Purplepay (Fr)
Four horses trained by William Haggas are in good form in advance of planned starts in Australia in the coming weeks. Competing on Saturday are Roy and Gretchen Jackson's Lael Stables colourbearer Purplepay (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), who will run in the 1500-metre G1 Coolmore Classic at Rosehill Gardens. "They're lovely people and this filly came to us by accident really," said Haggas, who has already saddled three-time Australian Group 1 winner Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) Down Under. "She was bought to go to the States and then missed her flight...
The Curragh's G1 Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly S. takes centre stage on Sunday and it is a strong renewal, with the G1 Prix d'Ispahan and G2 Dahlia S. winner Dreamloper (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) tackling several others who have pretensions at attaining that level. This is the first time that the 5-year-old will tackle a mile and a quarter, but her emphatic display over nine furlongs and 55 yards in the G1 Prix d'Ispahan at ParisLongchamp on May 29 suggests it is time to try. Trainer Ed Walker is hoping...
Lael Stable's Purplepay (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) garnered a bumper pot when running away with the Haras de Bouquetot Criterium Arqana on ParisLongchamp's Arc Saturday card and closed last term under the stewardship of Cedric Rossi with a third in Saint-Cloud's Oct. 23 G1 Criterium International. Making her debut for new connections in last month's G1 Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh, having been knocked down for €2-million at last year's Arqana December sale, she finished sixth there and rebounded in style to salute in Sunday's G2 Prix de Sandringham going...
Sunday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas has attracted a final field for 14 with Godolphin's Wild Beauty (GB) (Frankel {GB}) the only filly not to stand her ground at Friday's declaration stage. Her absence leaves Coolmore and Westerberg's G1 1000 Guineas third Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), one of four nominees from the Aidan O'Brien stable seeking a fourth straight renewal, as the lone contender representing Newmarket's Classic form. The ante-post favourite has drawn stall three, with stablemates History (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Concert Hall (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) to her immediate...
A 1/50th share in young sire Zarak (Fr) will be offered as lot 1 in the upcoming Arqana Online January Sale. Slated for Jan. 13 from 3-5 p.m. French time, the sale also features a breeding right in Territories (Ire) (lot 2); a half-share (1/100th) in Al Wukair (Fr) (lot 3); the listed placed broodmare Becquascenthe (Fr) (Nombre Premier {GB}) (lot 4); and a trio of National Hunt horses-in-training. His Highness The Aga Khan's Zarak was the leading first-season sire in France in 2021, and among his 18 2-year-old winners...
The latest Auctav Flash Sale concluded on Thursday, with G1 Criterium International third Purplepay (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) unsold at €1,350,000 and 3-year-old gelding Milldam (Fr) (Martaline {GB}) knocked down for €145,000 to Lucy Snowden. Placed three times hurdling, Milldam (lot 1) is from the family of Dayladam (Fr) (Cyborg {Fr}) and Polidam (Fr) (Trempolino). He will be trained by Jamie Snowden and is bound for the Cheltenham Festival. Co-owners Jean-Pierre Dubois and Ecurie Hunter Valley will be keeping Purplepay (lot 2). Trained by Cedric Rossi, the filly has only been...
The latest Auctav Flash Sale saw winning 3-year-old gelding Icone d'Aubrelle (Fr) (Cokoriko {Fr}) bring €150,000 from Highflyer Bloodstock. A winner at Bordeaux-le-Bouscat, Icone d'Aubrelle is from a versatile Aga Khan female family that has performed with credit on the Flat and over jumps. "He's not a particularly precocious horse but he has a lot of improvement. I really liked when he won in Bordeaux after making a huge mistake at the penultimate hurdle. He will have a break for six months to let him grow and strengthen. He will...