Godolphin

Magic Lily (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) continued to make up for lost time when backing up her victory in the Jan. 16 G2 Cape Verdi with a one-length score in Thursday's G2 Balanchine S. at Meydan. An eight-length debut winner at two and third in the G1 Fillies' Mile, Magic Lily had high hopes riding on her shoulders heading into her 3-year-old campaign in 2018 but an injury kept her on the shelf for two years. Back in action last October, Magic Lily was second in listed company in France...

2019's breakout 9 1/2-length G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 victor Capezzano (Bernardini) makes his first appearance of 2020 for Sultan Ali and trainer Salem bin Ghadayer in the 1600-metre G3 Firebreak S. at Meydan. One of three in the event for bin Ghadayer on Thursday, the 6-year-old gelding ran a puzzling 12th when favoured in the G1 Dubai World Cup at the end of March and aims to bounce back in this warm up for the inaugural Feb. 29 $20-million Saudi Cup, before a possible start in the $12-million G1...

Godolphin's MG1SW Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), trying dirt for the first time in the 1900-metre G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2, answered that surface question emphatically, drawing off to win by two lengths over Military Law (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) at Meydan on Thursday. 2018 GI Belmont S. runner-up Gronkowski (Lonhro {Aus}) ran third, 6 3/4 lengths behind after a wide trip. Part of the early pace discussion from the bell, Christophe Soumillon settled his mount in a perfect position in third just off the tempo set by dueling leaders Chiefdom (The...

Hong Kong Group 1 winner Firebreak (GB) (Charnwood Forest {Ire}--Breakaway {GB}, by Song {GB}) was euthanised at Bearstone Stud on Monday. The 21-year-old, who stood his entire career at Bearstone, had been pensioned at the Market Drayton stud for the past two years. "It's a very sad day at Bearstone Stud, as we had to say goodbye to Firebreak," said Bearstone's Terry Holdcroft on Twitter. "We were very lucky that Sheikh Mohammed, who has always owned him, allowed us to stand him at Bearstone. We bred a Group 1 winner...

The G2 Al Rashidiya S. at Meydan on Thursday came down to a pair of Godolphin Group 1 winners in the final furlong, and it was the returning G1 St James's Palace S. winner Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}) who collared and passed the defending race winner and last year's G1 Jebel Hatta S. winner Dream Castle (GB) (Frankel {GB}) inside the final eighth to score by two lengths, leading home a Godolphin top four finish. Barney Roy was making his fourth start back from a failed stud career due...

2017 G1 St James's Palace S. hero Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}) makes his Dubai debut in the grassy G2 Al Rashidiya over 1800 metres at Meydan on Thursday, as the Dubai World Cup Carnival takes another step toward Super Saturday and then Dubai World Cup night itself. One of four in the race for Godolphin, the Charlie Appleby-trained gelding who made an abortive attempt at stud in 2018, won the Listed Prix de Montretout at ParisLongchamp last May. He was a last out eighth in the G1 Queen Anne...

NEWMARKET, UK--The Tattersalls February Sale has once again sneaked into the tail-end of January and, now expanded to two days to incorporate the 401 lots catalogued, it offers the usual mix of broodmares, horses in training and young stock. It took a bid of 105,000gns from Ted Durcan to secure last year's top lot, Magic Illusion (GB) ((Dubawi {Ire}), who was bought from Godolphin to race in Dubai. Another of the jockey-turned-agent's purchases from the 2019 sale was Dramatic Device (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who was bought for 20,000gns and went...

2017 GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf hero and MG1SW Talismanic (GB) (Medaglia d'Oro) sired his first foal, a colt, on Jan. 25, Darley Japan announced. The bay colt is the first produce of the winning Dynamis (Jpn) (Street Sense), from the family of Japanese Horse of the Year Air Groove (Jpn) (Tony Bin {Ire}), herself the dam of Japanese Champion Older Mare Admire Groove (Jpn) (Sunday Silence). Admire Groove, a half-sister to G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner and sire Rulership (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) is already a proven commodity...

English/French highweight and two-time G1 Champion S. hero Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) sired his first reported foal at Newsells Park Stud on Jan. 22, Darley announced on Thursday. Bred by W & R Barnett Ltd., the filly is out of Amber Silk (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), a winning full-sister to G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine and GI E.P. Taylor S. victress Just The Judge (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) from the family of MGSW and G1 Epsom Oaks/G1 Coronation Cup third High Heeled (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}). Julian Dollar, General Manager of Newsells...

Dubai Love (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) had already proved she stayed a mile as a juvenile and back up to that distance in the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas she was able to turn the tables with the favoured Final Song (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), to whom she had finished fourth in the trial three weeks earlier. In this instance Final Song had to settle for third behind her stablemate, continuing a good start to Thursday's Meydan meeting for trainer Saeed Bin Suroor and Godolphin, who also won the opening...

A total of 902 horses, with 1,774 nominations between them, threw their collective hats in the ring for the 25th $35-million Dubai World Cup night card at Meydan on Mar. 28. Among the leading hopefuls are Japanese Horse of the Year and 2019 G1 Dubai Turf heroine Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}); America's 2019 Horse of the Year candidate and MGISW Maximum Security (New Year's Day); last year's G1 Investec Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}); Hong Kong superstar and outstanding miler Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to...

The Dubai World Cup Carnival steps up a notch on Thursday, as the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas, the prep for the Feb. 20 G3 UAE Oaks, goes as the second race on the card. Nine 3-year-old fillies stand their ground with four hailing from the Godolphin yards led by G2 Queen Mary S. and G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. third Final Song (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) for Saeed bin Suroor. The bay easily won the UAE 1000 Guineas Trial conditions race over 1400 metres by 1 3/4 lengths on Jan....