Europe

There For The Taking

With last year's winner Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) now out of the way, the deficit in France's filly and mare's division can be seen in Sunday's G2 Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud, which has a wide-open feel and no real stand-out prospect. Successful in 2014, Siljan's Saga (FR) (Sagamix {Fr}) was only fifth 12 months ago prior to adding the G2 Grand Prix de Deauville to her tally and was unlucky not to finish closer than eighth on her latest outing in the G1 Prix Ganay this mile-and-a-quarter trip here May...

[ Read More ]
Oaks Adds More Interest To Card
Oaks Adds More Interest To Card

The management of San Siro decided to put all their eggs in one basket and Sunday's meeting also sees the inclusion of the G2 Oaks D'Italia, the other main event of the first half of the Italian season. Frankie Dettori will team up with the favourite Responsibleforlove (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}). The chestnut, who runs in partnership between Team Valor, the South African breeder Gaynor Rupert and Razza Latina, has an open three run winning streak and landed the Listed Premio Mario Incisa, the main trial for the Oaks....

[ Read More ]
Dettori Back In Milan

Frankie Dettori will be back at San Siro on Sunday after a three year absence from the track where he originally made his debut. The Italian top jockey, now retained by Al Shaqab Racing has been booked to ride Dylan Mouth (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}), the hot favourite for the G2 Gran Premio Di Milano, the race won by all the Italian Champions, from the legendary filly Archidamia to Nearco, Donatello, Botticelli, Ribot, Tony Bin, Falbrav, Electrocutionist and many others. The Gran Premio Di Milano has been downgraded this year...

[ Read More ]
Showcasing's Quiet Reflection Dominates the Sandy Lane

Only hinting at her considerable ability when winning the G3 Cornwallis S. over five furlongs at Newmarket in October and the G3 Prix Sigy over this trip at Chantilly last time Apr. 10, Quiet Reflection came forward to stamp some real authority on this competitive contest and leap to the forefront of the reckoning for the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot June 17. So far, the high-class bay has met with defeat only once and that was excusable after she raced too keenly when fifth in the G2 Lowther...

[ Read More ]
Dubawi's Journey On Top In the Pinnacle

Sharpened by a solid comeback effort when third in the G2 Middleton S. over a 10-furlong trip that would have been on the short side for her at York May 12, last year's G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. runner-up Journey was back in the winner's spot under a well-judged ride from Frankie Dettori here. Springing to life towards the summer of her last campaign, the homebred broke her black-type maiden at 33-1 in Salisbury's 10-furlong Listed Upavon Fillies' S. in August before turning in a dynamic front-running...

[ Read More ]
Walker In No Rush With Stormy

Stormy Antarctic (GB) (Stormy Atlantic) will have his sights set on a French mission later in the summer after trainer Ed Walker ruled the 3-year-old out of Royal Ascot action. Having started the season so brightly when beating Foundation (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in the G3 Craven S. at Newmarket it turned a bit pear shaped when he finished in rear behind Galileo Gold (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}) in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket where it subsequently came to light that he had sustained a muscle injury. "It was...

[ Read More ]
Paris On Comeback Trail

Ed Dunlop's top stayer Trip To Paris (Ire) (Champs Elysees {GB}) is well on the road to recovery with his trainer penciling in a possible return to the track at Goodwood late July. A revelation last year when he numbered a G1 Ascot Gold Cup among his victories, the 5-year-old ran with distinction in Australia, finishing second in the G1 BMW Caulfield Cup and fourth in the G1 Emirates Melbourne Cup before sustaining a tendon injury in the G1 Japan Cup. "Trip To Paris is back cantering. I am very...

[ Read More ]
Coventry Beckons For Son of Exceed and Excel

3rd-PON, £20,000, Cond, 5-27, 2yo, 6fT, 1:17.92, gd. YALTA (IRE) (c, 2, Exceed and Excel {Aus}--Lacily {SP-Eng}, by Elusive Quality), sent off the 3-10 favourite as a result of his all-the-way debut win at Goodwood last Thursday, was quickly at the fore again. Not fully extended to put his rivals on the stretch halfway up the straight, the homebred who is bound for the June 14 G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot sauntered to an impressive 4 1/2-length success from Wedding Dress (GB) (Tamayuz {GB}). Yalta is the first foal...

[ Read More ]
Intilaaq Scopes Poorly After Defeat

Sheikh Hamdan's Intilaaq (Dynaformer), who disappointed when finishing sixth of seven as the favourite in Thursday's G3 Brigadier Gerard S., may have an excuse after returning a dirty scope. The Roger Varian-trained 4-year-old made the running at Sandown but quickly faded out of contention in the closing stages. "He was incredibly disappointing," admitted Sheikh Hamdan's Racing Manager Angus Gold. "He didn't scope 100% after the race, so that might be a genuine excuse at least for part of the run. There's no doubt he was disappointing. He'd been working really...

[ Read More ]
Ballydoyle To Miss Oaks

G1 Qipco 1000 Guineas runner-up Ballydoyle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will bypass next Friday's G1 Investec Oaks in favour of Royal Ascot or the G1 Prix de Diane Longines, trainer Aidan O'Brien told Racing Post. The G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner was ruled out of last weekend's G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas after returning unsatisfactory bloods, and O'Brien told Racing Post, "Ballydoyle won't be going to Epsom. Her bloods have improved but she wouldn't be ready for the Oaks. We have two options for her next month if she continues to...

[ Read More ]
Journey Resumed

Having finished a respectable third in the G2 Middleton S. over 10 furlongs at York May 12, George Strawbridge's Journey (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) goes back up to a more suitable trip for Haydock's G3 Pinnacle S. on Saturday. Being a daughter of her owner-breeder's 2006 G1 Prix Royal-Oak heroine Montare (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), she should relish the return to this longer distance, over which she won Newmarket's Listed Princess Royal S. by eight lengths in September before finishing runner-up to Simple Verse (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) in the G1...

[ Read More ]
In The Fast Lane

As dynamic a performer around at present, Dr Ali Ridha's machine-like Gifted Master (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) takes to Haydock on Saturday to further cement his Royal Ascot claims in the G2 Sandy Lane S. So impressive when taking apart the field assembled for Ascot's G3 Pavilion S. over this six-furlong trip last time Apr. 27, the bay's form holds up to the closest inspection, with the likes of Washington DC (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and Beacon Rock (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) winning in the last few days, having trailed him in recent...

[ Read More ]
X

Never miss another story from the TDN

Click Here to sign up for a free subscription.