Lambourn

With just a few pieces of the jigsaw still to be slotted into place this week at York, the Epsom picture has emerged a little more clearly over the past week or so through some key Derby and Oaks trials at Chester, Lingfield and Leopardstown. Most have been dominated by Aidan O'Brien, including a clean sweep of the five stakes races on the Roodee. So where better to start than at Ballydoyle on a fresh Monday morning with a trainer in a jovial mood after bagging his second Classic of...

Diamond Necklace (St Mark's Basilica) and Precise (Starspangledbanner), both Group 1-winning juveniles trained by Aidan O'Brien, headline 53 entries for the Betfred Oaks at Epsom on Friday, June 5. Unbeaten in three starts as a two-year-old, Diamond Necklace was last seen winning the Prix Marcel Boussac at ParisLongchamp, while Precise rattled off four straight victories as a two-year-old after being beaten on her debut at Fairyhouse, culminating with back-to-back Group 1 wins in the Moyglare Stud Stakes and Fillies' Mile. In total, O'Brien has entered 15 fillies in his quest...

Star hurdler Constitution Hill (Blue Bresil) will lead the Windsor Clive Parade of Equine Heroes during the Lambourn Open Day on Friday, April 3. Other jumping stars signed on for the parade include Altior (High Chaparral), Mister Coffey (Authorized), Coneygree (Karinga Bay) and Champ (King's Theatre). The annual charity event features over 20 training yards opening their doors to the public. From Nicky Henderson's Seven Barrows to a host of Flat and National Hunt yards across Lambourn, visitors will have the chance to get up close to some of the...

Enthralling, a Galileo sister to Derby winner Lambourn (Australia), lived up to her name at the Goffs November Mares Sale with Katsumi Yoshida of Northern Farm holding off a strong challenge from Ace Stud for the young breeding prospect at €780,000. As well as being a sister to a Derby winner out of a high-class racemare in Gossamer Wings (Scat Daddy), Enthralling's pedigree is further enhanced by the fact her younger brother Action fits into the 'could be anything' category on the strength of his runner-up effort in the Group...

Justify does Triple Crowns, that we already know, but few would have expected he would be on the verge of another so early in his second career. Responsible for the winners of this season's 2,000 Guineas and last year's Derby, he has dead aim on the St Leger on Saturday courtesy of Scandinavia as he bids to complete a remarkable turf trinity to augment his own groundbreaking one on the dirt. Scandinavia didn't start his career in the manner of Ruling Court or City Of Troy, but then not many...

Tom Marquand has been confirmed as the partner of Goodwood Cup hero and ante-post favourite Scandinavia (Justify), who is set to head a field of seven in Saturday's G1 Betfred St Leger. With Ryan Moore on the sidelines and Wayne Lordan suspended, Sean Levey will partner dual Derby hero Lambourn (Australia) and Mickael Barzalona picks up the ride aboard Great Voltigeur fourth Stay True (Galileo). In addition to the Ballydoyle trio, Ireland is represented by Queen's Vase victor and Great Voltigeur runner-up Carmers (Wootton Bassett), who will be partnered by...

Ante-post favourite Scandinavia (Justify) and dual Derby hero Lambourn (Australia) headline eight confirmations for Saturday's G1 Betfred St Leger at Doncaster. The pair are both trained by Aidan O'Brien, who is responsible for half of the possible runners in the final Classic of the season, with Stay True (Galileo) and likely outsider Saratoga (Camelot) also featuring. Scandinavia will be back against his own age group on Town Moor, after beating his older rivals in the G1 Goodwood Cup last time, while Lambourn needs to bounce back from a below-par display...

G2 Great Voltigeur runner-up Carmers (Wootton Bassett) is one of 15 horses remaining in the G1 St Leger at Doncaster next month at the latest entry stage. Trained by Paddy Twomey, he represents Fiona Carmichael. A winner at Ballinrobe at first asking in May, Carmers added the Listed Yeats Stakes to his haul at Navan later that month before claiming Royal Ascot glory in the G2 Queen's Vase in June. The Great Voltigeur was his first defeat. "We were very happy with him at York last week, finishing second in...

York's Knavesmire is the battleground for Europe's elite over the next four days, with the Ebor Festival playing out on the flat expanse as renowned for its uncomplicated nature as the folk who emanate from the county. Fair and upfront in true Yorkshire spirit, the track which sealed the reputation of City Of Troy 12 months ago will make or break the leading protagonists of the four Group 1 races staged over the piece, including the newly-upgraded City Of York on Saturday, Britain's first seven-furlong event in this category. That...

Delacroix (Dubawi) and Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder), first and second, respectively, in last month's G1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown, headline nine confirmations for Wednesday's G1 Juddmonte International at York. The Aidan O'Brien-trained Delacroix is one of three possible runners from Ballydoyle, along with dual Derby hero Lambourn (Australia) - who also holds an entry in the G2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes earlier on the card - and high-class filly Whirl (Wootton Bassett), the winner of the G1 Pretty Polly Stakes and G1 Nassau Stakes. Meanwhile, G1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes...

The Coolmore partners' G1 Goodwood Cup hero Scandinavia anchors 11 Ballydoyle nominees for the G1 Betfred St Leger at Doncaster in September. There are 26 horses entered overall in the oldest British Classic, which will be held on September 13. By Justify, the Aidan O'Brien trainee ran fifth to Paddy Twomey's Carmers in the G2 Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot, but rebounded to claim the G3 Bahrain Trophy Stakes at Newmarket with Richard Hannon's Nightime Dancer (Ghaiyyath) second, prior to his Goodwood heroics.  Lambourn (Australia), a winner of the G1...

The early part of last week was spent covering the JRHA Select Sale in Japan, a trip that is always illuminating, to an auction that remains extraordinary. Number one of the list of most surprising things from the five days spent in Hokkaido was Teruya Yoshida picking up his guitar to serenade guests with a rendition of John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads. An excellent choice of song, well performed. The Shadai Farm principal should be encouraged to form a Travelling Wilburys-style bloodstock supergroup. Bluegrass enthusiast and songwriter Arthur...