Europe

Sea The Stars, no less than a half-brother to Galileo, by Cape Cross, had a truly perfect 3-year-old campaign in 2009. Winner of two of his three starts, including the G2 Beresford S., for his owner-breeders, the Tsui family, as a 2-year-old in 2008, Sea The Stars went six-for six at three under the tutelage of Irish trainer John Oxx , winning the G1 English 2000 Guineas and G1 Epsom Derby, followed by three 10-furlong wins in races open to older horses--the G1 Eclipse S., G1 Juddmonte International, and G1...

Make no mistake, being a racehorse trainer is one of the most challenging professions in sport. It would be difficult enough if their sole responsibility was conditioning such notoriously fragile animals to perform at their best, but being a trainer involves so much more than that. A trainer that isn't fortunate enough to have the benefit of support staff often has to play the role of accountant, human resource manager, therapist, salesperson and social butterfly amongst others. Not to mention being a grief counsellor after the regular defeats and setbacks...

The administrators of the Plus 10 Bonus Scheme wish to remind breeders and pin-hookers that the deadline for ensuring 2015 yearlings remain eligible for the scheme is the end of June. Those wishing to keep their yearlings in the scheme have until June 30 to pay the £200/€250  fee which gives them the opportunity to share in a £10,000 bonus should the horse progress to win a Plus 10 backed race. The scheme's Chairman, Julian Richmond-Watson, said, “Following the scheme's successful first year, where 215 breeders won bonus prize money,...

Joseph O'Brien will certainly remember his first day as a licensed trainer. Sending out runners under his own name for the first time on Monday, O'Brien kicked off his new career in spectacular fashion training four winners spread across meetings at Listowel and Gowran Park. Two of the winners came on the flat and two in national hunt races, with his brother Donnacha steering the flat winners Justice Frederick (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) and Zig Zag (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), while his sister Sarah also kept it in the family guiding home...

Further international interest has been added to next Monday's Goffs London Sale with the inclusion of the Wesley Ward-trained Big City Dreamin (Iqbaal). The 2-year-old filly was an impressive winner of her only start at Keeneland in April and looks a leading contender for the Listed Windsor Castle S. on the opening day of Royal Ascot, next Tuesday. Her trainer commented, "She's a big imposing filly to look at. She's very precocious and won the very first 2-year-old race of the year at Keeneland. I think she is the type...

It didn't appear to be the dawn of a new era when Miswaki's daughter Urban Sea narrowly landed the 1993 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at odds of 37-1. After all, there was nothing hugely unusual about a filly or mare winning the Arc: four had done so in the 1970's and another four in the 1980's and more recently we have seen five of the last eight Arcs fall to the distaff division. Also, Urban Sea was by no means the best of these Arc-winning fillies, as her...

1st-GOW, €15,500, Mdn, 6-6, 2yo, 7fT, 1:28.41, g/f. JUSTICE FREDERICK (IRE) (c, 2, Lawman {Fr}--Sheer Spirit {Ire}, by Caerleon), a debut third going five furlongs at Tipperary last time May 26, was smartly away to track the pace in fourth after the initial strides of this return. Making headway in the straight, the 6-4 second choice launched his bid passing the two pole and was ridden out in the closing stages to assert by 1 1/2 lengths from Leo Minor (War Front). Justice Frederick, who is kin to G2 Blandford...

Robin Of Navan (Fr) (American Post {GB}) will avail of a short break following his disappointing effort in Sunday's G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly. Harry Dunlop's 3-year-old, winner of the G1 Criterium de Saint Cloud last year, finished 11th on Sunday, despite leading the field to the furlong marker. Dunlop went to France with high hopes and was slightly deflated with the outcome commenting, "We gave it a go and for a brief moment we thought it was going to come off. He quickened once, got a break...

Saturday's G1 Investec Epsom Derby hero Harzand (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is likely to attempt a Derby double by targeting his home version, the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh June 25. It sets up a potentially fascinating rematch with the news that the Irish race is also on the agenda for US Army Ranger (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), 'TDN Rising Star' Idaho (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Wings Of Desire (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and Humphrey Bogart (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}), horses that occupied the top five positions at Epsom....

6.00 Windsor, Mdn, £6,600, 2yo, 6fT Saeed bin Suroor trainee BIN BATTUTA (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is a son of G2 Flying Childers S. and G3 King George S. victress Land of Dreams (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}), and is thus kin to the dual stakes winner Into the Dark (GB) (Rainbow Quest) and MG1SW European champion Dream Ahead (Diktat {GB}). Godolphin's homebred chestnut faces nine rivals in this first go, including fellow newcomer Harbour Master (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}), a Jamie Osborne-trained half-brother to MGSW GI Del Mar Oaks third Prize...

The 237th G1 Investec Derby delivered everything you could sensibly have hoped, reducing a bewildering array of colts with high potential to an elite corps of high achievers. In drawing five lengths clear, the first three have gone a long way towards separating themselves from the other middle-distance colts of their generation. By the same token, however, Epsom remained a learning experience for them all--and, as such, not necessarily a definitive gauge of their relative standings by the end of the year. First, second and fourth, after all, had arrived...

HAWKSMOOR SWOOPS FOR CLASSIC GLORY Coming to the fore when winning the G3 Prestige S. over seven furlongs at Goodwood in August, Hawksmoor was third in the G2 Rockfel S. over that trip at Newmarket the following month before finishing in the same position behind Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Fillies Mile at the latter venue in October. Returning to be third again behind Jemayel (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary over 10 furlongs at Deauville last time May 16, she justified favouritism to...