Chelston

Aidan O'Brien annexed the last three editions of the Curragh's Sky Bet Club Irish EBF Maiden--with Amadeus Mozart, Henri Matisse and Unquestionable--and made it four in a row when Aix La Chapelle (Justify), a son of dual Group 1 winner Immortal Verse (Pivotal), pounced in the closing stages of the seven-furlong contest. "They were horses that we were getting out in case they were [Listed] Chesham horses and we're delighted with him," O'Brien commented. "They went along there and he did well as he was never away [from home] and...

Coolmore's Scandinavia (Justify) has undertaken Ballydoyle's tried-and-trusted route towards next month's G1 Gold Cup and last term's G1 St Leger and G1 Goodwood Cup hero backed up his win in last month's Listed Vintage Crop Stakes on seasonal return with a workmanlike performance in Friday's G3 Saval Beg Levmoss Stakes at Leopardstown. "This was the perfect race to bridge the gap [to Royal Ascot] and we'll get more serious as we go along," said Aidan O'Brien. "He's a big, relaxed horse and we couldn't be happier really. Ryan [Moore] was...

Coolmore's hitherto unraced New Yorker (No Nay Never), who missed his intended debut at the Curragh last week, was let go as the odds-on favourite for Friday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Dundalk, a contest won in recent years by Ballydoyle's Caravaggio and Blackbeard, and did enough under a late drive to secure a 1 1/4-length success in the five-furlong heat. "It was really tough for them, but he handled the preliminaries well and he was good in the race," reflected Ballydoyle's Chris Armstrong. "Today is not ideal, with...

Lynne Lyons's hitherto untried €155,000 Keeneland September graduate Ethical Code (Justify), a Ger Lyons-trained daughter of G1 Phoenix Stakes heroine Damson (Ire) (Entrepreneur {GB}), failed to sell when stalling on the €300,000 mark at Arqana's Breeze-Up fixture earlier in the year and dug deep to make a winning debut in Wednesday's DundalkStadium.com Fillies Maiden at Dundalk. A half-sister to dual Group-winning sire Requinto (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), she raced along the rail in fourth for most of this seven-furlong contest. Taking closer order in the home straight, the 7-1 chance was...

Amo Racing's Angelo Buonarroti (Justify--Curlylocks {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) was the second highest-priced lot when selling for €1-million at Arqana's Breeze-Up sale earlier this year and went some way to justifying that lofty price tag with a breakthrough success in Friday's British Stallion Studs EBF Convivial Maiden Stakes at York. The February-foaled chestnut, who first went through the ring for $135,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, was initially trained by Dominic Ffrench Davis, but was transferred to the Raphael Freire yard before posting a three-length debut ninth when highly tried...

Brilliant horses like City Of Troy (Justify--Together Forever {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) are always on the line when it comes to reputation and aura and there was no disguising the fact that Wednesday's G1 Juddmonte International represented his moment of truth regardless of prior achievements. Despite coming to York as a clear-cut 2-year-old champion, an impressive Derby winner and the current holder of an Eclipse, there was a tension in the atmosphere on the storied Knavesmire expanse that was accompanied by threatening and brooding clouds and a strange autumnal air....

Coolmore's Capulet (Justify--Wedding Vow {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) followed up an Aug. 15 debut victory at Dundalk with placed efforts in September's G2 Golden Fleece S. and G2 Royal Lodge S., and went postward for Thursday's Listed Boodles Raindance Dee S. at Chester coming back off a third over one mile at Chelmsford, behind the reopposing Bracken's Laugh (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), on sophomore return last month. Sent into an immediate lead by Ryan Moore, the 7-2 chance held sway throughout the extended 10-furlong test and stayed on relentlessly under continued...

The horse that doesn't get tired. The most unusual of all the Rosegreen "unusuals". By the time TDN Rising Star City Of Troy (Justify--Together Forever {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) hit the line with his trademark force in Saturday's G1 Native Trail's Dewhurst S., we were dealing with a colt who prompts excitable talk. The kind not heard in these parts since 2010, when a certain local legend continued his irresistible trajectory in this very prize. After Frankel (GB) put an unreachable star in racing's heavens, here we have one who...

Coolmore and Westerberg's Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}--Fluff {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) had failed to get his nose in front in three starts since saluting in last term's G3 Prix Thomas Bryon at Saint-Cloud and bounced back under a Ryan Moore masterclass to claim a career high in Wednesday's G2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur S. at York. Detached in rear and patiently ridden as the hitherto undefeated Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) set searching fractions up front, the 4-1 chance inched ever closer in the straight to launch his challenge...

Last term's G1 Prix Saint-Alary and G2 Blandford S. heroine Above The Curve (American Pharoah--Fabulous {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) encountered stellar opposition in Sunday's G2 Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud and halted a three-race losing streak with a pillar-to-post victory in the 10 1/2-furlong contest. Coolmore and Westerberg's 'TDN Rising Star' was undone by Saint-Alary runner-up Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and the reopposing Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) when third in October's G1 Prix de l'Opera before running seventh in both November's GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare...

Aidan O'Brien trainee Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}--Fluff {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) notched a landmark score for his sire (by Sunday Silence) when snagging an Aug. 20 maiden over seven furlongs at the Curragh and maintained his perfect record with a battling success in a controversial renewal of Friday's one-mile G3 Prix Thomas Bryon Jockey Club du Turquie at Saint-Cloud. The eventual winner occupied a slot behind the leaders in third and was safely clear of trouble to his outer when British challenger Captain Wierzba (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire})...