Niarchos Family

Who has been the biggest inspiration in your career and why? CR: I find it hard to select just one person as my career has been shaped and influenced by a number of people however, the first person would be my brother, Tim, (along with his wife, Mimi), who encouraged me the most when he suggested I join him in France during my school holidays in the early 1970s.  At the time, Tim was managing the Haras de la Verrerie for Monsieur Elie de Brignac in Normandy. Tim later offered...

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. Today's Observations features a blueblooded daughter of American Pharoah. 10.55 La Teste de Buch, Debutantes, €14,000, 2yo, f, 5fT STEP BEYOND (American Pharoah) represents the new Niarchos Family-Philippe Sogorb link-up and is a notably early juvenile runner for her owner-breeders. A daughter of the GII Santa Ana S. winner...

While the world waits for better news, a clutch of exciting 3-year-olds wait in the wings for Classics that have now officially been delayed, and one such is 'TDN Rising Star' Highest Ground (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who is ticking over for Sir Michael Stoute. Impressive when winning his sole start at Leicester in September, the Niarchos family's homebred met with a setback afterwards but is reported in fine shape by the owners' racing manager Alan Cooper. It is forty years since the operation prevailed in Newmarket's G1 2000 with the...

The Niarchos Family sophomore's Albigna (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) returned from their winter break in good order and connections begin to look ahead toward Classic campaigns in 2020. Both fillies are trained by Jessica Harrington. Winner of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and the G3 Airlie Stud S. last fall, Albigna finished fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita. The daughter of Freedonia (GB) (Selkirk), who is the early favorite at 14-1 for the G1 1,000 Guineas at...