Sea the Stars

This year we have become accustomed to things becoming very different. On Monday it was announced that we shall have to get used to something else: next year there will be no John Oxx training at Currabeg on the edge of The Curragh, with the legendary Irish trainer having revealed his intention to retire at the end of November. Few readers of this publication will be able to recall such a situation, but even for those whose racing memories are restricted to some or all of the 42 seasons in...

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. Thursday's Insights features a pricy half-brother to G1SP Monarch of Egypt (American Pharoah). 3.40 Yarmouth, Novice, £6,300, 2yo, 8f 3yT FRANCESCO GUARDI (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is given a confidence boost in this four-runner affair, having finished third in Newbury's Listed Washington Singer S. last month. The Ballylinch Stud-bred and...

Sea The Sky (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), a full-sister to wide-margin G1 Deutsches Derby winner and Lanwades Stud stallion Sea The Moon (Ger), sold for €820,000 at Germany's BBAG Yearling Sale to Dietrich Von Boetticher's Gestut Ammerland. Offered as lot 61 by her breeders Heike Bischoff and Niko Lafrentz of Gestut Gorlsdorf, the February-born filly is out of Sanwa (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), herself a full-sister to the German Classic-winning trio of Samum (Ger), Schiaparelli (Ger) and Salve Regina (Ger). Sea The Sky's price equalled the record for the sale...

BADEN-BADEN, Germany—A new record was set at last year's BBAG Yearling Sale when a Sea The Stars filly bred by Gregor and Julia Baum at Gestut Brummerhof sold for €820,000 to Godolphin. On the sales ground on Thursday, another filly by the Aga Khan Studs stallion was receiving plenty of attention at the Gestut Gorlsdorf draft, which was no surprise considering lot 61 is a full-sister to wide-margin Deutsches Derby winner Sea The Moon (Ger), who is now one of the most popular young stallions in Europe. Already named Sea...

It was 11 years ago that Xtension (Ire) (Xaar {GB}) became only the second group winner for his trainer Clive Cox when landing the G2 Veuve Clicquot Vintage S. under Adam Kirby. In the intervening years, Cox and Kirby have become a force to be reckoned with, particularly in the major sprint contests and often with horses bought relatively inexpensively by the trainer. Xtension was himself a €15,000 yearling purchase from his breeder Paul McCartan of Ballyphilip Stud, and he was later sold on as a 3-year-old to race in...

Back in April, when major sporting events across the world were being cancelled left, right and centre, the management team at the Queen's racecourse took the decision that, if racing had resumed in time, Royal Ascot would go ahead behind closed doors. The announcement was met with incredulity in some quarters, particularly by those keen to blame the spread of coronavirus on the Cheltenham Festival, but thank goodness Ascot stuck to its resolve to go ahead, even in extraordinary circumstances. Of course the meeting lost some of its lustre, just...

The terms `best' and `favorite' are typically two subjective concepts when it comes the Thoroughbred racehorse. The TDN's Gary King reached out to key players from different facets of the industry to hear their thoughts. Email Gary King (garyking@thetdn.com) to have your say. CHRISTIE DEBERNARDIS, TDN Over the past seven years at the TDN, I have been blessed to witness many of racing's greats, which I thought would make it very difficult to choose just one. But, when given this assignment, there was one horse who immediately came to mind,...

The Frankie Dettori show, which diverted to Killarney midweek, moves on to The Curragh on Saturday with 'TDN Rising Star' Star Catcher (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) the key actress in the G1 Kerrygold Irish Oaks. Untried in Classic company unlike some of her contemporaries, Anthony Oppenheimer's homebred proved her quality with a defeat of the G1 Epsom Oaks third Fleeting (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in a strong renewal of the G2 Ribblesdale S. at Royal Ascot June 20. Staying on powerfully at the end of her first try at a...