The Parisian turf season opens on Sunday March 10th with the first Saint-Cloud meeting of the year. Two Listed events will take place then but the first steps on the classic path follow up next Sunday. Many ways lead to the French classics, The Emirates Poules d’Essai des Poulains (French 2,000 Guineas, Gr1) and the “Pouliches” […]
The 2018 owners rankings in France are pretty clear. The Godolphin stable of Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum dominates with a total of €5.6m in earnings, plus around €200,000 in owners’ premiums, as most of the horses in this team are traditionally bred abroad and are not assimilated French. This is also the case for Khalid […]
Aga Khan Studs Success at Goffs The Aga Khan Studs’ Classic sires SEA THE STARS and SIYOUNI both boast a strong hand of beautifully-bred yearlings at the prestigious Goffs Orby Sale on 2nd and 3rd October. Arc hero SEA THE STARS, who has shone this season thanks to star performers SEA OF CLASS and STRADIVARIUS […]
The races of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe weekend, Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 October at ParisLongchamp, will take place without open stretch. Set up on the Parisian racecourse since its re-opening in April, the open stretch proved very conclusive in terms of regularity but, for the races on Sunday, using it could […]
Charm Spirit a Hit for Aga Khan CHARM SPIRIT’s excellent season with his first juveniles continued on Thursday as the appropriately-named Yourtimeisnow offered the young sire his first Group success. Already a winner from pillar to post at Newbury in August, on this occasion Yourtimeisnow showed both courage and a turn of foot. She took […]
Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (Gr1) The 4-year-old Recoletos (Whipper) won his second Group 1, Sunday, September 9 at ParisLongchamp in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (Gr1). Second in the QIPCO Prix du Jockey Club (Gr1) at 3, Recoletos was bred by the Spanish Hinojosa family, whose stud is based in Normandy. Before his […]
Enable Ready to Defend her Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe Crown Enable bounced back with a bang as she gained a fluent all-the-way triumph in the 188Bet September Stakes at Kempton Park. The John Gosden-trained four-year-old, whose five Group 1 wins last year included three QIPCO British Champions Series triumphs, had been absent since winning […]
Godolphin and Charlie Appleby Success in France by J A McGrath at Godolphin Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby has been approaching Deauville like a Frenchman, using the popular Normandy seaside venue as a launching pad for his future stars. British-born Appleby has sent out seven winners from 15 runners there in August, including one at quaint […]
France: #DarleySeries Sees Europe’s Best 2yos The toast of Europe’s new generation is meeting in Deauville in the Darley Prix Morny (Gr1), final leg of the #DarleySeries. Nine 2-year-old colts and fillies have been confirmed on the 6 furlongs straight course. Naturally there are the winners of the two previous #DarleySeries, namely Signora Cabello (Camacho), […]
Mastercraftsman Strikes Again in France Three days after Alpha Centauri (3f Mastercraftsman-Alpha Lupi, by Rahy) stole the show in Deauville’s G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois, another three-year-old daughter of Mastercraftsman starred at the Normandy track on Wednesday. Andre Fabre saddled Wind Chimes (3f Mastercraftsman-Militante, by Johannesburg), who was beaten a neck in the G1 Poule […]
Enable Aims at Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr1) Enable (Nathaniel), the 2017 winner of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr1), is to bypass next week’s York Meeting. Instead, with her Arc title defence very much in mind, connections have instead opted to aim her at the September Stakes (Gr3), on the Kempton […]
Alpha Centauri and the Breeders’ Cup Mile The Niarachos Family’s homebred 3-year-old filly Alpha Centauri (IRE) won her fourth consecutive Group 1 race on Sunday, dominating the one-mile Prix du Haras de Fresnay-Le Buffard – Jacques Le Marois (G1) over male rivals at Deauville with a 2 ½-length victory over Recoletos (FR), and gained an […]
Breeders’ Cup: All Eyes on Alpha Centauri in France The Niarchos Family, which has won the Breeders’ Cup Mile a record six times, may have another star in its galaxy of future champions with its 3-year-old homebred super filly Alpha Centauri (IRE), who looms as the heavy favorite against male rivals for the first time […]
France Racing: Deauville Barrière The Deauville Barrière meeting begins this weekend with two high class cards including a Group 1 and three Group 3 events. On Sunday, the Prix Rothschild (Gr1) opens the ball of the five Groups 1 run every Summer in Deauville. A mile race open to fillies and mares aged 3yo and […]
French Racing Roundup Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr1) Cracksman (Frankel) is one of the top contenders in the forthcoming Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr1). However, the Anthony Oppenheimer-owned colt, who races in the same colours as the 2015 ‘Arc’ winner Golden Horn, is coming off a disappointing second in the Prince […]
