Europe

Group 1-winning sprinter Profitable (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) will race for Godolphin next year, remaining in the care of trainer Clive Cox. Darley had secured the breeding rights to the 4-year-old in June just days before his career-best win in the G1 King's Stand S., with owner Alan Spence continuing to campaign the colt throughout 2016, but he will race on in 2017 in the Godolphin blue. "Profitable is a very talented horse, who will again be able to challenge for all the top sprints in Europe next year, and...

Hazariya (Ire) (Xaar {GB}) (lot 1826), the dam of this year's dual Derby winner Harzand (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and two other stakes winners, moved to the top of the leaderboard at the Tattersalls December Breeding Stock Sale on Tuesday when hammered down to MV Magnier for 2-million guineas. The 14-year-old Group 3-winning mare was sold by Newsells Park Stud in foal to Invincible Spirit (Ire) on a May 24 cover. Hazariya becomes the second mare of the day to surpass the seven figure mark.

Haras de Montaigu and Haras de la Hetraie will show their stallions Night Wish (Ger) (Sholokhov {Ire}), Prince Gibraltar (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), Walzertakt (Ger) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Bathyrhon (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) on Dec. 5 at Pole International du Cheval five minutes from the Arqana sales complex. Prince Gibraltar this year covered 80 mares in his first season at Montaigu, where he will be joined next year by Group 3 winner Night Wish. Bathyrhon covered 60 mares this year at Hetraie after only arriving at the stud in April,...

Jim Bolger and Davy Russell's Celebrity Hurling Match in aid of the Irish Cancer Society has surpassed the half-million euro mark over five years, with total funds raised reaching €542,000. The money has helped fund cancer research including the recent development of a drug that could treat a difficult form of breast cancer. Jim Bolger said, "It is truly exciting to see the developments being made through cancer research here in Ireland. The number of people with cancer in Ireland is rising annually and more research is vital to tackle...

Ryan Moore has been named the recipient of the Longines World's Best Jockey Award, an honour he has won twice in the last three years. Moore won eight of the world's top 100 Group or Grade I races in 2016, those wins coming in five countries on six different horses. They include the Longines Hong Kong Mile (Maurice {Jpn}), Longines Hong Kong Vase (Highland Reel {Ire}), Dubai Turf Sponsored by DP World (Real Steel {Jpn}), King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Sponsored by QIPCO (Highland Reel), Qatar Sussex S. (The...

Eblouissante (Bernardini) (lot 1759), the half-sister to Horse of the Year Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}) and multiple Grade I winner Balance (Thunder Gulch), became the first seven-figure transaction of the Tattersalls December Breeding Stock Sale when hammered down to Summer Wind Farm for 1.1-million guineas on Tuesday. The 7-year-old, who this year produced her first foal, a colt by Oasis Dream (GB), was sold by The National Stud in foal to Dansili (GB).

It wouldn't have taken a crystal ball to predict that the only mare to be offered in foal to Dubawi (Ire) this season would play a leading role as the  Tattersalls December Mares' Sale commenced in Newmarket. Richard Brown received an unwarranted kick up the backside at last week's foal sale from a young grand-daughter of High Chaparral (Ire) but the boot was on the other foot when the agent went in pursuit of one of the late Coolmore stallion's daughters, The Miniver Rose (Ire) (lot 1541). With Dermot Farrington...

Newmarket's bloodstock community was rocked at the start of the week with the news of the death of hugely respected equine chiropractor Carol Whitwood, who passed away at the weekend. Over the past four decades many of the best racehorses and stallions in and around Newmarket (as well as thousands of the lesser lights) have benefitted from her experience, as most of the leading trainers and stud managers at various times have called upon what the late Leslie Harrison, former stud and racing manager at Plantation Stud for the late...

The Miniver Rose (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), the lone mare in foal to Dubawi (Ire) offered at this week's Tattersalls December sale, sold for 550,000gns to Blandford Bloodstock on Monday. Lot 1541, a 10-year-old, was offered by Godolphin and is a granddaughter of Grade I winner Carotene and a half-sister to Group 2 winner Belle De Crecy (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}).

12.25 Deauville, Debutantes, €27,000, 2yo, 9 1/2f (AWT) GALIKEO (GB) (Dansili {GB}) is a son of the G1 Prix Vermeille heroine Galikova (Fr) (Galileo {Ire}), a half-sister to the famed Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa) and her talented MG1SP sibling Anodin (Ire). Freddy Head trained them all and he introduces the Wertheimers' homebred against 13 rivals on this winter bow. 12.55 Deauville, Cond, €34,000, 3yo, 9 1/2f (AWT) GOLDIKOVIC (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) joins his aforementioned close relative Galikeo by starting out late for the Wertheimers and Freddy Head in a field of...

The Tattersalls December Sale moves into its third and final phase on Monday with the first of four sessions of mare sales. Hazariya (Ire) (Xaar {GB}), the dam of this year's G1 Investec Derby and G1 Irish Derby winner Harzand (Ire) (Sea The Stars (Ire), is among 1,059 lots catalogued. The 14-year-old Hazariya, who has also produced Group 3 winner Harasiya (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) and listed winner Hazarafa (Ire) (Daylami {Ire}) as well as the stakes-placed Haziyna (Ire) (Halling), will be offered by Newsells Park Stud in foal to Invincible...

There's no doubt that, in the midst of international political unrest and a bout of equine overproduction, there's been a remarkably strong market for foals this week at Tattersalls. It would, however, be unwise to equate this apparently buoyant market to the general health of the breeding and racing industries in Britain and Ireland. Of course it's natural at a foal sale for a high number of the individuals sold not to be bought by the person who will ultimately send them to the racecourse, but while the hardy breed...