Europe

There was an element of doubt in the betting market beforehand and in the race itself for a few strides as Mehmas loomed large, but in the end Churchill had the most staying power to come home alone and provide an 11th success in this prestigious affair for Aidan O'Brien. Marginally more impressive each time he has recorded his successes in Royal Ascot's Listed Chesham S. June 18, the G3 Tyros S. at Leopardstown July 21 and the G2 Futurity S. at The Curragh Aug. 21, the imposing bay was...

Runner-up in last month's G1 Prix Jacques le Marois, having annexed Maisons-Laffitte's July 17 G3 Prix Messidor, Vadamos at last attracted Group 1 fame with a dominant performance in Sunday's G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp at Chantilly. Frustrated by an early powder-puff tempo and seizing office on the home turn, the 12-5 third choice was stoked up passing the two pole and not for catching under a final-furlong drive to easily hold the running on Spectre (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) by 1 1/4 lengths for a belated first top-level score....

Harzand (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) a disappointing favourite when finishing eighth in the G1 QIPCO Irish Champion S. was apparently struck into early in the race, something that certainly wouldn't have done his chances any favours. Dermot Weld on Sunday reported the Aga Khan's dual Derby winner as “very sore” and “lame” following his efforts at Leopardstown. “It was a brave performance considering he was chopped from behind in the early stages of the race,” said Weld. The G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is in three weeks...

Third behind Promise To Be True (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G3 Silver Flash S. at Leopardstown July 21 before filling the same spot as Rhododendron took the G2 Debutante S. over this course and distance a month later, Intricately improved past that Ballydoyle duo to make it a red-letter day for brothers Joseph and Donnacha O'Brien. Registering a 33-1 upset on debut over seven furlongs at Gowran Park June 19, the bay was just 1 1/4 lengths off Promise To Be True in the Silver Flash and slightly further...

Successful in July's G3 Prix de Psyche at Deauville after running second to La Cressonniere (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) in the G1 Prix de Diane, Alain and Gerard Wertheimer's Left Hand confirmed her stature as one of France's leading distaffers with a career high in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille at Chantilly. Steadied in fourth after breaking sharply on the lead, the 7-2 chance was pushed along to close inside the final quarter-mile and pounced in the dying strides to deny the pacesetting Endless Time by a half- length, with...

Makahiki (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who ran second in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) before going one better in May's G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) last time, took a giant step towards next month's G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe with a narrow victory in Sunday's G2 Qatar Prix Niel at Chantilly. Settled behind a steady pace in third for the most part, the crowd's 2-5 choice was nudged closer passing the quarter-mile marker and was not fully extended under mild urging in the closing stages to deny...

Laura Mongan gave her stable star Harbour Law (GB) (Lawman {Fr}) a clean bill of health following his courageous effort to win Saturday's G1 Ladbrokes St Leger. "He's absolutely fine. He ate up last night and pulled out well this morning," said Mongan, who became the first woman to train the winner of the 240-year-old race. "He's probably a little bit quieter than normal, but you'd expect that. He had to dig deep and he did,” she added. Harbour Law, a £30,000 2-year-old purchase at Goffs London Sale in 2015...

In a truly spectacular line-up for the G1 QIPCO Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown swollen with the turf stars of Europe, there were thankfully no excuses or hard-luck stories as Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) supplemented his previous best in the G1 Prix du Jockey-Club to bring the most sought-after prize in recent memory back to France. There was something in the manner of his electric performance when returning successfully from a break in the G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano over this 10-furlong trip at Deauville Aug. 15 to suggest that...

Returning to his native Ireland following two defeats in the G1 St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot June 14 and G1 Sussex S. at Glorious Goodwood July 27, the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas hero Awtaad cast aside doubts about his current state by stamping his authority on this competitive affair. Such a force to be reckoned with in the spring, the dark bay bounded from an impressive win in the seven-furlong Listed Tetrarch S. at The Curragh May 2 to upstage the 2000 Guineas winner Galileo Gold (GB) (Paco...

Restored at Ballydoyle since disappointing for the second time in as many visits to France when eighth as the favourite for the G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville July 31, Alice Springs returned in peak condition to annihilate her opposition and add this prize to her similarly impressive G1 Falmouth S. victory at Newmarket July 8. Smart at two without clinching any headlines, her best performances came when third in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. at The Curragh in mid-September and second in Keeneland's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf the...

Returning from a break after her impressive success in the G3 Blue Wind S. over 10 furlongs at Naas May 11, Zhukova shook off the cobwebs to master US Army Ranger in readiness for a potentially profitable autumn campaign. Like the stable's last two winners of this race Free Eagle (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and Fascinating Rock (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), the bay who holds a special place in Dermot Weld's affections looks set to go to the top with Ascot's Champions Day the next port of call. Formidable in...

The term 'select sale' may have been redefined by the third renewal of the Goffs Champions Sale, at which four horses in training were offered and just two sold, with the Jim Bolger homebred Siamsaoicht (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) (lot 6) earning top billing when bringing the hammer down at €300,000. The 3-year-old sister to G1 Dewhurst S. winner Parish Hall (Ire) and to the Group 2-placed Hall Of Fame (Ire) was herself a dual winner and runner-up to Hit It A Bomb (War Front) in the listed Star Appeal S....