Leopardstown

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. Thursday's Observations features a half-brother to G2 Blandford Stakes winner and G1 Irish Oaks second Cayenne Pepper. 5.25 Leopardstown, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo, 8fT MONTREAL (IRE) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is one of two Ballydoyle runners in this maiden won in 2022 by Tower Of London and the choice of...

Wednesday, Naas, Ireland, post time: 17:37, ARQANA IRISH EBF MARWELL STAKES-Listed, €30,000, 2yo, f, 5f 0y Field: Cardiff By The Sea (Ire) (St Mark's Basilica {Fr}), Duskaura (Ire) (Twilight Son {GB}), Havana Anna (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), Ipanema Queen (Ire) (Sands Of Mali {Fr}), Lam Yai (Ire) (Lucky Vega {Ire}), Magny Cours (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}), Solana Rose (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Wateen (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}). TDN Verdict: Fozzy Stack trainee Cardiff By The Sea gets a third opportunity of shedding maiden status in this open edition. She encountered Charles Darwin when...

Gary Bannon, private trainer to owner Bill Durkan, has opened up about how breaking his one golden rule of not backing horses paid rich dividends with a bumper 33-1 payout last week when Time Bender landed a Leopardstown maiden on debut.  There may be an even bigger payout on the horizon for Bannon and the Glenanaar Syndicate, who bought the horse back off Durkan for just €2,500 at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale, with the handler reporting a number of bloodstock agents have been in touch about the Gustav Klimt...

Leopardstown's opening mile maiden on Thursday has produced some important fillies of late and Kingman's Queen Of Hawaii could belong among them after taking the latest renewal with authority. Whether she will follow in the steps of the last three winners Opera Singer, Swelter and Caroline Street remains to be seen, but there was a lot to like about the way Philip Antonacci's half-sister to the dual Group-placed Up And Under (Lope De Vega) went about her business. "She had a lovely run the first day in a strong maiden...

1st-Leopardstown, €20,000, Mdn, 7-10, 2yo, 7fT, 1:30.11, gf. PHENOMENAL FILLY (IRE) (f, 2, Sioux Nation--Delhi {GB} {SP-Fr}, by High Chaparral {Ire}), fifth behind Ballydoyle's Composing in an often-informative Curragh maiden towards the end of last month, was sent straight to the front in this maiden won last year by the Group 1-placed Exactly and in 2021 by the eventual Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Homeless Songs. Kept company throughout by Thenandnow (Dubawi), the 5-2 second-favourite kept finding in the straight to beat that daughter of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac 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. Thursday's Observations features a daughter of Venus De Milo. 5.00 Leopardstown, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo, f, 7fT AMELIA EARHART (IRE) (Camelot) is an intriguing newcomer for Ballydoyle in the maiden won last year by the stable's Group 1 performer Exactly and in 2021 by the eventual Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine...

Thursday, Newmarket, post time: 15:35, THE PRINCESS OF WALES'S STAKES-G2, £125,000, 3yo/up, 12fT Field: Arabian Crown (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), El Cordobes (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Ghostwriter (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Palladium (Ger) (Gleneagles {Ire}), Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB) (Kameko). TDN Verdict: This should be easy pickings for Ghostwriter after his third in the G2 Hardwicke Stakes, where he showed that the trip held no fears. William Buick has chosen El Cordobes of the Appleby pair which is probably a hint worth taking, especially as the stable do so well on their home...

Thursday, Leopardstown, Ireland, post time: 18:20, BARBERSTOWN CASTLE STAKES (BALLYCORUS STAKES)-G3, €60,000, 3yo/up, 7f 47y Field: Mutasarref (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}), Norwalk Havoc (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), Royal Zabeel (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), Valiant Force (Malibu Moon), Bluedrum (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), Easy (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), Mataariki (Fr) (Cracksman {GB}), Cowardofthecounty (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}), Comanche Brave (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), East Hampton (GB) (Cracksman {GB}), One Smack Mac (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), Zodiac Bear (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}), Copacabana Sands (Ire) (Sands Of Mali {Fr}). TDN Verdict: Donnacha O'Brien representative Comanche Brave...

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. Thursday's Observations features a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Dreamloper. 15.50 Newbury, £40,000, Nov, 3yo, f, 8fT In-form trainer Ed Walker is represented here by DREAMASAR (IRE) (Masar {Ire}), a half-sister to the stable's G1 Prix d'Ispahan and G1 Prix du Moulin heroine Dreamloper (Ire) (Lope De Vega...

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. Thursday's Observations features the return of a Group 2 winner. 5.55 Leopardstown, Listed Glencairn Stakes, 3yo/up, 9fT GREEN IMPACT (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) beat Delacroix twice at two, latterly in this track's G2 Champions Juvenile Stakes, and after a comeback sixth in the 2,000 Guineas is dropped in class...

As he likes to do in his Royal Ascot warm-ups, Ballydoyle's undisputed champion Kyprios gave the long odds-on backers enough of a scare to shorten their lifespan prior to just doing what he does and winning. Taking part in Friday's G3 Saval Beg Levmoss Stakes to keep his eye in more than anything, the 7-year-old sauntered around Leopardstown under Ryan Moore, made it look hard work for a few strides heading to the last furlong before extending sufficiently to wrap up a third renewal. At the line, the 1-14 shot...

Leopardstown's opener on Friday is always a maiden marked out by the big yards and there was again the hint of the beginning of something as Ballydoyle's Italy gained TDN Rising Star status. All the rage at 4-9 for the extended seven-furlong contest, Wootton Bassett's half-brother to the deeply promising Bowmark who had won at York minutes earlier was settled behind the leading duo by Wayne Lordan throughout the initial stages. Sent after Thesecretadversary passing two out, the relative of the Derby hero Serpentine collared that son of St Mark's...