Muhaarar

A day after sending out Derby runner-up Ambiente Friendly to win over hurdles at Huntingdon, trainer James Owen has advised of a return to the Flat for another of his dual-purpose campaigners, Burdett Road. The five year-old son of Muharaar was bred and is raced by the Gredley Family, for whom he has already won at Royal Ascot as well as landing two Graded hurdle races at Cheltenham. He has been placed twice this National Hunt season but now looks set for warmer climes. "He is going to Dubai just...

Champion sprinter Muhaarar, the sire of six individual stakes winners in 2025, is on the move to Haras de Montaigu for the 2026 breeding season, after two seasons at Haras du Petit Tellier. Back in May, the Saffie Joseph-trained Be Your Best became Muhaarar's third top-level winner when landing the Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita, while other notable runners for the sire in 2025 include Motorious, a dual Grade III winner in America, G3 Bengough Stakes scorer Annaf and Listed-winning two-year-old Clea Chope. Be Your Best, Motorious and Annaf were...

   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 Wimbledon Hawkeye at Kentucky Downs.   Kameko Colt Hits The Target In Kentucky The consistent Wimbledon Hawkeye (Kameko) made his first American foray a winning one when scooping a $1 million-plus payday at Kentucky Downs in the GIII Nashville Derby Invitational Stakes on August 30 (video). Bred by owners the Gredley family's Stetchworth and Middle Park Studs, the James Owen trainee had won...

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 Nitti in the San Juan Capistrano Stakes.  Make Believe Brings Up A Santa Anita Double Make Believe's Nitti captured the GIII San Juan Capistrano Stakes at Santa Anita for trainer Leonard Powell on June 15 (video). It was a first black-type win for the 4-year-old gelding who races for Innergy Racing Corp, Zephyr Racing and Sonny Pais. Bred by John Walsh, Jerry O'Brien and the...

   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 Lope De Vega's Growth Trajectory at Monmouth Park.   Chad Brown. Check. Klaravich Stables' silks. Check. Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling grad. Also check. That particular combo combined in Lope De Vega's 3-year-old filly Growth Trajectory, who blitzed a field of Monmouth maidens by 3 1/2 lengths on May 25 (video). Bred by The Wekeela Partnership in Britain, she was an 180,000gns purchase...

Fresh off a second-place finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, Anthony Fanticola's Motorious (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) captured Saturday's GII Joe Hernandez Stakes down the hill at Santa Anita. After bobbling slightly out of the gate, Motorious settled kindly midpack behind a :21.71 and :43.78 pace set by 60-1 Code Duello (Honor Code). Extremely wide after crossing the dirt, he stayed on his wrong lead for several beats before hooking up with two-back Lure Stakes winner Sumter (War Front) in the lane. Sumter was slightly quicker as the two...

In the blink of an eye, that's another turf season in the books, which means that this is the final Seven Days column for 2024. Next week Adam Houghton will be starting a new column which aims to keep tabs on those two-year-olds who are rising three and could make more of a name for themselves next year. An eagle-eyed former Timeform employee, Adam guarantees that if the next Notable Speech (GB) is out there, about to make his debut on the all-weather this winter before marching on to Classic...

In what could prove to be a useful trial run, Motorious (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) came flying over the Del Mar turf late to win the 'Win And You're In' GII Green Flash Handicap Saturday. Last year's winner, who parlayed this race into a fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita, broke as the 2-1 favorite despite not having found the winner's circle since taking this same race one year ago. Brought back as a 6-year-old to be seventh in the GII Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes...

Group 1-winning jockey Dane O'Neill has announced his retirement from the saddle. The 48-year-old's decision has been hastened by injuries sustained in a race fall last July at Wolverhampton, from which he has still not fully recovered.  During a career spanning three decades, O'Neill took his first rides in 1992, working for Richard Hannon Sr and later as stable jockey for Henry Candy. In 2012 he was appointed second jockey to Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum's Shadwell operation.  In Sheikh Hamdan's colours he won the inaugural Commonwealth Cup on Muhaarar (GB),...

UK trainer Mick Appleby, who burst onto the international scene with a win in the $1-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint with Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) last year, doubled up on the world stage with a victory in the $2-million G2 Saudi National Bank 1351 Turf Sprint in Saudi Arabia by Fosnic Racing's ANNAF (IRE) (h, 5, Muhaarar {GB}--Shimah, by Storm Cat). Japan's La La Christine (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}) finished second while Byline (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) was third. Last year's winner, Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), was...

By Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin On Tuesday the European Pattern Committee (EPC) announced that 42 races are at risk of being downgraded in 2025, including Britain's G1 Commonwealth Cup. Its status will depend very much on its performance in 2024, which will mark the tenth running of the race introduced to the British calendar in 2015 as a readymade Group 1 in order to "create a more balanced programme and better opportunities for high-class sprinters". The Commonwealth Cup, run at Royal Ascot over six furlongs for three-year-olds only, was...

Fans of the film Withnail and I, which surely includes every reader of TDN, will be all too familiar with Withail's immortal line: "We've gone on holiday by mistake."  Dave Lowe could claim similarly that he became a breeder by mistake. As mistakes go, however, it has been one with a joyous outcome, for Lowe is the owner/breeder of one the most spectacularly progressive fillies in training. Sparks Fly (GB), a daughter of Muhaarar (GB), is out of a mare whom Lowe raced in partnership with friends. Named Stepping Out...