Europe

Caulfield Pedigree Insights: Camprock

The O'Callaghan family of Tally-Ho Stud has every reason to believe that history does indeed repeat itself. One of Tally-Ho's current inmates, Kodiac, has been transformed from a run-of-the-mill €5,000 stallion into a champion sire of 2-year-olds commanding €45,000. This remarkable transformation has taken place even though this hugely popular son of Danehill retired without a stakes success during his 20-race career. Kodiac did, though, once finish second at Group 3 level. The inspiration to stand Kodiac no doubt stemmed partly from the successful makeover that Tally-Ho had fashioned with...

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Leading Ladies Stand Their Ground

All the potential major players have been left in the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas on Sunday. Aidan O'Brien also supplies the favourite for this race in last year's impressive G1 Dubai Fillies Mile winner Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and she is likely to be joined by stablemates Ballydoyle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who emerged victorious in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac, and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf runner-up Alice Springs (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). "The plan is for Minding, Ballydoyle and Alice Springs all to run in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas,"...

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Air Force Heads Guineas 17

Seventeen colts remain in Saturday's G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, including the long-time hot favourite Air Force Blue (War Front). Among those to have been scratched at the latest confirmation stage was the favourite's stablemate Washington DC (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), but  trainer Aidan O'Brien has left Air Vice Marshal (War Front) and the G3 Craven S. placegetter Shogun (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in the race, as well as the maiden winner Bravery (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). At a press conference in Newmarket on Monday, Coolmore's UK-based representative Kevin Buckley issued...

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'Jet' Set For Newmarket

Leopardstown's G3 1000 Guineas Trial winner Jet Setting (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}) has been supplemented for the real thing at Newmarket this Sunday at a cost of £30,000. The filly is two for two for trainer Adrian Keatley this year and posted an impressive front-running success at Leopardstown Apr. 10 when she accounted for the previously group placed Now Or Never (Ire) (Bushranger {Ire}) by three lengths. John Kilbride, representative of owners Equinegrowthpartners Syndicate said, "After her win in a Group 3 it was hard to ignore the Guineas, also...

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Observations for Monday, Apr. 25
Observations for Monday, Apr. 25

4.35 Naas, Mdn, €15,500, 2yo, 6fT BEAN FEASA (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) represents Godolphin and Jim Bolger and is an early-starting half-sister to the trainer's homebred sensation Teofilo (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who carried all before him during his only season of racing 10 years ago before proving a hit at stud. Among those she meets on her first racing encounter is Moyglare Stud's All Crazy Now (Ire) (Dutch Art {GB}), a Dermot Weld-trained grandson of the 2002 GI Matriarch S. heroine Dress To Thrill (Ire) (Danehill). 5.20 Wolverhampton, Mdn, £4,500, 2yo,...

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Weekly Wrap With Chris McGrath Apr. 25 Edition

For the two trainers most vexed by the provocative celebrations of Mikael Barzalona on Pour Moi (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) in 2011, the Derby has become a source of deeply contrasting fortunes. Aidan O'Brien, whose front-running outsider Treasure Beach (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) was only caught on the line, came back and saddled the next three winners. For Sir Michael Stoute, things have been very different. Carlton House (Street Cry {Ire}) was beaten under a length that day, having started favourite to emulate his stablemate, Workforce (GB) (King's Best), the previous year....

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Simple Verse Has Newmarket Option

Simple Verse (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}) provided ample thrills and spills for connections last year and no doubt they would settle for a similar campaign this year with the 4-year-old as she bids to launch her season, potentially this week. Having been sensationally thrown out of the G1 Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster only for a successful appeal that got the decision reversed, she then confirmed her class with a victory over Journey (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies And Mares S. at Ascot in...

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Ferguson Disperses At Cheltenham

John Ferguson's time as a jumps trainer officially wound down Friday at Tattersalls Ireland's Cheltenham April Sale when the chief executive and racing manager of Godolphin dispersed his Bloomfields stock. The 47 lots sold in the dispersal grossed £1,180,800, and were topped by Wenyerreadyfreddie (Ire) (Beneficial {GB}) (lot 39), who was picked up by Highflyer Bloodstock for £95,000. That sum was bettered by just one horse at the sale: Claimantakinforgan (Fr) Great Pretender {Ire}) (lot 68), who was also bought by Highflyer for £110,000. In total, 81 lots sold for...

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Observations: Apr. 24, 2016

1.55 Chantilly, Debutantes, €25,000, 3yo, 12fT DALDIYNA (FR) (Dansili {GB}) starts out for His Highness The Aga Khan and Alain de Royer-Dupre, who combined so effectively with her full-sibling, last year's G1 Dubai Sheema Classic heroine Dolniya (Fr) (Azamour {Ire}). Interestingly, one of Dolniya's chief rivals on the track, Flintshire (GB) (Rail Link {GB}), also has a relative in attendance in Khalid Abdullah's colt Unblinking (GB) (Cacique {Ire}) from the Andre Fabre stable. 2.10 Gowran Park, Mdn, €11,500, 3yo/up, 7fT LANDIKUSIC (IRE) (Dansili {GB}) is a full-sister to the 2010...

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Dubawi Son Of Heat Haze Impresses At Donny
Dubawi Son Of Heat Haze Impresses At Donny

4th-DON, £8,000, Mdn, 4-23, 3yo/up, 7fT, 1:25.28, gd. FORGE (GB) (c, 3, Dubawi {Ire}--Heat Haze {GB} {MGISW-US & SW-Fr, $1,183,696}, by Green Desert), who was a disappointing seventh on debut over seven furlongs at Newmarket in August, attracted significant support into 5-6 favouritism and shadowed the early leader Heir To a Throne (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) traveling easily. Allowed to stride to the front with over two furlongs remaining, the homebred drew away with the minimum of fuss to record a convincing five-length success. Forge is from arguably one of the...

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Sun Stud Buys Into Palentino

Sun Stud, which formerly operated as Eliza Park International after being purchased by Sun International Group in 2013, has bought a 50% stake in this year's G1 Australian Guineas winner Palentino (Aus) (Teofilo {Ire}). An A$85,000 purchase from the 2014 Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale, Palentino has won three of seven outings for trainer Darren Weir and has missed the board just once. "There were a number of studs pursuing Palentino and we have been fortunate enough to secure a 50% stake," Sun Stud's Mark Lindsay told Racing and Sports....

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Big Bad Bob Dies At 16

Cristina Patino's Big Bad Bob (Ire) (Bob Back–Fantasy Girl {Ire}, by Marju {Ire}), who made a name for himself when siring a high ratio of winners to runners from modest beginnings at stud, died Saturday at age 16 in a paddock accident at the Irish National Stud. Campaigned as a homebred by Patino's Windflower Overseas Holdings, Big Bad Bob won four of his six outings as a 2-year-old for trainer John Dunlop, including Ascot's Listed Autumn S. Big Bad Bob opened his 3-year-old campaign with a second to subsequent G1...

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