Europe

Justifying a hefty gamble, Susan Magnier's Alice Springs (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) stepped out of her bit-player role among the high-class pack of Ballydoyle 3-year-old fillies to readily upstage her elders and stamp her class on Friday's G1 Tattersalls 250th Year Falmouth S. at Newmarket. Closely tracking the pace in third early, the 5-2 second favourite who was last seen finishing an unlucky third in the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot June 17 struck the front approaching the furlong pole en route to an authoritative 2 1/4-length success from Godolphin's...

Back to the level at which he excelled last term, Olive Shaw's Kodi Bear (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) has a lot less on his plate than of late in Saturday's G2 Fred Cowley MBE Memorial Summer Mile S. at Ascot. Impressive when winning the G3 Sovereign S. at Salisbury and G2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood in August, the 4-year-old was out of his depth when subsequently tried in a trio of group 1 races, most recently the G1 Queen Anne S. in which he was seventh at Royal Ascot June 14....

It would prove apt if Cunco (Ire) was to become the initial pattern-race winner for Frankel (GB) in Saturday's G2 bet365 Superlative S. at Newmarket, a contest that the peerless Juddmonte runner's late trainer Sir Henry Cecil dominated with a record nine wins during his career. Cunco, who was third to Churchill (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Listed Chesham S. over this trip at Royal Ascot June 18, is likely to be ridden positively with stamina his forte. “Cunco is in good form and we are keeping him at seven...

Saturday's G1 Darley July Cup may be wide open, but that is no slur and more a reflection of how many class acts are in the line-up as it features all of Royal Ascot's group 1 sprint winners and six top-level scorers in total, one of which is the Diamond Jubilee hero Twilight Son (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}). He may not have won that June 18 Royal Ascot feature by a “Stravinsky-style” wide margin, but that may just be the manner of Godfrey Wilson and Cheveley Park Stud's non-flashy but highly...

Looking for all the world as if faster ground and extra distance would suit when winning the six-furlong G3 Grangecon Stud S. at The Curragh June 26, TDN Rising Star Roly Poly kept up the high standard of the Ballydoyle juveniles in 2016 with another battling display to further enhance her record. Professional from the outset when scoring on debut over five furlongs in a decent maiden at Naas Apr. 25, the bay had found the rain-softened ground against her on her next two outings when fourth in the Listed...

1st-ASC, £14,000, Mdn, 7-8, 2yo, 6fT, 1:15.87, g/f. +SEVEN HEAVENS (GB) (c, 2, Frankel {GB}--Heaven Sent {GB} {MGSW & G1SP-Eng, G1SP-Ire, $647,319}, by Pivotal {GB}) exhibited a trait common among British first-time starters drawn in the outside stall and jinked right as the gates opened before finding a modicum of cover tracking the leaders in the centre of the track. Gliding into contention approaching the quarter-mile marker, the 5-4 favourite seized control soon after and required final-furlong rousting to hold the late threat of Lockheed (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus})...

The 2016 season has not panned out exactly as one would have hoped for Europe's two best juvenile colts of 2015. Air Force Blue (War Front) has yet to win a race (though that could change in the G1 Darley July Cup) and Shalaa (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) has been sidelined with a pelvic injury. Good news is though that the John Gosden trained Shalaa is back in training and connections are hopeful of having him back on track in the Autumn. "It's great news about Shalaa as he went...

With the focus switching to horses in training at Tattersalls after a blockbuster day of fillies and mares, the destinations of the 2016 July Sale graduates remain as varied as the opening day. Godolphin led the way on Wednesday but Juddmonte always brings a decent draft to Park Paddocks and headed trade on the second day when 3-year-old Perigee (GB) (Cacique {GB}) (lot 535) sold for 115,000gns to Will Douglass of Charlie Gordon-Watson Bloodstock, acting on behalf of Jassim Al Ghazali. “We love the stallion and this horse has a...

1st-LEO, €21,000, Cond, 7-7, 2yo, 7f 30yT, 1:33.39, gd. +RADIO SILENCE, c, 2, by War Front 1st Dam: Maryfield (Ch. Female Sprinter & GISW-US, $1,334,331), by Elusive Quality 2nd Dam: Sly Maid, by Desert Wine 3rd Dam: Sly Charmer, by Valdez Radio Silence, a notable first for conditioner Jim Bolger, was restrained to race last of four runners after the break in this debut. Gaining ground on the home turn, the crowd's 9-10 pick loomed large inside the two pole and quickened smartly, despite alternating leads, in the closing stages...

Lumiere opened her account with a six-length maiden going six furlongs on this card last year, following up with a second in York's G2 Lowther S. Aug. 20 before registering a career high in the Sept. 26 G1 Cheveley Park S. at Newmarket's Rowley Mile track to end the year as the nation's leading juvenile distaffer. Dropping out to finish last of 16 after setting the tone in the May 1 G1 1000 Guineas back there once more, she rebounded in style and got back on track with a wide-margin...

6th-NEW, £10,000, Mdn, 7-7, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:12.24, g/f. +EASY VICTORY (GB) (f, 2, Dubawi {Ire}--Independence {GB} {GSW-Eng & Ire, $136,760}, by Selkirk) raced two lengths off the pace in second after the initial stages of this unveiling. Nudged closer passing the quarter-mile marker, the 11-2 chance quickened to the fore entering the final eighth and kept on stongly up the hill for two flicks of James Doyle's whip to prevail by two lengths from Tropical Rock (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). “She does some very honest work in the morning,...

This result was one for the "horses-for-courses" brigade, with the imposing Big Orange repeating his 2015 success, but was also confirmation of what a perfectly-tuned thoroughbred can achieve under a perfectly-judged ride, in this case from the visiting Aussie James McDonald. Coming to the fore when battling to a half-length verdict over Second Step (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) under Jamie Spencer 12 months ago, the bay lived up to his trainer's belief that he had improved since than when much more impressive to become the first since Millenary (GB) (Rainbow Quest)...