Europe

Sir Johnny Weatherby KCVO, owner-breeder and a member of one of racing's most distinguished families, has died at the age of 66. A seventh-generation member of the dynasty which has become synonymous with the administration of British racing and breeding, Weatherby owned Preston Lodge Stud in Oakham and was the breeder of dual Cheltenham Festival winner Presenting Percy as well as Top Wood, who won the Aintree Foxhunters' Chase in his colours during the 2019 Grand National meeting. A keen amateur jump jockey in his younger days, he was appointed...

The Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) has allocated an extra £4.4 million to prize-money for 2026 compared to this year, following a further increase in the Levy yield to just shy of £109 million - the highest since the 2017 reforms that extended the scope of the Levy to overseas betting operators. Details of the statutory Levy - which climbed to £108.9 million, up from £105.3 million the previous year - were released on Wednesday as the HBLB published its 2024/25 Annual Report and Accounts. This increase came despite a third consecutive year...

Friday, Meydan, UAE, post time: 9.00pm, AL MAKTOUM MILE SPONSORED BY EMAAR-G2, AED1,000,000, 3yo/up, 1600m Field: Imperial Emperor (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Meshtri (Medaglia d'Oro), Tumbarumba (Oscar Performance), King Gold (Fr) (Anodin {Ire}), Mendelssohn Bay (Mendelssohn), Commissioner King (Commissioner), Morning (Munnings), Castlewarden (Into Mischief), Killer Collect (Collected), Masmak (Vino Rosso), West Saratoga (Exaggerator), Musical Dancer (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), David Of Athens (Nyquist). TDN Analysis: Bhupat Seemar saddles no fewer than eight of the 13 runners, headed by March's G2 Al Maktoum Classic winner Imperial Emperor and recent Dubai Creek Mile scorer...

TB-Ed, the educational platform of the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association, has launched a new 'Getting the Mare in Foal' programme - a series of online courses designed specifically for Thoroughbred breeders, stud farm managers and their employees, as well as anyone with an interest in equine reproduction. Caroline Turnbull, Industry Education and Retention Manager for the TBA, said, "We are really pleased to launch this new online course as part of the TB-Ed offering which now hosts 24 online courses and 81 resources on the site and which has become a...

Oli Rix, the most recent addition to the training ranks in Newmarket, harbours dreams of sending out a breakthrough winner with Trouble Man before the year is out. The 31-year-old, who has spent time working with Andrew Balding, Chris Waller and most recently Roger Varian, has assembled a team of 15 horses to run in his debut season from Bedford House Stables. Trouble Man was a 31,000gns purchase by Rix at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale and, with the benefit of a recent pipe-opener under his belt, his young trainer...

No fewer than 44 all-weather fixtures (up to and including racing on Tuesday, December 16) have been held in Britain and Ireland since the most recent edition of Winter Watch was penned on November 20, with the end-of-year sales swing dictating that the recent focus for us bloodstock journalists has been less Newcastle and Dundalk, more Newmarket and Deauville. But now, with the sights and sounds of Arqana quickly becoming a distant memory, it's time to get back to what will be our bread and butter until Flat racing returns...

In the wake of increasing disquiet at the impasse between Racing Australia and the Asian Racing Federation in the prolonged absence of proper oversight of Australia's black-type programme, the newly formed Australian Racing Industry Alliance (ARIA) released a statement on Thursday outlining plans for the restoration of an Australian Pattern Committee. Chaired by major owner-breeder Jonathan Munz, and with the backing of one of the most respected figures in international breeding in Arrowfield Stud's John Messara, ARIA represents many of the country's major industry bodies, including Thoroughbred Breeders Australia, Thoroughbred...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features an exciting newcomer for Amo Racing. 1.52 Southwell, Novice, 2yo, 6f 16y (AWT) FIREWALKER (GB) (Kingman {GB}) makes his belated debut just over two years since making the top five lots at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale when selling to Amo Racing for 360,000gns. Kevin Philippart...

Glenview Stud stallion Blue Bresil, described as "one of the leading National Hunt stallions of his time", has died at the age of 20, the County Cork farm announced on Wednesday. "Blue Bresil is already the sire of 39 stakes performers and 23 black-type winners including 8 individual Grade 1 winners to date, headed by the exceptional 8-time Gr.1 hurdler Constitution Hill," read a statement from Glenview posted on social media. "His top-level performers also include 3-time Gr.1 chaser Blue Lord, dual Gr.1 chaser Royale Pagaille, dual Gr.1 hurdler L'Autonomie,...

We're sliding down the scale slightly for this second part of our look at the sires standing across Europe to those with an advertised fee of £15,000 to £50,000 (approximately €17,000 to €57,000). And how can we not start with the champion sire of 2024, Dark Angel? At €45,000, his fee is the lowest it has been for a decade, and of course the years are marching on, but if there is one thing we have learnt about Dark Angel in his 18 seasons at Yeomanstown Stud it is that...

The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia has announced that the purse for the Howden Neom Turf Cup, which has recently been upgraded to Group 1 status, has been increased to $3m for 2026. The 2,100m invitational race will be the first Group 1 to be staged on turf in Saudi Arabia and takes place on the Saudi Cup card on Saturday, February 14. The meeting has been further enhanced by a 50 per cent increase in prize-money for the 1,800m Listed Tuwaiq Cup, which will now be run for $1m....

Amid an ongoing lengthy hiatus of meetings of the Australian Pattern Committee, the Asian Pattern Committee has taken the unprecedented "temporary measure" of seizing control of the decision-making progress regarding black-type races in the country. A statement released by the Asian Racing Federation on Wednesday read, "The Asian Racing Federation (ARF) advises that, given the exceptional circumstances that exist, the Asian Pattern Committee (APC) will, for the time being, make decisions regarding the status of all black type races in Australia. "This means that the APC will now be responsible...