Kempton

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Wednesday's Observations features a seven-figure auction darling. 6.35 Kempton, Novice, 2yo, 7f (AWT) NATIONAL HISTORY (Maxfield) debuts for Godolphin in the race which played host to Silver Knott in 2022 and is the subject of much intrigue having fetched €1 million at the Arqana May Breeze Up. Charlie Appleby...

Six years on from the St Leger victory of Juddmonte's Logician, his half-brother Skimmer could be on the same path after taking his record to two-from-two at Kempton on Wednesday. After registering a smooth 1 1/2-length win in the 11-furlong novice, the son of Kingman opened up options but is possibly ground-dependent according to trainer Harry Charlton. "We entered him in the Voltigeur the other day and we'll see what Juddmonte want to do," he said of the 6-5 favourite, who was carrying a penalty for his debut success at Leicester but...

2nd-Kempton, £11,000, Novice, 7-9, 2yo, f, 6f (AWT), 1:13.92, st/sl. DANDANA (GB) (f, 2, Blue Point {Ire}--Nafaayes {Aus} {MGSW & MG1SP-SAf}, by Exceed And Excel {Aus}), sent off the 7-2 joint-second favourite, showed a professional attitude from the break to lead. Always in control, the newcomer stayed on to score by half a length from Inside Story (Siyouni). "She's quite a nice filly, but the surface is riding very slow and I probably could have done with a lead until the last furlong," jockey Harry Davies said of the winner,...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Wednesday's Observations features a half-sister to G1 Gold Cup winner Courage Mon Ami. 7.00 Kempton, Mdn, £8,000, 3-5yo, f/m, 7f (AWT) SAFE AND SOUND (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) is the 10th foal out of Anthony Oppenheimer's star broodmare Crimson Ribbon, responsible so far for six black-type performers headed by...

An unusually dry March, with those conditions carrying on into April, will be causing headaches for trainers and clerks of courses alike, and it is one reason that we will be seeing the return of Juddmonte's Cosmic Year (GB) (Kingman {GB}) at Kempton instead of in Saturday's G3 Greenham Stakes. The colt's trainer Harry Charlton has taken advantage of the BHA's interactive race programme, which saw the installation of an extra 7f novice contest this Wednesday evening, in order to give the half-brother to former stable star Time Test (GB)...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Monday's Observations features a notable newcomer for the Gosdens. 5.25 Kempton, Mdn, £8,000, 3yo/up, 8f (AWT) ERNST BLOFELD (IRE) (Frankel {GB}) is a notable newcomer for John and Thady Gosden at a track at which they have introduced some smart types, being White Birch Farm's homebred son of the...

Twelve months on from Kempton playing host to Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Saturday's card produced another new TDN Rising Star in Peter Winkworth's deeply promising homebred filly Glittering Surf (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). Off the mark in style over the same mile trip and track in December, the Owen Burrows-trained relative of the G1 Prix Vermeille heroine Kitesurf (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) had to pass most rivals en route to a smooth length success from the strongly-fancied 6-5 favourite Bermuda Longtail (Fr) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}). Burrows has a plan for...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features the return of a Group 1 runner-up. 3.15 Kempton, Listed, £55,000, 4yo/up, f/m, 8f (AWT) SHUWARI (IRE) (New Bay {GB}) makes her belated comeback in this Listed Snowdrop Fillies' Stakes, having missed the whole of last season. One of 2023's better juvenile fillies, the Ollie Sangster-trained...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Wednesday's Observations features a Pinatubo (Ire) half-sister to McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}). 17.30 Kempton, Nov, £8,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 8f (AWT) Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum's JOY OF DUBAI (GB) (Pinatubo {Ire}) is a daughter of G3 Oh So Sharp Stakes runner-up Astrelle (Ire) (Makfi {GB}) and thus a...

Darley nominations manager Eamon Moloney has shared the high opinion that Charlie Appleby has held Opera Ballo (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) in all winter and revealed that the colt's impressive victory at Kempton on Wednesday has resulted in a slew of calls from breeders either side of the Irish Sea booking in mares to his sire.  Opera Ballo, who fetched €600,000 at the Arqana August Yearling Sale, won the same Kempton maiden that Appleby landed with subsequent 2,000 Guineas hero Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) last year.  The wide-margin win, which...

Given the scale of domination by the bigger National Hunt trainers in recent times, you would be forgiven for thinking that the days of 12-horse stables winning Grade 1 races were dead and gone, but Jimmy Mangan never lost hope that a horse like Spillane's Tower could return his yard to the glory days of Monty's Pass and Conna Castle.  It is 21 years since Mangan sent Monty's Pass out from his Conna-based yard in County Cork to win the Grand National. Not long afterwards, Conna Castle came along and...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Wednesday's Observations features a half-sister to Classic heroine Mangoustine. 5.40 Kempton, Mdn, £6,800, 2yo, 8f (AWT) SANDIRELLA (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) is the sixth foal out of Zotilla (Ire) (Zamindar), a half-sister to the high-class Flotilla (Fr) (Mizzen Mast) who cost just €75,000 at the 2019 Arqana December...