Godolphin

After it was suggested earlier this week that he could head straight for the G1 St Leger in September, Godolphin's G1 Irish Derby winner Hurricane Lane (GB) (Frankel {GB}) was on Saturday supplemented to the July 14 G1 Grand Prix de Paris. "It obviously looked like the Irish Derby was a tough race and we half expected him to lie down for three or four days afterwards, to be honest with you," trainer Charlie Appleby said. "However, he came out of the race really well, he's not missed an oat...

Godolphin's pair of 2021 Derby winners-G1 Cazoo Derby winner Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby victor Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) are both progressing well since their Classic scores according to trainer Charlie Appleby. The former, who was second in the G3 bet365 Classic Trial on Apr. 23 and the May 8 Listed Novibet Derby Trial S., turned in a solid piece of work on Saturday. The bay is pointing toward the July 24 G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO S. at Ascot....

NEWMARKET, UK--Comparisons from year to year can be tricky in an ever-changing sales programme but to put the first day of trade at Park Paddocks into some sort of context, an 11,000gns median bounced back almost to the pre-Covid level of 2019, with the average of 25,114gns surpassing that year's tally. Fears early in the pandemic that bloodstock sales would suffer have been largely unfounded. It is true that most have suffered from disruption over the last 15 months but not from lack of participation, as a 93% clearance rate...

The 2021 class of Godolphin Flying Star graduated via Zoom on Friday, July 2. The 12 graduates were presented with their diplomas virtually by Godolphin Flying Start graduate and Godolphin Flying Start Trustee Lisa-Jane Graffard. The dozen new graduates are: Lowri Allen (UK), Joseph Bradley (Ireland), Julie Witt (USA), Niamh O'Brien (Ireland), Rachel Wade (USA), Arvin Chadee (UK), Victoria Canessa (Argentina), Marie Rohaut (France), Toshihiro Onikubo (Japan), Emma Coleman (Ireland), Oswald Wedmore (UK) and Caitlin Smith (Australia). Both Lowri Allen and Emma Coleman achieved the joint highest grades among the...

Off the top of your head, how many Thoroughbreds can you name who have been immortalized by having their characteristic in-race "move" named after them? Only three leap to mind for me: The "Silky Sullivan move" was coined in the late 1950s in honor of a California fan favorite who made a career out of lagging far behind and closing with a flourish, sometimes from more than 40 lengths off the pace. This phrase made its way into the lexicon of other sports and even American politics to signify an...

Godolphin homebred Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper), off since winning the G1 Dubai World Cup in March, makes his stateside return in the GII Suburban S. at Belmont Park Saturday. The Suburban, a 'Win and You're In' race for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, will feature a rematch between the handsome chestnut and Happy Saver (Super Saver), who bested him by 3/4 lengths in last year's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup. In addition to his runner-up effort in the Gold Cup last October, Mystic Guide's 3-year-old campaign also included a win in...

A year that began with the loss of two of the most lavish, Prince Khaled Abdullah and Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum, is aptly measuring the reinvigoration of the breed achieved by modern investors from the same deserts where it first took root. Godolphin owes Derby wins at both Epsom and the Curragh to colts by Prince Khaled's greatest bequest, Frankel (GB); while its U.S. division laid down a marker of continuity and vitality when Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) won the G1 Dubai World Cup just three days after its founder's brother...

Valerie Keatley, head girl for trainer Johnny Murtagh, was honoured with the Irish Racing Excellence Award at the 2021 Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards on Wednesday. Keatley, who also won the Leadership Award (Stable), has been with Murtagh since shortly after he set up his training business and Murtagh credits her contribution as one of the reasons behind the yard's success. Keatley said, "It was a huge honour to be nominated and be chosen as one of the finalists. To win the Leadership Stable Award and then win the...

Coming into 2021, there was little Frankel (GB) hadn't yet accomplished in his rise to the top of the stud ranks. In four crops of racing age he could already claim a world's highest-rated horse, a champion middle-distance horse and champion 2-year-old, Group 1-winning milers and stayers, and an Oaks winner. This weekend, the Juddmonte sire exceeded even his own lofty standards by siring Godolphin's Irish Derby winner Hurricane Lane (Ire), and thus giving him victory in both the English and Irish Derbys following on the heels of Adayar (Ire)...

Godolphin homebred Maxfield (Street Sense) put on a show at Churchill Downs yet again with a dazzling victory in the GII Stephen Foster S., a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. Running off the fence early, the 2-5 chalk settled in sixth as longshots Empty Tomb (Speightstown) and Sprawl (City Zip) duked it out through opening splits of :23.33 and :46.88. Making an eye-catching move up the outside on the backstretch run, the dark bay swiftly picked off rivals, flying up to take charge at the...

It was a Derby double for Frankel (GB) on Saturday as Godolphin's Hurricane Lane (Ire) emulated his stablemate Adayar (Ire) in The Curragh's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby. Leaving it late under William Buick, the May 13 G2 Dante S. winner and June 5 G1 Epsom Derby third stayed on powerfully from behind as Frankie Dettori cut loose on the fellow British-trained Lone Eagle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in early straight and overwhelmed that rival in the final yards for a neck success as the 4-1 second favourite. There were...

The talented Maxfield (Street Sense) headlines a field of nine slated for Saturday's GII Stephen Foster S. at Churchill Downs, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. After suffering his first career defeat finishing third in the GI Santa Anita H. Mar. 6, the Godolphin homebred got back on track with a strong performance in Churchill's GII Alysheba S. on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard. It was 3 1/4 lengths back to Twinspires Kentucky Cup Classic S. winner Visitant (Ghostzapper) in second that day and another...