Blue Point

Lake Forest, the 2024 winner of the lucrative Golden Eagle at Rosehill in Australia, will return Down Under in the coming months, according to co-owner Tony Bloom's racing manager Sean Graham. In October is the A$20-million G1 The Everest, and then the No Nay Never colt will defend his Golden Eagle title in November. Trained by William Haggas for Bloom and Ian McAleavy, the chestnut was second in the G2 Lennox Stakes at Goodwood in July and in the August 23 G1 City Of York Stakes last weekend. Sean Graham,...

Three-time Group 1 winner Rosallion has been withdrawn from the G1 The Aga Khan Studs Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville on Sunday with a bruised foot, according to trainer Richard Hannon. The G1 City Of York Stakes is next on the docket for the colt on August 23. Owned by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, the son of Blue Point won the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at two and added the Irish 2000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes at three. He has been tantalisingly close to added more top-drawer...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the win of Luther (Frankel) in Saratoga's National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes. Frankel Colt Pens His Name Into The Hall Of Fame Paul Hickman and Nicholas Jones's Luther was put up via the disqualification of Zulu Kingdom (Ten Sovereigns) in the GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga on August 1 (video). The Frankel colt is trained by Charlie...

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. Friday's Observations features a full-sister to a Group 1 winner. 5.55 Newmarket, Mdn, 2yo, f, 8fT RIBBON OF SEA (IRE) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is a significant Godolphin runner for Charlie Appleby's stable on an intriguing "Newmarket Nights" card full of tantalising prospects, being a full-sister to the G1...

By Dane McLeod/TTRAusNZ Zoustar, standing at Widden Stud, has been crowned Champion Australian General Sire for the first time. After finishing runner-up to I Am Invincible last season, the tables turned this year. Zoustar was represented by 198 individual winners of 335 races from 375 runners. His progeny earned A$26,318,590 in total prize-money, with 15 individual stakes winners winning a total of 23 stakes races. His standout performer, Joliestar, won the G1 Newmarket Handicap and G1 Kingsford Smith Cup, contributing a substantial A$2,813,500. I Am Invincible finished second with A$22,779,421,...

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Nitti in the San Juan Capistrano Stakes.  Make Believe Brings Up A Santa Anita Double Make Believe's Nitti captured the GIII San Juan Capistrano Stakes at Santa Anita for trainer Leonard Powell on June 15 (video). It was a first black-type win for the 4-year-old gelding who races for Innergy Racing Corp, Zephyr Racing and Sonny Pais. Bred by John Walsh, Jerry O'Brien and the...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victories of Sapphire Beach and Hey Nay Nay. No Nay Never Sires Pair Of Juvenile Debut Winners Sapphire Beach, flying the flag for Three Diamonds Farm, won a five-furlong sprint over a sloppy Churchill main track on May 30 (video). Trained by George "Rusty" Arnold, the Charlie Brooks-bred re-rallied to finish second after being cut off by the winner, and the placings were reversed in...

It may not have been obvious at the time but with the benefit of almost 20 years' hindsight it is now clear that the retirement to stud in 2006 of both Dubawi (Ire) and Shamardal was a pivotal moment for the Darley operation, and indeed the European stallion scene. There is now no shortage of their male-line descendants at stud and, in Blue Point (Ire) and Too Darn Hot (GB) in particular, their legacy looks assured within the Darley ranks.  The pair ended last year as first and second in...

More And More is an old ditty that the late singer Joe Dolan, one of County Westmeath's finest exports, made famous back in the 1980s. Well, the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association could not have found a more suitable backing track to the small breeder award presentation at The Heritage Hotel, which was won by fellow Westmeath man John Connaughton. For starters, Connaughton has enjoyed a lifetime of successes in business which have been replicated through his bloodstock endeavors. And even at the age of 93, the accolades keep on coming...

Moyglare Stud provided the jewels in the crown of the Goffs February Sale when two well-bred colts by hot stallions Blue Point (Ire) and Study Of Man (Ire) sold for a combined €415,000, which accounted for just over 10 per cent of the entire turnover at Kildare Paddocks this week.  It was the Blue Point colt out of Dansili (GB) mare Tina Angelina (Ire) who commanded a sale-topping €250,000 when selling to Tally-Ho Stud while Matt Coleman--signing under The Investors--landed the Study Of Man for €165,000.  All told, the turnover...

It may be the season to be jolly, but it's also a time of reflection, and there are many ways one can look back on a first-season sires' championship in Britain and Ireland that was ultimately dominated from start to finish by Whitsbury Manor Stud's Sergei Prokofiev.  The cool thing to say about this year's championship was that none of the new stallions seemed to be standing out from the crowd like Blue Point (Ire) and Havana Grey (GB) had done in previous years.  That may well be true, but...

It's all about family for Tom Frary in selecting his favourite horse of 2024, and that extends to this talented sprinter's exciting young sire. Horse of the year: Kind Of Blue There is nothing better than seeing families produce good horses time after time, particularly when they are associated with the same owner-breeder-trainer combination down the years. Kind Of Blue (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}) represents just that, with his original owners Michelle Morris and Jan and Peter Hopper having also enjoyed much success with the dam's brother Deacon Blues (GB)...