New Bay

A daughter's wedding day ought to be one of the proudest moments of a father's life, and for James Hanly, the Greek wedding of his daughter Rosanna last year was indeed such an occasion, even if it meant that he missed what may then have felt like the pinnacle of his achievements as a breeder. But sometimes the racing gods are a friendly bunch and, twelve months on, they convened to grant Hanly a second chance, much to the relief of Rosanna. Watching on as Ombudsman was led back in...

Listed heroine Jennifer Jane (New Bay) will not contest the G1 Betfred Oaks on June 5, and instead be pointed toward the Italian version later that month, according to Charlie Johnston. The Russell Trew and Towbraccan runner won at Wetherby last June before running second in the Listed Star Stakes in July. After a fruitless run in the G3 Prestige Fillies' Stakes in August, she was given a break. Making her three-year-old bow in the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket earlier this month, she made all the running to...

If Saturday had been all about the local heroes, by Sunday the major prizes were scattered more widely as first Jancis then True Love smuggled the silverware across the Irish Sea.  For the combined team of Ballydoyle and Coolmore, winning European Classics has become almost commonplace - a key part of the mechanism that keeps the wheels turning on the largest and most successful breeding operation in the world. The 2,000 Guineas was just missed but the 1,000 Guineas was in the bag.  The magnificent specimen that is True Love...

2.50 Doncaster, Nov, 3yo/up, 7f 6yT Roger Varian trainee MOREEDD (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) is out of G1 Prix de l'Opera and GI Flower Bowl Invitational victrix Nahrain (GB) (Selkirk) and thus kin to G1 1000 Guineas heroine Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and multiple Group 1-winning sire Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). The Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum-owned newcomer is opposed by five on debut.   1.57 Saint-Cloud, Mdn, 3yo, c/g, 12fT LNJ Foxwoods' DEFINING (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a full-brother to G1 Futurity Trophy hero Ancient Wisdom (Fr), comes back off...

Group 1 winner Bay City Roller makes his 2026 bow in the G2 Prix Harcourt for trainer George Scott on Sunday. By New Bay, the four-year-old claimed Germany's G1 Grosser Allianz Preis von Bayern by a devastating seven lengths in Munich when signing off his three-year-old season. He was an unbeaten G2 Champagne Stakes hero at two and placed in a trio of Group 2s last year before his German tally. Scott said, "He's in really good order. He's more forward than he was last year. "He's entered in the...

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 a likely Derby prospect. 4.50 The Curragh, Mdn, 3yo, 10fT GEORGE STUBBS (IRE) (Camelot {GB}) is the pick of Ryan Moore of the duo from Ballydoyle and as a half-brother to Galileo's Criterium International hero and Melbourne Cup runner-up Johannes Vermeer and dual Group 1-placed Wembley...

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 Midday (Oasis Dream). 3.40 Saint-Cloud, Debutantes, 3yo, f, 10fT REGAL CHIME (GB) (St Mark's Basilica {Fr}) is the ninth foal out of Juddmonte's outstanding racemare and high-class producer Midday (Oasis Dream), whose previous progeny include the dual Group 3 winner Midterm (Galileo) and...

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...

For this first of four parts of our annual Value Sires series in Europe, we will be dealing with the elite tier of stallions standing for a fee in excess of £50,000, which is approximately €57,000. The names in this bracket don't change that much, except for when a grandee retires or a young upstart bounces his way in. In 2025, we lost an increasingly prolific member of this cohort when Wootton Bassett died in Australia from pneumonia at the age of 17. The consequences of his passing will doubtless...

Fearless pinhooker Philipp Stauffenberg broke his own record for the most money he has ever spent on a foal when going to €650,000 to secure a New Bay half-sister to Group 1 heroine Dreamloper (Lope De Vega) and Group 2 scorer Santorini Star (Golden Horn) at yet another memorable renewal of the Goffs November Foal Sale.  The sale-topping filly was consigned by Luke Lillingston of Mount Coote Stud and headlined trade that saw a 91% clearance rate. The €18,359,000 turnover was roughly the same as last year while the average...

A New Bay filly (lot 644) caught the eye of Philipp Stauffenberg and he duly shelled out €650,000 to acquire the half-sister to Group 1 winner Dreamloper (Lope De Vega) during the third session of the Goffs November Foal Sale on Wednesday. Also a half-sister to G2 Park Hill Stakes heroine and G1 Prix de Royallieu second Santorini Star (Golden Horn), the April foal was bred by Y. Y. Fill. Ed Sackville was the underbidder. Said Stauffenberg, "If you look into it, there are very few foals of that quality...

Ballylinch Stud has released the 2026 fees for its five stallions, with Lope De Vega receiving an increase in price to €200,000 following another successful year with Group 1 performers such as Carl Spackler, Almaqam and Jonquil. "Lope De Vega reaffirmed his position as the world's leading stallion in 2025, once again topping the global tables for the number of worldwide stakes horses, a title he also achieved in 2024," said Ballylinch managing director John O'Connor. "His remarkable consistency and versatility across continents continue to inspire confidence in breeders and...