Newmarket
In a renewal of Newmarket's G1 Qipco 1000 Guineas which polarised the dreamers and the cynics, experience ultimately told on Sunday with Frankie Dettori the chief benefactor as he steered Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) to glory. Whereas Ballydoyle's Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) had created all the electricity in the build-up to a Classic which lost some key cast members along the way, it was the stable's hard-working journeywoman who nestled under the radar and emerged clear-best to uphold the prime formlines of 2020. Successful in the G3 Coolmore...
Having sprung a surprise when winning Ascot's G3 Valiant Fillies' S. over a mile in July, Lady Bowthorpe (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) demonstrated a deadly turn of acceleration which made the difference on Sunday as she upgraded her portfolio with a win in Newmarket's G2 Betfair Dahlia S. Comfortable being held up in last off the moderate early pace by Kieran Shoemark, the 6-1 shot tracked last year's runner-up Queen Power (Ire) (Shamardal) heading down into the "dip" and blew by that 2-1 favourite inside the final 150 yards. At the...
Joseph O'Brien revealed on Friday morning that John Oxley's 'TDN Rising Star' Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}) will miss Sunday's G1 Qipco 1000 Guineas due to an unsatisfactory scope. The G1 Fillies' Mile winner's absence is a serious blow to the mile Classic, for which 12 fillies were confirmed headed by fellow 'TDN Rising Star' Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). "It's obviously disappointing and very frustrating for everybody involved, as we were really looking forward to seeing how she would get on in the Guineas," O'Brien told Racing Post. "However,...
Saturday's G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas will be contested by 15 colts after the final declaration stage on Thursday, with Aidan O'Brien trimming his team down to three after opting to withdraw St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). The operation's expected favourite Wembley (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will break from stall eight in the middle, with the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. and G1 Dewhurst S. runner-up joined by the G1 Criterium International winner Van Gogh (American Pharoah) alongside in nine and Battleground (War Front) widest towards the stand's side in...
The QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame, the first official Hall of Fame for British Flat racing honouring the champions of the sport, will be unveiled on Monday, Apr. 26, QIPCO announced on Wednesday. Marking the 10th year QIPCO has sponsored the British Champions Series which started in 2011, the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame will immortalise the modern greats of British Flat racing-both human and equine-from 1970 onward. (Click here to view a highlights reel of modern greats). New members of the Hall of Fame will...
Group 1 winner Thunder Moon (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) will make his next start in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas on May 1. A winner of a maiden at The Curragh in August, the bay stepped up and won the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. by 1 ½ lengths there in September. He lost his unbeaten record with a third-place finish in the G1 Darley Dewhurst S. behind St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and Wembley (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), both trained by trainer Joseph O'Brien's father Aidan. "He's wintered very...
Newmarket's Craven meeting cranks up on Wednesday, with the G1 1000 Guineas aspirants tackling the G3 Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn S. up the Rowley Mile that plays host to the May 2 Classic. As usual, the seven-furlong prep has some genuine prospects for the big occasion including Normandie Stud's TDN Rising Star Love Is You (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), who oozed class when beating the smart Gift List (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) by 3 1/2 lengths in the Listed Radley S. on testing ground over this trip at Newbury in October....
Successful in two of his first three starts on Kempton's Polytrack, Godolphin's Highland Avenue (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) was particularly impressive when taking the Mar. 3 "Road To The Kentucky Derby" Conditions S. given that he had to overcome a tardy start. Much more sprightly from the break in this debut on turf in Tuesday's Listed Feilden S. at Newmarket, the grey tracked the leading duo before taking over approaching the two-furlong pole. Chased down by stablemate Secret Protector (War Front) from there, he gave generously to win by 1 1/4...
It may have been one of the 3-year-old contests at Newmarket's Craven meeting that did not carry black-type, but Tuesday's bet365 British EBF Conditions S. witnessed a potential class act that could stand alongside any of this week's established Guineas trial winners as Shadwell's regally-bred Mutasaabeq (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) made all to blitz his rivals and earn TDN Rising Star status. Doing it the other way around when successful over this seven-furlong trip on heavy ground on debut here in October, the son of the G1 1000 Guineas and...
There was a first winner for Tally Ho Stud's first-season sire Cotai Glory (GB) (by Exceed and Excel {Aus}) in the opening juvenile maiden of the season at Newmarket on Tuesday as Amo Racing Limited's newcomer Forca Brasil (Ire) scored for the George Boughey stable. Sent off at 4-1, the chestnut tracked the early pace before slipping between rivals to gain the lead with a furlong remaining and asserting for a 3/4-of-a-length verdict over Love de Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). "He's a lovely horse who has always shown...
NEWMARKET, UK--Business as usual? Hardly. But at least things don't feel quite as unnervingly unusual as last year. At the best of times, breeze-up pinhookers have a precarious window of opportunity. After a long winter of preparation, their horses get a few, fleeting seconds between those timing lasers--and if for any reason they misfire then very few prospectors nowadays, whatever they may claim, will give them the benefit of the doubt. And, unlike with foals and yearlings, there is no second chance. All you can do is put the horse...
Love Is You (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), trained by Roger Charlton for Normandie Stud, will next appear on the racecourse in the Apr. 14 G3 Nell Gwyn S. Unveiled at Ascot on Sept. 5, the daughter of Fallen For You (GB) (Dansili {GB}) narrowly won going a mile, and followed up with another victory, this time over seven furlongs in the Listed Radley S. at Newbury on Oct. 24. If her Nell Gwyn mission is a success, the May 2 G1 1000 Guineas is next on her dance card at Newmarket....