Dark Angel (Ire)

Godolphin homebred Althiqa (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}-- Mistrusting {Ire}, by Shamardal), a dual Grade I winner, has been retired for broodmare duty, trainer Charlie Appleby announced on Tuesday. "We've retired Althiqa," Appleby told Dubai Racing Channel's Michael Adolphson in an interview. "There were no more options for her. She could have gone to Del Mar, there's a Grade II on the card there, but bless her, she owes us nothing. She's pulled up safe and sound and she'll head to the breeding shed." A winner of her only start at...

Unseen since annexing Goodwood's G2 Vintage S. in July, Marc Chan's 2-year-old colt Angel Bleu (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}), dented a host of lofty reputations and pounced late for a game success in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere - Grand Criterium at ParisLongchamp, a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar next month. The Listed Pat Eddery S. runner-up had snagged two low-key heats, at Salisbury and Pontefract, in his first four starts and was sent postward as an 11-2 chance for...

Fresh off August wins in Newbury's Listed Steventon S. and York's G3 Strensall S., Godolphin's 4-year-old colt Real World (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) continued the operation's perfect start to Arc weekend and played the pantomime villain role to a tee by denying local hero The Revenant (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) a third straight win in Saturday's G2 Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein at ParisLongchamp. He carried the Godolphin second colours and also usurped The Revenant at the tills, going postward as the 17-10 chalk and occupied a forward third, inching into second...

There was barely time for the dust to settle on a successful renewal of the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale before the firm continued on Thursday with the first of two days of its Sportsman's Yearling Sale, which likewise returned strong results. The Sportsman's Sale, like the Orby, was relocated last year to the Goffs UK headquarters in Doncaster with the pandemic making it all but impossible for visitors to travel to Ireland, and back at its rightful home in Kildare on Thursday the first session returned positive figures. Whereas in...

The G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint on Oct. 16 is next for Art Power (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) following his dominant display in the G2 Renaissance S. at The Curragh on Sept. 25. Bearing the King Power racing silks, the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. third drew off by five lengths in the Renaissance. It was his first win since taking the G3 Lacken S. at Naas last July. Art Power was also fourth in the 2020 edition of the British Champions Sprint. "It was a very good performance in Ireland...

Dundalk's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden had the feel of a must-watch race beforehand and Friday's seven-furlong contest lived up to expectations playing host to a new TDN Rising Star in Newtown Anner Stud Farm's Angels Wrath (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). Flaunting her wares in a barrier trial here prior to this debut against some smart yardsticks, the 9-2 shot was restrained in mid-division early showing keenness under Ben Coen. Looming with menace when pulled wide in the straight, the Johnny Murtagh-trained homebred showed sharp acceleration to hit the...

Marc Chan's Angel Bleu (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}), not seen since winning the G2 Vintage S. at Glorious Goodwood on July 27, will resurface in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on Oct. 3 at ParisLongchamp. A progressive colt for trainer Ralph Beckett, Angel Bleu broke his maiden at Salisbury on Apr. 25 before taking a Pontefract conditions race on May 28, and he won the Vintage just three days after finishing second in the Listed Pat Eddery S. at Ascot. "All being well he'll head for the Lagardere on Arc...

By now, the story is well known: after six consecutive years of healthy trade punctuated by six-figure averages and seven-figure leading lots, Goffs is on a recovery mission with its Orby Sale after it was dealt a massive blow in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. With a 14-day mandatory quarantine steadfastly in place for any visitors to Ireland throughout last year's sale season, Goffs was forced to make some gut-wrenching decisions about its flagship sale that included relocating it to its Goffs UK headquarters in Doncaster. That disruption...

John Tuthill wouldn't be the type to shout from the rooftops about the racetrack successes of the graduates of his Owenstown Stud. But, then again, he doesn't have to--the horses have done the talking themselves. From a band of about 15 broodmares of his own, Tuthill bred two winners of the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. in the space of five years: Excelebration (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) in the Derrick Smith silks in 2012 and the filly Persuasive (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) for Cheveley Park Stud in 2017. He also...

It is a rare season that Clive Cox and Adam Kirby do not combine with a juvenile of note and Isa Salman Al Khalifa's Wings of War (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) stepped up to the plate for the combo in Saturday's G2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef S. at Newbury. Runner-up last time in the G3 Sirenia S. over this six-furlong trip on Kempton's Polytrack Sept. 4, the grey was keen early directly behind the leader Hierarchy (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) after a start delayed by the withdrawal of the G2...

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 'TDN Rising Star's at Newbury and Chantilly. 13.00 Ayr, Nov, £14,000, 2yo, 7f 50yT Jaber Abdullah's 120,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling MARHABA THE CHAMP (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) is a son of MGSW G1 Cheveley Park S., G1 Haydock Sprint Cup and G1 Prix de l'Abbaye...

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 Observations features a son of Group 1 winner Ballydoyle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). 14.00 Naas, Mdn, €15,500, 2yo, c/g, 5f 205yT Westerberg & Coolmore's LEINSTER HOUSE (War Front) is the lone newcomer in an 11-strong field and gets assistance from Seamus Heffernan in this debut for Aidan O'Brien. The...