Europe

Quiet Reflection (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) seeks her third Group 1 prize of the season in the Qipco British Champions' Sprint at Ascot on Saturday. Only beaten twice in nine career starts, she is the latest bargain buy to consolidate a remarkable revival in the career of her trainer Karl Burke. Suspended for 12 months in 2009--he admitted naivete over new rules, having talked horses with a banned former patron and business associate--Burke was obliged to hand over his licence to his wife Elaine. Since the end of that ban, their...

Dubawi (Ire), the ruler of Book 1, was back in charge at Tattersalls on Wednesday courtesy of his sole Book 2 yearling (lot 1267), Croom House Stud's colt out of the unraced Brazilian Samba (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) who became yet another addition to the Godolphin collection for the sum of 300,000gns. “He's a May foal, so we decided he'd stand out in this sale and we're delighted that he did that,” said Denis Brosnan, who owns Croom House Stud with his wife Joan and son Cathal. The County Limerick farm,...

4th-KEM, £4,500, Mdn, 10-12, 2yo, f, 7f (AWT), 1:27.31, st/sl. +TRIBUTE ACT (GB) (f, 2, Exceed and Excel {Aus}--Sister Act {GB}, by Marju {Ire}), a half-sister to the 2014 G1 Prix Jean Romanet and G2 Blandford S. winner Ribbons (GB) (Manduro {Ger}), Hwt. Older Mare-Ire at 9 1/2-11f, G1SW-Fr, GSW & G1SP-Ire, SW & GSP-Eng, $590,119, was settled in mid-division early. Challenging wide in the straight, the 13-2 shot was coaxed to the front with 150 yards remaining and only needed to be pushed out with hands and heels to...

Saturday's G1 Qipco Champion S. will be staged on Ascot's outer track, with the racecourse scrapping plans to run the feature race on the inner course due to forecast concerns. The decision was made after a change in forecast showed less rain than originally expected before Saturday. The going on the outer track was described as good, good to soft on Wednesday, while it is good to firm, firm in places on the inner. "We had 1.5mm of rain on Wednesday morning. The forecast doesn't look like we've got much...

Trainer Kevin Prendergast and jockey Shane Foley were the winners of the awards for training and riding performance of the year, respectively, at the annual Tipperary Crystal Curragh Racing Awards presented Oct. 12 at Kildare Village. They were selected from eight monthly winners, Prendergast winning for his training performance of Awtaad (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) in the G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, and Foley for his winning ride aboard Jet Setting (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}) in the G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas. Andy Slattery received the Special Achievement Award for...

Fifty percent of Saturday's G1 Qipco Champion S. favourite Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) has been sold to the colt's breeder, Haras d'Etreham, in partnership with SF Bloodstock, with the 3-year-old set to stay in training with Jean-Claude Rouget next year. Haras d'Etreham bred Almanzor and sold him for €100,000 at the 2014 Arqana August yearling sale to Rouget. Campaigned in partnership by Gerard Augustin-Normand and Ecurie Antonio Caro, Almanzor has won his last four starts, including the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Qipco Irish Champion S. over...

La Cauviniere's Rajsaman (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}), the leading first-season sire in France, sired his first stakes winner on Tuesday when Brametot (Ire) took the Listed Grand Criterium de Bordeaux at Bordeaux Le Bouscat, a race won last year by subsequent G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Irish Champion S. winner Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). Brametot is campaigned in partnership by La Cauviniere owner Gerard Augustin-Normand, who has also developed the successful stud career of Le Havre (Ire) (Noverre) and campaigned many of his top progeny. The TDN's Kelsey...

Weatherbys Ireland will be the title sponsor of the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association National Hunt Fillies Bonus Scheme for 2017. Established in 2014, the scheme supports the sale of fillies at public auction and encourages owners and breeders to put their fillies into training. The scheme rewards eligible fillies 3-years-old and older a €5,000 bonus for breaking their maidens. Ninety-four eligible races are scheduled for 2017, up from 76 this year. Ronan Murphy, chief executive officer of Weatherbys Ireland, said, "We are delighted to sponsor the Weatherbys/ITBA NH Fillies Bonus...

It was budget day in Ireland on Tuesday and it heralded good news for Irish racing as the Minister For Agriculture Michael Creed announced a Government grant of almost €64m to the racing industry in 2017. It represents the largest contribution made by Government to racing, exceeding the previous peak figure of €62.6m pledged in 2008. This Government support, which is €4.8m more than was received in 2016 is very positive news for Horse Racing Ireland who administer racing's finances. As the contribution has steadily grown in recent years HRI's...

1.40 Nottingham, Mdn, £5,000, 2yo, 8f 75yT CROWNED EAGLE (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) is a half-brother to Pivotal (GB)'s G1SP trio Eagle Top (GB), Wings of Desire (GB) and The Lark (GB), and returns off a debut third for the John Gosden barn at Haydock last month. His rivals include €370,000 GOFORB purchase Pincheck (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who is out of a sibling of top-level scorers Kingsfort (War Chant) and Prince Arch (Arch), and who ran fifth for the Luca Cumani yard in that same Haydock heat; and the...

Derrinstown Stud has reported the death of one of their former globally respected stallions, Marju (Ire) (Last Tycoon {GB}–Flame Of Tara {GB}, by Artaius). He died of natural causes at 28 years of age. Bred by Ms Pat O'Kelly's Kilcarn Stud, Marju had a beautiful pedigree being a three-parts brother to the brilliant five-time Group 1 winner Salsabil (GB) (Sadler's Wells), and he showed himself to be one of the best milers of his generation when winning the G1 St James's Palace S. at Ascot in 1991 for trainer John...

Bobby Frankel set a record of 25 Group/Grade 1 wins in a season in 2003 and this weekend could see Aidan O'Brien close in on that record haul. O'Brien trained his 20th top level flat winner in 2015 when Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) won the G1 Dubai Dewhurst S. at Newmarket last week and with four Group 1s up for grabs at Ascot on Saturday not to mention the Caulfield Cup in Australia and the Canadian International at Woodbine on Sunday, the Ballydoyle trainer could theoretically even break the record....