York

Palace Pier has got off to a highly encouraging start at stud and his daughter Royal Fixation took it to the next level on Thursday when winning York's G2 Lowther Stakes. Runner-up in the G2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket's July Festival, Opulence Thoroughbreds' 5-2 joint-favourite had to come from off the pace under William Buick to get the other joint market-leader America Queen (Havana Grey) but was in command from the furlong pole en route to a length success. "She's very straightforward and did well in the circumstances at Newmarket, where we...

YORK, UK -- What a day, or perhaps that should be, oh, what a Night. Fresh from providing the €3m top lot at Arqana on Monday, Night Of Thunder was by Wednesday ruling the Knavesmire, courtesy of his sons Ombudsman and Gewan. In Ombudsman, Godolphin and the Gosdens have the classic late improver, who set about his racing in the middle of last season and burst onto the Group 1 scene in impressive fashion at Royal Ascot. The narrowest of defeats in the Eclipse next time out did little to...

For a long while in Wednesday's G1 Juddmonte International Stakes, it looked as if we would have another pacemaker summer shock but ultimately the class of Godolphin's Prince of Wales's Stakes winner Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder) told once again and common sense prevailed on the Knavesmire. Blessed with the best acceleration of the sextet, the Gosdens' 7-4 favourite was the first to claw back the operation's rabbit Birr Castle (Cloth Of Stars), who was proverbially in another district under Rab Havlin turning for home, and register a 3 1/2-length defeat of...

Bouncing back from two disappointing Derby displays, the Aykroyds' Pride Of Arras (New Bay) showed the benefit of a gelding operation and a return to a track on which he excels to land Wednesday's G2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes at York. Sent off at 12-1 despite his impressive Dante success here in May, the Ralph Beckett-trained homebred who had failed to fire at Epsom and The Curragh stayed on powerfully to take control approaching the furlong pole and beat the similarly-penalised Queen's Vase winner Carmers (Wootton Bassett). Where Lambourn...

Emulating Andrew Balding's former star Chaldean on Wednesday, Al Rabban Racing's Gewan (Night Of Thunder) came from the same Newbury novice to capture York's G3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes, an automatic qualifier for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Always prominent under P J McDonald throughout the seven-furlong contest, the 11-2 shot saw off Ballydoyle's Italy (Wootton Bassett) to score by 1 1/2 lengths, with 3 1/4 lengths back to the disappointing 11-20 favourite Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder) in third. "He was very well bought by Billy Jackson-Stops, as...

York's Knavesmire is the battleground for Europe's elite over the next four days, with the Ebor Festival playing out on the flat expanse as renowned for its uncomplicated nature as the folk who emanate from the county. Fair and upfront in true Yorkshire spirit, the track which sealed the reputation of City Of Troy 12 months ago will make or break the leading protagonists of the four Group 1 races staged over the piece, including the newly-upgraded City Of York on Saturday, Britain's first seven-furlong event in this category. That...

Surprise G1 Sussex Stakes hero Qirat (Showcasing) has been supplemented for the G1 Sky Bet City Of York Stakes this coming Saturday. The Juddmonte runner, supplemented for £40,000, will face the rerouted multiple Group 1 winner Rosallion (Blue Point) in the newly promoted Group 1. Trained by Ralph Beckett, Qirat was 150-1 in the Sussex. "It looks the right race for him and Ralph felt strongly about it," said Barry Mahon, racing manager for Juddmonte. "The owners are happy to go along with it, he showed plenty of pace in...

Smart juvenile Lady Iman was supplemented for the G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes on August 22. She is the first 2-year-old to be supplemented for the York sprint since Kingsgate Native (Mujadil) in 2007. Supplemented by her connections at a cost of £40,000, the G3 Molecomb Stakes heroine is one of 19 set to take part as of Saturday. Trained by Ger Lyons, the bay will be ridden by noted lightweight rider Joe Fanning. Joining the daughter of Starman is the fellow 2-year-old filly and supplement Spicy Marg (Starspanglebanner),...

One of two British-trained horses in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks after declarations on Friday, Estrange (Night Of Thunder) and her team are hopeful that some rain will increase her chances in the August 21 showpiece. A homebred for Cheveley Park Stud and trained by David O'Meara, the grey has won four of her five starts, with a victory in the G2 Lancashire Oaks last out at Haydock in July on her resume. "It depends which forecast you look at, and I am probably guilty of looking at the one I...

Delacroix (Dubawi) and Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder), first and second, respectively, in last month's G1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown, headline nine confirmations for Wednesday's G1 Juddmonte International at York. The Aidan O'Brien-trained Delacroix is one of three possible runners from Ballydoyle, along with dual Derby hero Lambourn (Australia) - who also holds an entry in the G2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes earlier on the card - and high-class filly Whirl (Wootton Bassett), the winner of the G1 Pretty Polly Stakes and G1 Nassau Stakes. Meanwhile, G1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes...

Danon Decile, the winner of the 2024 Japanese Derby and this year's Dubai Sheema Classic, was out on the Newmarket gallops on Friday morning ahead of his intended run in the £1.25m Juddmonte International Stakes at York on August 20. The four-year-old son of Epiphaneia was last seen in action at Meydan, where he beat recent King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Calandagan (Gleneagles). Ridden by his trainer Shogo Yasuda, Danon Decile cantered on Newmarket's Warren Hill, exercising among horses trained by James Horton, whose yard he is...

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...