Europe

Book 2 of the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale brought the four days of trade to a close by adding another A$185,250 to sale's total turnover of A$74,986,250, with 67 horses sold on the day from 87 offered at an average of A$2,765. Leading the way was Lyndhurst Stud Farm's Joyful Moments (Aus) (Viking Ruler {Aus}), an unraced grand-daughter of dual Oaks winner Denise's Joy (Aus) (Seventh Hussar {Aus}) who was sold with a Sept. 22 cover to Better Than Ready (Aus). Alexia Fraser signed for the 9-year-old mare at...

Impressive first-time-out Curragh maiden winner Van Der Decken (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) is set to make his next start in the royal blue silks of Godolphin having been bought privately by Sheikh Mohammed's operation. With Group 1 entries later in the season for the Keeneland Phoenix S. and Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S., the Cheveley Park Stud-bred juvenile looks likely to appear next in the G2 Coventry S. on the first day of Royal Ascot. He will remain based in Ireland with his trainer and former owner Paddy Twomey, who...

Showing his quality with a win in the G3 Prix d'Hedouville over 12 furlongs at Saint-Cloud last time May 8, One Foot In Heaven had to battle more this time in deep ground but got the job done to justify cramped odds. First successful in black-type company in the Listed Prix Lord Seymour over this trip at Maisons-Laffitte Apr. 19, the bay had produced a turn of acceleration to capture the d'Hedouville but in this ground that was nullified to an extent. Settled towards the rear by Christophe Soumillon, the...

JOINING THE CLUB Having already enjoyed Classic glory this season in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches with La Cressonniere (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), Antonio Caro and Gerard Augustin-Normand were basking again on Sunday after Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) swooped in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club. Successful in the nine-furlong G3 Prix de Guiche here last time May 10, Jean-Claude Rouget's second-string in the betting at 19-1 ultimately showed the sharpest turn of acceleration off a solid pace to deny Zarak (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) by 1 1/2 lengths...

Taking four runs to break her maiden, Volta achieved that over this trip at Saint-Cloud Mar. 24 before showing improvement to readily claim a first black-type success in the Listed Prix Volterra over this course and distance May 9 and returned in even better form to turn this competitive affair into a procession. Settled with two behind early by Pierre-Charles Boudot, the bay moved closer on the approach to the straight and only needed one invitation to slice between labouring rivals and take total control before the furlong pole. Quickly...

Successful over a mile on heavy ground on debut at Saint-Cloud in November, The Juliet Rose returned to that track to be second to the subsequent G1 Prix Saint-Alary runner-up Camprock (Fr) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) under hold-up tactics and after meeting interference in the 10 1/2-furlong G3 Prix Penelope Apr. 18. More positively ridden last time when getting back to winning ways in the Listed Prix de la Seine over 11 furlongs here May 10, the dark bay was allowed to race alone initially by Stephane Pasquier and by the time...

To win any race, big or small, owners, trainers and breeders need everything to fall into place for the few minutes that matter most. When the horse in question has been produced by one of the foremost breeding operations in the world, taking a bow in the Derby at Epsom, in which the victor turns from mere colt to stallion prospect with every reaching stride of the final furlong, those few minutes are the culmination of decades of planning. “In this activity, what we try to do is not just...

Group 1-winning sprinter Foxwedge (Aus), who currently has his first 2-year-olds racing in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere, notched his first stakes winner Saturday when Volpe Veloce (Aus) took the Listed Castletown S. at Wanganui in New Zealand. Racing on the outside about three lengths off the early pace, the bay was hung three-wide coming off the turn but shrugged off that inconvenience. He hit the lead under stern urging at the 300 metre mark but ultimately won the 1200-metre contest wrapped up by 2 1/2 lengths. Foxwedge has...

Yet again, it is Andre Fabre who holds the bragging rights to another of France's pattern races, with a record 11 renewals of the G3 Prix de Royaumont on his resume, and he relies on Godolphin's unexposed Jollify (Ire) (Manduro {Ger}) and Lady O'Reilly and Baron Edouard de Rothschild's Armande (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) to represent his all-conquering stable in Sunday's contest at Chantilly. Fourth over 10 furlongs on debut here Apr. 24, Jollify got off the mark in an apprentice's race over an extra furlong at Maisons-Laffitte last...

THE DAY IS SAVED In an Irish-dominated renewal of Epsom's G1 Investec Derby, it was His Highness The Aga Khan's Harzand (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) who led home his Ballydoyle compatriots US Army Ranger (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Idaho (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) after surviving a late scare having ripped off a shoe on Saturday morning. Only allowed the chance to run close to the race by Dermot Weld, the winner of the G3 Ballysax S. on testing ground over 10 furlongs at Leopardstown Apr. 10 still attracted significant support...

Having tested deeper waters when third in the G1 Fillies' Mile and G1 Prix Saint-Alary, Hawksmoor (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) is more towards the shallow end as she confronts the best of the German miler fillies in Sunday's G2 German 1000 Guineas at Dusseldorf. From the Hugo Palmer stable rich in 3-year-old talent, Lael Stable's acquisition captured the G3 Prestige S. at Goodwood in August before finishing third in the G2 Rockfel S. at Newmarket the following month and also in the Fillies' Mile behind Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in October....

Held in high regard by Alain de Royer-Dupre, One Foot In Heaven (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) bids to build on an impressive success in the G3 Prix d'Hedouville in Sunday's G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly. A son of the high-class Pride (Fr) (Peintre Celebre), the lightly-raced 4-year-old dealt with Khalid Abdullah's Harlem (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) and Gestut Ammerland's Grey Lion (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) with panache in the 12-furlong contest at Saint-Cloud last time May 8, and should be able to do so again. Corine Barande-Barbe's Garlingari (Fr) (Linngari {Ire})...