Acclamation

Former Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior carved out another slice of history for himself with a gallant win in the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday. The Acclamation gelding became only the third horse to sweep the Hong Kong Triple Crown after River Verdon (1993/94) and Voyage Bubble (2024/2025) in the process. The biggest question hovering over the eventual winner in the lead up to the race was the 2400-metre distance. Although Sunday was the 31st start of his career, Romantic...

Former Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior tuned up for a start in April's G1 FWD QEII Cup on Thursday. The Danny Shum trainee impressed in a 1200-metre barrier trial on the dirt at Sha Tin. Already a winner of the QEII Cup in 2022, 2023, and 2024, he ran out a one-length victor over Red Lion (Belardo) in 1:10.70 with Hugh Bowman in the irons. Shum said, "I'm very happy; he's sound and he's happy. You can see by his trial, he's very good, and James [McDonald]...

Former Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior put his stamp on the G1 Stewards' Cup over 1600 metre at Sha Tin on Sunday, a 12th top-level victory for the son of Acclamation. Favoured at 1-2 in his first trip to the post since claiming a fourth consecutive score in the G1 Hong Kong Cup this past December, the eight-year-old perched just off the leading trio from the bell. Red Lion (Belardo) edged ahead of the field with 1000 metres to go, as Romantic Warrior drifted back to midfield...

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. Thursday's Observations features the return of a Group 2 winner. 5.55 Leopardstown, Listed Glencairn Stakes, 3yo/up, 9fT GREEN IMPACT (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) beat Delacroix twice at two, latterly in this track's G2 Champions Juvenile Stakes, and after a comeback sixth in the 2,000 Guineas is dropped in class...

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. Thursday's Observations features the second highest priced juvenile from the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale earlier this spring. 3.55 Yarmouth, Novice, £40,000, 2yo, 6f 3yT SILENT APPLAUSE (IRE) (Acclamation {GB}) was the second-highest-priced lot at last month's Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale when falling to Godolphin at 1.4million gns. Charlie...

There is no little poignancy in the timing of Acclamation (GB) making his permanent exit from the stage just as his most celebrated offspring, Dark Angel (Ire), stands on the cusp of being crowned champion sire in Britain and Ireland. As the mares sale got underway at Tattersalls last Monday, the news filtered through that Acclamation, who had been officially retired only a matter of weeks beforehand, had died at the age of 25. His passing, though at a good age and with his legacy already assured, will leave a...

Top breeze-up handlers Antonio Da Silva and Nikki Scallan of A&N Bloodstock had a lucky escape on Friday evening when, the horse box that they were driving on the way home from Dundalk races caught fire with the Jenny Lynch-trained Late Night Talking (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) inside it.  But for their quick thinking, the couple's Late Night Talking, who had finished third in the mile maiden just a few hours earlier, could have met a horrific end when the vehicle burst into flames on the M50 motorway in Dublin.  Sharing...

We're at the top end now when it comes to stallion fees, but there is quite a range to those prices, which for this feature is anything above £/€20,000. There is of course a massive difference, certainly when it comes to value, in a stallion standing at £35,000 and one at £350,000. In fact, we have two at that latter fee, which makes Frankel (GB) and Dubawi (Ire), the champion sires of the last two years in Britain and Ireland, the most expensive stallions in the world. Those two representatives...

It was fitting that Dark Angel's 100th stakes winner should have come in the Dick Hern S. at Haydock, a milestone which the ultra-reliable Yeomanstown Stud-based stallion reached thanks to the victory of the St. Albans Bloodstock home-bred filly Heredia (GB). Dick Hern, who sent out 16 British Classic winners including three winners of the Derby as well as his best horse Brigadier Gerard (GB), would have thoroughly approved of Dark Angel. Hern was an archetypal 'old-school' trainer who excelled with every type of horse. Late in his career he...

Kevin Blake and Jack Cantillon have secured French sprinter Bouttemont (Ire), who they are targeting at a rare Group 1 double in the Flying Five and Prix de l'Abbaye, before standing the highly-rated son of Acclamation (GB) in Ireland.  Bouttemont will see out his career with current trainer Yann Barberot and will race in the colours of Syndicates.Racing, the successful ownership group which is headed by Cantillon.  A number of packages that include racing and breeding rights are available in the Group 3 winner with Blake describing the opportunity to...

Which stallion does the data say is the outstanding sire-of-sires in Britain and Ireland? The answer will surprise you. We often hear chat about a stallion's ability as a sire-of-sires being bandied about, but it is less common to see it examined in a more detailed and data-driven manner. First and foremost, my personal opinion is that using a stallion's record as a sire-of-sires is one of the most brutally harsh measures in all of bloodstock on which to judge a horse. In short, the reality is that the vast...

Take the One O One has been retired from racing and will enter stud for the 2022 season at Barton Thoroughbreds for $2,000 LFSN, with special consideration given to approved mares. The 7-year-old son of Acclamation out of the Jump Start mare North Freeway retires with lifetime earnings of near $500,000, which includes wins in the Snow Chief S. and Real Good Deal S., as well as a third-place finish to Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) in the GI FrontRunner S. "Barton Thoroughbreds is pleased to add Take the One O...