Sea the Stars (Ire)

Charlie Appleby's juveniles are really starting to come to the fore and Flying Honours (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was the latest to shine brightly as he earned TDN Rising Star status with a 9 1/2-length success in Sandown's British Stallion Studs EBF Novice S. on Wednesday. Sent off the 2-5 favourite for the seven-furlong contest won 12 months ago by El Bodegon (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), having finished fourth in the Newmarket July Festival maiden won by TDN Rising Star Epictetus (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), the son of the G3 Prix...

It takes a real good one to make Goodwood's G1 Qatar Sussex S.--a "Win And You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile--look like a piece of strong work, but then all who assembled on the Downs on Wednesday have come to expect nothing less by now from Shadwell's stellar miler Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Like the champions Rock of Gibraltar (Ire) and Frankel (GB), who stopped off here as they devoured group 1s, the peerless homebred is almost running his own virtual reality race against them by...

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. Friday's Observations features a son of Group 1 winner Thistle Bird (GB) (Selkirk). 1.15 Newmarket, Mdn, £15,000, 2yo, c/g, 7fT EPICTETUS (IRE) (Kingman {GB}) is one of the key members of this boutique maiden full of illustriously-bred types, being a son of the G1 Pretty Polly S. winner Thistle...

Gaining some compensation for her controversial disqualification from third place in last Sunday's G1 Pretty Polly S., Robert Moran's Rosscarbery (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) edged out Emily Dickinson (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in a pulsating finale to Thursday's G3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Stanerra S. at Leopardstown. Always travelling strongly on the outer halfway down the field, the Paddy Twomey-trained 15-8 favourite struck for home passing two out and found the line a short head in front of Ballydoyle's unexposed runner. The print showed that Billy Lee had prevailed by...

The Queen's 2023 G1 Derby entry Desert Hero (GB) (Sea The Stars (Ire)--Desert Breeze {GB}, by Dubawi {Ire}) brushed aside early aggravation in Thursday's Tuffx Glass EBF Novice S. at Haydock and closed out the seven-furlong contest with panache to earn 'TDN Rising Stardom' for the relentless William Haggas stable. The 4-1 third choice engaged in light scrimmaging at the break and was detached from the leaders in seventh until easing closer in the straight. Shaken up when moving into contention approaching the quarter-mile marker, he quickened smartly to gain...

If Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) could talk, and by now it's almost as if he can, he would probably sound like Ali as he approaches his own version of the legendary "Rumble In the Jungle" at an Ascot with a suitably high reading on the thermometor. "I'm gonna dance!" he would shout. "There's nothing to be scared of." Whether he's been busy handcuffing lightning or chopping down trees ahead of his great hour fighting to regain his title in Thursday's G1 Gold Cup only connections know, but his...

Tuesday's curtain-raiser to the Platinum Jubilee Royal Ascot 2022 went as planned, with Shadwell's Baaeed (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) carrying on his winning streak in the G1 Queen Anne S. in the kind of straightforward fashion that is his hallmark. With the G1 Lockinge S. runner-up Real World (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) taking it to him this time up the centre of the track, the 1-6 favourite was forced to engage with that rival more than he had done at Newbury but while the final margin was narrowed, the...

Royal Ascot 2022 will kick off with the cream of the crop, as Shadwell's Baaeed (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) was confirmed Sunday for the meeting's opening G1 Queen Anne S.. William Haggas' unbeaten 4-year-old has six rivals to deal with as he looks to cement his place at the head of the World's Best Racehorse Rankings having got there with an emphatic return win from the re-opposing Real World (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the G1 Lockinge S. at Newbury May 14. It hasn't escaped anyone's attentions that he...

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. Sunday's Observations features a half-brother to Group 1 winner Ultra (Ire) (Manduro {Ger}). 2.12 Doncaster, £7,800, Mdn, 2yo, 7f 6yT MODERN DANCER (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is a notable Godolphin debutante, being a half-brother to the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere-winning sire Ultra (Ire) (Manduro {Ger}) from the late Gerald Leigh's...

Choosing her own third birthday to bring Aidan O'Brien a record 41st British Classic, Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Lillie Langtry {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) inched out TDN Rising Star Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in a thriller for Friday's G1 Cazoo Oaks at Epsom. Third in the 1000 Guineas and runner-up in the Irish equivalent, the homebred who was a 13-2 shot to emulate her full-sister Minding (Ire) arrived from rear to grab the lead inside the final two furlongs and had her nose in front on the line...

Shadwell's homebred 5-year-old entire Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}--Aghareed, by Kingmambo) struck four times at Group 3 level in 2020 and 2021 before annexing Meydan's Mar. 5 G2 Dubai City of Gold and went postward for his European return in Friday's G1 Dahlbury Coronation Cup at Epsom coming back off a seventh in March's G1 Dubai Sheema Classic. Stepping out of the shadow of his hitherto unbeaten full-brother Baaeed (GB), he was unmatched in the closing stages of the 12-furlong contest and powered clear of a select field to...

Sunderland Holdings' 190,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling Sea Silk Road (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) backed up a Dec. 15 debut sixth at Kempton with an impressive 5 1/2-length tally going an extended mile at Nottingham in her May 6 sophomore comeback and continued on an upward trajectory with a hard-fought victory in Friday's Listed William Hill Height of Fashion S. at Goodwood. The 11-10 chalk and G2 Ribblesdale S. entry is not engaged in Epsom's G1 Cazoo Oaks, for which this contest has acted as a stepping stone...