Hankelow (Ire)

Aidan O'Brien has trimmed his team down from eight entries at the beginning of the week and will be represented by a trio of candidates, headed by G2 Futurity and Listed Dee Stakes hero Constitution River (Wootton Bassett), in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club after 16 declarations for the €1.5-million contest were confirmed on Thursday morning. Drawn out wide in stall 15, he will be chaperoned by stablemates Hawk Mountain (Wootton Bassett) and Montreal (Sea The Stars) in the 10 1/2-furlong Chantilly feature. Hawk Mountain is nearby in...

A baker's dozen will go forward for Sunday's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and 15 are set to head postward for the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches after declarations for the ParisLongchamp Classics were confirmed Friday morning. Likely favourite for the colts' Classic is G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and G1 Criterium International hero Puerto Rico (Wootton Bassett), who will be accompanied by Aidan O'Brien stablemate Dorset (Wootton Bassett), as the trainer seeks a seventh win in the contest. They have drawn stalls seven and three, respectively. The domestic defence is...

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid's Listed Flying Scotsman runner-up Hankelow (Night Of Thunder) exhibited an unflinching attitude and led from pillar to post for a career high in Saturday's G3 Emirates Autumn Stakes at Newmarket, a contest won last year by subsequent G1 Eclipse and G1 Irish Champion hero Delacroix (Dubawi). "He has got such a great mind on him and can only get better," insisted trainer Karl Burke. "I think he will be better on a more level track and I'll see what [jockey] Cliff [Lee] has to say. He'd certainly...

Roger Varian's new link-up with Godolphin is paying instant dividends with the promising Avicenna (Starspangledbanner) getting up late to capture Friday's Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes at Doncaster. Held up early by William Buick, the 11-2 shot who had won over course and distance on debut last month delivered a sustained effort down the wing to collar the 5-4 favourite Hankelow (Night Of Thunder) on the line. "He's a lovely horse and I'm very grateful to Sheikh Mohammed and the Godolphin team for supporting me with a few horses this year,"...

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Hankelow (Night Of Thunder), a 210,000gns Tattersalls December foal turned 750,000gns Book 1 yearling, created a favourable impression with a taking debut success in Saturday's Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Novice Stakes over seven furlongs at York. Accepting a tow in third after breaking on the lead, the 3-1 second favourite was shaken up to challenge soon after passing the quarter-mile marker and was driven out in the closing stages to prevail by 2 1/4 lengths from Crest Of Fire (Phoenix Of Spain). Hankelow is the...