St Mark's Basilica

There was much consternation when only three new Flat stallions retired to stand in Britain for the 2025 season. It remains to be seen whether this was a blip, but if it becomes a trend then obviously it is cause for concern. It is easy to understand why, in an increasingly commercial sphere, breeders would either flock to the proven elite (for those with mares good enough and pockets deep enough) or to the next first-season sire on the block who may be forgiven for a year or two until...

Fresh from Thursday's Group-race breakthrough with G2 May Hill Stakes heroine Aylin, the St Mark's Basilica bandwagon looks set to roll on through this weekend, with the first-season sire set to be represented by big-race runners everywhere from Doncaster to Woodbine. Thesecretadversary, the first black-type winner for his sire in last month's Listed Churchill Stakes at Tipperary, is set to line up in Saturday's GI Summer Stakes over in Canada for Fozzy Stack. There he'll have the assistance of one Frankie Dettori, the man who rode St Mark's Basilica to...

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 half-brother to multiple Group 1 winner Quadrilateral (Frankel). 16.10 Newbury, £40,000, Nov, 2yo, 7fT Juddmonte homebred SLIGHT OF FOOT (GB) (Kingman {GB}), a Harry Charlton-trained half-brother to G1 Fillies' Mile heroine Quadrilateral (GB) (Frankel {GB}), faces nine in this first go. They include Jeff Smith's...

Haras de Beaufay manager Sebastien Bloyet is next in the hot seat. Bloyet joined the famous stud farm a little under a year ago and says he is looking forward to offering a St Mark's Basilica colt [lot 13] at the Arqana August Sale this week. He shares all in TDN Europe's latest consignor Q&A ahead of the three-day sale which begins on Saturday in Deauville.  Can you tell us a little bit about the background of your consignment? I took over my role at the Haras de Beaufay in...

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 the well-bred Hawk Mountain. 1.45 Curragh, Mdn, 2yo, 7fT HAWK MOUNTAIN (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) debuts for Ballydoyle in a maiden which has been won in recent times by Delacroix, Diego Velazquez, Al Riffa and Thunder Moon and is a key player as a son of...

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 Observations features a newcomer sporting the Wathnan Racing silks. 4.55 Goodwood, Mdn, £60,000, 2yo, f, 7fT PROPOSAL (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is an eye-catching newcomer in this maiden won in recent times by the likes of Dreamy and Rhododendron, being the second foal out of the G3 Blue Wind...

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. Friday's Observations features a seven-figure yearling. 4.10 Newmarket, Mdn, £25,000, 2yo, c/g, 7fT DISTANT STORM (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) bids to become Charlie Appleby's fourth winner of this important maiden since 2017, having topped the Arqana May Breeze-Up when selling for €1.9 million. A son of George Washington's...

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 a 'TDN Rising Star'. 2.40 Yarmouth, Novice, £9,950, 2yo, 7f 3yT MAN OF VISION (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) debuts for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby in the maiden the yard captured with the smart pair Naval Power and New Science in the last four years....

It's too soon, isn't it, to be thinking about this year's first-season sires? Well, not according to bookmaker Paddy Power, which has already released a market on this year's championship for Britain and Ireland, installing Starman (GB) as odds-on favourite to take the crown. There are a number of good reasons to imagine that this might be the case. For a start, the Group 1-winning sprinter stands at Tally-Ho Stud, which enjoys loyal support from many commercial breeders as well as backing their own stallions to the hilt. In recent...

Book 2 of the October Yearling Sale, which begins its three-day run this Monday, marks a welcome return to the consigning ranks of Daylesford Stud. Daylesford is a name synonymous with quality and it is not just the organic farmshop and luxury goods brand to which that label can be applied. The stud's owner, Lady Bamford, has long been a breeder of top-tier horses, her maroon colours having been carried to glory by two homebred Oaks winners since 2009 - Sariska (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and Soul Sister (GB) (Frankel {GB})....

By Emma Berry and Adam Houghton NEWMARKET, UK -- If Tuesday was Amo day, Wednesday was the day of Godolphin as Sheikh Mohammed's team, so often the dominant force at Book 1, hit top gear in signing for the top four lots and four of the five seven-figure horses of the second session. Amo Racing did not leave Park Paddocks on Wednesday empty-handed. Indeed, Kia Joorabchian added another seven yearlings to his eye-popping haul on the opening day, and his stated intention to recruit the best possible bloodlines in order...

At €65,000, St Mark's Basilica (Fr) was the most expensive horse to retire to stud in 2022, with a racetrack performance and pedigree that justified the fee. After all, he was the world-champion three-year-old, European champion two-year-old and Cartier Horse of the Year, with a race record that included five straight Group 1 wins, from the Dewhurst at two straight through to the Irish Champion Stakes the following autumn. By Siyouni (Fr) out of the Galileo (Ire) Group-winning mare Cabaret (Ire), he is a half-brother to the Classic winner Magna...