Europe

The Good Racing Company and Leeds Rhinos have joined forces to help raise funds for motor neurone disease (MND) causes. With the aim of keeping the late Rob Burrow's legacy at the heart of both the horse racing and rugby league communities, they will promote key events and fundraising initiatives to one another's fan bases. To launch the partnership, The Good Racing Company will be the official match sponsor for the Rhinos' game against York Knights at Headingley on Friday, February 20. Lindsey Burrow, who is an ambassador for The...

Tattersalls Online will join forces with Inglis Digital for a dedicated Southern Hemisphere Session to be held on Tuesday 17th and Wednesday 18th February. The catalogue, which is available to view on the Tattersalls Online website at www.tattersallsonline.com, marks the third collaboration between Tattersalls Online and Inglis Digital and aims to continue to strengthen the connection between the Northern and Southern Hemisphere markets. The upcoming Southern Hemisphere Session will feature a select draft from The Castlebridge Consignment, headlined by Southern Hemisphere-bred progeny by Too Darn Hot.  Tattersalls Online Sales Manager...

Like London buses, James Keane will have not one but two runners this week in quick succession, marking his first two appearances on the racecourse as trainer. The 32-year-old Irishman now claims Newmarket as his home, rather extraordinarily falling in love with the place during a winter which included the fierce 'Beast from the East' cold snap of eight years ago. If you can withstand winters in Newmarket, then the other seasons will be a doddle. "You have to be a bit of a glutton for punishment to be a...

Talk about a dream start. Louis Blanchet and Ruben Elbase, the latest duo to strike up a training partnership in France, couldn't have wished for a better beginning to their venture when sending out Nargiz to win a maiden at Pornichet racecourse last Thursday. The daughter of Lope De Vega carried the distinguished colours of Gerard Augustin-Normand to victory and now the training duo of Blanchet, who up until this point had been working as an assistant to his brother and trainer Xavier, along with Elbase, a former owner, are...

Deva Racing's bargain buy Imperial Emperor (Dubawi) is being primed for a second tilt at the Dubai World Cup after his breakthrough Group 1 success in last month's Al Maktoum Challenge. That Meydan victory took Imperial Emperor's career earnings to more than $1.3 million, with his form reaching a whole new level since his purchase for just AED300,000 (around €70,000) at the 2024 ERA Racing in Dubai Sale. Formerly trained for Godolphin by Charlie Appleby, the six-year-old is now in the care of Bhupat Seemar and has won five of...

Espen Hill, last seen winning the Listed Songline Classic at Bro Park in October, has been crowned Sweden's Horse of the Year for the second time in three years. The son of Helsinki is trained by Bro Park-based Madeleine Smith, who is also the gelding's regular rider. Connections of Espen Hill received the prize at Saturday's Galoppgalan, which was held at the Glasklart in Malmö. Espen Hill was also named Older Horse of the Year, with his other victories last year including October's Listed SFK Jubileumslöpning at Jägersro, before he...

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 newcomer from the Jerome Reynier stable. 14.30 Cagnes-sur-Mer, €21,000, Mdn, 3yo, 8f (AWT) Nurlan Bizakov's LASHKER (Pinatubo) is a homebred half-brother to the dam of G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes and G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest hero Lazzat (Territories), while his second dam is...

Japan continued its dominance of lucrative Middle Eastern races with a one-length score by Strauss in the inaugural $1-million Listed Abu Dhabi Gold Cup over a mile on Saturday. Brazilian Joao "Magic Man" Moreira gave the son of Maurice a textbook perfect ride, and the five-year-old entire responded, becoming the first Japanese horse to win in Abu Dhabi. Nestled in midfield just off the pace set by Crown Board (Lope De Vega), the Carrot Farm runner bided his time through the early stages. Still trapped behind a wall of horses...

Whether you're a trainer, an owner or a punter, you simply cannot underestimate the value of identifying an apprentice jockey who is good value for their claim, that extra edge in a sport of fine margins. Make no mistake, those few pounds can make all of the difference in those valuable, big-field handicaps which are often decided by a whisker come the winning post. And, whilst the start of the turf season is still a few weeks away yet, now is a good time to be keeping a close eye...

Victorious Racing's €1-million Arqana August graduate Warriors Whisper (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) repaid some of that investment with a narrow debut victory in Saturday's Prix du Nice Havrais at Deauville. Under wraps off the tempo in eighth through halfway, the 9-10 favourite made smooth headway into contention with 350 metres remaining and was ridden out in the closing stages to deny Shelzawa (Zelzal) by a short-neck. Warriors Whisper is the third of five foals and second scorer produced by G3 Park Express Stakes victrix Normandel (Le Havre), who is...

The Asian Racing Conference (ARC) will meet in Riyadh from February 9-14 in conjunction with the Saudi Cup meeting. The theme is "Honouring Tradition, Shaping the Future" and consists of a three-day business programme designed to provoke meaningful dialogue, strategic insights and key learnings to address the challenges and opportunities facing the horseracing industry. A gathering of the International Forum for the After Care of Racehorses (IFAR) will take place on Monday, where HRH Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al Faisal, chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCoSA), will...

Invincible Army will stand the 2026 season at March Hare Stud in England for £5,500, according to published reports. The son of Invincible Spirit spent his 2025 season at Haras des Etincelles after spending several seasons at Yeomanstown Stud in Ireland. A group sire of G2 Greenlands Stakes hero James's Delight, Invincible Army won the G2 Duke Of York Stakes among other group contests during his racing days. From 173 foals of racing age, he is the sire of 91 winners, five stakes winners and another three stakes horses. Stakes...