Europe

The field for Saturday's G1 Coral Eclipse at Sandown has grown to a potential 11 starters, with two supplementary entries added on Monday. One of these is the Godolphin-owned Royal Ascot winner Hawkbill (Kitten's Joy). The 3-year-old colt is on a serious upward curve, having won his last five starts and he looked like his progression had not halted when winning the G3 Tercentenary S. at Royal Ascot. John Ferguson, Godolphin's chief executive and racing manager said, "Charlie [Appleby] is very happy with how Hawkbill has been training since Ascot....

Red Verdon (Lemon Drop Kid), a fast finishing fourth in the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, is to be trained for the G1 Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster in September. The Ed Dunlop-trained colt finished eight lengths closer to Harzand (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) on Saturday than he did when finishing sixth at Epsom and he failed by just a short head to grab third place from Jim Bolger's Stellar Mass (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). "He has come out of his race very well and arrived back...

Hong Kong stalwart Gold-Fun (Ire) (Le Vie Dei Colori {GB}), who began his career in Ireland with Ger Lyons, will remain in Europe for the summer, with the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville his main target. Despite earning over €5m in prizemoney, the Richard Gibson-trained 7-year-old has yet to win a Group 1, though he came agonisingly close in the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. at Royal Ascot when beaten a neck into second by Twilight Son (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}) earlier this month. Gibson, who trained in France before...

OUT ON HER OWN On yet another days of days for Ballydoyle, Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) justified favouritism the way it should be done if you are 1-5 to bring up group 1 win number five taking on the older fillies for the first time in Sunday's G1 Sea the Stars Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh. Impressive in different ways when imposing her superiority over the Classic generation in the G1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket May 1 and G1 Epsom Oaks June 3, Derrick Smith's bay was clear-best again...

Ireland may have been losing in the football in France, but at The Curragh national pride was being richly rewarded on Sunday as Ballydoyle continued to fly the flag during the Irish Derby weekend fixture. This time it was TDN Rising Star Roly Poly who brought further pattern-race glory to Rosegreen as the Aidan O'Brien-Ryan Moore partnership flourishes with more than just shades of the era of Vincent O'Brien and Lester Piggott. Off the mark over five furlongs at Naas Apr. 25, the bay encountered unsuitably soft conditions on her...

For a race that can come up weak on occasion, this looked a proper renewal on paper and it drew a proper winner as the upwardly-mobile Sir Isaac Newton made light of a quick turnaround having won Royal Ascot's Listed Wolferton H. eight days ago. Any horse that costs 3.6million guineas as a yearling will attract intense scrutiny and while he reached a notable standard on his sole juvenile outing when second to the subsequent Listed Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial winner Zawraq (Ire) (Shamardal) over seven furlongs at Leopardstown, he...

Robert Cowell is mulling over some options for his G2 Norfolk S. winner Prince Of Lir (Ire) (Kodiac GB}). The juvenile is unbeaten in two starts for Peter Swann's Cool Silk Partnership and Cowell is leaning towards a trip to Maisons-Laffitte in France next month with the £170,000 breeze up purchase. "I'd imagine the [G2] Prix Robert Papin in France over five and a half will be next. He is in the [G1] Nunthorpe but we will see about that. We may have to step him up to six furlongs...

Karl Burke has announced a change of plan for his star sprinter Quiet Reflection (GB) (Showcasing {GB}). The filly proved herself one of Europe's best sprinters with her victory in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot following which her trainer suggested a break, with the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup in September as a possible comeback. However the G1 Darley July Cup (July 9) at Newmarket is now firmly on the agenda, the filly having recovered so well from Ascot. "She has come out of the race at Ascot in...

Jockey Fran Berry faces a spell on the sidelines after being unseated from the fatally injured Mrs Eve (Ire) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) at Doncaster on Friday. Berry was sent to hospital after being assessed at the course's medical facilities and his agent, Tony Hind, said Saturday, "I spoke to him last night and he was having a scan on his chest and ribs as he was in quite a bit of pain. I'm not sure how long he'll be out for, but I don't think he'll be riding next week...

THOU SHALT NOT PASS Coming into Saturday's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby much as he did the Epsom one with a cloud of doubts hanging over him, His Highness The Aga Khan's Harzand (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) drew on the steel for which he is already renowned for to prevail in a thrilling battle with Idaho (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and join an elite club of dual Derby heroes on The Curragh's hallowed ground. Sent off the 4-6 favourite despite Dermot Weld's several notes of caution in the race's...

Ger Lyons has been on the up-and-up for a while and it was only a matter of time before he started to trade equal blows with some of the bigger traditional stables in Ireland, with Medicine Jack doing the yard proud in this important staging post. Third on debut behind the subsequently listed-placed Lundy (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) over this trip at Leopardstown May 8, the chestnut was sixth behind Mehmas (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and Global Applause (GB) (Mayson {GB}) in Newbury's valuable Olympic Glory Conditions S. six days later...

1st-CUR, €16,500, Mdn, 6-25, 2yo, 6fT, 1:14.53, g/y. INTELLIGENCE CROSS (c, 2, War Front--Good Vibes, by Unbridled's Song), a full-brother to G1 Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup placegetter Warning Flag--aka Sweet Orange--who was denied by a head over this course and distance on debut June 4, broke to the fore and shadowed the pace in second racing in a first-time tongue-tie here. Shaken up to challenge just inside the two pole, the 10-11 favourite needed little encouragement to assert superiority and received two educational flicks of Ryan Moore's persuader...