Europe

The connections of Blue de Vega (Ger) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) will make a last-minute decision on the colt's participation in Saturday's G1 Qipco 2000 Guineas, according to David Redvers, racing manager to part-owner Qatar Racing. Trained by Michael O'Callaghan, Blue de Vega broke his maiden at second-asking last September at Naas before taking the G3 Killavullan S. by 3 1/2 lengths Oct. 24, and is as short as 12-1 in the betting for the Guineas. "He is the most exciting 3-year-old colt we have in training this year," said...

Miss Temple City (Temple City), a highly respectable fourth in last year's G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot, is set for a return trip to the Royal meeting this year, with the G2 Duke of Cambridge S. her target. The 4-year-old, owned by Sagamore Farm, Allen Rosenblum and The Club Racing and trained by Graham Motion, bested males to win the GI Maker's 46 Mile S. at Keeneland Apr. 15. Sean Feld, representing The Club, said Miss Temple City exited that race "great." "When she won at Keeneland, she was...

 The deadline for nominating yearlings of 2016 to the European Breeders' Fund is May 1. The cost to nominate yearlings by a sire not nominated to the EBF, and therefore make them eligible for an additional €5 million in prize money, is $600. "This nomination stage is mostly applicable to breeders using American stallions and it is an opportunity to ensure your yearling is eligible to run in the majority of 2-year-old races in Europe," said the EBF's Kerry Murphy.  

2.10 Ascot, Cond, £14,000, 2yo, 5fT CREATE A DREAM (Oasis Dream {GB}) makes her keenly-anticipated debut, having been withdrawn by Wesley Ward from Doncaster's curtain raiser for the juveniles, the "Brocklesby", earlier this month due to the soft conditions. St Elias Stables' daughter of Anabaa's Creation (Ire) (Anabaa), second to the great Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}) in the 2009 GI Clement L Hirsch S., meets the winner of that contest, John Brown and Megan Dennis' The Last Lion (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}), the Mark Johnston-trained relative of the Irish 1000 Guineas...

Punchestown kicked off their five-day jumping extravaganza on Tuesday where the first three of a total of twelve Grade 1 contests were run. Yorkhill (Ire) (Presenting {GB}), chasing a Grade 1 four timer following impressive displays at Sandown, Cheltenham and Aintree was widely expected to add to his tally in the G1 Herald Champion Novice Hurdle but he didn't reproduce his best form, eventually finishing a tired fourth behind the Jessica Harrington trained winner Don't Touch It (Ire) (Scorpion {Ire}). JP McManus' 6-year-old took over from Brain Power (Ire) (Kalanisi {Ire})...

Trainer Mick Channon made his mark in international soccer before turning his attention to racing and forging a highly successful training career. Peter Ebdon is a former World Snooker Champion and while he has no intentions of going down the training route he has decided to put his significant knowledge of thoroughbred pedigrees to use by launching a pedigree consultancy. Designer Pedigrees is the company Ebdon has set up and he hopes his passion for the last 25 years, which has seen the snooker star also breed numerous winners, will...

Two interesting wildcards have been added to the horse-in-training section of this week's Guineas Breeze Up & HIT Sale at Newmarket. The Richard Fahey-trained pair of 2-year-olds Cullingworth (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Springwood (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) have been added to the catalogue as lot 83 and lot 84 on Friday. Cullingworth, a 36,000gns yearling, broke his maiden on his second start when winning at Redcar on Apr. 11. Stablemate Springwood also showed the benefit of his debut when scoring a week later on his second start at Pontefract Apr. 18....

In an ideal world, the Thoroughbred would be a super-tough breed as well as a super-fast one, passing durability down through the generations as well as class. However, our racehorses are fragile animals, the Formula One cars of the horse world; brilliantly fast, but prone to having things go wrong. If a racehorse breaks down, he breaks down and he cannot race. However, often the chinks in a horse's armour are tiny, not enough to stop him racing but enough to mean that he cannot remain indefinitely at his brilliant...

With Aidan O'Brien's string sharper than in recent times so far in the early part of the season, Susan Magnier's Washington DC (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) takes to Ascot on Wednesday to take part in the G3 Pavilion S., his first dress rehearsal for the Royal meeting's G1 Commonwealth Cup. Stretched out to seven furlongs for the first time on his seasonal return in Dundalk's Listed Loughbrown S. at the start of the month, last year's Listed Windsor Castle S. winner who was also runner-up to Air Force Blue (War Front)...

Potential G1 Epsom Derby candidate Johannes Vermeer (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is unlikely to make the lineup at Epsom having picked up a hock injury. The 3-year-old's form has a solid look to it now as he was last seen beating subsequent G3 Craven S. winner Stormy Antarctic (Stormy Atlantic) in the G1 Criterium International at Saint-cloud last November. "It is not career-ending, it is just a hold up, said Coolmore's UK representative Kevin Buckley. "He is not going to make a Guineas but he would have been more a horse...

Home Of The Brave (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) will bid to gain his first legitimate group win when he lines up in the G1 Al Shaqab Lockinge S. at Newbury May 14. Hugo Palmer's colt was stripped of his victory over Gordon Lord Byron (Ire) (Byron {GB}) in the G3 Minstrel S. at The Curragh last year when traces of a prohibited substance were discovered in his post race sample. Newbury will also be the colt's first attempt back at a mile since his run in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas...

12.45 Maisons-Laffitte, Mdn, €25,000, unraced 3yo, c/g, 8fT Wildenstein Stables Ltd's BOLD EMPEROR (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) is a half-brother to 'TDN Rising Star' and G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Beauty Parlour (GB) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), and he opens up for Alain de Royer-Dupre in this newcomer's test. His 11 rivals include Godolphin's Repercussion (GB) (Manduro {Ger}), an already gelded full-brother to the 2011 G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud winner Mandaean (GB) and half to 2011 G1 Prix Saint-Alary victress Wavering (Ire) (Refuse to Bend {Ire}), from the Andre Fabre stable;...