Europe

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. Saturday's Observations features a full-brother to multiple Group 1 winner and Classic heroine Lake Victoria (Frankel). 4.50 Leopardstown, Mdn, 2yo, c/g, 7f 30yT DRUIDS GLEN (IRE) (Frankel {GB}) is a significant newcomer for Ballydoyle on an intriguing card, being a full-brother to the yard's outstanding Irish 1,000 Guineas, Breeders'...

TATTERSALLS, ENGLAND - A world away from Book 1 and 2 of the October Yearling Sale, Adam Kirby stocked up on four yearlings on the final day of Book 3, where the Derby-winning jockey admitted that his 'heart went out' to the people who produced the lion's share of the horses that went through the ring on Friday.  The top price generated on Friday was a 44,000gns Palace Pier filly that was consigned by Oakgrove Stud and sold to Spanish interests Outsider Bloodstock. Two more horses managed to make 40,000gns...

Oisin Murphy will donate £25,000 to the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) and an equal amount to Racing Welfare, if he keeps his place at the top of the World Pool Jockeys' Championship, which ends at Ascot on QIPCO British Champions Day on Saturday. The four-time champion jockey holds a considerable 54.55-point lead over Kieran Shoemark, meaning Shoemark would have to ride a winner at World Pool odds of 54.60 and Murphy draw a blank to be passed. Back in third is the now Hong Kong-based Richard Kingscote, while David...

Over 40 lots have been catalogued for the ThoroughBid October Sale. Bidding gets underway at 9 a.m. on Friday, October 24. One of the most notable consignments is from Gordon Elliott, who will send the 132-rated chaser Mars Harper (Sulamani) (lot 34) through the ring. He will be sold with an entry into Aintree's Grand Sefton over National fences on November 8. Elliott also has Tullybeg (Sholokhov) (lot 18) set to sell. Also rated 132, he is joined by a mix of experienced winners and young prospects, including Eternal Echo...

The G1 Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle will move from Champion Day, March 10, to St Patrick's Thursday, March 13, during next year's Cheltenham Festival, the racecourse announced on Friday. Due to the date change, the distance of the race is now 2m 4f 56y on the New Course, instead of 2m 3f 200y on the Old Course. Moving into the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle's old spot is the TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase, which will be the sixth race on Champion Day. A further change to the running order on St...

The catalogue for the Goffs October HIT and Yearling Sale at Doncaster has grown by 14 lots with the late addition of Mr McLoughland (Forever Now) (lot 89) and 13 other lots. A winner of two of his three hurdle starts for Jack Jones, Mr McLoughland is joined by lot 90, Jaycee Reidy (Walk In The Park), who won his second and most recent point-to-point; lot 92, Western Zephyr (Westerner), a four-time winner over hurdles and fences and second in a Grade 2 chase at Cheltenham last season; and King...

Group 1 winners Marhaba Ya Sanafi and Tribalist, both new to stud next year, will retire to Haras de Castillon's new stallion operation, Castillon Stallions for 2026. Fees for the duo will be announced at a later date. "Launching our own stallion station marks the realisation of a long-held ambition," said Benoit Jeffroy, who founded Haras de Castillon with Annabelle Aime in 2015. "I hope we can meet breeders' expectations with the stallion roster we're putting together. I want to sincerely thank all our partners for their trust and commitment....

A 15-strong draft from the Aga Khan Studs is the highlight of the Goffs Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale catalogue that is now online. The sale, which starts at 10 a.m., will begin on Monday, November 3 and will be followed by the Autumn Yearling Sale, which runs until November 5. Among the lots from the Aga Khan Studs are two-time winner Esherann (Wootton Bassett) (lot 90); the winner and G3 Royal Whip Stakes second Tangapour (Wootton Bassett) (lot 93); Reyenzi (Saxon Warrior) (lot 91), who won his maiden by five lengths...

Saxon Warrior's Victoria Road won a six-furlong Warwick Farm trial on Friday morning Down Under. A winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in 2022 for the Coolmore partners and Aidan O'Brien, the six-year-old gelding was having his second trial since 2023. Privately purchased by Ozzie Kheir and Halo Racing Services prior to the 2023 G1 Cox Plate, he motored home on Friday a quarter-length winner over Miss Hades (Hellbent). MV Magnier purchased the gelding for 115,000gns from Ballyhimikin Stud out of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

Favoured for the G1 Melbourne Cup next month, two-time Group 1 winner Sir Delius (Frankel) has been ruled out of both the G1 Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup by Racing Victoria stewards due to a heightened injury profile. Owned by a partnership that includes Go Bloodstock Australia, the four-year-old colt has run first or second in all four runs Down Under. A winner of Doomben's G3 JRA Chairman's Handicap in May, he was second in the G2 Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick last month. Successful in the G1 Underwood Stakes next,...

The G2 Richmond Stakes winner and G1 Dewhurst Stakes runner-up Royal Scotsman will stand at Haras du Taillis in France in 2026. The son of Gleneagles, who was trained by Paul and Oliver Cole for Jim and Fitri Hay, is now owned by a consortium of breeders from UK and France. Matt Huntington, speaking on behalf of the group, said, "We look forward to working with the Hays and the Coles on the next phase of his career and we are very pleased to be working with Bernard Wenger and...

TATTERSALLS, NEWMARKET - Almost 200 million gns changed hands between Book 1 and 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale but there was no sign of the money drying up at Park Paddocks as Book 3 got off to a rip-roaring start with turnover climbing by a massive 19% to 7,680,500gns. Whitsbury Manor Stud was rewarded for targeting the Book 3 with four horses selling for 371,000gns - which included a 160,000gns Havana Grey colt that was only knocked off his perch by the last lot into the ring, a...