Today's Edition:  Record-Setting $1.4M Justify Filly Leads The Way at OBS · Baeza Set for Summer Showdown · Royal Ascot Coverage 3

Galileo (Ire)

Galileo's Japan On Top In the Ormonde

First time over further than a mile-and-a-half facing a serious rival in Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) meant that Thursday's G3 Ormonde S. at Chester represented a tough ask for Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), but in the end his class told as the Ballydoyle stalwart opened his 5-year-old campaign on the right note. Enjoying a perfect trip on the rail nestled behind the leading duo early, the 13-8 favourite was angled out by Ryan Moore to come around Trueshan on the home bend and began to assert from the furlong pole...

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Lingfield Derby Trial For High Definition

Group winner and 'TDN Rising Star' High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is likely to step forward in the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial on May 8 trainer Aidan O'Brien has revealed. A winner of a maiden at The Curragh at first asking on Aug. 22, the bay added the G2 Beresford S. to his resume there on Sept. 26 and is currently favoured for the G1 Cazoo Derby on June 5th. "We're thinking of going to Lingfield," said O'Brien. "He needs to start and with all the trials we're just trying...

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Lester Piggott and Frankel Honoured in Inaugural Hall of Fame Class

Legendary jockey Lester Piggott and Juddmonte's undefeated champion Frankel (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) are the inaugural members of the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame. Born on Nov. 5, 1935, the 11-time Champion Jockey (1960, 1964-1971, and 1982) began riding at age 10, and booted home his final winner at age 60. Among the champions that Piggott rode was British Triple Crown hero Nijinsky (Northern Dancer) for trainer Vincent O'Brien. Nicknamed the Long Fellow, Piggott is 5' 7 ½", and he rode 4,493 winners including 30 British Classics and 116...

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Half To Fancy Blue Debuts At Naas

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. Today's Observations features a half-sister to 2020 Classic scorer Fancy Blue. 1.25 Naas, Mdn, €15,500, 2yo, f, 5f 205yT CONTARELLI CHAPEL (IRE) (Caravaggio) is a half-sister to last year's G1 Prix de Diane and G1 Nassau S. heroine Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) who debuts for Westerberg, Magnier,...

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Galileo's Daughter Of Midday A New Rising Star

Wetherby is an unlikely place to unearth a TDN Rising Star, but the Yorkshire venue more accustomed to hosting jumps meetings acted as the stage for the re-entry of a potential top-class filly on Sunday as Juddmonte's regally-bred Noon Star (Galileo {Ire}) took the opening 10-furlong Racingtv.com Fillies' Novice S. Last seen winning over an extended mile at Nottingham in October, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained daughter of the celebrated Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and full-sister to the G3 Sandown Classic Trial winner Midterm (GB) was under a seven-pound penalty...

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Frankel's Sister Unveiled At Sandown

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. Today's Observations features the highly anticipated debut of Frankel's full-sister. 4.10 Sandown, Novice, £8,050, 3yo, f, 9f 209yT CHIASMA (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) is the seventh foal out of Kind (Ire) (Danehill), making her a full-sister to the remarkable Frankel (GB) and to his G1 Champion S.-winning sibling Noble Mission...

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Group Winner Lone Eagle Returns at Sandown

Group 3 winner Lone Eagle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will aim to enhance his G1 Cazoo Derby chances with a start in the G3 bet365 Classic Trial at Sandown Park on Apr. 23. Second at first asking at Sandown in August, he got off the mark later that month at Goodwood over a mile. He quickly added a Sept. 12 Doncaster handicap and the G3 Zetland S. over 10 furlongs at Newmarket in his juvenile swansong on Oct. 10. Trainer Martyn Meade said, "The plan is to go to Sandown on...

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Lancaster House In Gladness Procession

Winless in three outings since registering a career high in last term's G3 Gladness S. at The Curragh, Gay Smith's Lancaster House (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) went postward as the 9-4 favourite for this year's TRI Equestrian-sponsored renewal and became the first back-to-back winner of the seven-furlong event with an impressive 2 1/2-length victory from Current Option (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). The 5-year-old bay followed up last year's triumph with a second over course and distance in the G2 Minstrel S., but was off the radar and failed to beat a single...

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Love Targeting Mooresbridge

Last year's champion 3-year-old filly and dual Classic winner Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is among the entries for Saturday's G3 Alleged S. at The Curragh, but trainer Aidan O'Brien has indicated that the chestnut is likely to wait for the G2 Mooresbridge S. at the same venue on May 3. Love's stablemate Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}), a multiple Group 3-winning 5-year-old, is likely to deputize in the Alleged. "Broome is likely to run in the Alleged at The Curragh on Saturday," O'Brien said. "He's already had a run, and Love...

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Daughter of Again Debuts at Leopardstown

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. Wednesday's Insights features a daughter of MG1SW Again (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). 2.00 Leopardstown, Mdn, €15,000, 3yo, f, 10fT SURELY (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) is one of two from Ballydoyle alongside the Listed Staffordstown Stud S. third La Joconde (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), but unlike that half-sister to Santiago (Ire) (Authorized...

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Bolshoi Ballet Stretches Ballydoyle's Ballysax Tally

Providing Aidan O'Brien with an 11th winner of the G3 P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax S. at Leopardstown, TDN Rising Star Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was comfortably in charge as Ryan Moore kept it simple in Sunday's Derby trial. Bogged down by testing ground when fifth in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud in October having beaten this card's maiden winner O'Reilly (Fr) (Frankel {GB}) by four lengths eight days before at this track, the 2-1 favourite was the pick of the Ballydoyle brigade for this often-important early blue riband pointer....

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What's In A Name: Joan of Arc

Racing success makes the name of a horse just right in most cases, and this is likely to happen with very promising 3-year-old filly JOAN OF ARC, a winner at The Curragh Mar. 21, the first day of spring. Still, this beautiful name seems so appropriate even now, because of the underlying historical connection between the French heroine Joan of Arc and the great scientist Galileo Galilei. In fact, both Joan of Arc and Galileo got in trouble with the Inquisition--to put it mildly. It was, and it was not,...

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