France

The last week of June remains the most likely date for the combined Goffs UK/Arqana combined breeze-up sale. After the Irish Government's lockdown roadmap was released on Friday and with the UK's position to become clearer on Thursday, all European breeze-up sales will be discussed with Tattersalls. The three sales companies are working to harmonise the breeze-up sales calendar and are preparing for more than one outcome as provisional plans pertaining to the resumption of racing in the UK, Ireland are under discussion, with France to begin on May 11....

One thing that the French trainers seem to have in common at present is their opinion that racing will not resume in mid-April. Claude Beniada spoke to Pascal Bary and he was adamant that the wait for racing action will be a lot longer than that. CB: How have the recent measures affected your daily schedule? PB: "They haven't really. We can continue to train the horses and in that regard not much has changed. The staff is there, no one is missing, the tracks are very well maintained and...

At 8 p.m. Saturday evening, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced stricter social distancing measures due to the coronavirus, and that all places non-essential to French living including restaurants, cafes, cinemas and clubs, will be closed beginning at midnight on Saturday, Jour de Galop reported. At this time, French racecourses, which are currently racing without spectators for the foreseeable future, will remain open. France Galop's President Edouard de Rothschild and Managing Director Olivier Delloye both confirmed late Saturday evening to the JDG that racing will continue in "closed camera" mode,...

MGSW & MG1SP City Light (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), who is standing his first season at stud in 2020, has his first mares scanned in foal, Haras d'Etreham announced on Wednesday. The bay, who ran second in the G1 Prix de la Foret, stands for €7,000. Among the in foal mares is Havaianas (Elusive Quality), a half-sister to Grade II winner & MGISP Qurbaan (Speightstown). Other mares in the 2018 G1 Diamond Jubilee bridesmaid's book are: MGSW All is Vanity (Fr) (Gold Away {Ire}), Benzolina (Ire) (Second Empire {Ire}), the dam...

Three meetings at in France next week are to take place behind closed doors in a response to the coronavirus outbreak. At Compiegne, Monday's jumps card and the Wednesday fixture on the Flat will have no paying customers, with the order coming from the mayor of Compiegne and the president of the Compiegne Racing Society. It is a similar story at Chantilly, where Tuesday's programme will not be open to the public. Racing professionals will be admitted as normal. The move is the first of its kind for the sport...

The 2019 General Assembly of Au-Dela des Pistes, the equine charity that works for the promotion and retaining of Thoroughbred horses in France, was held at the Salon Katko at Chantilly's training centre last Friday, Au-Dela des Pistes announced on Tuesday. Fourteen of the 24 retraining establishments  referenced by the charity were in attendance at the assembly, which included a visit to Fabrice Chappet's stable and watching morning training on the Lions training track. The representatives were also able to speak with trainers, breeders, agents, vets and other racing industry...

Heightened awareness of animal welfare causes and the plight of retired racehorses over the past 30 years has dramatically changed the landscape in Thoroughbred aftercare and it continues to evolve as more racing jurisdictions recognize the need for institutional aftercare funding. Organizations forming now to provide safe and meaningful retirement for Thoroughbreds have the benefit of an enlightened racing and breeding industry. In the past, the road to establishing necessary partnerships with racing and breeding organizations was often a dead-end. Now, the path is much more direct. For Au-Delà des...

A new spring National Hunt sale will be conducted by Osarus, the sales company announced on Thursday. Slated for June 12, 2020 for Maisons-Laffitte, the sale will consist of 2-year-old stores and select horses-in-training. "With the good results of our Autumn 100% National Hunt sale which took place last October and the current jumps market, we felt that vendors would be interested in an earlier opportunity to sell their horses," said Osarus Managing Director Emmanuel Viaud. "Our aim is to offer a reduced catalogue of approximately 50 to 60 2-year-old...

2011 G1 Derby victor Pour Moi (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) will stand at Haras de Cercy in France for 2020, Racing Post reported. The bay will command €3,000. Since 2017, he was a resident of Coolmore's Grange Stud. The G2 Prix Greffulhe winner has sired two Group 1 winners from six black-type winners so far-fellow Derby hero Wings of Eagles (Fr), and G1 JJ Atkins S. scorer Sacred Elixir (NZ). His top filly is G3 Lacken S. heroine Only Mine (Ire) and his oldest runners in the Northern Hemisphere just turned...

Charles Briere's Fairway Consignment seems to have sailed a smooth upward trajectory since its establishment four years ago, hitting one target after the next. This June, a significant milestone was achieved when Fairway pinhook graduate Arizona (Ire) (No Nay Never) took Royal Ascot's G2 Coventry S. Fairway Partners purchased the dark bay for 65,000gns at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale and sold him to MV Magnier for €260,000 at last year's Arqana August sale. From the second crop of No Nay Never, Arizona is out of the placed English Channel...

Al Shaqab will continue to sponsor the £350,000 G1 Al Shaqab Lockinge S. until 2024, after a new five-year deal was agreed upon, Newbury Racecourse announced on Wednesday. Besides the G1 Al Shaqab Lockinge S., Al Shaqab will also sponsor the G3 Al Rayyan S. and the Listed Haras de Bouquetot Fillies' Trial. "The agreement to renew Al Shaqab's sponsorship of the G1 Lockinge for a further five years demonstrates our commitment to British Horseracing and its well-deserved standing worldwide," said Al Shaqab General Manager Khalifa Al Attiya. "With 50...

Deauville's month-long festival begins in earnest on Sunday with the G1 Prix Rothschild the first of five such events at the Normandy venue. Last year's G1 Prix Saint-Alary and G1 Prix de Diane heroine Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) returns to France for the fourth time and to this venue for the second, having been runner-up in the 2017 G3 Prix du Calvados prior to her blossoming into the top-class filly we now know so well. Having taken part in the two mile championship races for older horses, the G1 Lockinge...