Perfect Power

Goffs UK has sold six Royal Ascot winners in the past six years at its Breeze-Up Sale, and the firm released the catalogue for its latest edition of that sale with 186 juveniles set to go under the hammer on Apr. 21. The breeze will take place at Doncaster on Apr. 19 from noon, with an inspection day on Apr. 20. Perfect Power (Ire), whose own sire Ardad (Ire) was also a Goffs UK Breeze-Up graduate, proved the star of last year's sale. A £110,000 purchase by Sheikh Rashid Dalmook...

It could be said that there's a stallion to suit all types of breeder at Overbury Stud, and the farm that was for so long synonymous with Britain's perennial leading National Hunt sire Kayf Tara (GB) now has a budding star of a very different type. Ardad (Ire) finished 2021 as the leading first-season sire in Britain and was second overall to Cotai Glory (GB), who stands at Tally-Ho Stud, where Ardad was himself bred and where his sire Kodiac (GB) has long been king of the hill.  Now eight,...

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 close relative of this year's dual Group 1-winning 2-year-old Perfect Power. 1.58 ParisLongchamp, Debutantes, €27,000, 2yo, c/g, 9fT EPIC POET (IRE) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) starts out for the White Birch Farm and Jean-Claude Rouget connection and is a 450,000gns Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book...

KILDARE, Ireland--There's no denying that bloodstock sales are an important part of the business but it is what happens on the racecourse that truly counts and recent events have put an extra spring in the step of a number of breeders at Kildare Paddocks ahead of the start of the Goffs Orby Sale. Standing outside her draft of six from Staffordstown on Monday morning was Kirsten Rausing, chatting happily with her staff and brand new director of the stud John Oxx. Rausing broke off every now and then to accept...

There are banners along the High Street of my home town of Newmarket saying 'Welcome back to racing'. Though we've been fortunate in England to have been able to allow crowds gradually to return to racecourses earlier than some other countries, it has only really been in the last few weeks that it has felt like the proper pre-pandemic experience. And where better to have the people back in force than at York, widely regarded by many to be the best racecourse in the country? Any amount of time spent...

Malton Open Day, sponsored by Arena Racing Company (ARC) and organized by Racing Welfare, returns Sunday, Sept. 12, and will be held in conjunction with the start of the inaugural National Racehorse Week, celebrating the racehorse and the staff who care for them. The event will feature 12 training yards in and around Malton, which will open their doors to the public, offering the opportunity to see behind the scenes at one of the most prominent and historic racing centers in the U.K. A slew of equine stars will be...