Godolphin

LONDON, UK—Godolphin's homebred Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) was officially named Europe's champion juvenile of 2019 on Wednesday when given the highest rating for a 2-year-old in 25 years. In fact, it was a clean sweep for Godolphin and Kildangan Stud-based sire Shamardal, who were also responsible for the joint runners-up in the category, Victor Ludorum (Ire) and Earthlight (Ire). The magic number for Pintaubo—also awarded to Enable (GB), Crystal Ocean (GB) and Waldgeist (GB) when topping the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings—was 128. One has to look back as far as...

In the coming months, Godolphin Flying Start trainees will provide insight into practices experienced and observations taken on their worldwide travels. Today, first-year trainee Rachel Wade takes us through her time in Newmarket. What does an American learn while living in the epicentre of UK racing as a Godolphin Flying Start trainee for eight weeks? The simple answer is, a lot. My experience in Newmarket began on the morning of Oct. 30 when I decided to go for a run. I realized quite quickly that the town was unlike any...

Magic Lily (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), third in the G1 Fillies' Mile as a juvenile, made good on her early promise with a narrow victory over Team Valor International's Nisreen (Ire) (Raven's Pass) in the G2 Cape Verde at Meydan on Thursday. The Charlie Appleby runner bore the Godolphin blue silks in the one-mile contest under pilot James Doyle, who, along with Appleby, were winning their third Cape Verde. The 5-year-old completed the Cape Verde in a new stakes and track record-setting time of 1:34.84. Sent straight to the head...

Mick Halford is a familiar face at Meydan, with a victory in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup in 2014 with Paul Rooney's Certerach (Ire) (Halling) being among his highlights, and the Kildare-based trainer gets his 2020 carnival season underway on Thursday with a pair of stakes runners at Meydan. The lightly raced 4-year-old Simsir (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) lines up with a shot in the Listed Zabeel Turf, although he will have to see off last season's G1 Jebel Hatta winner Dream Castle (GB) (Frankel {GB}) among 10 rivals. The Aga...

After winning a trio of Group 1s internationally in 2018, Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) left his followers wondering as a 5-year-old last year. Sure, he won his belated seasonal debut, the G2 Joel S. at Newmarket on Sept. 27, by five lengths, but he was last seen trailing home last of 16 over the heavy ground in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. on Champions Day at Ascot on Oct. 19. The Godolphin colourbearer displayed nothing but brilliance, however, on return on Thursday in Meydan's G2 Singspiel S., taking the...

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. Thursday's Insights features an expensive KEESEP graduate. 3.00 Newcastle, Novice, £8,050, 3yo, 8f 5y (AWT) PITCHER'S POINT (Medaglia d'Oro) is a noteworthy newcomer from the John Gosden stable whose all-weather runners during the winter continue to fascinate. Owned by Godolphin, the February-foaled bay who fetched $800,000 at Keeneland September...

Calumet Farm has topped the individual breeders list in North America in 2019 with $12,545,854 in earnings, according to statistics released Wednesday by The Jockey Club Information Systems. Calumet Farm bred 410 starters with 332 wins, 310 seconds and 323 thirds out of 2,435 starts. Kenneth L. Ramsey & Sarah K. Ramsey was second with earnings of $8,249,834 with 276 wins out of 1,779 starts. Calumet Farm also topped the breeders list that includes partners with $12,760,517 in earnings and 337 wins from 2,459 starts. WinStar Farm, LLC came in...

Godolphin Group 1 winners Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Dream Castle (GB) (Frankel {GB}) square off in Thursday's grassy 1800-metre G2 Singspiel S., as the Dubai World Cup Carnival enters its second week. Eight races (seven Thoroughbred) are on tap at Meydan. Bearing the coveted blue cap and with Christophe Soumillon in the irons, the former won the 2018 edition of this contest during a profitable Meydan campaign that season, including the G1 Dubai Turf that March. He also took his show on the road with other Group 1 wins...

Three-year-old filly Final Song (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) got Saeed bin Suroor's Dubai World Cup Carnival off to a winning start on Thursday when taking Meydan's card-opening UAE 1000 Guineas Trial, a conditions race over seven furlongs on the dirt, by an eye-catching 1 3/4 lengths. Final Song was the highest-rated filly in the race on a mark of 103 and ran to her form, quickening late to deny a pair of recent impressive Meydan maiden winners in Down On Da Bayou (Super Saver) and 'TDN Rising Star' Rio Angie...

Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables, Inc. and William H. Lawrence finished the year as the leading owner by earnings, while jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. and trainer Chad Brown not only repeated as the top earners for jockeys and trainers, respectively, but each established single season earnings records, according to final statistics released Thursday by Equibase Company LLC. The GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf winner Bricks and Mortar (Giant's Causeway) led all Thoroughbreds in North American earnings with $6,723,650. Owned, ridden and conditioned by the leading owner, jockey and trainer, Bricks and...

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 seven-figure KEESEP yearling graduate. 5.45 Yarmouth, Novice, £14,000, 2yo, 7f 3yT SUN CUISINE (Medaglia d'Oro) was a $1.3-million purchase by Godolphin at the Keeneland September Sale who debuts for the Charlie Appleby stable. The February-foaled bay is the first foal out of the GII John...

It is a sign of the times that one of the success stories of the racing summer involves a French trainer based in England, winning his first Group 1 race in Germany for a horse owned by a group of Australians. Step forward David Menuisier, a graduate of such centres of racing excellence as the training yards of Richard Mandella, Criquette Head and John Dunlop now making a name for himself from his adopted West Sussex home of Coombelands. This was the place from which Guy Harwood honed the prodigious...