Newmarket

Denied a clear passage on debut when tackling a mile on Newcastle's Tapeta in December, Eydon was an eye-catching third but arguably may well have won had fortune smiled on him before going back over the same course and distance Feb. 19. Sent off the 4-9 favourite, the homebred was denied late by Oceania Legend (Ire) (Australia {GB}) on that occasion and had not offered a compelling reason why he should turn over the likes of the Listed Washington Singer S. winner and G2 Superlative S. runner-up Masekela and the...

Thursday's Newmarket card featured as fast a 2-year-old as has been seen so far in 2022 as Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's Tajalla (Ire) ripped up the Rowley Mile to earn TDN Rising Star status on debut and provide Tally-Ho Stud's first-season sire Kessaar (Ire) with his first winner. Well-regarded by Roger Varian, the April-foaled relative of Ardad (Ire) tracked the leaders throughout the early stages of the five-furlong bet365 British EBF Novice S. and when pointed forward by Andrea Atzeni took control approaching the furlong pole. Stretching away up the...

NEWMARKET, UK—The excellence of the Tattersalls marketing team is familiar, but nobody realised they had friends in quite such high places. For the racing gods, as a rule so notoriously uncooperative, have this week followed a script that could scarcely have promoted the Craven Breeze-Up Sale more lavishly—with graduates of last year's auction winning Classic trials, just up the road on the Rowley Mile, shortly before each of its two sessions. On Wednesday it was the turn of champion juvenile Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who extended his unbeaten...

The Newmarket racing community is in mourning at the passing of Julie Cecil, one of the town's most beloved figures, on Wednesday morning. Born in North Yorkshire in February 1942, Cecil's life was framed by racehorses from the outset. Her father, the multiple champion trainer Sir Noel Murless, was based initially at Hambleton Lodge on Sutton Bank before moving to Beckhampton and on to Newmarket, where Cecil remained for seven decades until her death at the age of 80. A superb horsewoman, Cecil rode out in her father's string daily,...

He was 1-4 and there were no anxious moments as Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream (GB) simply turned up and repeated his juvenile antics in Wednesday's G3 bet365 Craven S. at Newmarket. Taking some strides to organise himself as he had on this track and the July Course at two, the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. and G1 Dewhurst S.-winning European champion juvenile got motoring out of the "dip" to brush aside the long-time leader Star of India (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and score by 3 1/2 lengths from the...

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. Wednesday's Observations features a half-sister to dual group winner Sacred (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}). 1.15 Newmarket, Mdn, £10,000, 3yo, f, 7fT ENSHRINE (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) is a half-sister to Sacred (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), whose three runs for Cheveley Park Stud and William Haggas last term resulted...

Charlie Appleby has two strong hands to play in the upcoming 2000 Guineas and one of them, the European champion juvenile Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream (GB), enjoys a surprise if welcome prep in Wednesday's G3 bet365 Craven S. at Newmarket. It's the age-old question, can the one who was at the apex the previous year maintain his dominion after the winter sojourn? It is necessary to go back to the mid-nineties and the likes of Alhaarth (Ire) (Unfuwain) and Xaar (GB) (Zafonic) to recall reigning champions taking in this...

Classic aspirants were in action prior to racing at Newmarket on Tuesday, and G1 Darley Dewhurst second Dubawi Legend (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) is pleasing trainer Hugo Palmer ahead of the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas on Apr. 30. The Dr. Ali Ridha colourbearer galloped a mile alongside stablemates Power Of States (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and Battered (GB) (Foxwedge {Aus}), before edging away from them and crossing the wire five lengths to the good of the twosome, with Tom Marquand in the irons. The colt was last seen running off...

Benefitting from the absence of Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in Tuesday's G3 Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn S. at Newmarket, Highclere Thoroughbred Racing's TDN Rising Star Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}) provided the Gosdens' luminary with a timely boost ahead of the upcoming 1000 Guineas. Keeping it simple on last year's G1 Fillies' Mile third and G2 Rockfel S. runner-up, William Buick who was chasing a treble on the card stayed away from the main pack racing near the pace and when set on her way approaching three out asserted for a...

The Classic trials caravan rolls into Newmarket today with the Rowley Mile venue primed and ready to host a seven-race card and open its three-day Craven fixture. Sophomore fillies take centre stage on day one with nine set for another competitive edition of HQ's G3 Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn S. over a straight seven furlongs. Middleham Park Racing's 2012 victrix Esentepe (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}) is the only winner since the turn of the century to have undertaken a preparatory run, so the trends are not in favour of Scuderia Archi...

Even at this early stage of the season, we can be forgiven for mentally fast-forwarding to the first weekend of June at Epsom. It is after all the best weekend of the year, featuring the best race of the year.  There are plans afoot in Newmarket - plans being mooted by the Jockey Club, no less - to dig up one of the best turf gallops on the Heath to install a new all-weather racecourse and training facility. At a time when there's concern as to having enough horses to...

The catalogues for the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up and Horses-in-Training Sale were released on Wednesday. There are currently 206 2-year-olds and 120 horses-in-training ready to go under the hammer on Apr. 28. Beginning at 9 a.m. local time on Apr. 26, the breezes will take place over Newmarket's Rowley Mile Racecourse. They will be shown live on the Tattersalls website and on the Tattersalls Facebook page. Graduates of the sale won group races in Britain, France, Germany and the U.S. in 2021, led by top-level winners Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) and...