John Gosden

The second running of the £500,000 Bahrain International Trophy on Friday has drawn a competitive international lineup, with little separating the leading fancies in the betting. Each of the 14 runners, including five Group 1 winners, has of course been meticulously primed for a run at this sizable pot, but that statement perhaps applies to Global Giant (GB) (Shamardal) more than any other. The international favourite has had this race as his primary target since being bought privately from Ed Dunlop's yard last year by Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al...

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 the latest debutante for excellent producer Magnificient Style. 1.10 Nottingham, Mdn, £6,300, 2yo, f, 8f 75yT John Gosden is somewhat familiar with the progeny of storied matriarch Magnificient Style (Silver Hawk), having moulded six off the production line, and the Clarehaven conditioner is set to unleash...

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. Saturday's Insights features Hopefully Darling (GB), a sister to MG1SW Cracksman (GB). 11.50 Newmarket, Nov, £8,000, 2yo, f, 7fT Anthony Oppenheimer's hitherto unraced HOPEFULLY DARLING (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is a Hascombe & Valiant homebred full-sister to MG1SW sire Cracksman (GB) and represents the John Gosden-Rab Havlin axis responsible for...

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. Friday's Insights features a half-sister to Pride of Dubai (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}). 12.35 Newmarket, Novice, £8,000, 2yo, c/g, 7fT ALANMAR (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) cost 800,000gns at the Tattersalls October Sale Book 1 and debuts for Shadwell and the William Haggas stable. The half-brother to the smart group winners...

Eclipse Award winner Maximum Security (New Year's Day), GI Kentucky Derby hero Authentic (Into Mischief), GI Belmont S. victor Tiz the Law (Constitution), Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), who beat the boys in the GI Preakness S. and European star mare Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) are among the over 200 horses entered for the Breeders' Cup World Championships to be held at Keeneland Race Course Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6 and 7. Maximum Security makes his first appearance at the Breeders' Cup and is one of an imposing trio in the $6-million...

Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) might be retired to the Juddmonte paddocks, but there will still be plenty of equine stars spread across five group races on QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday, as fields were drawn on Thursday morning. 2019 G1 QIPCO Champion S. winner Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is aiming for her second consecutive Champion S. score, and the Coolmore runner has been in prime form of late, with three Group 1 wins this season, her only loss a second to formidable frontrunner Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})...

On most mornings there are more than 2,000 horses being exercised on Newmarket Heath, Britain's epicentre of the Thoroughbred industry.  Plenty of them will end up as minor winners and a decent number of stakes winners will progress from the blustery East Anglian acres of turf to sun-drenched winner's enclosures across England and beyond. Every now and then a champion will emerge.  It is perhaps a term used too liberally. Each year there's a champion 2-year-old, champion 3-year-old, champion stayer, champion sprinter. To call Enable (GB) a champion doesn't really...

Prince Khalid Abdullah's superstar mare Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}--Concentric {GB}, by Sadler's Wells) has been retired from racing and will visit Kingman (GB) at Banstead Manor Stud next season. "After consulting her trainer John Gosden and his racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe, Prince Khalid has decided that Enable will be retired from racing and will now join the Juddmonte broodmare band to be covered by Kingman in 2021," said Juddmonte Chief Executive Officer Douglas Erskine Crum. During an illustrious five-season career, Enable raced 19 times, winning 11 Group 1 races, including...

Friday sees a clash of the 2-year-old heavyweights in the G1 bet365 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket, where George Strawbridge's 'TDN Rising Star' Indigo Girl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) has to defend her unbeaten record against Ireland's best in Shale (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}). In a renewal that also features Paul and Clare Rooney's Aug. 29 G3 Prestige S. and Sept. 25 G2 Rockfel S. scorer Isabella Giles (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}), the championship pecking order should be in some part established within the sub-100-second period it takes...

MG1SW Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}) leads an octet of Group 1 winners among the entries for the second edition of the £500,000 Bahrain International Trophy, the Rashid Equestrian & Horseracing Club. Sixty-one horses from Britain (22), Ireland (14), France (9), Bahrain (6), the UAE (6), Norway (2), Japan (1) and Germany (1) hold entries for the 2000-metre race at Sakhir Racecourse on Friday, Nov. 20. A four-time Group 1 winner, the Godolphin colourbearer saluted in the G1 Longines Grosser Preis von Baden last out on Sept. 13. "It's a...

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. Wednesday's Insights features a half-brother to MG1SW Farhh (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). 12.30 Nottingham, Mdn, £8,000, 2yo, 8f 75yT ROYAL TOUCH (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is a notable debutante for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby, being a half-brother to the operation's G1 Champion S. and G1 Lockinge S.-winning sire Farhh (GB) and...

Juddmonte's undefeated 2019 G1 St Leger winner Logician (GB) (Frankel {GB}) will step forward in the Oct. 9 G3 Cumberland Lodge S. at York. Originally slated for Oct. 3, the Cumberland Lodge was part of Ascot's cancelled card. The John Gosden trainee already sports a win over the course in the G2 Great Voltigeur S., and he was last in action in a Sept. 10 conditions race at Doncaster. Over the winter and for most of 2020, he had been recovering from a life-threatening infection. "I hope he'll be going...