Newmarket

A 1,000-spectator pilot event at Newmarket on Sept. 24-26 remains greenlit following discussions with local public authorities and the course's safety advisory group. The Department of Culture, Media & Sport approved the racing-with-fans trial, but exacting health and safety measure will be in place. Warwick Racecourse is holding its spectator pilot event on Sept. 21. Earlier this summer, a pilot event at the Qatar Goodwood Festival was called off at the 11th hour, and only the Wednesday, Sept. 9 of the St. Leger Festival at Doncaster allowed fans. The Cambridgeshire...

The Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, which was moved to Newmarket this year due to COVID-19, has been shorted to two days, Tattersalls Ireland announced on Thursday. The sale will take place Sept. 21 and 22, with Part II directly following the conclusion after the September Yearling Sale. This scheduling change is in response to the relocation of the sale to Park Paddocks in Newmarket. The remaining 2020 Tattersalls Ireland sales will take place in Ireland, and any vendors not wishing to sell in Newmarket will have the opportunity to...

Group 2 winner Powerful Breeze (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}), second in the G1 bet365 Fillies' Mile S. to sign off her juvenile year last October, is a potential starter in the G1 Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot S. at Newmarket on Oct. 3. The Hugo Palmer trainee, who races in the colours of Dr. Ali Ridha, sustained several broken ribs earlier this year that has kept her out of action. A debut winner at Newmarket prior to her G2 May Hill S. victory, Powerful Breeze appears to have healed nicely and...

Jockey Ben Curtis was escorted from Newmarket Friday and will be sidelined for 14 days after breaching COVID-19 protocols. The all-weather champion for the 2019/20 campaign, he currently is fourth in the Flat jockeys' championship standings. A British Horseracing Authority spokesperson said Friday, "He will not be permitted to enter a racecourse for 14 days from today as per the published COVID-19 requirements whilst the matter is investigated further." Trainer Gary Moore was fined £750 earlier this month after breaching protocols at Goodwood, while Mark Gillard and his assistant Steven...

Friday's MansionBet Best Odds Guaranteed Fillies' Novice S. at Newmarket played host to a new TDN Rising Star as Godolphin's A'Shaari (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) made a serious impact on debut for the Charlie Appleby stable. Sent off the 3-1 second favourite for the seven-furlong contest, the full-sister to the operation's GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Wuheida (GB) travelled smoothly on the testing ground held up by William Buick throughout the early stages. Moving smoothly down the outer to gain command approaching the furlong...

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 Insights features a full to Breeders' Cup winner Wuheida (GB) (D 3.05 Newmarket, Novice, £5,400, 2yo, f, 7fT A'SHAARI (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is a full-sister to the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Wuheida (GB) out of the dual top-level scorer...

The Pertemps St Leger Festival at Doncaster is one of eight meetings that will be staged with crowds as part of stage five of the UK government's plan to return spectators to elite sport, the Racecourse Association announced on Wednesday. Doncaster's four-day Classic meeting from Sept. 9-12, a Sept. 21 Warwick fixture, and Newmarket's Cambridgeshire Meeting from Sept. 24-26 have all been greenlit to allow racegoers in limited fashion. In Doncaster's case, a maximum of 3,640 spectators will be allowed on the first day, increasing to 6,202 for the final...

The catalogues for Books 2, 3 and 4 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale were released on Tuesday, with a half-brother to 2019 G1 Investec Oaks heroine Star Catcher (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) (lot 965) one of the highlights. A total of 816 yearlings will go through the ring in Book 2 from Oct. 12-14, while 602 lots are catalogued for Book 3 from Oct. 15-16. Book 4 features 83 yearlings set to go under the hammer on Oct. 17. Alumni of Book 2 include champion and MG1SW sprinter...

Newmarket's close-knit racing community has been deeply saddened by the passing of Coral Pritchard-Gordon after a long illness at the age of 73. Coral Pritchard-Gordon (née Harbord) was born and raised in the racing game as her father, Captain Paddy Harbord, founded the Curragh Bloodstock Agency in 1948. Based at Ranger's Lodge on the Curragh, the CBA had its English base at Crossways in the Avenue in Newmarket, and Coral Harbord spent her adult life in Newmarket. In 1970 she married Gavin Pritchard-Gordon, the assistant trainer to Harvey Leader who...

HALF TO GOLDEN HORN DEBUTS AT NEWMARKET 1.15 Ascot, Novice, £10,400, 2yo, f, 7fT SNOW LANTERN (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is the first filly bred by Rockcliffe Stud out of their four-times group 1-winning 1000 Guineas heroine Sky Lantern (Ire) (Red Clubs {Ire}). Likewise a grey in training with Richard Hannon, she encounters some similarly blue-blooded rivals in the race her stable won last year with the subsequent Guineas runner-up Cloak of Spirits (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). 1.40 Newmarket, Mdn, £6,400, 2yo, 7fT DHAHABI (IRE) (Frankel {GB}) understandably caused a sensation...

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 Insights features the return of pricey 'TDN Rising Star' Darain (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). 2.50 Newmarket, Novice, £5,400, 3yo/up, 10fT DARAIN (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) bids to build on an impressive winning debut at Newbury earlier this month, where the 2018 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 Sale topper earned...

For the third time in as many years, Friday's Goresbridge Breeze Up will have a different home. Originally developed and hosted by Martin Donohoe's Kilkenny-based auction house, the sale merged with Tattersalls Ireland last year with proceedings transferring successfully to County Meath. Another switch, this one not of the strategic kind rather more out of necessity, sees the action move across the water to Tattersalls in Newmarket as the sale, originally slated for two months previously, bids to make up for lost time. Between additional wildcards and withdrawals around 150...