Europe

Just a few races after Grand Son Of Dark (Dark Angel) claimed the Italian 2000 Guineas, Just Call Me Angel gave their Yeomanstown Stud sire a group double on the day at San Siro in the G3 Premio Regina Elena (Italian 1000 Guineas). In front through the first furlong or so, Just Call Me Angel angled to the fence, as Great Plains Lady (Sioux Nation) sped to the front farther out on the course. Those two filled the top two spots on the turn and positions remained static as the...

Signs at Newmarket on Friday were that the William Haggas stable is taking off and the best of his trio that came home first on the card could turn out to be the Listed King Charles II Stakes winner Saber Strike (Night Of Thunder). Seen only once at two when successful at Redcar in November, Victorious Forever's 230,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase was delivered from last by Tom Marquand to surge by Cerro Blanco (Wootton Bassett) a furlong out and take the seven-furlong contest by 1 1/4 lengths from...

The 2026 edition of the G3 Premio Parioli (Italian 2000 Guineas) went to Grand Son Of Dark (Dark Angel) by 3 1/2 lengths at San Siro in Milan. Always close to the pace, the son of Chica Bonita (Lope De Vega) relished the trip and ran his rivals ragged. Able to secure a rails run, the 6-1 shot rated in second behind the  Lion Of Alba (Too Darn Hot). Those two showed the way through the early stages in the strung out field. On top by the halfway mark, the...

Darley EBF Fillies' Maiden winner Earth Shot had been second to her stable-mate My Ophelia (Sea The Stars) on her sole start prior to Friday but she took a major step forward on livelier ground at Newmarket to keep the Oaks dream alive for owners Paul and Sally Flatt of Childwickbury Stud. Owner-breeders in their own right, the Flatts bought the daughter of Time Test from Anthony Oppenheimer, whose Classic-breeding credentials have long been proven, and now his Hascombe & Valiant Studs could again be represented at the highest level...

Juddmonte homebred Sunly (Night Of Thunder) had been on an extended sabbatical after surrendering her perfect record in last July's G2 Prix de Malleret and bounced back on seasonal return to regain the winning thread in Friday's G3 Prix Allez France at Saint-Cloud. The Francis Graffard trainee went postward as the 12-5 joint-favourite and settled into a smooth rhythm, racing off the pace in sixth for Christophe Soumillon, after the initial exchanges of this 10-furlong test. Making eyecatching headway out wide once into the straight, she quickened into contention with...

Darius Racing and Michael Motschmann's hitherto undefeated Gostam (Saxon Warrior) punched his ticket to, and was installed as the new ante-post favourite for, July's G1 Deutsches Derby after a fourth straight career victory in Friday's G2 Wettstar Bavarian Classic at Munich. Darius Racing's Holger Faust indicated a trip to Chantilly for the G1 Prix du Jockey Club is also on the agenda for Gostam. "Today was a preparation race, he was ridden hands and heels, so it was an easy win," he told GaloppOnline. "We believe this race will have...

Of the first three from last year's Middle Park to line up in Friday's G3 Commonwealth Cup Trial, David Armstrong's Coppull (Bated Breath) was the least-expected in the market but came back strongest to turn that form around. Smartly away under Rossa Ryan in the course-and-distance prep for Royal Ascot's three-year-old sprint feature, the 7-2 shot who had won the Richmond at Goodwood and been third in the Coventry here as well as the Middle Park surged away from the main pack passing two out and was in front soon...

One of Frankel's plethora of TDN Rising Stars, Amo Racing's 1.1million gns Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase Ancient Egypt served notice that he is a genuine Derby contender in Friday's Listed Newmarket Stakes. All at sea when last seen trailing Bow Echo and co in the Royal Lodge here, the Charlie Johnston-trained relative of the brilliant Midday was able to bowl along in front of My Love Is King (Kingman) as they raced apart from the other three. Maintaining the gallop down into the dip and up the other side,...

Ballydoyle's Precise (Starspangledbanner) will face 18 peers in Sunday's G1 Betfred 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, with Ryan Moore set to partner the Moyglare Stud Stakes and Fillies' Mile winner for the first time. She is drawn two for the mile Classic, with one of her chief rivals Venetian Sun (Starman) next door in stall one furthest away from the stands' rail. Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy's Prix Morny winner is one of two in the race for Karl Burke, with her regular rider Clifford Lee maintaining the partnership. Burke's other runner...

The pick of last week's maiden/novice winners sported the familiar purple silks of Amo Racing, bringing to an end the Ballydoyle domination of what is always an informative contest at Navan. =4. FINAL APPEAL (IRE) Inns Of Court (Ire) - Olive Branch (Ire), by Arcano (Ire) Timeform performance rating: 82 Following a narrow defeat at Nottingham on April 8, Final Appeal fully confirmed the promise of that debut effort when going one place better in the 5f novice run at Wolverhampton on April 21, making all to win by over...

It's a case of be ready for anything over the next three days, with Friday seeing the beginning of Newmarket's three-day Guineas meeting, Ascot's card of Royal meeting pointers, the traditional May Day fixture at Saint-Cloud and the first part of an intriguing two-day meeting at Goodwood. Saturday's 2,000 Guineas and Sunday's 1,000 Guineas are at the centre of a storm of activity which will require further analysis when calm is briefly restored next week. Once the draw had been made for Saturday's G1 Betfred 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on...

Royal Ascot is on the agenda for Eddie Linehan's Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale-topping Minzaal colt, who went the way of Phil Cunningham and Tim Gredley for a cool 240,000gns on Thursday.  It was very much the late-late show at Tattersalls with that result coming deep into a patchy sale that brought a 75% clearance rate and a marked drop in all of the key figures.  Richard Spencer will have the thrill of training the colt, described by his consignor as a potential top-notcher.  Linehan, who is best known for selling...