Blandford Bloodstock

Trainer Karl Burke unveiled subsequent G3 Albany, G2 Duchess Of Cambridge and G1 Prix Morny heroine Venetian Sun (Starman) in last term's British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies' Novice Stakes at Carlisle and he unleashed another Royal Ascot contender in this year's renewal. James Doyle made the long journey north to partner Wathnan Racing's 300,000gns Craven Breeze-Up graduate Wild Blossom (Mehmas) at the Cumbrian venue and she returned with a TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard, rosette after routing her three rivals by 10 lengths and more in the five-furlong contest,...

Wathnan Racing's Tornado Tower (Frankel), an 850,000gns Book 1 full-brother to G1 Irish Derby, G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G1 St Leger hero Hurricane Lane, made his second start a winning one in Wednesday's TMT Group Maiden Stakes at Chester. "We had the option of going a mile-and-a-half or a mile-and-a-quarter here, but decided he'd shown enough zip in his last piece of work to go a mile-and-a-quarter," explained James Doyle. "He was learning on the job early, we got rolling a little way from home and it set...

Joe Murphy, Bill Dwan, Richard Brown and Michael Donohoe have led the tributes to racing's "problem solver" John Fleming, who died after being struck by a bus at Dublin Airport on Thursday morning. Fleming, 62, enjoyed huge success as an owner, notably with trainers Michael O'Callaghan and Joe Murphy. His biggest day came last summer when Cercene, who he part-owned, won the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot while Navassa Island carried his own colours to Listed success at Cork earlier this month. He was also a keen trader...

Wathnan Racing's Derby also-ran Damysus (Frankel) was last seen bagging Newmarket's G3 Darley Stakes, going nine furlongs in October, and returned over the same course and distance to rout his five rivals under a penalty in Wednesday's G3 Earl Of Sefton Stakes. "He's not a big horse, but he's more powerful now and when James [Doyle] asked him to go the acceleration was instant," said John Gosden. "I think he will be better this year, he's more mature and anything from a mile to a mile-and-a-quarter is what James feels...

DEAUVILLE, FRANCE -- "Deep German family" was an oft-uttered phrase during Sunday's session of the Arqana Vente d'Elevage, most notably in the case of top lot Qualixia (lot 464), who is set to continue her racing career with Joseph O'Brien after being bought by Blandford Bloodstock's Stuart Boman for €320,000. Last seen making a black-type breakthrough in the Listed Grand Prix de Fontainebleau, Qualixia was offered by trainer Philippe Decouz as the winner of four of her 11 career starts. Bred by Gestut Fahrhof, the four-year-old daughter of Blue Point...

Last term's G2 Mill Reef Stakes winner Powerful Glory (Cotai Glory) was the lowest-rated and least experienced contender lining up for Saturday's G1 Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot and, having beaten just one rival in two starts this season, came home with a career high after posting a 200-1 shock in the straight six-furlong dash. His odds are the longest for the winner of a European Group 1 contest, surpassing Qirat's 150-1 in this term's G1 Sussex Stakes. "We always thought he was a nice horse, but at 200-1...

The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) has appointed Stuart Boman of Blandford Bloodstock as the contracted agent in the Northern Hemisphere. He will take over from Michael Kinane, who held the role for six years.   A statement released on Tuesday read, "The HKJC extends its gratitude to Mr Michael Kinane for his six years of service as the contracted agent in the Northern Hemisphere for the HKIS. Mr Kinane's expertise saw the retired champion jockey identify, select and purchase Hong Kong global champion Romantic Warrior, winner of 10 Group 1s...

Promising two-year-old filly Flawless Fusion (lot 20) took top billing at the Tattersalls Online July Sale when selling for 140,000gns to Blandford Bloodstock from Jim Bolger's Glebe House Stables. A daughter of Dawn Approach and the dual Listed-placed mare French Fusion (Harzand), from the family of the G1 Melbourne Cup hero Twilight Payment, Flawless Fusion made an encouraging start to her career when filling the runner-up spot on last month's debut. "She caught the eye at Leopardstown," Blandford Bloodstock's Stuart Boman said of that performance. "Irish maidens are so competitive...

There is always a story at Royal Ascot and this year's meeting opener, the G1 Queen Anne Stakes, delivered an immediate slice of drama as Harry Eustace trainee Docklands (Massaat) provided the Newmarket conditioner with a thrilling first Group 1 triumph, by a pixel, despite Australian rider Mark Zahra dropping his whip in the closing stages of the straight one-mile test. The Queen Anne is a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar this coming November. Last year's runner-up, who annexed the Britannia Handicap...

Tuesday's PricedUp Pushes EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes went the way of subsequent G2 Queen Mary Stakes heroine Leovanni (Kodi Bear) last term and that Karl Burke trainee's year-younger stablemate Zelaina (Mehmas) will also attempt to double up at Royal Ascot after delivering a performance of raw power in the latest renewal of Nottingham's five-furlong dash. Going some way along the road to justifying her £650,000 price tag at the recent Goffs UK Breeze-Up sale, she heads to Berkshire with a TDN Rising Star rosette in the bag after securing a...

Never in the history of the breeze-up game have the top horses been worth more. That was evident at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale last week when the record for the most expensive horse ever sold at the sale was broken not once but twice and top agents Richard Brown and Billy Jackson-Stops admitted to finding it hard to land a blow.  Malcolm Bastard's 1.75 million gns record-breaking Havana Grey (GB) colt played a pretty significant role in the turnover reaching an all-time high of nearly 20 million gns. On...

Gleaming Crown (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) (lot 49), an unraced 3-year-old filly, topped the Tattersalls Online January Sale at 49,000gns on the bid of Blandford Bloodstock. The daughter of listed winner and two-time Group 3-placed Dazzling (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is a half-sister to Bajan Girl (Speightstown), who placed second in the GIII Molly Pitcher Stakes and third in the GIII Rampart Stakes. Her dam is a full-sister to G1 Irish 2000 Guineas hero Roderic O'Connor (Ire). Consigned by Kiltinan Castle Stud, the filly will be covered by Darley's Palace Pier...