella’ Thompson to the ‘quiet’ life Time flies when you’re having a good time, and since hanging up my Sky Sports Racing microphone...
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Columnists
/ 4 months agoMorris Dancer: Robert Cooper muses on rabbit hold, fond memories and track hopefuls
Just a few minutes surfing the net can lead you down even deeper rabbit holes than Alice encountered in Wonderland. Here is a brief synopsis of a recent...
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Columnists
/ 5 months agoFrom superstores to corner shops: Robert Cooper looks at racing’s underdogs
Robert Cooper looks beyond racing’s Goliaths to the plucky Davids The tealeaves have yet to reveal Aiden O’Brien’s final Derby battle plan, the likelihood being that the usual...
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Columnists
/ 6 months agoStaying stoic in the agony: Robert Cooper reflects on emotion of tight defeat
Robert Cooper reflects on emotion of tight defeat – and a Sweet Reward The Agony and the Ecstasy. Irving Stone’s classic novel could quite feasibly have been written...
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Cheltenham Festival
/ 7 months agoAces humbled – and it aint even started: Minor obstacles topple the big Festival stars
The Grand National is usually the race that grabs the headlines, but something pretty bizarre will have to occur at Aintree to dwarf the most eventful Champion Hurdle...
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Robert Cooper
/ 8 months agoMarcus Aurelius was on the money: Robert Cooper digs deep for a hot Cheltenham Festival tip from a Roman emporer
What, if anything, can we learn from history? With Cheltenham almost in full beam view, we are annually bombarded with statistics, trends, and previews until our brains erupt...
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All Weather
/ 9 months agoNO BLUES FOR BILLY FAMILY: Robert Cooper ditches slippers for enthusiasm, youth and the All-Weather
At £1 a shot for every ‘how’s retirement going’ I must have amassed enough coins to gazump Amo Racing’s supremo Kia Joorabchian at the autumn yearling sales.
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Robert Cooper
/ 10 months agoA ‘check’ that bounced back: Raising a toast to racing
Robert Cooper raises a toast to happy days racing in the year ahead.
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Robert Cooper
/ 11 months agoNorma’s colours are flying proud
Robert Cooper sees Percy Willis and Kaadam grace white and green spots and red cap.
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Robert Cooper
/ 12 months agoDIGGING OUT THE JUMPERS
The former Sky Racing frontman is all geared up for the change of codes - and clothing Now that another Flat season has been wrapped up and the...
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Robert Cooper
/ 1 year agoFROM BOOK TO BOOKIES
The former Sky frontman turns detective in hunt for Arc clues One of the drawbacks of not working so frequently – I don’t like to call it total...
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Robert Cooper
/ 1 year agoGIFT HORSES AND FRENCH LESSONS
Robert Cooper finds ‘retirement’ is keeping him busy The old adage about looking a gift horse in the mouth springs to mind. My interpretation is that if a...
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News
/ 1 year agoMY TIME FOR A WARM DOWN
Robert Cooper reflects on tragedy and triumph during his 50+ years in racing Just now the mundane seems such an attractive option; I will find out for myself...
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Robert Cooper
/ 1 year agoOUR SKY MAN IS FLYING THE COOP
Robert Cooper may be bidding farewell to Sky Sports but, never fear, will still be landing his gems in Racing Ahead Robert Cooper with Star Sports The cat...
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Epsom Derby Meeting
/ 1 year agoAIDAN CALLING IN TO BOOST EPSOM TALLY
But Robert Cooper is won over by James Fanshawe’s Ambiente Friendly touch Toppers and Tails suggest the serious stuff is about to be let loose. Epsom and Royal...
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Robert Cooper
/ 1 year agoBLOOMING LOVELY AND THE BEE IS BUZZING BACK
Sky Racing’s frontman welcomes spring, the Flat and Charlton’s returning Okeechobee If there’s ever a time to be optimistic, it’s spring – the birds are singing merrily, the...
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Grand National
/ 2 years agoIT’S SAFETY FIRST BUT NOBLE’S MY WINNER
Sky Racing frontman Robert Cooper casts a wistful eye back on old-school Nationals - but he’s fixed on Yeats Noble Yeats, ridden by Sam Waley-Cohen AS we trot...
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Robert Cooper
/ 2 years agoIRELAND’S CALL ONCE MORE… TO BE SURE!
Robert Cooper recommends whacking a few quid on The Real Whacker at Cheltenham No such thing as a certainty? I’m not so sure: there will have to be...
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Robert Cooper
/ 2 years agoGALOPIN ON FOR A GOLDEN REMATCH
Robert Cooper sees blue skies ahead as Festival warms up to fever pitch It is tempting fate but there cannot be much more water in those clouds. If...
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Robert Cooper
/ 2 years ago2024 LOOKS MAKE OR BREAK FOR RACING
Sky Racing correspondent Robert Cooper is hoping for a dry start to a new year that could be vital for our sport Happy New Year! It looks sure...
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Robert Cooper
/ 2 years agoI’M READY FOR A CHRISTMAS CRACKER!
ROBERT COOPER Robert Cooper can’t wait to tuck into a festive feast of racing Leaving aside the obvious, there’s plenty going on in December on racecourses in Britain...
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Robert Cooper
/ 2 years agoGOOD TO BE OUT IN THE COLD AGAIN
Robert Cooper Sky Sports Racing’s roving reporter has his winter coat on and is armed with his jumpers to follow list The joy of seeing jumpers sloshing through...
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Robert Cooper
/ 2 years agoSTOTT GOT A RAW DEAL
Sky Sports Racing’s correspondent wasn’t happy to see jockey Kevin Stott given his marching orders by Amo Racing Kevin Stott Huge volumes of water, gallons of it muddied,...
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Robert Cooper
/ 2 years agoGet ready for a golden month
Sky Sports Racing’s front man is glad silly season is over – and there’s lots to look forward to Just on the off-chance, I delved into my well-thumbed...
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Robert Cooper
/ 2 years agoAre our hopes up in Ashes?
The man on the telly is being distracted by a certain cricket series Obsession can be very distracting, and I fully confess that my fixation on the outcome...
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Robert Cooper
/ 2 years agoWhat exactly is Premierisation?
Sky Sports Racing’s correspondent ponders one of the great questions facing racing at the moment How did we do? Rarely a day passes without some business requesting feedback...
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Robert Cooper
/ 2 years agoSprewell gets my Derby vote
Sir Bob doesn’t claim to have the Epsom secret but he hopes the Harrington hopeful wins Without further delay, let’s clear the Derby picture straight away. Fundamentally I...
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Robert Cooper
/ 2 years agoWho’ll come in from under the radar?
Sky Sports’ Racing correspondent pinpoints a few trainers and jockeys to look out for during the Flat summer There are several modern innovations that have no place in...
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