Shamardal

Godolphin's Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal) suffered a first defeat in Deauville's G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest last month and last term's G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. hero bounced back in style, under a supremely confident Mickael Barzalona, to garner Sunday's G3 Qatar Prix du Pin at ParisLongchamp. Settled off fast early fractions in seventh after breaking to the fore, the 9-10 pick made smooth headway on the bridle into contention passing the quarter-mile marker and unleashed a familiar burst once shaken up for the lead with 150 metres...

His Highness The Aga Khan's Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal), who annexed the G2 Blandford S. on this weekend last year, defeated this semester's Blandford victress Cayenne Pepper (Ire) (Australia {GB}) when successful in last month's G3 Give Thanks S. at Cork. At the top of her game for Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille over 12 furlongs at ParisLongchamp, she displayed an impressive turn of foot to down a stellar cast in taking fashion. Settled in rear for most of this stamina test, the 28-5 chance made eyecatching headway out wide 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. Wednesday's Insights features a son of MG1SW Rizeena (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}). 1.10 Doncaster, Mdn, £30,000, 2yo, 8fT Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum's LATEST GENERATION (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a son of G1 Moyglare Stud S. and G1 Coronation S. heroine Rizeena (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), gets a second chance to shed...

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 Insights features a half-brother to champion Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). 3.05 Ascot, Mdn, £18,000, 2yo, 7fT DERAB (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) is the ninth foal out of Concentric (GB) (Sadler's Wells) to represent Khalid Abdullah and the March-foaled bay starts out at the track at which his...

Godolphin's G1 Middle Park S. winner Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal), who lost his unbeaten record when fourth in last weekend's G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest going 6 1/2 furlongs, will step up to seven furlongs next out in the G3 Prix du Pin at ParisLongchamp on Sept. 13, said trainer Andre Fabre. Earthlight had been under consideration for the mile Classics but missed out after suffering a setback early in the season. He made his return in the six-furlong Listed Prix Kistena four weeks prior to the Maurice de Gheest. "What...

The catalogue for the Goffs Orby Sale, which includes a Sea The Stars (Ire) half-sister to a trio of Group 1 winners out of Theatrical (Ire) mare Green Room (lot 176), is now online. Numerous blue-blooded pedigrees make up the two-day sale, with 474 yearlings set to go under the hammer on Sept. 29-30. Sunday's G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. winner Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) is a €175,000 graduate of the Orby Sale. Ballylinch Stud will offer the 12th foal of the unraced Green Room, whose 2018 Galileo...

Brushing aside some talented 3-year-olds for a repeat success in Saturday's G3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Give Thanks S. at Cork, The Aga Khan's Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) served notice that she will be a force to be reckoned with in any company in 2020. Settled in mid-division on the rail by Oisin Orr, the 8-1 shot travelled easily and when switched delivered a strong effort down the outer to swamp the smooth-going 11-10 favourite Cayenne Pepper (Ire) (Australia {GB}) at the two pole. Quickly settling the issue, the homebred who...

Owen Burrows had enjoyed the limelight last Saturday when Tabdeed (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}) took the G3 Hackwood S. and he had something else to ponder a week on after Albasheer (Ire) (Shamardal) earned TDN Rising Star status at Doncaster. Starting the seven-furlong British Stallion Studs EBF Novice S. as a 17-2 shot, the chestnut was under restraint from David Probert from the break and suffered some barges as he tracked the group racing towards the rear. Shaken up to chase the fellow Shadwell representative Alablaq (Ire) (Lope de Vega...

A sea of blue dominated winner's enclosures in Britain and France this week, largely owing to the successful season currently being enjoyed by Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation and Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell team. The brothers occupy the top two slots in the owners' table in Britain, and Godolphin is also currently the leading owner in France. While Sheikh Mohammed has a significant number of horses in Chantilly with Andre Fabre, who oversaw the successful return of France's champion 2-year-old of last year, Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal), in the Listed Prix Kistena, it...

Dropping back to the seven-furlong trip over which he proved so dominant in 2019, Godolphin's Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) was duly back to winning ways in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix Jean Prat at Deauville. Vanquished at a mile when third in the G1 2000 Guineas and runner-up in the G1 St James's Palace S., the 3-5 favourite was buried in the pack early by William Buick and was at his previous best as he threaded through rivals to take command a furlong out. Threatened by one of last year's foes Lope...

Recovered from an injury which forced the abandonment of any and all plans for this term's rescheduled one-mile Classics, the belated reintroduction of Godolphin's homebred Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal) in Sunday's Listed Qatar Prix Kistena at Deauville was as straightforward as starting odds of 2-5 might suggest and the Andre Fabre trainee maintained his perfect record, going six-for-six, with an impressive 2 1/2-length dismissal of Wanaway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) in the six-furlong dash. Settled under cover in sixth after an alert departure from the outside stall, last term's G1 Prix Morny...

Godolphin's champion Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) and fellow MG1SW Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal) will not line up against one another in the July 12 G1 Prix Jean Prat, the Racing Post reported on Tuesday. The former, an unbeaten champion at two for trainer Charlie Appleby, ran third in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas early last month, before a runner-up performance in the G1 St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot on June 20. He will represent the royal blue in the Jean Prat, while Andre Fabre trainee Earthlight, who won the G1...