Europe

Godolphin's Rapid Force (Mehmas) had little to beat on his belated debut at Kempton on Wednesday, but carried out the task proficiently nevertheless to begin justifying his £1million purchase price. Having been held back since topping the Goffs UK Breeze-Up in April, the son of the Sapphire Stakes third Rapid Reaction (Shamardal) from the family of Wootton Bassett sat last of the trio that contested the six-furlong novice that opened the card. Wound up by William Buick to take over a furlong out, the Charlie Appleby-trained 2-5 favourite stayed on...

Notable absentees from the first-day buyers' sheet at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, the Coolmore partners made their second seven-figure purchase of Wednesday's session when going to 1,700,000gns for the No Nay Never colt out of the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Millisle (Starspangledbanner). Consigned by Watership Down Stud, lot 266 is the third foal out of Millisle, who also won the G3 Ballyogan Stakes as a three-year-old. Her first foal, Alfareqa (Frankel), successful once in five career starts, was herself a Book 1 yearling when bought...

It can be easy to read the headlines from Book 1 and conclude that this is a sale for the big boys and, unless you have millions in the bank, you cannot compete.  Pinhooker Fearghal Hogan put that theory in the bin on Wednesday when a St Mark's Basilica colt that he bought for €120,000 sold for a whopping 800,000gns to Amo Racing.  It was the type of pinhooking profit that left Hogan puffing for air down in the gangway as the numbers kept on climbing. And when the gavel...

Having endured bad luck with Crypto Force (Time Test) after his G2 Beresford Stakes victory as a juvenile, Kia Joorabchian will be praying that things pan out more smoothly for the Wootton Bassett half-brother who cost the Amo Racing founder 2,200,000gns during the second session at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. Matching the sum fetched by the Fittocks Stud-consigned Frankel colt earlier in the day, lot 247 is the fourth foal out of the winning Galileo mare Luna Mare, from the family of Lord Weinstock's globetrotting champion...

At Tattersalls on Wednesday, MV Magnier confirmed that Delacroix will retire to Coolmore Stud for the 2026 breeding season.  The winner of the G1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes and G1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, Delacroix is set to appear first on Qipco British Champions Day where he holds entries for the G1 Champion Stakes and G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. The three-year-old son of Dubawi and the brilliant racemare Tepin is the winner of six of his 11 races and he was beaten just a nose when second last year in...

A great day for the Cumanis' Fittocks Stud draft continued with the sale of lot 218, the Dubawi colt out of G1 Nassau Stakes winner Lady Bowthorpe (Nathaniel), for 1,300,000gns. He became the first purchase at Book 1 this week for Coolmore. The colt's breeder Emma Banks, who sold his full-brother to Godolphin at last year's sale for 2,000,000gns, said, "I'm so lucky to have a mare that has produced two beautiful yearlings. Her [Too Darn Hot colt] foal is lovely and she's in foal to Wootton Bassett, so it's...

By Dane McLeod/TTRAusNZ Big changes are on the horizon for Mitch Cunningham and his family, following the decision to sell their Hunter Valley property, Ridgmont Farm. While this marks the end of their time as stud farm owners, their commitment to the racing and breeding industry remains strong, with their involvement continuing from Newgate Farm. Cunningham originally acquired the property - then known as Glastonbury Farm - in 2020 alongside Andrew Dunemann and Neil Douglas, purchasing it from Duncan and Di Grimley, and Yvonne and Mark Clerke. Following the sale,...

Luca Cumani admitted to holding back the tears after he and his wife Sara enjoyed their greatest day in bloodstock when their Fittocks Stud-consigned Frankel colt sold to Godolphin for 2,200,000gns on day two of the Book 1 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.  The Frankel colt was bred in partnership with Newsells Park Stud and Marina and Leonidas Marinopoulos and it was Japanese trainer Mitsu Nakauchida who filled the role as underbidder.  Cumani said, "It's fantastic, absolutely fantastic. It's the highest we have ever done. We sold one for two million...

Champion sprinter Muhaarar, the sire of six individual stakes winners in 2025, is on the move to Haras de Montaigu for the 2026 breeding season, after two seasons at Haras du Petit Tellier. Back in May, the Saffie Joseph-trained Be Your Best became Muhaarar's third top-level winner when landing the Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita, while other notable runners for the sire in 2025 include Motorious, a dual Grade III winner in America, G3 Bengough Stakes scorer Annaf and Listed-winning two-year-old Clea Chope. Be Your Best, Motorious and Annaf were...

By Brian Sheerin and Emma Berry NEWMARKET, UK -- Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum rarely misses Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and when the ruler of Dubai is present at Park Paddocks it is a safe bet that he will make a major contribution to the top end of the market. This he did once more, buying the day's top lot for 3,700,000gns - the most expensive yearling sold anywhere in the world this year - as well as three of the five seven-figure lots of the session....

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. Wednesday's Observations features a spn of Halfway To Heaven. 3.52 Navan, Mdn, 2yo, 8f 40yT PROPOSITION (IRE) (Frankel {GB}) is one of two newcomers from Ballydoyle and not the pick of Wayne Lordan, but as the eighth foal of the outstanding producer Halfway To Heaven (Pivotal) a highly significant...

Rebel's Romance (Dubawi) and Notable Speech (Dubawi) look set to spearhead a top-class team for Charlie Appleby at next month's Breeders' Cup at Del Mar, a meeting at which the Godolphin trainer has excelled since saddling his first winner in 2013. Appleby took his tally of Breeders' Cup winners to 11 at Del Mar last year when Rebel's Romance won the Turf for a second time, having also been successful at Keeneland in 2022. More recently, the seven-year-old gained the ninth top-level victory of his career when heading back Stateside...