Europe

Few people will be looking forward to the return of the dual Group 1-winning juvenile Shalaa (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) more than his breeders Mark Gittins and Aisling Kinane. The young couple first set eyes on each other at Newmarket on the day Aisling's father Mick rode Sea The Stars (Ire) to the first of his six top-flight wins in the 2,000 Guineas, a few months after Shalaa's dam Ghurra (War Chant) had been bought from the Tattersalls December Sale by the Gittins family. Two years later, the 100 acres...

Highclere Thoroughbred Racing is set to launch new syndicates named for great Olympians past and present, including Sir Steve Redgrave, Sir Mark Todd, Dame Kelly Holmes, David Weir, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Denise Lewis, Edwin Moses and Victoria Pendleton. "I am delighted to present our new Olympian syndicates and must thank all of these great athletes for allowing us to use their names," said Highclere Chairman Harry Herbert. "I am excited that most have expressed their keen interest in following the horses in their respective syndicates, which I am sure will lead...

It doesn't happen every year, but in 2016 Coolmore's Galileo was the leading sire at Royal Ascot, with five winners--four of them in a row in the last two races on Friday and the first two races on Saturday, following Order Of St. George's impressive win in Thursday's G1 Ascot Gold Cup. He also had five seconds, one third, and the earners of £909,173, according to tables published in last Sunday's Racing Post. Four of the five, you won't be surprised to hear, were trained by Aidan O'Brien (Kinema, winner...

When a truly great stallion becomes so dominant that stud farms clamour to stand his sons, you would think that his broodmare daughters would find it that little bit harder to make a similar impact. Think again! Despite having endless successful stallion sons, the two-time champion sire Mr. Prospector notched up a lengthy sequence of broodmare sire championships. The same has happened in Japan, where 13-time champion sire Sunday Silence is well on his way to recording his 10th consecutive broodmare sire title. And in Britain and Ireland, where Sadler's...

Charlie Hills thinks he has found an ideal opportunity to get last year's Royal Ascot winner Dutch Connection (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) back into the winner's enclosure. The Lambourn trainer intends to run the 4-year-old in Saturday's G3 Criterion S. at Newmarket. Last seen disappointing in the G1 Al Shaqab Lockinge S. at Newbury, the now Godolphin-owned colt was previously a close second to Toormore (Ire) (Arakan) in the G2 BET365 Mile at Sandown. "Dutch Connection is an intended runner in the Criterion S.," said Hills. "I've had the chance...

Roger Varian is very much looking forward to seeing Postponed (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in action again, as he prepares him for a repeat win in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot July 23. The 5-year-old scraped home by a nose in the race last year from Eagle Top (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), but is arguably a better horse this year judged on his latest impressive G1 victories in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in March and more recently in the G1 Investec Coronation Cup at...

Aidan O'Brien is aiming a quartet of high-class colts at the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh on Saturday. The Ballydoyle trainer is seeking his 12th victory in the race which is worth €1.5m this year. O'Brien's challengers, namely US Army Ranger (Ire), 'TDN Rising Star' Idaho (Ire), Port Douglas (Ire) and Shogun (Ire), incidentally all sons of Galileo (Ire), will be seeking revenge on their Epsom conqueror Harzand (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) with US Army Ranger and Idaho only beaten a length and a half...

The Racing Post newspaper is set to be sold. As reported in Ireland's Sunday Business Post, Exponent Private Equity has emerged as a preferred bidder for the business which is owned by Stradbrook Acquisitions. The Racing Post trademark is owned in perpetuity by Sheikh Mohammed and although the bidding process for the business began several months ago there is speculation that both the outcome of the Brexit vote and Sheikh Mohammed's approval for the deal are factors that are pending. Stradbrook Acquisitions is made up of approximately 20 shareholders, including...

If your glass is half empty, you will only grieve the timing of his loss. If half full, on the other hand, you will instead celebrate the emergence--with fateful punctuality--of a potential successor. But everyone, regardless, can raise a toast to Scat Daddy (Johannesburg) for making Royal Ascot 2016 a vintage of such heady effervescence. To have lost the stallion so abruptly last December--at the age of just 11, and after a year in which he sired 18 stakes winners--must now seem harder than ever to his owners. Presumably, after...

William Buick has received a 30-day ban from the French Stewards following an incident in the G1 Prix De Diane Longines at Chantilly on Sunday. Officials felt Buick, on board Highlands Queen (Fr) (Mount Nelson {GB}), was responsible for the fall of Pierre-Charles Boudot from Armande (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the closing stages. Buick received a 15 day ban for the incident and a further 15 days for being offensive to the stewards. The ban commences July 3 and Buick, who shares the role of Godolphin number one...

Nobody could get a handle on just how good La Cressonniere (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) was prior to her success in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and it is fair to say that Antonio Caro and Gerard Augustin-Normand's unbeaten bay still had her doubters afterwards, but she provided a resounding answer by following up in Sunday's G1 Prix de Diane Longines at Chantilly. Held up towards the rear early by Cristian Demuro, the 14-5 favourite was delivered wide in the straight and gained the lead with a decisive surge...

Max Dynamite (Fr) (Great Journey {Jpn}), a disappointing second favourite when a well beaten 10th in the G1 Ascot Gold Cup last Thursday, is likely to drop back down in trip for his next start. The Willie Mullins trained 6-year-old will target the G2 Lonsdale Cup at York over two miles in August, a race he won last year en route to finishing second to Prince Of Penzance (NZ) (Pentire {GB}) in the G1 Melbourne Cup last November. Reflecting on his Ascot performance, owner Rich Ricci commented, "He travelled really...