observations

3.00 Wetherby, Novice, 3yo/up, f/m, 10fT SEA THE STORM (FR) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) makes her debut for the William Haggas stable, having been with David Menuisier when second in the G3 Preis der Winterkonigin in October. A half-sister to Adlerflug's G2 German 2000 Guineas-winning sire Mythico, she is joined by the stable's newcomer Pierian (GB) (Palace Pier {GB}), Lord Rothschild's daughter of the Irish Oaks heroine Great Heavens (Galileo).

3.05 Navan, Listed, 4yo/up, 14fT SCANDINAVIA (Justify) is the day's big news as he returns for Ballydoyle in a race used for several of their leading stayers such as Kyprios, Order Of St George and Yeats. Last year's St Leger and Goodwood Cup hero meets the Leger fifth Carmers (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Fiona Carmichael's Queen's Vase winner who remains unexposed over these staying trips.   1.55 Navan, Mdn, 2yo, 5f 180yT WEST OF EDEN (IRE) (No Nay Never) is the chosen representative from Ballydoyle in a maiden that has...

2.50 Doncaster, Nov, 3yo/up, 7f 6yT Roger Varian trainee MOREEDD (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) is out of G1 Prix de l'Opera and GI Flower Bowl Invitational victrix Nahrain (GB) (Selkirk) and thus kin to G1 1000 Guineas heroine Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and multiple Group 1-winning sire Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). The Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum-owned newcomer is opposed by five on debut.   1.57 Saint-Cloud, Mdn, 3yo, c/g, 12fT LNJ Foxwoods' DEFINING (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a full-brother to G1 Futurity Trophy hero Ancient Wisdom (Fr), comes back off...

12.17 Chantilly, Debutantes, 3yo, f, 8fT DEMAH (IRE) (Mehmas {Ire}) is an intriguing newcomer for Al Shaqab and the Francis Graffard stable, being a half-sister to last year's Prix du Moulin de Longchamp hero Sahlan (Wootton Bassett). Among her peers is Gestut Wittekindshof's homebred Nina's Victoria (Ger) (Victor Ludorum {GB}), an Andre Fabre-trained half-sister to the dual Group 1 winner Pakistan Star (Shamardal).

3.42 Newbury, Novice, 3yo, 10fT SHABAB AL AHLI (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is front and centre in Charlie Appleby's Derby plans at present, having won by 8 1/2 lengths on debut at Southwell in December and he has the chance to enhance his reputation in this important staging post used in the past by the Classic winners Hurricane Lane, Enable, Star Of Seville and Light Shift. Out of the Group 3 winner Koora (Pivotal), who has already produced two winners at that level in Klondike (Galileo) and Kemari (Dubawi), he encounters...

2.30 ParisLongchamp, Cond, 3yo, f, 8fT THE LAST DANCE (FR) (Iffraaj {GB}) puts her Classic credentials on the line in this increasingly important Prix du Louvre conditions event which has hosted the 2021 and 2024 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroines Coeursamba and Rouhiya. Both were beaten in this course-and-distance contest, so Sheikh Omar Esmil Ghrghar, Carlos and Yann Lerner and Antoine Gilibert's impressive Chantilly winner who earned a TDN Rising Star tag remains of interest for next month's Classic as long as she shows up well. Another unexposed Pouliches entry...

3.07 Leopardstown, Listed, 4yo/up, 8fT THE LION IN WINTER (IRE) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is the star turn in this Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Heritage Stakes as Aidan O'Brien looks to provide him with an early confidence boost following a three-year-old campaign that remarkably yielded no wins. Favourite for the Derby at this stage last year, he ended up showing his best at seven furlongs and a mile with four placings at the highest level including a close third in the Breeders' Cup Mile. 1.22 Leopardstown, Mdn, 3yo, f,...

2.25 Newmarket, Cond, 3yo, 7fT TALK OF NEW YORK (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) returns to Europe with high expectations judged by his current position as second favourite for the 2,000 Guineas despite having won a Kempton maiden and finished third in the Jumeirah 2,000 Guineas. Charlie Appleby puts a hood on the keen traveller and saddles a possible pacemaker in the Woodcote winner Maximized (GB) (Mehmas {Ire}), so it is fair to say that it is time for the son of the high-class Usherette (Shamardal) to show why he has...

1.52 Leicester, Novice, 3yo/up, 6fT RAILWAYMAN (IRE) (Blue Point {Ire}) makes his belated debut for the Karl Burke yard, having cost 420,000gns at 2024 Tattersalls October Book 1. Carrying the colours of the late Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, the half-brother to Mayson's King's Stand and July Cup hero Oxted is up against three winners including Godolphin's Crimson Rose (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), a Charlie Appleby-trained daughter of the G3 Prix de Saint-Georges winner Ideal Beauty (Invincible Spirit) who was impressive when last seen at Newmarket's July Festival.

3.12 Yarmouth, Novice, 3yo/up, f/m, 10f 23yT MALDIVES (IRE) (Camelot {GB}) debuts for Amo Racing in an intriguing affair and is an important one for the operation, being their 2.9-million gns purchase at the Tattersalls October Book 1. Kevin Philippart De Foy introduces the first foal out of the Group-placed Sense Of Style (Zoffany), a half-sister to Camelot's high-class multiple Group 1 winner Luxembourg, and she is in deep against some promising types. They include Cayton Park Stud's similarly-unraced I'm The One (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), the first foal...

5.07 Dundalk, Mdn, 2yo, 5f (AWT) NEW YORKER (No Nay Never) was a withdrawal from his intended debut at The Curragh last week, but now lines up in the maiden that Aidan O'Brien used for past stars Caravaggio and Blackbeard. A son of the Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Fairyland (Kodiac) from the family of the multiple Group 1 winner Dream Ahead, he faces six peers on what could be a first step towards Royal Ascot.   6.15 Dundalk, Mdn, 3yo/up, 6f (AWT) HINDER (GB) (Expert Eye {GB}) is a big...

6.15 Gowran Park, Mdn, 3yo, c/g, 9f 130yT KEPLER (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is a standout in this affair as a full-brother to the Pretty Polly and Nassau Stakes heroine Whirl. Aidan O'Brien introduces the homebred in a field that contains another unraced son of Wootton Bassett in Al Shaqab Racing and Amo Racing's Diligo (Ire), a Joseph O'Brien-trained half-brother to the Australian Group 3 winner Interpretation (Galileo) from the family of Daylami and Dalakhani. 5.40 Gowran Park, Mdn, 3yo, f, 9f 130yT FEEL THE LOVE (IRE) (St Mark's Basilica...