Godolphin

Godolphin continued their run of big-money purchases during Wednesday's session at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale when parting with 1,500,000gns for Croom House Stud's Too Darn Hot (GB) colt out of the winning Galileo (Ire) mare Knocknagree (Ire). Anthony Stroud struck the winning bid on behalf of Godolphin, who have now bought seven lots on the day for a total of 7,550,000gns. Lot 236 is a half-brother to the Grade 2-placed Idea Generation (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), while Knocknagree is herself a half-sister to the G1 Phoenix Stakes...

Charlie Appleby is confident that Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) has all the attributes to thrive at Del Mar when the G1 2,000 Guineas and G1 Sussex Stakes hero attempts to become his trainer's fourth straight winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Mile. Appleby certainly knows what is required to win the $2 million-prize, having struck with Space Blues (Ire) in 2021, Modern Games (Ire) in 2022 and Master Of The Seas (Ire) in 2023. Notable Speech will need to bounce back from a below-par effort in last month's G1...

Godolphin made their first purchase at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale on Tuesday when Anthony Stroud struck the winning bid of 2,200,000gns on their behalf for a colt by No Nay Never offered by Ballylinch Stud. Lot 92 is out of the Listed winner Bella Estrella (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and a half-brother to last year's G2 Champagne Stakes scorer Iberian (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). Bella Estrella is in turn a full-sister to the G3 St. Simon Stakes winner and G1 Oaks third High Heeled (Ire)....

Expectations were high for the three Grade I preps for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile run Saturday as the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, the GI Champagne Stakes and the GI American Pharoah Stakes all included horses who seemed to have vast potential. And most came through. Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie) was the star performer in the Champagne, staying undefeated and adding a second Grade I to win to his resume. In the American Pharoah it all came down, as it so often does, to which Bob Baffert would win, and the...

Godolphin homebred East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro), tabbed as a 'TDN Rising Star' following a runaway debut victory sprinting with an 86 Beyer Speed Figure at Ellis Park Aug. 24, romped in front-running fashion by a geared-down 5 1/2 lengths while making his two-turn debut in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland. Favored 'Rising Star' Ferocious (Flatter), a $1.3-million OBS March breezer and runner-up behind unbeaten GI Champagne Stakes winner Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie) in the GI Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga Sept. 2, was second-best after an...

Tickets, please! Keeneland's fall meet has the turnstiles primed Friday and that means the featured GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes will fill the apron on what promises to be massive weekend with some 30 graded races across North America--half of which have Breeders' Cup implications. The signature top-level race at the site of the Old Keene Farm was named for a foundational mare who was bred at Hal Price Headley's Beaumont--where modern-day Mill Ridge resides. Alcibiades won the 1930 Kentucky Oaks for Headley, who was one the Keeneland Association's founders and...

Croom House Stud boss Denis Brosnan opened up on how a gamble to back Goffs with some of the farm's best yearlings this year paid off when the County Limerick-based operation's Frankel (GB) colt (lot 323) out of Listed winner Loch Lein (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) brought an Orby Sale-topping €2 million to Godolphin on Wednesday.  Godolphin also snapped up a €600,000 Wootton Bassett (GB) colt (lot 415) from Croom House Stud and Brosnan, one of the most successful businessmen in Ireland, said that Goffs chief Henry Beeby lived up...

The seven-figure mark was breached in some style at Goffs on Wednesday when a bidding duel between Godolphin and Coolmore resulted in agent Anthony Stroud signing for Croom House Stud's Frankel (GB) colt after making a final bid of €2 million on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed's operation. Lot 323 is the first foal of the Listed winner and Group 3-placed Loch Lein (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire) and was bred under the Brosnan family's Epona Bloodstock banner.  

10th-Churchill Downs, $123,375, Msw, 9-29, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.35, ft, 3/4 length. SOUK PLAZA (f, 2, Street Boss--Glittering Jewel, by Bernardini) debuted as the even-money favorite here but was slow from the gate and had to settle back off the pace as Nancy Lynn (Justify) put up a quick :21.85 opening quarter. Still mid pack but making steady progress through the field into the far turn, the homebred fanned out to the grandstand side with a quarter to run and wore down 10-1 longshot Banking Silver (Liam's Map) to get...

Blood, sweat and tears. That is what it took Michael Halford to turn Copper Beech Stables from a green field site into one of the most renowned racing yards in Ireland. One from which Group 1 and Royal Ascot winners were sent out and where the trainer managed the careers of over 100 steeds in his pomp.  Halford has trained more than 1,000 winners in his 41-year career, almost 500 of which were managed from Copper Beech during 16 full seasons there, but dwindling numbers during Covid and the separation...

Emulating his half-brother Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal), Godolphin's Shadow Of Light (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}--Winters Moon {Ire}, by New Approach {Ire}) took a major stride forward to dominate Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket. Content to track the 4-5 market-leader Whistlejacket (Ire) (No Nay Never) and the front-running Dash Dizzy (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), the Charlie Appleby-trained 11-4 second favourite, who had been second in the G2 Gimcrack Stakes at York in August, was sent forward by William Buick to take command approaching two out and surge to...

Despite the absence of the King George hero Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) in Sunday's G1 Mehl-Mulhens-Stiftung Preis von Europa, the Cologne feature held up well with the two domestic Classic winners bidding to deny Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}--Minidress {GB}, by Street Cry {Ire}) a second edition of the prestigious mile-and-a-half contest. In the event, Godolphin's high-class stalwart was able to ward off all challenges and reproduce his 2022 success for a sixth win at the top level. Last seen finishing best of those who raced near the hot pace...