Newmarket

There was a surprise of grand proportions in store in Friday's G1 Tattersalls Falmouth S. at Newmarket, as Marc Chan and Andrew Rosen's Prosperous Voyage (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) ruthlessly dragged Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) into the red to strip the July Festival's "good thing" of her unbeaten record. Bridesmaid to the Gosdens' luminary in the G2 May Hill S. and G1 Fillies' Mile at two, the resilient Ralph Beckett-trained bay who had been runner-up again in the 1000 Guineas was asked to go deep by Rob Hornby from the outset...

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 son of Group 1 winner Thistle Bird (GB) (Selkirk). 1.15 Newmarket, Mdn, £15,000, 2yo, c/g, 7fT EPICTETUS (IRE) (Kingman {GB}) is one of the key members of this boutique maiden full of illustriously-bred types, being a son of the G1 Pretty Polly S. winner Thistle...

NEWMARKET, UK--Shadwell were responsible for the record-breaking sales-topper on Wednesday when Rihaam (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), in foal to Dark Angel (Ire), sold for 540,000gns, and Albasheer (Ire) (Shamardal), another from the draft, was the co-top lot on Thursday at 130,000gns. Boasting a rating of 107 and some top-notch form to go with it, having finished second in the G2 Champagne S. in 2020, Albasheer (lot 453) was knocked down to Tom Biggs of Blandford Bloodstock. He has yet to race this season and was last seen finishing mid-division in the...

Friday's Newmarket card features arguably the July Festival's leading light as Cheveley Park Stud's Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) has what appears to be a facile task in the G1 Tattersalls Falmouth S. Racegoers have the pleasure of getting up close to the latest filly star in the firmament and, while it would be insulting to say this amounts to little more than a glorified exercise gallop given the manner of her performance in the G1 Coronation S., her cramped odds say it all. Royal Ascot's explosive return to the limelight...

Frankie Dettori marked the end of his brief sabbatical from the Gosdens with a win on the 11-10 favourite Mighty Ulysses (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) in Thursday's Listed Edmondson Hall Solicitors Sir Henry Cecil S. at Newmarket. A close-up fifth in the G1 St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot, Saeed Suhail's progressive bay was keen on the front end throughout the early stages but had enough in reserve to take control inside the final furlong and beat Alflaila (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) by 1 1/2 lengths. It is clear that...

Back at the July Festival at which he first showed his hand 12 months ago, Godolphin's Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) benefitted from an ultra-cool William Buick ride to arrest a brief recent decline in Friday's G2 Princess Of Wales's Close Brothers S. at Newmarket. Upset by Living Legend (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) when second in the G2 Jockey Club S. on the Rowley Mile here Apr. 29 before finishing a deflating third in the May 14 GI Man o'War S., the reigning Breeders' Cup Turf hero had it to prove returned...

With the skies free of cloud, Newmarket begins its three-day July Festival on Thursday which for many afficionados of the turf is their highlight of the year. The feature on day one is the G2 Princess Of Wales's Close Brothers S., which sees Godolphin's international bigwig Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) face off against Shadwell's still-improving Mostahdaf (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Yibir may have slipped a little of late, with a surprise second to Living Legend (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the Rowley Mile's G2 Jockey Club S. presaging another disappointing reversal when...

Former jockey Jacob Pritchard-Webb, paralysed during a fall at Auteuil in June of 2020, will embark on 140-mile hand bike ride to benefit a pair of charities that helped him through his rehabilitation. The three-day ride, which begins July 7, will begin at Cheltenham before concluding at Newmarket. The 25-year-old hopes to raise £25,000 each for the Injured Jockeys Fund and the Matt Hampson Foundation. As part of his training for the event, Pritchard Webb was joined on a cycle around the Cotswolds Sunday afternoon by Harry Potter star James...

Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi has had quite the year on the international stage and his next target is this Saturday's G1 Darley July Cup with King Hermes (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}). The 3-year-old colt, winner of the GII Keio Hai Nisai S. last season, arrived in Newmarket on June 24 with his stablemate Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), who is set to run in the G1 Qatar Sussex S. at Goodwood. King Hermes got his first taste of the July Course on Tuesday morning when working five furlongs under jockey...

Connections of G1 Commonwealth Cup scorer Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) are favouring a tilt at the G1 July Cup over travelling to France for the G1 Prix Jean Prat, provided the ground is suitable at Newmarket. Although Perfect Power produced a scintillating performance to win the Commonwealth Cup on ground described as good-to-firm, connections of the Richard Fahey-trained speedster are adamant that the three-time Group 1 scorer wants easier going.  Perfect Power is reported to have bounced out of his Royal Ascot win in tremendous form by Bruce Raymond,...

Christophe Clement has revealed that his first runners at Royal Ascot did not perform as he had hoped but shared how G1 Coronation S. disappointment Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock) could bid to bounce back to form at Saratoga later this month. Pizza Bianca, whose owner-breeder is celebrity chef Bobby Flay, has returned to America after her eighth-place finish in the Coronation.  Clement admitted that he was "slightly disappointed" with that effort but is confident that there is more to come from his Breeders' Cup winner back on home soil. "Of...

If it's bargains you want, look no further than the Tattersalls July Sale, but you will need to be able to think outside the box to secure them.  Nobody can accuse Edgar Byrne, Stephen Hillen and Milton Harris for rigid thinking, however, as the three men are responsible for unearthing arguably the best value buys at Newmarket in the past few years.  Just 3,000gns was all it took for Byrne to buy the Godolphin-bred Kitty Marion (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}), who went on to win a group 3 in Germany, while...