Sandown

2.48 Sandown, Mdn, 2yo, 7fT Godolphin's 1.9-million guineas October Book 1 graduate KING'S WELCOME (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) debuts for the Charlie Appleby stable successful in this last year with subsequent G2 Superlative Stakes victor Saba Desert (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). His six rivals include the George Boughey-trained Kaito (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who is a half-brother to the multiple Group-placed dual Listed winner Boiling Point (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}); Richard Hannon nominee Il Capo (Ire) (Supremacy {Ire}), who is kin to G3 Anglesey Stakes victrix Kairyu (Ire) (Kuroshio {Aus}); and...

If it weren't for messrs Bow Echo and Gstaad, Talk Of New York may have been the talk of Royal Ascot if the way the son of Wootton Bassett went through Sandown's Listed Heron Stakes is a guide. So impressive was Godolphin's much-vaunted son of the high-class Usherette (Shamardal) on Thursday evening, he may even be able to upset the big two or at least get in the argument in the St James's Palace Stakes for which this race is always a key guide. Produced to storm clear of his Horris Hill-winning...

Thursday, Sandown, post time: 19:12, THE STAR SPORTS BRIGADIER GERARD STAKES-G3, £95,000, 4yo/up, 9f 209yT Field: Ombudsman (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Almeric (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}), Arabian Light (Kingman), Bedouin Prince (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), Gethin (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB) (Kameko). TDN Analysis: Not razor-sharp and burdened with a seven-pound penalty, Ombudsman could be vulnerable again here as he was 12 months ago, but there is no Almaqam in the line-up so he might just get away with it. Almeric's progession seems to have halted and he...

Thursday, Sandown, post time: 19:12, THE STAR SPORTS BRIGADIER GERARD STAKES-G3, £95,000, 4yo/up, 9f 209yT Field: Ombudsman (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Almeric (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}), Arabian Light (Kingman), Bedouin Prince (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), Gethin (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB) (Kameko). TDN Analysis: Not razor-sharp and burdened with a seven-pound penalty, Ombudsman could be vulnerable again here as he was 12 months ago, but there is no Almaqam in the line-up so he might just get away with it. Almeric's progession seems to have halted and he...

Sandown's "Wild Card" Fillies' Novice Stakes has such a glowing history when it comes to the Oaks that it even guarantees automatic entry to the Epsom Classic and that is where Felicitas (Teofilo) is heading after becoming a TDN Rising Star, Presented by Hagyard. Despite having beaten an interesting yardstick in Allaire (Study Of Man) on debut at Lingfield in December, TBT Racing's 150,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase drifted to 11-1 for the 10-furlong contest but showed those odds all wrong once Kieran Shoemark committed passing the two pole....

Tricky in the preliminaries but as professional as it gets in the race itself, Shadwell's key three-year-old Raaheeb (Sea The Stars) stamped his class on Friday's G3 Sandown Classic Trial. Smartly away unlike Ballydoyle's 4-6 market-leader Action (Frankel), Baaeed's full-brother who earned TDN Rising Star status on his Ascot debut in September travelled strongly off the early pace under Rossa Ryan and when committed approaching two out had first run on his peers. Staying on powerfully to the line, the 5-1 second favourite who like his other full-sibling Hukum hails...

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...

Thursday, ParisLongchamp, France, post time: 16:27, PRIX DU PONT NEUF-Listed, €50,300, 3yo, 7fT Field: Synaran (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Alhaeba (Upstart), Pas Dansant (Fr) (Muhaarar {GB}), Mai Dire Mai (GB) (No Nay Never), Romanticon (GB) (Time Test {GB}), Noble D'Argent (Fr) (Romanised {Ire}), Acary (Fr) (Armor {GB}), Take Me On (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Rencontre Sportive (Fr) (Seabhac), Kenzel (Ire) (Zelzal {Fr}), Charming Zel (Fr) (Zelzal {Fr}), Valdorcia (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), Kozlovskha (Ire) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}), Royal Chapel (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Lady Tedsmore (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}), Sonatine...

After a rare three-way head-bob at the culmination of Saturday's G3 Solario Stakes at Sandown, Paul and Clare Rooney were celebrating as the 2-1 favourite A Bit Of Spirit (Palace Pier) prevailed by the smallest of margins. Locked in a tussle to the line with Oceans Four (Zoustar) and Humidity (Ulysses), the son of Darley's red-hot first-crop sire who had been second in the Listed Pat Eddery Stakes and Listed Stonehenge Stakes was ultimately inches in front where it counts. Two nose margins told the tale, with Godolphin's Pacific Avenue...

Unbeaten in four starts but absent since the Listed Prix Petite Etoile in December, Lady Of Spain (Phoenix Of Spain) was back with a bang on Saturday as she added Sandown's G3 Atalanta Stakes to her tally. Giving generously to Ray Dawson to subdue Blue Bolt (Blue Point) close home, the Roger Varian-trained 14-1 shot asserted to score by half a length. "Obviously she's not run for a while, had never been on turf and was encountering soft ground, so there were a lot of questions we asked of her...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features a pricy sales grad. 4.10 Sandown, Mdn, 2yo, f, 7fT ACT OF KINDNESS (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) was the third-highest-priced yearling sold at last year's Tattersalls October Book 1 bonanza at 3.7million gns by virtue of the fact that she is a half-sister to the Fillies' Mile...

The G3 Solario Stakes betting market was thrown into disarray late on Friday evening when the news broke that the favoured Publish (Kingman), representing John and Thady Gosden and Juddmonte, had been withdrawn due to unsuitable ground. The Gosdens will still be keenly observing the result, however, even though none of the remaining trainers are within shouting distance of John Gosden's record seven wins. With Publish's defection and G1 2000 Guineas implications on the line, step forward Pacific Avenue (Dubawi) into poll position. Tagged a 'TDN Rising Star', the Godolphin...