No Nay Never

Alain and Gerard Wertheimer's hitherto unraced No Tune (GB) (No Nay Never), a homebred half-sister to GI United Nations Handicap hero Adhamo (Ire) (Intello {Ger}), made a winning debut in Monday's €30,000 Prix Epinard at Chantilly. Taking control approaching the final furlong, the 27-10 favourite was ridden clear in the closing stages to register an impressive 3 1/2-length success from Hold My Hand (Fr) (Threat {Ire}).   🇫🇷 Prix Epinard @fgchantilly Chantilly - Classe 3 - 2 ans - 1000m - Bon Souple (3.3) - 8 Pts - 30 000...

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. Monday's Observations features an interesting newcomer for Christopher Head. 2.30 Chantilly, Mdn, €30,000, 2yo, 5fT NO TUNE (GB) (No Nay Never) catches the eye as a Wertheimer-bred half-sister to the GI United Nations Stakes hero Adhamo (Ire) (Intello {Ger}). Introduced by Christopher Head, the relative of the sire Attendu...

Windy conditions, especially during the back half of the morning, kept the bullets to a minimum as the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training under-tack show concluded with the last of seven sessions Saturday. Beating the elements as one of the first set to go shortly after 8 a.m, a filly by Ocala Stud's Win Win Win (hip 1206) consigned by Navas Equine was one of two juveniles to put up the morning's fastest furlong time in :9 4/5. "In order to have a performance like...

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 a full-brother to Coolmore stallion Blackbeard (Ire). 2.20 Curragh, Cond, €22,000, 2yo, 5fT CHARLES DARWIN (IRE) (No Nay Never) is the fourth foal out of the G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes fourth Muirin (Ire) (Born To Sea {Ire}), whose son Blackbeard (Ire) carried all before him for...

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 'TDN Rising Star'. 2.00 Saint-Cloud, Cond, €28,000, 3yo, f, 10 1/2fT WE'LL DEFEND (FR) (Zelzal {Fr}) carries the TDN Rising Star label into this Prix de Diane pointer, having impressed with her four-length success on Chantilly's Polytrack last month. Victorious Racing and Ecurie Nass's half-sister...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Lady Claypoole in the Santa Ana Stakes at Santa Anita earlier in March.   Santa Ana Stakes For Lady Claypoole Abbondanza Racing and Omar Aldabbagh's Lady Claypoole (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) earned her first stakes win in the GIII Santa Ana Stakes at Santa Anita on Mar. 15 (video). Trained by Richard Baltas, the 5-year-old mare was bred by Aston House Stud. The eighth...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of the No Nay Never filly Bunratty Manor.   No Nay Never Filly Third Time Lucky It took three tries, but Bunratty Manor (Ire) (No Nay Never) secured her first career victory at Gulfstream Park for Three Diamonds Farm on Mar. 9 (video). Trained by Rusty Arnold, the bay was bred by Yulong Investments (Australia) in Ireland. The first foal out of Sapphire Ring...

A gelding by I Am Invincible (Aus) brought top dollar at the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Hong Kong International Sale when selling for HK$5 million (€593,909) to Philip Liu. Sold as lot 12, he is a half-brother to Group 1 winner Summer Passage (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}). I Am Invincible's star progeny to race in Hong Kong include Group 2 winner Wishful Thinker (Aus) and 2024 HKIS graduate Markwin (Aus), who has earned HK$3.76 million, including a HK$1-million ISG Bonus. Second on the buyers' sheet was lot 5, a gelding by...

A 206-strong catalogue for the Goffs Breeze-Up Sale at Doncaster on April 23 and 24 was revealed on Tuesday. Its graduates have supplied 10 wins at Royal Ascot in the last nine years, led by multiple Group 1 winner Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}), and other group winners to have emanated from the sale include G2 Flying Childers Stakes winner Aesterius (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), G2 Mill Reef Stakes hero Powerful Glory (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), G2 Richmond Stakes scorer Black Forza (Complexity) and Electrolyte (Ire) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}), who landed the...

It's time to revisit our annual series to assess the sires of 2025 with the aim of working out where the value lies. We'll reissue the usual caveat that value means different things to different people. For the benefit of this series, we are using the euro as our currency for bracketing, and will deal with stallions in the following four tiers: €50,000 and up €20,000 to €49,999 €10,000 to €19,999 Under €10,000. Only one of the new additions to the European stallion ranks for 2025 makes it into the...

Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never) will stand at Starfield Stud next season, Compass Stallions announced on Monday. The G2 Futurity Stakes winner will command a fee of €6,500, with limited breeding rights available. Trained by Aidan O'Brien, Aesop's Fables retires as the winner of three of his 17 career starts. He also won this year's Listed Sole Power Sprint Stakes at Naas in May, having produced two of his best efforts at the end of last season when finishing third in both the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp...

Wootton Bassett (GB) has had his fee increased to €300,000 as he prepares to embark on his fifth season at Coolmore Stud in 2025, while European champion two-year-old and Derby winner City Of Troy has been introduced at €75,000. This year Wootton Bassett's first crop of Irish-bred two-year-olds have swept all before them, featuring four individual top-level winners in Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Camille Pissarro (Ire), Criterium de Saint-Cloud scorer Tennessee Stud (Ire), Criterium International hero Twain (Ire) and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Henry Matisse (Ire). This season Wootton...