Doncaster

DONCASTER, UK -- For the third year in succession, Highflyer's Anthony Bromley and owner Phil Cunningham dominated the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale, coming away from day one with six horses bought for a combined sum of £717,000. That spend included one of the most expensive horses sold on Wednesday - a Showcasing half-brother to high-class sprinter Washington Heights - at £180,000. It was at this sale in 2023 when Cunningham enlisted the services of Bromley, widely regarded as one of the best judges of equine talent there is. The pair...

A Naval Crown colt and a Ten Sovereigns filly have been supplemented to next week's Goffs Doncaster Premier Yearling Sale. Set for Doncaster on Wednesday, August 27 and a Thursday, August 28, the sale features over 400 yearlings with sessions beginning at 10 a.m. The colt, consigned by Coulonces Sales as lot 191A, is out of the Shamardal mare Glamour Queen, herself a daughter of the Group 1 winner Be Fabulous and a full-sister to listed winner and multiple group-placed Sublimis. Lot 354A, offered by Baroda Stud, is a half-sister...

Godolphin broke new ground when sending Roger Varian their 450,000gns Tattersalls October Book 2 sensation Avicenna (Starspangledbanner) and the two-year-old launched the new connection with a promising win on Saturday. Sent off the well-supported 10-11 favourite for Doncaster's seven-furlong novice, the May-foaled chestnut who is connected to the champion juvenile Xaar tracked the early leader Akho Mezzna (More Than Ready) and while it took time for the penny to drop in the closing stages he was firmly in command for a 1 3/4-length success. Smart debut at @DoncasterRaces! 👀 He...

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 the return of a Mehmas 'TDN Rising Star'. 2.05 Epsom, Betfred British EBF Woodcote Stakes (Conditions), £75,000, 2yo, 6f 3yT MAXIMIZED (GB) (Mehmas {Ire}) earned TDN Rising Star status at Haydock on debut and is put the test in this downhill slalom for the Woodcote which...

The 4-year-old filly Poetisa topped the first day of the Goffs Spring HIT/PTP Sale at Doncaster when selling to Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins for £300,000. She was one of seven lots to break the six-figure mark. Sold as lot 308, the daughter of Poet's Word and the Old Vic mare Chars was consigned by Toby Bulgin. She is a half-sister to Flemensfirth's G2 Abram Mares' Novices' Hurdle heroine Queenofhearts. Under the second dam is Grade 1-winning hurdler Macs Joy (Religiously). Purchased for £42,000 by Bulgin out of the Goffs...

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 daughter of an G1 Irish Oaks winner. 4.10 Sandown, Novice, £22,000, 3yo, f, 9f 209yT STAR OF LIGHT (GB) (Frankel {GB}) may not have pulled up any trees despite winning on debut at Wolverhampton in December, but the fact that the Gosdens have opted to...

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...

The British Flat season will officially get underway on Saturday with the sight of 17 unraced juveniles barrelling down the Doncaster straight for the traditional curtain-raiser that is the Brocklesby--the starting point for subsequent Group winners such as Hearts Of Fire (GB), The Last Lion (Ire) and Persian Force (Ire) since the turn of the century. Here, we've provided everything you need to know about this year's contenders, from trainer quotes to a pedigree nugget or two. AHEAD OF FASHION (GB) Dream Ahead--Fashion (GB), by Lope De Vega (Ire) Sales/pedigree...

A colt foal by Walk In The Park (Ire) (lot 7) and a Nathaniel (Ire) filly (lot 38) each brought a sale-topping price of £70,000 during Friday's Goffs British NH Breeders' Showcase. The former, consigned by Swanbridge Bloodstock, Ltd., was sold to Gerry Aherne and is a grandson of Grade 1 hurdle winner Quevega (Fr) (Robin Des Champs {Fr}). His dam is a half-sister to Weatherbys Champion Bumper hero Facile Vega (Ire) (Walk In The Park {Ire}). Aherne, a key member of the Coolmore team, said, "He's a beautiful horse...

It was as tight as it gets between the two Irish colts at the end of Saturday's G1 William Hill Futurity Trophy, with Silverton Hill's G2 Beresford Stakes and G3 Tyros Stakes winner Hotazhell (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}--Azenzar {GB}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) nosing out Delacroix (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) for the Doncaster feature. Positioned close to the early pace by Shane Foley, the 11-1 shot moved to Ballydoyle's 15-8 favourite passing two out and the two colts with the most pattern-race experience soon had it between them. There was...

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 a sister to Group 1 winner and sire Cracksman (GB). 2.08 Doncaster, Mdn, £40,000, 2yo, f, 8fT QUEEN OF THIEVES (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is a big-deal runner for Anthony Oppenheimer and the Gosdens in a maiden the stable won two years ago with Frankel's eventual Oaks...

Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a three-time Group 1 winner for John and Thady Gosden and owner Imad Al Sagar, has likely danced her last dance on a racetrack.  A winner of over £1.6m in prize-money, Nashwa has been partnered in all 18 of her career starts by Hollie Doyle, with the pair storming to Prix de Diane glory at Chantilly in 2022. However, the sporting decision to keep Nashwa in training as a five-year-old has not paid off and, after trailing home last of the 11 finishers in the Qipco...