Europe

Dansili's Talaayeb Tagged a Rising Star at Newmarket

1st-NEW, £8,000, Mdn, 9-24, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:25.59, g/f. +TALAAYEB (GB), f, 2, by Dansili (GB) 1st Dam: Rumoush (SW & G1SP-Eng, GSP-Fr, $147,212), by Rahy 2nd Dam: Sarayir, by Mr. Prospector 3rd Dam: Height of Fashion (Fr), by Bustino (GB) Talaayeb, a 2017 G1 Irish 1000 Guineas entry, was steadied to find cover in mid division after an alert departure in this first go. Inching ever closer from halfway, the well-backed 10-1 chance challenged full of run entering the final furlong and quickened smartly under mild coaxing up the...

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Observations On Saturday's European Racing Scene
Observations On Saturday's European Racing Scene

1.50 Newmarket, Mdn, £8,000, 2yo, f, 7fT BLUE ILLUSION (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is a daughter of the 2011 G1 1000 Guineas, G1 Irish Oaks and G1 Yorkshire Oaks heroine Blue Bunting (Dynaformer), whose half-brother Exemplar (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was an impressive winner at Galway earlier this month and heads to post for Sunday's G2 Beresford S. Charlie Appleby has charge of Godolphin's homebred, whose merit will be tested by Shadwell's 425,000gns TATFOA purchase Neshmeya (GB) (Lawman {Fr}), a Charlie Hills-trained daughter of the G1 Epsom Oaks third High Heeled (Ire)...

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Acclamation Filly Tops Final Day

An filly by Acclamation (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) bought as a breeze-up prospect topped the second and final day of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale Part II. The inaugural Day 2 session of Part II of the sale produced an aggregate of €747,000, an average price of €6,229 and a median of €4,750 for 120 horses sold. The total for the two days saw €1,868,400 worth of horses change hands for an average of €6,998 and a median of €5,000. At the conclusion of the day's trade Tattersalls Ireland...

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One Of Those Days

Saturday's card at Newmarket should offer plenty of clues as to next year's Classics, with the G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. featuring some highly-regarded Derby hopefuls headed by 'TDN Rising Star' Best of Days (GB) (Azamour {Ire}). Second to another Godolphin acquisition in Syphax (Arch) in the seven-furlong G3 Acomb S. at York when last seen Aug. 17, the bay who had previously scored impressively on debut by six lengths at this distance at Sandown July 20 is likely to appreciate this rise in trip. “I know that Hugo Palmer...

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Joel Success For Fastnet Rock's Cougar Mountain

Since the Joel was upgraded to offer Champions Day aspirants a prep in 2011, the race has had mixed results and there were question marks over all of the protagonists lined up for this renewal. In the event, it was one of the most experienced and oldest who came to the fore in Cougar Mountain who enjoyed a rare day in the sun and a second pattern-race success. That had come in last year's G3 Desmond S. over this trip at Leopardstown, in which he probably did not need to...

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Regal Entanglement

Thankfully, there have been no last-minute hiccups to prevent the eagerly-anticipated match between the American dynamo Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy) and the British generation-leader Queen Kindly (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in Saturday's G1 Connolly's Red Mills Cheveley Park S. at Newmarket. The former sets a clear standard on her successes in the G2 Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot June 15 and G1 Prix Morny at Deauville Aug. 21 and Wesley Ward is not looking for excuses if she tastes defeat for the first time. “She looks fantastic and I think...

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Point Of Return
Point Of Return

With Caravaggio (Scat Daddy) sadly absent from Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S. at Newmarket, the other two who have provided most of the main narrative of the juvenile season for sprinter types, Mehmas (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal), square up for what could be a title decider. There was no questioning the supremacy of the former when they met in the G2 Richmond S. at Goodwood July 28, with Al Shaqab's G2 July S. winner racing under a three-pound penalty and still emerging a neck in...

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Sageburg's Spain Burg In Rockfel Upset

Fair Eva was fully expected to get back to winning ways with the key being this seventh furlong, but odds-on backers had reckoned without Spain Burg who sprang from the French provinces to cause a surprise. There was little indication as to how she would measure up in this company, with wins over five furlongs at Bordeaux-le-Bouscat Apr. 24 and over six at Toulouse June 17 coming either side of a second to the subsequent listed runner-up Boos (Fr) (Dream Ahead) also over the former course and distance May 23....

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Dubawi's Journey Dominates the Princess Royal

Not seen since winning the G3 Pinnacle S. at Haydock May 28, Journey carried on where she left off by recording back-to-back successes in this competitive affair under typically enterprising tactics. On a roll last autumn, the homebred went from this to finishing runner-up to Simple Verse (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. over the same trip at Ascot in October. Returning to be third in the G2 Middleton S. over an inadequate 10-furlong trip at York May 12, the bay...

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O'Brien Considers Breeders' Cup Bid

Joseph O'Brien may bid to achieve a rare feat by training a Breeders' Cup winner to go with his victory there as a jockey. The fledgling trainer rode his father's St Nicholas Abbey (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) to win the GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Churchill Downs in 2011 and he is strongly considering aiming Intricately (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) at the meeting at Santa Anita in November. The juvenile, bred by O'Brien's parent's company Whisperview Trading Ltd literally booked her ticket for the Breeders' Cup by winning the G1 Moyglare...

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Murphy To Cease Training

Multiple Cheltenham Festival wining trainer Colm Murphy is to hand in his trainer's licence. The Wexford based trainer, best known for his handling of Grade 1 winners Big Zeb (Ire) (Oscar {Ire}), Brave Inca (Ire) (Good Thyne) and Feathard Lady (Ire) (Accordion {GB}) made the shock announcement citing financial reasons for his motive in winding down his business. "It's something I've been thinking about for the last while and after a few difficult years, my accountancy background told me we just can't make it pay any more,” said Murphy. "It's...

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Coulsty To Retire To Rathasker Stud

Rathasker Stud in Kildare will welcome a new addition to their stallion roster for 2017 having snapped up multiple stakes winner Coulsty (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}–Hazium {Ire}, by In The Wings {GB}). The 5-year-old has been a grand campaigner for Richard Hannon and his owner Lord Vestey winning five races from 25 runs and finishing in the top three a further eight times. “Coulsty is an exciting commercial prospect for our clients - a high class group winning sprinter by leading sire Kodiac, from a family full of speed and precocity...

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