Red Letter (GB)

Making history on York's Knavesmire on Thursday, Jeff Smith's See The Fire (Sea The Stars) became the first to win the G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies' Stakes for a second time. Always travelling with menace stalking the multiple Group 1 winner Fallen Angel (Too Darn Hot), the Andrew Balding-trained homebred was let loose by Oisin Murphy approaching two out and held Red Letter (Frankel) at bay to score by 3/4 of a length. Diamond Rain (Shamardal) was a further 1 1/4 lengths away in third. "It was so tactical, we went really,...

With her winning momentum abruptly halted last time, many would have made the presumption that Barnavara (Calyx) was at a plateau but Alpha Racing's flagbearer was not having any of that on Sunday. Ruthlessly dominant in The Curragh's G2 Moyglare Jewels Blandford Stakes, the 6-1 shot had the notable yardsticks One Look (Gleneagles) and Red Letter (Frankel) trailing in her wake as she registered a third Stakes win under Shane Foley. "She's a fantastic filly and is improving all the time," trainer Jessica Harrington said. "She's a big filly and...

One of the favourites for the 1,000 Guineas, Juddmonte's TDN Rising Star Red Letter (Frankel) is being slowly built back up by Ger Lyons and his patience paid off on Wednesday as the talented filly captured the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Cairn Rouge Stakes. Denied by her classy peer Barnavara in Navan's Listed Kooyonga Stakes last month, the 8-11 favourite had to work again for Colin Keane but mastered Fiery Lucy (Without Parole) close home to score by half a length in the mile feature. "She's a filly we've...

In what is teed up to be a potentially stellar renewal of Newmarket's G1 Betfred 1,000 Guineas on Sunday, Godolphin's TDN Rising Star Desert Flower and Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Lake Victoria head a cast of ten. As in the 2,000 Guineas, Aidan O'Brien has just one contender in the unbeaten triple top-level-winning daughter of Frankel, having withdrawn his other three entries including Bedtime Story and Exactly, and her meeting with the Charlie Appleby-trained G1 Fillies' Mile-winning daughter of Night Of Thunder is one to relish. Other notables include another Frankel special in Juddmonte's...

Following Monday's confirmation stage, 17 colts remain in contention for Saturday's Betfred 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, headed by the impressive G3 Craven Stakes winner Field Of Gold (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). The potential field is down from the 24-strong group who stood their ground at the latest entry stage, with last year's G2 Coventry Stakes scorer Rashabar (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and G1 Futurity Trophy hero Hotazhell (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) featuring among those who were taken out of the race on Monday. Aomori City (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}),...

Ante-post favourite Field Of Gold (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) could be Juddmonte's sole representative in the Betfred 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, Barry Mahon revealed on Wednesday. Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Field Of Gold is currently one of four entries for Juddmonte in the first British Classic of the season, alongside stable-mate Detain (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Andrew Balding's G3 Greenham Stakes winner Jonquil (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and the unbeaten Cosmic Year (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who made it two from two for the Harry Charlton yard when recently...

The Lion In Winter (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was the most notable absentee as the latest entries for the first two British Classics of the season were released on Tuesday. A total of 24 colts remain in contention for the Betfred 2,000 Guineas, while the number of possible runners in the Betfred 1,000 Guineas has been whittled down to 17, before any supplementary entries. Aidan O'Brien confirmed last week that The Lion In Winter was an unlikely runner at Newmarket, with all roads instead leading to the G2 Dante...

Group winner Field Of Gold (Ire) anchors the Juddmonte Classic brigade, and he is pointing to a start in the G3 Craven Stakes at Newmarket, according to racing manager Barry Mahon. The G3 Solario Stakes-winning son of Kingman (GB) won second out at Newmarket last July. After his group tally in August, the John and Thady Gosden trainee went on to finish fourth in soft going in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere in the autumn. He will be joined by Harry Charlton's fellow Kingman colt Cosmic Year (GB), who won...

Following on from Sean Cronin's feature published on Thursday, below are my pick of bright prospects from the armada of 'TDN Rising Stars' from 2024. Unsurprisingly, there were several from Ballydoyle among the total of headline-grabbing 2-year-olds breaking their maidens in style and I have chosen one in particular that I feel has the potential to be another of their "special" brigade. Twain (Ire) is a direct descendant of the great Urban Sea (Miswaki) and was one of a clutch by Wootton Bassett (GB) to take off last term. Not...

As expected, undefeated Group 1 winner Babouche (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) is targeting the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes, with Ger Lyons stablemate Red Letter (GB) (Frankel {GB}) set to resurface on Irish Champions Weekend, according to Juddmonte's European racing manager Barry Mahon. Three-for-three in her young career, the daughter of Pavlosk (Arch) won her Cork debut, before claiming the G3 Anglesey Stakes a month later and the G1 Phoenix Stakes earlier this month.  Twice-raced Curragh maiden winner Red Letter will resume in either the Listed Ingabelle Stakes or the G1 Moyglare...

Juddmonte's Red Letter (GB) (Frankel {GB}--Red Impression {GB}, by Dark Angel {Ire}) had already shown that she is a top-drawer prospect with impressive late fractions on her seven-furlong Curragh debut last month and merely confirmed that with another scintillating performance to become her sire's 42nd TDN Rising Star on Sunday. Narrowly denied by Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Lake Victoria (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) when storming home late on her racecourse bow, the Ger Lyons-trained homebred was sent straight to the lead this time by Colin Keane. Never in any danger with...

The Curragh's three-day Irish Derby fixture is more often than not the place to discover future Classic contenders at first glance and Friday's Kildare House Hotel Irish EBF Fillies Maiden looks to have played host to two potentially top-class daughters of Frankel (GB) in Lake Victoria (Ire) and Red Letter (GB). In a thrilling finale to the seven-furlong contest between the regally-bred debutantes, it was the former who edged it to earn TDN Rising Star status and make Ballydoyle's cup run over when it comes to exciting 2-year-old fillies. The...