Archie Watson
He may not have had the hardest task on debut, but Wareeth (Sea The Stars) could hardly have made a bigger impression with a 14-length success at Newcastle on Saturday. Sent off the 5-4 second favourite for the mile novice on the Tapeta, Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's 510,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase was denied a match with Godolphin's Starglow (Space Blues) who was pulled up early on and travelled ominously well behind his only serious rival Showcasing Star (Showcasing). Looming two out, the son of the G3 Prix d'Aumale...
Upping her game on her 3-year-old bow, Victorious Racing's Duty First (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) spreadeagled some choice opposition in Saturday's G3 Dubai Duty Free Fred Darling Stakes at Newbury. Always travelling with gusto near the front end, the Archie Watson-trained 33-1 shot opened up under Hollie Doyle from two out to take the seven-furlong 1,000 Guineas trial by 3 1/4 lengths from the 40-1 fellow outsider Hey Boo (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}). There was another length back to Time For Sandals (Ire) (Sands Of Mali {Fr}) in third. The winner, who...
Top-class sprinter Bradsell (GB) will retire to the National Stud following his tilt at the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar on Saturday, November 2. Trained by Archie Watson for Shaikh Nasser's Victorious Racing, Bradsell heads to the Breeders' Cup as the winner of six of his 12 career starts, with three of his victories coming at the top level. In 2024, he added wins in the Nunthorpe Stakes and Flying Five Stakes to his King's Stand Stakes success as a three-year-old. That was the second year in...
Wathan Racing's latest star turn, G3 Prix Eclipse hero Electrolyte (Ire) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}), is pointing toward the G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte at Chantilly on Oct. 12, according to racing advisor Richard Brown. One of two group winners for his first-year sire, the son of the winning Bibury (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) graduated at Ayr in June, before running second, by only a nose, to Rashabar (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) in the G2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot for Archie Watson. Kept busy with a fifth-place appearance in the...
Backing up his success in last month's G1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York, Victorious Racing's Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}--Russian Punch {GB}, by Archipenko) proved he is a sprinter to be reckoned with by doubling up in Sunday's G1 Flying Five Stakes at The Curragh. Prominent throughout under Hollie Doyle, the Archie Watson-trained 2-1 favourite was committed two out and stayed on strongly to score by 1 1/4 lengths from compatriot Believing (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) to bring his group 1 win tally to three having also conquered last year's G1 King's Stand...
Wathnan Racing's Aesterius (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}--Jane Doe {Ire}, by Hallowed Crown {Aus}) registered a second stakes success in ParisLongchamp's G3 Prix d'Arenberg at the beginning of this month and embellished his record with a game victory in Friday's G2 Carlsberg Danish Pilsner Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster. The £380,000 Goffs Breeze-Up graduate and 7-2 third choice broke swiftly and raced on the front end throughout this five-furlong dash. Coming under pressure at halfway, he refused to buckle in the closing stages and was driven out to deny familiar foe Big...
Making amends for his defeat in Goodwood's G3 Molecomb Stakes in July, Wathnan Racing's Aesterius (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}--Jane Doe {Ire}, by Hallowed Crown {Aus}) led from start to finish in Sunday's G3 Prix d'Arenberg at ParisLongchamp. Bagging the rail under James Doyle, the 9-10 favourite saw off all threats to hit the line 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Kaadi (Ire) (Soldier's Call {GB}), with Treasure Isle (Ire) (No Nay Never) a short neck away in third. "At Goodwood, I felt I rode him too quietly so today I wanted to...
Victorious Racing's 2023 G1 King's Stand Stakes hero and 'TDN Rising Star' Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}--Russian Punch {GB}, by Archipenko), on an enforced sabbatical for 329 days after registering that career high, added to his comeback win in this month's Listed Prix du Cercle with a dominant performance in Friday's G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes at York. The 3-1 second favourite was swiftly into stride on the far wing and chased the trailblazing Ponntos (Ire) (Power {GB}) in second through the initial stages of this straight five-furlong dash. Easing...
Wathnan Racing's Aesterius (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}--Jane Doe {Ire}, by Hallowed Crown {Aus}) followed up an impressive debut score at Bath in May with a fifth in Royal Ascot's G2 Norfolk Stakes last month and was too good for five rivals to register a career high in Friday's Listed Dragon Stakes at Sandown. The £380,000 Goffs Breeze-Up graduate broke smartly from the outside gate and stalked the pace in second through halfway. Looming large at the quarter-mile marker, the 6-4 pick seized control approaching the final furlong and kept on powerfully...
After the excitement of the Derby, there was a moment of futurity at the start of Doncaster's evening meeting on Saturday as Twafeeg (Ire) (Far Above {Ire}--Disko {Ire}, by Kodiac {GB}) became the latest TDN Rising Star with her impresive success in the 6 1/2-furlong maiden. Sent off at 18-1, the Archie Watson-trained newcomer from the first crop of Starfield Stud's resident tanked her way to the front soon after the start under Connor Beasley. Sent clear passing the two-furlong pole, Sheikh Hamed Dalmook Al Maktoum's 65,000gns Tattersalls Book 3...
With an increasing number of international stamps in his passport, the multiple Group winner Brave Emperor (Ire) (Sioux Nation) is fast becoming one of the most admirable horses in training. Only twice in his 16 starts has the Archie Watson-trained four-year-old ever been out of the first three, but more impressive is that 10 of those runs have ended in victory - in five different countries, and counting. On Saturday, his 2024 debut resulted in a win in the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cup in Qatar, a local Group 2 staged...
The multiple Group winner Brave Emperor (Ire) (Sioux Nation) will attempt to conquer another frontier with his first run in Qatar at the weekend. Having won races in Britain, France, Germany and Italy, as well as picking up prize-money and black type in Sweden, the Middleham Park Racing representative will make his four-year-old debut in Doha in the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cup at the Amir Sword meeting on Saturday, in a race worth more than £225,000 to the winner. Trained by Archie Watson, Brave Emperor has now won nine of...