Newbury

Elite Status (GB) is an intended runner in Saturday's Hackwood Stakes at Newbury, trainer Karl Burke confirmed on Monday as his classy three-year-old featured among 13 entries for the six-furlong contest. A Group 3 winner as a juvenile, Elite Status has been on the sidelines since making the perfect start to his three-year-old campaign with victory in the Listed Carnarvon Stakes at the Berkshire track, with a persisent issue with a joint forcing him to miss the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. However, Burke reports the son of Havana...

There was a buzz around Newbury for The King and The Queen's newcomer Handcuffed (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}--Make Fast {GB}, by Makfi {GB}) and the filly did not disappoint with a debut win full of promise. Sent off the well-backed 13-8 favourite for the six-furlong fillies' novice, the homebred half-sister to the G2 July Stakes winner Tactical (GB) (Toronado {Ire}) travelled easily in the pack until asked to close by Oisin Murphy passing halfway. Finding the front under hands and heels with half a furlong remaining, the Andrew Balding trainee asserted...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed 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 second foal out of a four-time Group 1 winner. 16.45 Leopardstown, Mdn, €25,000, 2yo, f, 7f 47yT The Niarchos Family's homebred filly PROXIMA CENTAURI (IRE) (Circus Maximus {Ire}) is the second foal thrown by four-time Group 1-winning Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman...

As expected, Cheveley Park Stud's colours were in the winner's enclosure following Newbury's G1 Al Shaqab Lockinge S. on Saturday but it was aboard the Gosdens' 22-1 shot Audience (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}--Ladyship {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) who uber-excelled in his task of pacemaking for Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Labelled a TDN Rising Star at two, the homebred grandson of the Thompsons' 2006 Lockinge heroine Peeress (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) had shown what he could do when left alone on the lead with ample space to express himself in last year's G3 Criterion...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday's Observations features the joint top-priced colt at the Arqana October Yearling Sale. 15.00 Newbury, Mdn, £12,000, 2yo, 6fT JOUNCY (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is the seventh foal out of Juddmonte's dual listed winner and multiple group-placed Joyeuse (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), a half-sister to the great Frankel (GB)...

Saturday's G3 Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham S. looked a renewal short of a potential big name beforehand and with a blanket in contention a furlong from home, that was duly borne out. In the event, it was Cheveley Park Stud's 16-1 shot Esquire (GB) (Harry Angel {Ire})--a gelding and therefore excluded from the upcoming 2000 Guineas--who emerged on top in the seven-furlong Newbury trial whose relevance to the Classic is questionable this year. Runner-up in York's Listed Rockingham S. and sixth in the Listed Doncaster S. over...

Further Guineas clues abound at Newbury on Saturday, with the pair of seven-furlong trials offering a springboard to next month's Newmarket and ParisLongchamp features. In time-honoured fashion, the G3 Fred Darling S. sees a high-profile sprinting filly being asked to stretch out for the first time and at this point all are in the dark as to whether Yuesheng Zhang's acquisition Relief Rally (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) can go the extra furlong having signed off her highly profitable juvenile campaign with a win in the G2 Lowther S. In contrasting style,...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday's Observations features a 'half-sister to Group 1 winner Naval Crown (GB). 14.42 Newbury, Mdn, £12,000, 3yo, f, 10fT MAGIC DREAM (IRE) (Shamardal) is an eyecatching debutante for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby in this race which saw the future Oaks winner Eswarah (GB) (Unfuwain) and Irish Oaks heroine Star...

Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) is one of the star names among 21 entries for the £400,000 G1 Al Shaqab Lockinge S. at Newbury on Saturday, May 18. Trained by Christopher Head, Big Rock ended his three-year-old campaign with an emphatic six-length win in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot in October, finally making the breakthrough at the top level following a hat-trick of runner-up finishes. He could be joined at Newbury by Andre Fabre's Tribalist (GB) (Farhh {GB}), who won the G3 Prix Edmond Blanc...

Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey Steve Jobar was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in April 2022. Shocked to discover that there wasn't a cure or any form of effective treatment for his illness, he set about raising funds for research into a cure for future generations. With the assistance of his committee, Jobar, who won the 1980 Triumph Hurdle for David Elsworth aboard Heighlin, has organised a fundraising lunch and race for the MND Association at Newbury on March 22. "You will not be surprised to hear that we have received...

The inaugural Goffs UK Coral Gold Cup Sale of young National Hunt prospects was held after racing at Newbury on Saturday with 18 of the 21 horses offered sold for a total of £2,145,000. Two horses shared top billing at £200,000. The Muhtahir (GB) filly Half Past Tipsy (Ire) (lot 6) was bought from Sam Curling's Skehanagh Stables by Gavin Cromwell after winning a 4-year-old mares' maiden point-to-point last month.  Matching her leading price later in the select catalogue was The Bluesman (Fr) (Crillon {Fr}) (lot 18), a 4-year-old half-brother...

The G3 Horris Hill S. and the G3 St Simon S. have both been rescheduled for early November, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) confirmed on Friday. Both races were set to take place at Newbury on Oct. 28. That meeting was abandoned. The St Simon will now be staged on Friday, Nov. 3 at Newmarket, with the Horris Hill taking place at that venue the day after. Original entries for both races have been cancelled and entries for these replacement races will now close at noon on Tuesday, Oct. 31....