Europe

There was much to absorb over the last weekend and, significantly for the tier of horseracing which prompts so much fan engagement, the two best horses in Europe both returned victorious in Dubai. Calandagan (Gleneagles) and Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder), first and second in last year's Qipco Champion Stakes and just two pounds apart in the 2025 Longines World Rankings, each put down an important marker for the season ahead, in the Dubai Sheema Classic and Dubai Turf respectively. And, yes, perhaps one can argue that there wasn't the usual...

Group 1-winning sprinter American Affair is on course to return at the Dante Festival at York, according to trainer Jim Goldie, who is eyeing a repeat win in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot with his stable star. The six-year-old provided the Scottish trainer with a breakthrough Group 1 victory in that race last June before suffering a leg issue. It was hoped he would return for the Breeders' Cup or Champions Day, but Goldie confirmed the son of Washington DC is on schedule with his recovery and...

By Kit Gow/Dane McLeod/TTR AusNZ The 2026 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale concluded on Monday with another day of dazzling results, hugely successful pinhooks, and a noticeable dominance by super sire Extreme Choice, who averaged a record-breaking $1.56 million across the sale. At A Glance The clearance rate for the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale decreased to 76% (86%), and the aggregate decreased to $145.7 million, below 2025 ($150 million) and 2024 ($151.8 million). 314 horses sold this year compared to 332 in 2025. The average lifted to a record...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Monday's Observations features a seven-figure yearling. 2.48 Navan, Mdn, 3yo/up, c/g, 7f 180yT SHAFTESBURY AVENUE (Maxfield) may not have made much impact on his debut at The Curragh earlier this month, but Aidan O'Brien is renowned for improving his maidens exponentially and as a $1-million Keeneland September sensation is...

Japan's 2025 Champion Sprinter Satono Reve (Lord Kanaloa) claimed his second consecutive G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo on Sunday. He set a new record time for the race, crossing the line in 1:06.30 for the 1200 metres on firm turf. The course record is 1:06.20. Away in good order, the 2.5-1 favourite perched in midfield while Invincible Papa (Shalaa) cut out early fractions. Satono Reve was winding up for his run three deep leaving the bend. The pacesetter streaked 1000 metres in :55.20, but his lead evaporated close home. Shifted...

The Albert Einstein bubble might have been burst somewhat at the Curragh on Saturday, but for so many other horses the Classic dream remains very much alive, with less than five weeks to go now until the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket provides the answer to the first of the many questions that have kept us guessing all winter. Even now, the guessing doesn't stop. Two years ago, few people would have had Notable Speech pinned as their Guineas winner at this early stage of the campaign, the all-weather upstart tasked...

Trainer Aidan O'Brien is hopeful multiple Group 1 winner Precise (Starspangledbanner) will still make the starting gate for the G1 Betfred 1000 Guineas on May 3. A winner of four of her five starts, she is on the recovery trail after spiking a temperature a few weeks ago. "She's in good form, she had a temperature two or three weeks ago and we had to just back off her and slowly pick her back up," said O'Brien of his 2025 G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and G1 Fillies Mile heroine, who...

Group winner More Thunder will train toward a start in the G1 Lockinge Stakes in May, according to trainer William Haggas. A winner of the G2 Hungerford Stakes, the son of Night Of Thunder ended his four-year-old season with a solid fourth-place finish in the G1 Prix de la Foret over seven furlongs on Arc Day. The one-mile Lockinge at Newbury takes place on May 16. Haggas said, "I'm very disappointed in the lack of opportunities over seven furlongs for a horse like him and in fact there is nothing,...

Coolmore did not have long to wait for their first-crop sire Blackbeard to get off the mark as Timur provided the landmark in Lyon-Parilly's 4 1/2-furlong card opener on Sunday. Sent off at 9-1 for the Prix du Premier Pas, the Mathieu Pitart-trained son of Ninetta (New Approach) who hails from the family of Peintre Celebre showed early dash to stalk the tempo under Emilien Puillet-Roda. In front a furlong from home, the €20,000 Arqana October purchase asserted to beat Ballylinch Stud's filly Belisa Bay, a daughter of the fellow...

Following the explosive performance of Erdenali (Caravaggio) at Saint-Cloud on Sunday, the only downside is that the latest sensation to emerge from The Aga Khan Studs is a gelding and therefore unable to contest the Classics. Sent off the 2-1 favourite for the card's opening Prix Kashmir over a mile, the grandson of the high-class Ervedya (Siyouni) cruised from the back to the front two out under a near-motionless Mickael Barzalona, who had made the voyage back from Dubai where he had steered the operation's gelding supreme Calandagan only hours before....

by Kit Gow/Dane McLeod/TTR AusNZ The 2026 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale saw a strong enough start on day one, with eight standout yearlings reaching the coveted A$1-million mark, including a A$3-million Extreme Choice colt that topped the day. At A Glance Clearance for day one of the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale was down to 76% (79% in 2025), while the aggregate increased to A$66.08 million, ahead of 2025 (A$63 million) and 2024 (A$63.3 million). 149 horses sold this year compared to 129 in 2025. The average dropped to A$452,603...

Sunday, Chukyo, Japan, post time: 3.40 p.m., TAKAMATSUNOMIYA KINEN-G1, ¥329,520,000, 4yo/up, 1200mT Field: Panja Tower (Jpn) (Tower Of London {Jpn}), Big Caesar (Jpn) (Big Arthur {Jpn}), A T Makfi (Jpn) (Makfi {GB}), Danon McKinley (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}), Yamanin Al Rihla (Jpn) (Isla Bonita {Jpn}), Red Mon Reve (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), Yoshino Easter (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}), Win Carnelian (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}), Satono Reve (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), Mama Cocha (Jpn) (Kurofune), La La Maceration (Jpn) (California Chrome), Puro Magic (Jpn) (Asia Express), Namura Clair (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}), Rapier (Jpn)...