Sea the Stars

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. Today's Observations features a blueblood from the Moyglare Stud nursery. 4.25 Curragh, Debutantes, €16,500, 2yo, 7fT ECLAT DE LUMIERE (IRE) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) is one of several notable representatives of major breeding operations in this fascinating affair, hailing from the Dermot Weld stable seemingly well-equipped with talented juveniles...

Half-sisters to both of this year's Guineas winners in England have been catalogued for the Goffs Orby Sale, which takes place on Sept. 28 and 29. A total of 444 yearlings-all of which will be eligible for the Goffs Million, Europe's richest 2-year-old race, in 2022--have been assembled for Ireland's Premier Yearling Sale, which returns this year to its usual home at Goffs's Kildare Paddocks. Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire})'s half-sister from the first crop of U S Navy Flag will be consigned as lot 120 by Clare Castle...

Shadwell's highly progressive 3-year-old Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is likely to be seen next in the G1 Prix du Moulin at ParisLongchamp on Sept. 5, trainer William Haggas told Nick Luck's Daily Podcast. Baaeed is unbeaten in four tries, having built on victories at the maiden and novice level with a four-length triumph in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. at Newmarket on July 8, and with a 6 1/2-length score in the G3 Thoroughbred S. at Glorious Goodwood three weeks later. "We were very pleased with him...

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. Today's Observations features the daughter of a Juddmonte International-winning mare. 2.15 Doncaster, Mdn, £5,800, 2yo, 7f 6yT PRIVATE SIGNAL (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) was a 680,000gns purchase by Godolphin at the Tattersalls October Book 1 Sale, largely due to him being out of a half to the G1...

A small private stud in the heart of Germany provided one of the great stories of the 2020 racing season in Europe as the breeder of G1 Prix du Cadran winner Princess Zoe (Ger) (Jukebox Jury {Ire}). The graduates of Gestut Hony-Hof, which lies among remote woodland in the country's Hessen region to the north-east of Frankfurt, are more commonly seen running in the colours of the stud's owner Manfred Hellwig, whose purple-and-white silks are emblazoned with a giant H. Currently they are worn by three colts of this season's...

In addition to its resident sires including lynchpins Siyouni (Fr) and Sea The Stars (Ire), the Aga Khan Studs will lend support to the likes of Lope De Vega (Ire) and Frankel (GB), as well as unproven sires Too Darn Hot (GB) and Ghaiyyath (Ire), with its European broodmare band in 2021. One of the stars of the Aga Khan Studs broodmare band is undoubtedly the unbeaten G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe victress Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar). She is currently in foal to Siyouni and will visit Lope De Vega....

In a temporarily upside-down world, a comforting air of normality can be found in a perusal of the end-of-year stallion tables. To Benjamin Franklin's certainties of death and taxes, in this smaller world we can add just about the only sure thing in racing and bloodstock: Galileo (Ire) is champion sire. Perhaps the greatest compliment that can be paid to the King of Tipperary is the fact that, even at his home at Coolmore, the operation which naturally has free-flowing access to the supersire via some of the best mares...

NEWMARKET, UK-They say that necessity is the mother of invention. The very fact that Tattersalls is contriving to stage the December Sale, while adapting to the strictures of lockdown, attests to that axiom. And so, too, did the fact that the highest bid of the second session was made online--by someone who was actually on site, and could have dived into the ring in an emergency. That resourceful gentleman proved to be Gerard Lowry of Oneliner Stables, who emerged from the cloak of cyber anonymity after the hammer came down...

NEWMARKET, UK—Sending an Oaks winner to a Derby winner is no guarantee of success but it's a great place to start and it is a recipe which has worked in the recent past for Classic winners Australia (GB) and Sixties Icon (GB). Those connected with the top lot of the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale will be hoping for similar glory in two years' time for the Sea The Stars (Ire) colt out of Talent (GB) (New Approach {GB}), who was offered by his breeders James Rowsell and Mark Dixon through...

Sea The Stars (Ire), whose 14 group race winners in 2020 included Group 1 stars Stradivarius (Ire) and Miss Yoda (Ger), heads the Aga Khan rosters in Ireland and France and will stand once again for €150,000 at Gilltown Stud in 2021. Sea The Stars, whose standouts this year also included Group 2 winners like Fanny Logan (Ire), Terebellum (Ire) and Valia (Fr), is siring 12% stakes winners to runners and 66% winners to runners. Standing alongside Sea The Stars at Gilltown is his dual Derby winning son Harzand (Ire),...

DEAUVILLE, France—With a pedigree that certainly would not look out of place at Arqana's August Sale, Ecurie des Monceaux's Siyouni (Fr) colt out of Prudente (Fr) (Dansili {GB}) set a new October Sale record in Deauville when selling to Al Shaqab for €525,000. Hailing from the farm which supplied this year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass (Fr) by the same stallion, the April-foaled sale-topper (lot 157) became the subject of a bidding duel between Al Shaqab and Godolphin, with the Qatari operation placing a late final offer of...

One day after announcing his retirement from training, John Oxx opened up about the decision to Sky Sports Racing and reflected on a few of the best he has handled. "It's not something you decide to do overnight--it's been on our mind for a few years," Oxx said. "Now seems the right time as we don't really have enough horses to justify keeping going. It was a pretty easy decision to make as you have to have a viable business. "Trainers love to keep going, of course--we like what we...