Lope de Vega (Ire)

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. Sunday's Observations features a Frankel son of Bateel. 1.58 ParisLongchamp, Debutantes, 3yo, c/g, 10 1/2fT THE ODYSSEY (FR) (Frankel {GB}) is a son of Al Asayl Bloodstock's Prix Vermeille heroine Bateel (Dubawi), who is already responsible for the G2 Prix d'Harcourt winner and Prix Ganay and Grosser Dallmayr-Preis runner-up...

Chantilly's two newcomers' events on Monday featured some likely types and in the colts' version it was Yeguada Centurion's well-connected Mr Lope Cen who had the bragging rights. Fighting off another son of Lope De Vega in Vegamix, the 27-10 favourite who is entered in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Prix du Jockey Club got his career off to the perfect start for the Henri Devin stable. "He won very well considering how timid early with horses on his outside," Devin said. "He will have learned a lot there...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Indigo Woods at Fair Grounds. Blue Is the Colour Larry Rodgers and Coast Racing's Indigo Woods (Blue Point) prevailed by a half-length and maintained her perfect record in the Allen Black Cat LaCombe Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds on March 7 (video). A winner of a Churchill maiden in October, the Brendan Walsh trainee was bred by Tinnakill House. The 10th foal out...

INSTABILITY (IRE) (c, 3, Lope de Vega {Ire}--Miss Katie Mae {Ire} {SW-Can, GSP-Ire, MSP-USA, $166,139}, by Dark Angel {Ire}) was made the 6-5 favorite for this unveiling and did not disappoint his supporters with a strong performance over the Tampa lawn. A 440,000gns ($591,663) purchase at the Tattersalls October yearling sale in 2024, the son of leading sire Lope de Vega (Ire) set up comfortably in mid-pack as the frontrunners posted opening splits of :23.14 and a half-mile in :47.67. He steadily improved his position from there behind six panels...

Multiple Grade I winner Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) has had his first mare confirmed in foal, Lane's End announced Monday afternoon. Said mare is Cahira's Song (Midshipman), a half-sister to seven other winning siblings, and who hails from the female line of GISP Lucky Lavender Gal (Carson City). The third dam is herself a full-sister to MGSP La Ville Rouge, most famous for her son--GI Kentucky Derby hero Barbaro (Dynaformer). The mare also produced his full-brothers MSW & GSP Margano and SW Lentenor. Made a 'TDN Rising...

Victorious Racing's €1-million Arqana August graduate Warriors Whisper (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) repaid some of that investment with a narrow debut victory in Saturday's Prix du Nice Havrais at Deauville. Under wraps off the tempo in eighth through halfway, the 9-10 favourite made smooth headway into contention with 350 metres remaining and was ridden out in the closing stages to deny Shelzawa (Zelzal) by a short-neck. Warriors Whisper is the third of five foals and second scorer produced by G3 Park Express Stakes victrix Normandel (Le Havre), who is...

Iberian, a group-winning son of Lope De Vega, has been retired and will stand at Haras du Mazet in France, according to published reports. The G2 Champagne Stakes hero's opening fee is €3,000. Bred by Ballylinch Stud, the five-year-old won the 2023 edition of the Champagne, and was also placed in that year's G2 Vintage Stakes. A winner of three of 13 lifetime starts, the Ballylinch and Teme Valley-campaigned Iberian was also second in last year's Listed Cammidge Trophy Stakes. Out of the stakes-winning High Chaparral mare Bella Estrella, the...

Godolphin and Charlie Appleby have made Kempton's Unibet Supports Safer Gambling Maiden Stakes their own in recent years, landing recent renewals with high-class winners such as Opera Ballo, Notable Speech and Measured Time. That dominance continued on Wednesday evening, when Palladas (Lope de Vega) made a striking debut in the one-mile contest. The €750,000 Tattersalls Book 1 yearling produced a power-packed performance that earned him TDN Rising Star status, presented by Hagyard. "He feels like a vert smart horse, he's got a nice turn of foot and he did it...

Whether you're a racing fan enjoying another glimpse of champions of yesteryear, or a breeder assessing the new intake to the sire ranks, the ITM Irish Stallion Trail is unmissable. From toddlers up, the throng of visitors to the 37 studs who opened their doors across the country on Friday and Saturday stand as testament to the draw of the annual showcase. Many readers of this publication will be in the fortunate position of being able to visit stallion studs at their leisure and to be welcomed with open arms....

If recent history is anything to go by, Thursday's crowd at Cagnes-sur-Mer could have been looking at a future Group 1 winner as Frankish prevailed in what is becoming a storied maiden. Three years after the Prix Ace Impact was won its former guise by the illustrious colt after which it is now named, the 10-furlong test on the sand which has seen two other subsequent top-level winners come to the fore produced another highly promising newcomer. Unsurprisingly, the Wertheimers' son of Lope De Vega and the 1,000 Guineas heroine Miss...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This holiday edition is highlighted by the victory of No Pressure in Florida. Florida Clime The Answer For No Pressure Lindy Farms' No Pressure (No Nay Never) rolled to a three-quarter length victory stretching out over the Gulfstream turf for Philip Antonacci on Boxing Day (video). The homebred debuted during the Belmont at the Big A meet and ran second by a neck over six furlongs in September. Baroda Stud consigned No...

Galileo and Dubawi, two titans of the sport whose fates have been so entwined for the past two decades that the marrying of their superior bloodlines to one day give us a champion sire was perhaps as inevitable as it is satisfying for us bloodstock nuts. On 12 occasions, in 2008 and then every year between 2010 and 2020, Galileo topped the end-of-year sires' table in Britain and Ireland. On four of those occasions Dubawi filled the runner-up spot, before the Darley stalwart finally enjoyed his day in the sun...