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It seems a mere blink of an eye ago, but the inaugural Goffs London Sale took place in June 2014 in groundbreaking fashion. War Horse made an appearance, and was for a few brief moments ridden by Johnny Murtagh, while the first foal by Frankel to appear in any sale ring was, understandably, a show-stopper which made the national and television news. The auction has evolved over that time when it comes to the business of horse-trading but what has not changed is that its cocktail party feel offers, for...

Should the Prix de Diane Longines favourite Diamond Necklace (St Mark's Basilica) comply with all established logic at Chantilly on Sunday and deliver, it will be Classic win number seven in 2026 for Aidan O'Brien in a season he is threatening to define. Already one of the six herself, having conquered the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches with the minimum of fuss four weeks ago, Ballydoyle's unbeaten starlet bids to join an elite band by adding this prestige affair to Longchamp's Classic and Prix Marcel Boussac. Remarkably, just a quartet have...

At this point, the participation of Gaia Force (Kitasan Black) in the G1 Yasuda Kinen is pretty much a given. The seven-year-old entire will be running in his fourth edition of the 1600-metre affair, and, after running fourth in both 2023 and 2024, he stepped up to finish second in last year's edition. Maybe 2026 is his year to finally secure the "Win And You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland in October. Since his second-place run last June, he captured the G2 Fuji Stakes in October...

Staged a week earlier than its customary slot, Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club is threatening a serious case of oneupmanship over the Derby this year due to the presence of a true A-lister in the line-up. It is rare that the Chantilly Classic draws the very best from outside it's own country's frontier, but in enticing Constitution River away from Epsom it could end up with the trump card of Europe's "Derbys" in 2026. We've come a long way since the "sad, mad, bad" reaction of the press...

Classic winners tend to beget Classic winners, and with record-breaking G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) hero Lovcen, that adage certainly applies. If Lovcen delivers a Classic double in Sunday's G1 Tokyo Yushun, the colt would be the first to win the first two legs of the Japanese Triple Crown since Contrail six years ago. His sire, the Deep Impact stallion World Premiere, captured the 2019 G1 Japanese St Leger (Kikuka Sho). Said jockey Kohei Matsuyama of the ante-post market favourite, "He was calm on the day of the Satsuki...

It is safe to say that the 2026 season hasn't started in ideal fashion for the Charlie Appleby stable, but Saturday's G1 Lockinge Stakes offers the opportunity to turn things around as Notable Speech (Dubawi) flies the flag. Almost embodying the yard's recent struggles when luckless in the Maker's Mark Mile, Godolphin's brilliant 2,000 Guineas, Sussex and Breeders' Cup Mile hero needs to show his ruthless side to bring up a 10th renewal of the mile feature for the operation. "Notable Speech came out of the Maker's Mark Mile well,...

Champion juvenile. Derby winner. Last out G1 Osaka Hai hero Croix Du Nord is hunting his fourth Group 1 in Sunday's Tenno Sho (Spring), and, if he pulls off victory in the 15-horse field, the son of Kitasan Black will have emulated his Classic-winning sire. A two-time winner of Japan's longest top-tier contest at 3200 metres in 2016/2017, Kitasan Black claimed seven victories at the highest table. Croix Du Nord tries the 3200-metre trip for the first time on Sunday and will partner with Yuichi Kitamura. If he pulls it...

You'd have to say the Ka Ying Rising camp is feeling fairly confident, if the reports coming out of Sha Tin are anything to go by two days out from FWD Champions Day. A winner of 19 straight starts, a record for a Hong Kong-trained horse, the son of Shamexpress is coming into the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize with everything in his favour. Not only is the reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year aiming for a title defence in Sunday's 1200-metre contest, but connections feel he can get the...

He may look like a sprinter and act like a sprinter, but there is obviously something about the way Albert Einstein (Wootton Bassett) operates at Ballydoyle that makes it hard for those who know him to leave a 2,000 Guineas attempt alone. Luckily for us purists, that reticence to rule out the mile sees him steered to Newbury to add much spice to Saturday's G3 Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes. Defeat here will almost certainly extinguish all hope of going to Newmarket in a fortnight, but unfortunately...

Sunday, Leopardstown, post time: 15:55, BALLYLINCH STUD RED ROCKS STAKES-G3, €42,000, 3yo, c/g, 7f 42yT Field: Power Blue (Ire) (Space Blues {Ire}), Dorset (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Flushing Meadows (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Geryon (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Iron Lily (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Mumhan (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Redemption Road (GB) (Without Parole {GB}), The Publican's Son (Beau Liam), Thesecretadversary (Ire) (St Mark's Basilica {Fr}), Trojan Warrior (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Warsaw (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). TDN Analysis: With both Gewan and Publish out of the 2,000 Guineas picture with different degrees...

Although it is only April, the Classic season starts with a bang, as Hanshin hosts the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) over 1600 metres on Sunday. The highlight of the race is the 2025 Japanese Champion Juvenile Filly Star Anise (Drefong). She defeated Garavogue (Lord Kanaloa) in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies en route to 2025 Japanese Champion Two-Year-Old Filly honours. However, the champ has yet to grace a racecourse in 2026 and makes her seasonal bow in the first Classic of the year from stall 15 in the...

Sunday, Hanshin, Japan, post time: 15:30, OKA SHO (JAPANESE 1000 GUINEAS)-G1, ¥266,000,000, 3yo, f, 1600mT Field: Festival Hill (Jpn) (Saturnalia {Jpn}), Saint Antoine (Jpn) (Drefong), Dear Diamond (Jpn) (Saturnalia {Jpn}), Elegance Ask (Jpn) (Poetic Flare {Ire}), Garavogue (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), I Need You (Jpn) (Fine Needle {Jpn}), Alankar (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), Longing Celine (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}), Rule The Wave (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), Namura Cosmos (Jpn) (Danon Premium {Jpn}), Zippy Tune (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), Sweet Happiness (Jpn) ({Jpn}), Lily Joie (Jpn) (Silver State {Jpn}), Dream Core (Jpn) (Kizuna...