Europe

The Irish Champions Festival kicks off at Leopardstown on Saturday and, ahead of what promises to be an absorbing weekend of action at the Foxrock track and the Curragh, TDN Europe caught up with some of the leading protagonists to get the lowdown on their runners.   Shadwell Team Relishing Irish Champions Stakes Challenge With Anmaat Shadwell racing manager Angus Gold says soft ground will not inconvenience the Owen Burrows-trained Anmaat (Awtaad) in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Sunday and is predicting a big effort from the...

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. Saturday's Observations features last year's BBAG sale topper. 4.15 Doncaster, Mdn, 2yo, 8fT DEL MARO (GER) (Camelot {GB}) bids to build on his debut second at Newmarket for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby on ground that is sure to play to his strengths as a son of the Preis der...

The inaugural Thoroughbred360 was held at Newpark Hotel, Co Kilkenny on September 10. Hosted by the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (ITBA) and the Irish Equine Centre, the open industry forum focused on helping Irish breeders take their business to the next level. Over 100 attendees were on hand to hear an opening address by Minister of State Timmy Dooley TD, who spoke on the importance of the bloodstock industry to the Irish economy. ITBA and the Irish Equine Centre followed this with a brief overview of what they offer breeders...

Justify does Triple Crowns, that we already know, but few would have expected he would be on the verge of another so early in his second career. Responsible for the winners of this season's 2,000 Guineas and last year's Derby, he has dead aim on the St Leger on Saturday courtesy of Scandinavia as he bids to complete a remarkable turf trinity to augment his own groundbreaking one on the dirt. Scandinavia didn't start his career in the manner of Ruling Court or City Of Troy, but then not many...

One of Britain's most beloved stayers, Normandie Stud's homebred Sweet William (Sea The Stars) came good again on Friday to add his name to an illustrious list who have won the G2 Doncaster Cup more than once. Left behind at the start, the 10-11 favourite was coaxed into contention by Robert Havlin and after moving to the three-year-old Pendragon (Camelot) approaching two out stormed clear for an emphatic 3 3/4-length success. "These staying races are a whole lot of fun and he's a wonderful old horse," John Gosden said. "He...

Her Nunthorpe-winning sister Winter Power was some flying machine, but if the evidence of Friday's G2 Flying Childers Stakes is a guide Revival Power (Bungle Inthejungle) could be even slicker model. Electric in the first furlong and totally dominant on the front throughout under Oisin Murphy, King Power's Listed Roses Stakes winner was in a league of her own as she registered a seriously-impressive 1 1/2-length success from Ballydoyle's Kansas (Wootton Bassett). "She's fast, but she goes again--she hasn't just got that initial speed but also that extra kick which...

Roger Varian's new link-up with Godolphin is paying instant dividends with the promising Avicenna (Starspangledbanner) getting up late to capture Friday's Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes at Doncaster. Held up early by William Buick, the 11-2 shot who had won over course and distance on debut last month delivered a sustained effort down the wing to collar the 5-4 favourite Hankelow (Night Of Thunder) on the line. "He's a lovely horse and I'm very grateful to Sheikh Mohammed and the Godolphin team for supporting me with a few horses this year,"...

The Curragh's Group 1 bonanza on day two of Irish Champions Weekend has attracted an aggregate 38 declarations after final fields for the track's four elite-level contests were confirmed Friday morning. Illinois (Galileo), with Christophe Soumillon booked to ride, is one of two Aidan O'Brien entries, the other being Queenstown (Galileo), and heads a field of nine in the G1 Comer Group International Irish St Leger. The undefeated G2 King Edward VII Stakes victor Amiloc (Postponed) is one of three overseas nominees. Ballydoyle has three of the six runners, headed...

Half-siblings to Classic winners Look De Vega and Coeursamba are among more than 800 horses catalogued for the five-day Arqana October Yearling Sale, which begins in Deauville on Tuesday, October 21. Part 1 of the sale, which takes place over Tuesday and Wednesday, also includes a St Mark's Basilica three-parts-brother to multiple Group 1 winner Laurens, half-brothers to the Group 1 winners Woodshauna and Kew Gardens, and a full-sister to G1 Prix Marcel Boussac victrix Zellie.  Also featured is the first foal, a filly by Frankel, of the G1 Matron...

After his success in the G1 Juddmonte International Stakes, Godolphin's Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder) is now on top of the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (WBRR). His mark of 128 is one point better than GI Travers Stakes hero Sovereignty (Into Mischief), who is tied for second with G1 Saudi Cup winner Forever Young (Real Steel) and G1 Irish 2000 Guineas/G1 St James's Palace Stakes scorer Field Of Gold (Kingman). G1 Irish Champion Stakes entrant and G1 Coral-Eclipse hero Delacroix (Dubawi) was second at York and is rated at 126....

Christophe Ferland trainee Double Major (Daiwa Major), who was on the upside of a narrow verdict in last month's G2 Prix Kergorlay, made a successful pitstop and defended his title in Thursday's G3 Prix Gladiateur, remaining on course in his quest to claim an unprecedented third G1 Prix Royal-Oak at Saint-Cloud next month. His victory provided owner-breeders Alain and Gerard Wertheimer and rider Maxime Guyon with a clean sweep of ParisLongchamp's three Group races. "This horse is really at his very best during the second part of the season and...

Ahead of the Irish Champions Festival, Ado McGuinness opens up about one of the most difficult years of his life and his reinvention as a trainer of two-year-olds  When Ado McGuinness was at his lowest ebb last year, he rightly would have looked at you twice had you told him that the next 12 months would see him bag a couple of premier handicaps, become an overnight success on the west coast of America and face into the Irish Champions Festival brimming with confidence about taking out a €250,000 pot....