Sealiway

Guy Pariente is a happy man as we meet in his office, just 10 days ahead of the Arqana August Yearling Sale. He has just been delivered the golden horse statue that symbolises his first title as champion breeder in France, earned in 2020. The award came as a landmark achievement, yet by no means as a surprise to the 65-year-old.  "It's been ten years since I set myself the goal of topping the breeders' rankings. Everyone thought I was joking, but I wasn't. In 2019 I came third, so...

Europe's Derby circuit heads from Epsom to Chantilly in the space of 24 hours, with Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club offering a different type of test to its English counterpart without compromising on the degree of challenge. Run right-handed over 10 1/2 furlongs, with the draw all-important heading straight to the first turn, the €1.5 million prize is on its own as a unique "Derby" experience. Since the distance was shortened--controversially to some--from the traditional mile and a half in 2005, a trio of colts have completed a...

For the eleventh time, Aidan O'Brien was responsible for the European Champion 2-year-old, with St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) having topped the official classifications for 2020 on a mark of 120. The colt, a half-brother to 2000 Guineas winner and young Coolmore stallion Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), is the seventh consecutive winner of the G1 Darley Dewhurst S. to be named as the top-rated juvenile in Europe. St Mark's Basilica's stable-mate Wembley (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was runner-up in both the Dewhurst and the G1 Goffs Vincent...

The Juveniles The dark clouds had gathered come Ireland's opening turf fixture of the year at Naas in March, with the meeting held behind closed doors and giving rise to now customary scenes. As the curtain was raised, an oft-repeated sketch unfolded with Jim Bolger homebred Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) annexing the first juvenile event of the year, a feat which the trainer had previously achieved on multiple occasions including with Poetic Flare's sire in 2012. Normal service resumed but, then again, not. The global pandemic soon tightened...