Europe

Ed Walker is excited at the thoughts of his Stormy Antarctic (GB) (Stormy Atlantic) lining up in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket Apr. 30. The colt made a sparkling reappearance when beating Foundation (GB) (Zoffany {Ire}) by three and a half lengths in the G3 Novae Bloodstock Insurance Craven S. at Newmarket last week and Walker thinks the race will set him up perfectly for the Classic in ten days time. "Stormy Antarctic looks fantastic and has tightened up for last week's run. He has come out of...

Last year's G2 ITM Gimcrack S. winner Ajaya (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) is aiming towards a seasonal return in the G2 Sandy Lane S. at Haydock May 28. William Haggas won the race last year when Adaay (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) beat Limato (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}) and the Newmarket trainer will be hoping for a similar performance from the Saleh Al Homaizi & Imad Al Sagar owned homebred. The colt was last seen finishing fourth to Shalaa (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in the G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S. and Haggas reported,...

Unable to deliver a winner of the G1 Prix du Jockey Club since Anabaa Blue (GB) (Anabaa) prevailed in 2001 and stripped of its Group 2 status in 2014, today's G3 Prix Noailles exemplifies the reason for that downgrade with a less-than-inspiring renewal at Chantilly. It is an open contest nonetheless and presents an opportunity for Andre Fabre to extend his record haul of ten. He is represented here by Baron Edouard de Rothschild homebred Cleonte (Ire) (Sir Percy {GB}), who finished ahead of both Burger and Fries (Fr) (Sageburg...

Andre Fabre's domination of the domestic scene is again reflected in the number of victories registered in the G3 Prix de la Grotte and the trainer, who equalled Francois Mathet's record of seven renewals with subsequent G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches placegetter Mexican Gold (Medaglia d'Oro) last year, goes in search of another outright record with Pleasemetoo (Ire) (Vale of York {Ire}) and Gherdaiya (GB) (Shamardal) in this distaffers' heat. Godolphin acquisition Pleasemetoo improved off a debut third in the colours of Jean-Etienne Dubois at Chantilly in June, scene of...

With Europe's trials season now getting into full swing, attention turns to Chantilly for a trio of pointers towards upcoming Classics. Transferred from Longchamp due to the Bois de Boulogne track's ongoing refurbishment, the G3 Prix de Fontainebleau takes centre stage initially. Andre Fabre equalled Etienne Pollet's tally of nine victories in the contest when subsequent G1 2000 Guineas runner-up and G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Territories (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) prevailed last year, and the master conditioner sends forth Candide (Fr) (Turtle Bowl {Ire}) in search of the outright...

Sheikh Abdullah Al-Malek Al-Sabah looks like becoming a growing presence in British racing following his acquisition of three 2-year-olds at the recent Craven Breeze Up Sale at Tattersalls. The member of Kuwait's ruling family has already enjoyed success in Britain with the likes of the David O'Meara trained Salateen (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) and Kevin Ryan's Areen (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), runner up to Washington DC (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in last year's Listed Windsor Castle S. at Royal Ascot. The trio of purchases made in conjunction with Sheikh Abdullah's bloodstock advisor...

Goffs UK host their first breeze-up on Wednesday under their rebranded banner and they will be hoping to consolidate and grow the gains achieved at last year's edition. An impressive 90% clearance rate last year yielded an aggregate of just over £5m for an average price of £38,125. The top price achieved was for a colt by Footstepsinthesand (GB) colt who was bought by Stephen Hillen for £185,000. Subsequently named Alsvinder (GB), he is owned by Frank Gillespie of The Grey Gatsby (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) fame and is entered to...

+CARAVAGGIO, c, 2, Scat Daddy--Mekko Hokte, by Holy Bull. O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Windmill Manor Farms Inc & Petaluma Bloodstock (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Seamus Heffernan. €8,610. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €8,610. Caravaggio was hammered into 1-3 favouritism on the boards and duly obliged in this debut run. Steady away from the inside gate to track the leaders in third, he was sent to the front approaching the final furlong and ran on well for mild coaxing, despite exhibiting shades of greenness, in the closing stages to score by...

Camprock (Fr) (Myboycharlie {Ire}), who opened her account going 9 1/2 furlongs atop Chantilly's Polytrack on debut Jan. 29, made a smooth transition to black-type company with victory upped to 10 furlongs in Saint-Cloud's Mar. 12 Listed Prix de Mai last time and remained on course for Chantilly's June 19 G1 Prix de Diane by maintaining her perfect tally in Monday's G3 Prix Penelope back at Saint-Cloud. Positioned in a stalking second after an alert getaway, she was sent to the front soon after turning for home and kept on...

Richard Fahey has European Classics very much in mind for two of his leading 3-year-old's in Ribchester (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Birchwood (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). Ribchester won the G2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef S. at Newbury last year before reappearing with a second--disqualified to fifth for interference-- in the G3 Prix Djebel at Maisons-Laffitte Apr. 7. Fahey commented, "It was a messy race in France, but I just wanted to get that run into him for the experience. For the first couple of furlongs they went steady and...

Ger Lyons expects his season to start clicking into gear shortly, as he begins to prepare some of his higher profile horses for racecourse action. One that he had hoped to have gotten out at this stage is Endless Drama (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). Lyons originally wanted to get a prep run into the lightly-raced 4-year-old in advance of a tilt at the G1 Lockinge S. at Newbury May 14, but that plan has been altered due to ground conditions and a lack of suitable opportunities. "The programme isn't...

To the book-burners and marketing apparatchiks trying to undo hundreds of years of English Turf history, the Craven meeting represents everything they most despise. In their absurd abbreviation of the jockeys' championship, in fact, they have decreed that it does not exist at all. They sneer at this small, shivering crowd--peering across a bleak plain as a group of distant specks slowly transform into a group of slightly larger specks--as the ultimate symbol of the elitism and arcane ritual securing the aficionado against any invitation to share his privileges more...