St Mark's Basilica

4.40 Newbury, Novice, 3yo, f, 9fT MANAAR (IRE) (St Mark's Basilica {Fr}) is an intriguing debutante for Shadwell and William Haggas, being a half-sister to the stable's four-times Group 1 winner Dubai Honour (Pride Of Dubai). A 370,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase, she faces a clutch of bluebloods including the Thoroughbred Racing Corporation's Leicester winner Miss Scott (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), a John and Thady Gosden-trained half-sister to the smart fillies Grand Stars (Sea The Stars) and Catalina Delcarpio (Lope De Vega) who was a 650,000gns purchase also...

2.33 Saint-Cloud, Debutantes, 3yo, 10fT ESTIMA (FR) (St Mark's Basilica {Fr}) is an intriguing member of a three-strong cast representing the Wertheimers in this race, being a half-sister to the four-times Group 1 winner and Classic hero Paddington by St Mark's Basilica's sire Siyouni. Christophe Ferland introduces her against mainly colts, one of which is the operation's Awick (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), an Andre Fabre-trained son of the Prix Jean Prat-placed Gold Luck (Redoute's Choice) from the family of Goldikova (Anabaa), while The Aga Khan Studs have Zaribiyan (Ire) (Medaglia d'Oro),...

Group 1 sire Home Affairs will stand for a roster-leading A$176,000 at Coolmore Australia later this year. Already the sire of four stakes winners from his first crop, the son of I Am Invincible gained a G1 Golden Slipper winner earlier this year in the form of Guest House. Coolmore's nominations & sales manager, Colm Santry, said, "Home Affairs has made the perfect start to his career. To produce a Golden Slipper-winning colt in his first crop is a remarkable achievement and speaks volumes about what he is capable of....

3.07 Leopardstown, Listed, 4yo/up, 8fT THE LION IN WINTER (IRE) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is the star turn in this Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Heritage Stakes as Aidan O'Brien looks to provide him with an early confidence boost following a three-year-old campaign that remarkably yielded no wins. Favourite for the Derby at this stage last year, he ended up showing his best at seven furlongs and a mile with four placings at the highest level including a close third in the Breeders' Cup Mile. 1.22 Leopardstown, Mdn, 3yo, f,...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features a likely Derby prospect. 4.50 The Curragh, Mdn, 3yo, 10fT GEORGE STUBBS (IRE) (Camelot {GB}) is the pick of Ryan Moore of the duo from Ballydoyle and as a half-brother to Galileo's Criterium International hero and Melbourne Cup runner-up Johannes Vermeer and dual Group 1-placed Wembley...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a daughter of Midday (Oasis Dream). 3.40 Saint-Cloud, Debutantes, 3yo, f, 10fT REGAL CHIME (GB) (St Mark's Basilica {Fr}) is the ninth foal out of Juddmonte's outstanding racemare and high-class producer Midday (Oasis Dream), whose previous progeny include the dual Group 3 winner Midterm (Galileo) and...

We're sliding down the scale slightly for this second part of our look at the sires standing across Europe to those with an advertised fee of £15,000 to £50,000 (approximately €17,000 to €57,000). And how can we not start with the champion sire of 2024, Dark Angel? At €45,000, his fee is the lowest it has been for a decade, and of course the years are marching on, but if there is one thing we have learnt about Dark Angel in his 18 seasons at Yeomanstown Stud it is that...

A St Mark's Basilica half-sister to G1 Prix de l'Opera winner Barnavara (Calyx) has been added to the Tattersalls December Foal Sale as a wild card entry. Consigned by Awbeg Stud, the February-born filly out of the Kentucky Dynamite mare Alfea will be offered on the Friday of the sale as lot 895A. Her yearling half-sister by Blackbeard was sold for 450,000gns at Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale.  The further family includes leading sire Lope De Vega, who is a half-brother to the foal's third dam Bal De...

No Nay Never heads the Coolmore roster for the 2026 breeding season at €100,000, while the G1 Coral-Eclipse and G1 Irish Champion Stakes winner Delacroix, a son of Dubawi and the outstanding racemare Tepin, has been introduced at €40,000. Only the late Wootton Bassett has sired more individual Group-winning juveniles in Europe this year than No Nay Never, whose standout two-year-olds have included the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes heroine True Love and the G2 Norfolk Stakes winner Charles Darwin. The G1 City Of York Stakes scorer Never So Brave has...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features the ninth foal of Lilly Langtry. 1.45 Thurles, Mdn, 2yo, f, 8f 44yT MOTHER'S DAY (IRE) (Frankel {GB}) is the ninth foal out of Danehill Dancer's Coronation and Matron heroine Lillie Langtry who has proven a revelation for Coolmore by providing a trio of Classic-winning Galileo...

It can be easy to read the headlines from Book 1 and conclude that this is a sale for the big boys and, unless you have millions in the bank, you cannot compete.  Pinhooker Fearghal Hogan put that theory in the bin on Wednesday when a St Mark's Basilica colt that he bought for €120,000 sold for a whopping 800,000gns to Amo Racing.  It was the type of pinhooking profit that left Hogan puffing for air down in the gangway as the numbers kept on climbing. And when the gavel...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a son of dual Group 1 winner Amazing Maria (Mastercraftsman). 5.48 Naas, Debutantes, 2yo, 7fT PORT FERDINAND (IRE) (Camelot {GB}) is a son of the Falmouth, Prix Rothschild and Duke of Cambridge Stakes winner Amazing Maria (Mastercraftsman) and is one of two runners for Ballydoyle in...