Charlie Appleby
Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), an unbeaten champion 2-year-old and brilliant winner of the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas last year, has been retired. The Charlie Appleby-trained colt won three times at the highest level and will embark on a stud career next year, according to Godolphin's Director Of Studs, Liam O'Rourke. He said, "Native Trail has had an exceptional career and owes us nothing. We feel now is the time to retire him and he will take up stud duties in 2024." Native Trail was last seen finishing eighth...
Hot property at 1-3 for Thursday's Broad Oak Fillies' Novice S. at Haydock, Godolphin's Star Of Mystery (GB) (Kodiac {GB}--Mistrusting {Ire}, by Shamardal) made even those odds look generous as she registered a TDN Rising Star performance when breaking her maiden by 11 lengths. Having met a potentially top-class peer in the Crisfords' Carla's Way (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) on debut over nearly 6 1/2-furlongs at Doncaster 12 days previously, the Charlie Appleby-trained half-sister to Dark Angel's GI Summer S. winner Mysterious Night (Ire) and GI Just a Game S. and...
With Royal Ascot looming large on the horizon, and racing about to switch from Newmarket's Rowley Mile to the July Course, John and Thady Gosden and Charlie Appleby took advantage of the latter for racecourse gallops for some of their Ascot runners on Tuesday morning. Cheveley Park Stud's homebred Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) was out first under Frankie Dettori ahead of what will be her first start since QIPCO British Champions Day last October. The treble Group 1 winner is heading to the G1 Queen Anne S. on the opening...
Godolphin's Ancient Wisdom (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}--Golden Valentine {Fr}, by Dalakhani {Ire}) turned heads when selling for €2-million at last year's Arqana August fixture, and he was back in the limelight with a highly polished debut display in Friday's GPW Recruitment Carl Foster Memorial EBF Novice S. at Haydock. The well-supported 6-5 favourite hit the line powerfully and finished clear of Under The Sun (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), attaining 'TDN Rising Star' status in the seven-furlong heat with an impressive five-length triumph. Ancient Wisdom settled into a comfortable rhythm behind the...
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. Friday's Observations features an auction star by Dubawi (Ire). 20.25 Haydock, Novice, £10,000, 2yo, 6f 212yT ANCIENT WISDOM (FR) (Dubawi {Ire}) caused a stir at last year's Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale when selling for €2 million and ending the auction as the second-highest-priced lot. Charlie Appleby has charge...
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. Thursday's Insights features a regally-bred son of Dubawi and G1SW Urban Fox. 14.30 Yarmouth, Novice, £6,800, 2yo, 7f 3yT INNER CITY (IRE) (Dubawi {Ire}) is one of two Godolphin newcomers to catch the eye in one of the initial seven-furlong 2-year-old races, being a 1.1million gns Book 1 graduate...
Successful at the elite level at two Breeders' Cups, in a Poule d'Essai des Poulains and a Woodbine Mile, Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}--Modern Ideals {GB}, by New Approach {Ire}) finally did it in the UK as he swooped to dominate Saturday's G1 Al Shaqab Lockinge S. at Newbury. Drawn on the extreme towards the stands' rail, the 3-1 favourite was in the right place if the preceding London Gold Cup was anything to go by and William Buick was able to enjoy the perfect draft behind My Prospero (Ire)...
With match fitness an advantage leading into Saturday's Listed Fitzdares Lingfield Derby Trial S., it was Godolphin nominee and G1 Betfred Derby entry Military Order (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Anna Salai, by Dubawi {Ire}) who stepped forward for a career high in the 12-furlong test. He set the seal on a Lingfield Trials double for the Godolphin-Appleby-Buick triumvirate with a 1 1/4-length success from impressive Newmarket winner Waipiro (Ire) (Australia {GB}), with The King's Listed Newmarket S. runner-up Circle Of Fire (GB) (Almanzor {Fr}) trailing home 4 1/4 lengths adrift in third....
Godolphin's Eternal Hope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}--Voice Of Truth {Ire}, by Dubawi {Ire}) does not possess a ticket for next month's G1 Oaks, but qualifies to be one of the first in line for the supplementary stage after a stylish victory in Saturday's Listed Fitzdares Oaks Trial at Lingfield. She had yet to make a start on the turf and continued that trend after the day's stakes contests were switched to the track's synthetic surface. The homebred chestnut, untested as a juvenile, followed up a Feb. 13 debut third tackling an...
The late Daylami (Ire) (Doyoun {Ire}) carried the Godolphin blue to victory in the GI Man o' War S. at Belmont Park fully 25 years ago and it didn't take long for the Dubai-based operation to strike again, as the outstanding Fantastic Light (Rahy) followed suit just two years later.Both stars would go on to prove victorious in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf in 1999 and 2001, respectively. No one will confuse Warren Point (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) with either of those luminaries, but the homebred bay should jump favored to...
Wide-margin winners trended on a rain-softened opening to Chester's May Festival and, with testing conditions set for day two at the Roodeye, it will be as you were turning to Thursday's Listed Boodles Dee S., another G1 Derby trial, and the Tote-sponsored G3 Ormonde S. for the older stayers. Godolphin's 'TDN Rising Star' Local Dynasty (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) will relish the muddy track, according to Charlie Appleby, and returns off a soft-ground breakthrough score in October's Listed Silver Tankard at Pontefract when last seen. "He has done well over the...
Waylaid for much of last year, Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) showed he is in a good place this Spring with a smooth winning return in the rescheduled G3 Gordon Richards S. very much a marker of his current wellbeing. Travelling strongly but always under William Buick's control tracking stablemate Highland Avenue (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the early stages of the 10-furlong staging post moved to Newmarket from Sandown, the 2021 Derby and King George hero moved to the front passing two out and forged ahead to score by 2 1/2...