Anthony Oppenheimer

Notes From Newmarket: Childwickbury's Oaks Dream

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...

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Darley's Sire Cracksman
Cracksman's Brilliant Star Impresses At Yarmouth

She may have had very little to beat, but Anthony Oppenheimer's Brilliant Star (Cracksman) did it in style to break her maiden at Yarmouth. Sent off the 2-9 favourite for the extended 11-furlong novice, the daughter of the Irish Oaks, British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes and Prix Vermeille heroine Star Catcher (Sea The Stars) cracked 12 seconds for each of her last four furlongs for an impressive 10-length success in track record time. "She was always going to improve from two to three, but I don't think she's beaten a...

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Wathnan Racing's Gold Cup Winner Courage Mon Ami Retired

Courage Mon Ami, the winner of the 2023 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, has been retired from racing after failing to recover sufficiently from a tibia injury. Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Courage Mon Ami sported the now-familiar silks of Wathnan Racing when defeating Coltrane and Subjectivist in the Gold Cup, having been bought privately by the Emir of Qatar's burgeoning operation after his victory in a Goodwood handicap the previous month, his third win from as many starts for owner-breeder Anthony Oppenheimer. As well as becoming Wathnan's first...

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Darley's Sire Cracksman
Ace Impact Sire Cracksman on the Move to Yorton Stud for 2026

The dual G1 Champion Stakes winner and young stallion Cracksman is on the move to Yorton Stud for the 2026 breeding season, having been purchased in a partnership with owner Dai Walters. The son of Frankel has been based at Darley's Dalham Hall Stud since 2019 and is perhaps best known in his second career as the sire of the unbeaten G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Ace Impact. In total, he is the sire of 11 individual black-type winners, with the others...

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The Great Frankel At Juddmonte
Cracksman's Full Sister Queen Of Thieves Sheds Maiden Status in Style

Anthony Oppenheimer's Queen Of Thieves (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a homebred full-sister to dual G1 Champion Stakes hero Cracksman (GB), was fresh off a recent third on seasonal return at Newbury and shed maiden status in style with an 11-length tally in Tuesday's Weekend Winners On Sky Sports Racing Maiden Fillies' Stakes at Great Yarmouth. Breaking swiftly and holding sway throughout, the 5-6 favourite was untroubled on the front end and powered ever clear under whipless cajoling inside the final quarter-mile, hitting the line with a wide-margin buffer back to the...

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Coolmore Snaps Up Frankel Colt for 2 Million Gns

By Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin NEWMARKET, UK--From a muted opening, Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale picked up the pace on Wednesday with a further four seven-figure lots gracing the ring. These sparked some solid bidding wars between established superpowers such as Coolmore, Godolphin and Juddmonte, with a decent representation of newer players from Bahrain and other Gulf nations, and strong participation from American-based Mike Ryan and Chad Brown. The ripples of Frankel (GB) combined with Hascombe & Valiant Stud were felt on the turf of Longchamp...

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Gosdens Considering Quartet For Doncaster's St Leger

John and Thady Gosden could have as many as four runners, led by G2 Queen's Vase hero Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), in the Sept. 16 G1 Betfred St Leger at Doncaster next Saturday. The Wathnan Racing colourbearer was most recently third to St Leger rival Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in the G2 Great Voltigeur S. at York last month. He will be partnered by the retiring Frankie Dettori, who has already won the Classic six times including twice for Gosden with Shantou (Alleged) in 1996 and Logician (GB)...

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Roaring Lion's Lion's Pride A New TDN Rising Star

Almost a year on from the portentous debut win of Courage Mon Ami (GB) (Frankel {GB}) at Kempton, that recently-crowned king of the staying division's more fleet-footed half-brother Lion's Pride (GB) (Roaring Lion--Crimson Ribbon, by Lemon Drop Kid) surged to TDN Rising Star status at the same venue on Wednesday evening. Having been a highly promising runner-up on debut over 10 furlongs at Newcastle in May, Anthony Oppenheimer's homebred was partnered by Robert Havlin who had also been aboard his illustrious G1 Gold Cup-winning half-sibling in that eye-catching win 10...

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Holding Out For a Hero

ASCOT, UK--Even before the action was underway on Gold Cup day, there appeared to be entertainment aplenty for the King and Queen. Sir Mark Prescott had managed to book the royal version of speedy boarding and was positioned in the first carriage with their majesties for the royal procession. This may well have been a strategic move from them in the middle of a week which requires plenty of stamina, with two processions still to come. It's a long ride by horse-drawn carriage from Windsor Great Park to Ascot Racecourse...

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TBA Announces Devonshire and Dominion Award Winners

The winners of the Devonshire and Dominion bronzes were announced by the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association on Wednesday. Prominent owner/breeder Anthony Oppenheimer was awarded the Andrew Devonshire Bronze, which is awarded for outstanding achievement and contribution to the British Thoroughbred industry. The owner of Hascombe and Valiant Stud, Oppenheimer has celebrated homebreds the likes of G1 Epsom Derby hero Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and MG1SW Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}), as well as G1 Irish Oaks heroine Star Catcher (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), just to name a few. "It...

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Observations: Cracksman's Full-Sister Encounters Book 2 Topper in HQ Debut

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Insights features Hopefully Darling (GB), a sister to MG1SW Cracksman (GB). 11.50 Newmarket, Nov, £8,000, 2yo, f, 7fT Anthony Oppenheimer's hitherto unraced HOPEFULLY DARLING (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is a Hascombe & Valiant homebred full-sister to MG1SW sire Cracksman (GB) and represents the John Gosden-Rab Havlin axis responsible for...

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Star Catcher Will Resurface in Yorkshire Oaks

John Gosden has earmarked next month's G1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks as the first target for MG1SW Star Catcher (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) ahead of a potentially busy autumn campaign. Last year's G1 Irish Oaks heroine is being readied to make her comeback in the 12-furlong contest, which could potentially see her clash with stablemate, and dual G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner, Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). The Anthony Oppenheimer homebred established herself as one of the best middle-distance fillies in training after adding to her Curragh Classic success...

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