Newmarket

Opulence Thoroughbreds is still in its infancy as a syndicate and their flagship filly Royal Fixation (Palace Pier) has already struck gold for them by winning the Lowther, but a follow-up in Newmarket's G1 Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions Cheveley Park Stakes on Saturday would see her enter new territory. Having met with defeat once when runner-up to Venetian Sun in the Duchess of Cambridge, the Ed Walker-trained daughter of the burgeoning first-crop sire currently heads the market for the six-furlong joint-feature on the card and Opulence's racing and communications manager Ed...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features 3.7 million gns debuter Act Of Kindness. 4.45 Newmarket, Mdn, 2yo, f, 7fT ACT OF KINDNESS (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), the third-highest-priced yearling sold at last year's Tattersalls October Book 1 bonanza at 3.7million gns, had been taken out of her intended debut at Sandown last month...

Enoch (Frankel), a half-brother to Wootton Bassett's Prix du Jockey Club, Champion and Irish Champion-winning sire Almanzor, was sent off at 4-1 for Newmarket's seven-furlong maiden on Friday and raced in rear after a tardy start. Staying on powerfully up the hill inside the final furlong, George Strawbridge's homebred collared the long-time leader Battle Apple (Cracksman) en route to a 1 1/4-length success. "He's been a horse we've taken our time with," John Gosden said. "The mare had one brilliant horse and it's not worked out too well since then,...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred 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 high-priced sale graduate in the Amo colours. 4.00 Haydock, Novice, 2yo, 6f 212yT POKER (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) debuts nearly a year after making headlines at Tattersalls October Book 1 when selling for 4.3million gns, a record price for a colt offered at the sale....

Continuing his education at Newmarket on Thursday, Godolphin's Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder) put a defeat in the Acomb behind him with a powerful display in the feature G3 Tattersalls Stakes. Too free when third in that York contest last month, the €1.9million Arqana May Breeze Up topper who had beaten the subsequent Futurity winner Constitution River on debut at the July Festival was anchored in rear early. Set alight by William Buick heading to the downhill section, the 6-5 favourite brushed his rivals aside to register a 4 3/4-length...

One regrettable development of the last few years has been the discontinuation of Timeform's Racehorses annuals, which are as vital and as vivid a history lesson one could find on this sport. Geoff Greetham, who died last week at the age of 79, had an enormous influence on the annuals, both for the Flat and National Hunt. There can be no finer tribute to this much revered writer and editor than the fact that his words will remain in print on the shelves of  many racing fans for years to...

Thursday, Newmarket, post time: 15:35, THE TATTERSALLS STAKES (REGISTERED AS THE SOMERVILLE TATTERSALL STAKES)-G3, £60,000, 2yo, c/g, 7fT Field: Archer Royal (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), Catullus (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Commander's Intent (Fr) (Victor Ludorum {GB}), Distant Storm (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Northern Champion (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Rogue Supremacy (GB) (St Mark's Basilica {Fr}), Special Dividend (GB) (Ardad {Ire}), Stellar Sunrise (GB) (Space Blues {Ire}), Wechaad (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}). TDN Analysis: This is a kind of Dewhurst trial and sometimes a pointer to the following year's Guineas,...

The 1% Club, a new fundraising initiative designed to unite consignors, breeders, and buyers in support of Racing Welfare, was launched on Wednesday. Through the scheme, consignors and breeders are invited to nominate one yearling from their draft at the upcoming Tattersalls October Yearling Sales, pledging 1% of its sale price to Racing Welfare. Participating horses will be highlighted in sales catalogues, signalling to buyers and the wider industry their valuable contribution to the welfare of racing's people. Chasemore Farm has nominated lot 1827, a bay filly by Pinatubo out...

We are very good at depressing ourselves in the racing industry, aren't we? Threats of the betting tax going up and the foal crop going down are currently on the doom loop of news, and they are of course reasons to be concerned. But my daily coping strategy has always been to look for reasons to be cheerful and I am, therefore, naturally happy to say that there are still plenty of those to be found in this sport, or business, or whatever we want to call it. Let's go...

Newmarket's opening mile novice on Saturday had 2026 Oaks written all over it and it will be no surprise if Godolphin's Romantic Symphony (Dubawi) is one of the main players heading to the Epsom Classic in June. While the newcomer's 3/4-of-a-length winning margin was not flashy, everything about her pedigree suggests this is very much the beginning. "She has a nice stout pedigree to her. We came up here knowing that the trip would suit her and there is no doubt about it that the experience, and stepping up in...

Tattersalls has been announced as the sponsor of three prestigious two-year-old contests at Newmarket on Saturday, September 27, including the G1 Middle Park Stakes and G1 Cheveley Park Stakes. The Middle Park for colts and Cheveley Park for fillies both take place over six furlongs and offer total prize-money of £275,000, while Tattersalls also extends its backing to the £125,000 G2 Royal Lodge Stakes, a one-mile contest for colts and geldings. Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony said, "Tattersalls have long been proud supporters of British racing and Newmarket Racecourses, and we...

The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC)'s World Pool will be active for the first time on Dewhurst Stakes Day at Newmarket, as well as Might And Power (Caulfield Stakes) Day from Caulfield, both on October 11. The HKJC-powered pools will also debut in Brazil for the first time when Gavea Racecourse hosts the G1 Grand Premio Latinamericano on October 19. Another new addition to the World Pool is VRC Champion Stakes Day at Flemington Racecourse on November 8, with three Group 1 races featuring on the final day of the...