Earthlight

   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 Take A Breath in California. Santa Ana Glory For Bated Breath Filly Take A Breath (Bated Breath) dropped her nose on the line to capture the GIII Santa Ana Stakes at Santa Anita Park on March 15 (video). Bred by Highgate Stud, the four-year-old filly is raced by Chivalry Thoroughbred Racing and Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners. A 135,000gns buy-back out of the Tattersalls...

Daylight, a winner of the G3 Prix de Cabourg, will visit Siyouni this year, Jour de Galop reported on Wednesday. Also runner-up in the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes and third in the G1 Prix Morny, the daughter of Earthlight raced for Gousserie Racing and Sandrine Gavrois. A consistent performer, she accrued five other placings at stakes level. Bred by Haras du Cadran and Pieter Van Belle, Daylight was originally an €85,000 Arqana August yearling buy. In 2024, she was a €2.1-million buy-back at the Arqana Vente d'Elevage when offered by...

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. Wednesday's Observations features a half-brother to Big Evs. 18.40 Kempton, £11,000, Nov, 2yo, 6f (AWT) Jaber Abdullah's MILLION GOLD (GB) (Earthlight {Ire}) is a half-brother to GI Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint hero Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) and represents the same Michael Appleby yard here. The April-foaled...

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 Tales Of The Heart at Keeneland. Resolute To The Heart Resolute Racing's Tales Of The Heart (Mehmas) flashed her class with a 1 1/4-length victory at Keeneland on October 15 (video). Trained by Michael Maker, the three-year-old filly was bred by Tally-Ho Stud, where her sire stands. The daughter of the stakes-placed Shoshoni Wind (Sleeping Indian) brought 400,000gns out of Book 1 of the...

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...

Were you at the Rowley Mile on October 17, 2014? Those autumn meetings are always special, and that particular Group 1 race day saw Belardo (Ire) beat Kodi Bear (Ire) in the Dubai Dewhurst S. some 35 minutes after what now looks to have been a rather special running of the Dubai Fillies' Mile.  If you were there that day you can reflect on the fact that you saw the dams of this weekend's favourites for the Qipco 2,000 Guineas and Qipco 1,000 Guineas finish first and second in the...

Never has the demand to get horses into the breeze-up sales in Europe been higher. It begs the question; how do the big sales companies limit their catalogues?  Inspectors from Tattersalls, Arqana and Goffs have been out in force in recent weeks trawling through the breeze-up consignors' barns to come up with their shortlists.  According to Harry Fowler, one of the main inspectors at Goffs, entries for the company's only breeze-up sale have sky-rocketed this year. With most of the viewing done at this stage, the Goffs inspectors will meet...

Paddy Power have had their say on the first-season sires' championship and the betting giants are unable to separate Pinatubo (Ire) and Sergei Prokofiev at the head of the market at odds of 6-4. It was Blue Point (Ire) who dominated the first-season sires' championship last year in recording 50 individual winners in Europe including two Group 1 scorers. According to Paddy Power, Darley are in a strong position to scoop the prize for the second successive year as, not only can the powerful operation call on joint-favourite Pinatubo, but...

Anyone who bets on racing will know too well the perils that come with predicting the outcome of a sporting event. But what if we take it a couple of steps further and, for a bit of fun, try and gaze into the crystal ball and see what could be in store for 2024? From Frankie Dettori returning to the saddle in Europe to Wathnan Racing continuing its march in Britain, here are 10 predictions-some fun and some serious-for the new year.  Dettori's Groundhog Day To Continue Into 2024 We've...

With the foal sales at Goffs and Tattersalls confined to the rear view mirror, perhaps now is the time to get a good gauge on the young sires coming through.  Bragging rights belong to St Mark's Basilica (Fr), who topped the December Foal Sale at Tattersalls when a filly by the multiple Group 1-winning stallion out of Oaks winner Talent (GB) sold for 575,000gns.  The St Mark's Basilica sale-topper was consigned by Ashbrittle Stud and bought by agent Jill Lamb on behalf of Newsells Park Stud, with the former labelling...

Pa Doyle of Galbertstown Stables labelled the pinhookers who were out in force at the Goffs November Foal Sale "as brave as lions" with the popular consignor capping off a memorable week by topping the Thursday session with a €90,000 Phoenix Of Spain (Ire) colt.  The Thursday sale-topper was bred by Tony Cosgrave, who Doyle described as one of the best show people in the business, and it played a part in Galbertstown ending the week as one of the top consignors with 17 horses selling for €632,000. The Phoenix...

Goffs has been a lucky place for the Finegan family of Milltown House Stud given they sold a foal at this complex for €250,000 in 2018 and the County Meath outfit reached similarly dizzying heights on Tuesday when a Ghaiyyath (Ire) colt fetched €200,000 to Tally-Ho Stud.  The buyer in this story came in for special mention from Jack Finegan, the third generation of Finegans working on the family farm, who is under no illusions about the role the O'Callaghans of Tally-Ho Stud have played in their success in producing...