France: ARQANA August Yearling Sale Further underlining the quality of a selection that hails from the top French and European nurseries, this year has seen a plethora of exciting performances from previous graduates, not least 2016 sales topper MAGIC WAND who captured the Gr.2 Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot last week in dazzling style. She […]
Horse Racing in France Alive and Well Horse racing in France is attracting growing crowds and a lot of interest. The lure of the Prix de Diane Longines (Gr1) succeeded in attracting a crowd of 26,000 at Chantilly last Sunday. France’s biggest race for three-year-old fillies was annexed by Laurens (Siyouni), who is trained in […]
French Racing: Lady Athena Australia to Arcachon Lady Athena (Redoute’s Choice), trained at La Teste by Yan Durepaire, carries the Australian colours of John Hutchins. For those au fait with the international panorama, the Hutchins name is synonymous with the six times group one winning and Australian Horse of the Year Typhoon Tracy. She is […]
Exceed And Excel Continues European Success One of Australia’s best stallions Exceed And Excel recorded a new Black Type winner on Monday, 11 June when his three-year-old daughter Spaday demonstrated an impressive turn of foot to land the Listed Prix Marchand d’Or, run over six and a half furlongs at Maisons-Laffitte. Settled towards the rear […]
G3 John of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock Park, UK Dutch Connection and D’bai both return to seven furlongs for the G3 John of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock Park, UK, on Saturday, 9 June. Six-year-old Dutch Connection (Charlie Hills/James Doyle) drops back down in distance following an excellent run over a mile on his seasonal return […]
A pair of exciting performers claimed G2 successes on a great afternoon for Galileo at Chantilly on Sunday. First up was three-year-old Mission Impassible (3f Galileo-Margot Did, by Exceed And Excel), a top-notch juvenile last season, who returned to her best to win the G2 Prix de Sandringham for trainer Jean-Claude Rouget (pictured). “I wouldn’t […]
G1 winner Cloth Of Stars and lightly-raced six-year-old Rare Rhythm go for G2 success in the Grand Prix de Chantilly, one of the supporting races on Prix du Jockey Club Day at Chantilly, France, on Sunday, 3 June. Last year’s G1 Prix Ganay scorer Cloth Of Stars (Andre Fabre/Mickael Barzalona) lines up over a mile […]
Unbeaten three-year-old colt Key Victory steps up to Classic company for the G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly, France, on Sunday, 3 June. The son of Teofilo heads into the extended 10-furlong feature on the back of an impressive victory over subsequent Listed winner and stable companion Old Persian in the 10-furlong Listed Newmarket […]
The brilliant Vazirabad added yet another sterling accomplishment to his resume when he rallied from far back to take the G2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier for the third consecutive year. It was the 13th Group victory for the son of Manduro, who now boasts 15 wins and five second-place finishes in 22 career starts. Settled near […]
The Hong Kong Jockey Club purchased five colts at the 2018 Arqana Breeze-up Sale in Deauville, France (11-12 May), for a total cost of €870,000 (approximately HK$8.281 million). The Club’s purchases are athletic youngsters by a mix of proven stallions and exciting young sires. Among the eye-catching quintet was Lot 161 by Exceed And Excel, […]
European Racing Round Up Rhododendron pipped the luckless Lightning Spear by a short head in a gripping finish to the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury. Lightning Spear looked like he just about hit the front under Oisin Murphy and was about to spring a 16-1 surprise in the QIPCO British Champions Series showpiece, but […]
European Racing News France Sobetsu gained another big-race victory at Deauville, France, with an impressive display in the 10-furlong G2 Prix de la Nonette on Saturday, August 19. The three-year-old Dubawi filly, an easy winner of the G1 Prix Saint-Alary over the same course and distance in May, led the 10-strong field early on before […]
European Racing News Deauville, Salisbury France Three-year-old colts Avilius and Soleil Marin take on dual Classic winner Brametot in the G2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano over a mile and a quarter at Deauville, France, on Tuesday, August 15. Avilius (Mickael Barzalona) heads to the Normandy course on the back of two good efforts over 10 furlongs […]
Hawkbill was collared inside the final furlong as he attempted to make all in the Grosser Preis von Berlin, with Racing History taking third in the 12-furlong G1 contest at Hoppegarten, Germany, on Sunday, August 13. Four-year-old Hawkbill (Charlie Appleby/James Doyle), seeking a second G1 success after capturing the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park last […]
Big Racing Weekend in France Three-year-old colts Thunder Snow and Inns Of Court bid for glory in one of Europe’s top mile contests, the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois, at Deauville, France, on Sunday, August 13. Thunder Snow (Saeed bin Suroor/Christophe Soumillon) is going for a third major French success and returns to the country […]
Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor’s confidence and belief in Thunder Snow was rewarded when the three-year-old delivered a reminder of his sheer class when delivering a deserved G1 victory in Sunday’s Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly. On a glorious weekend globally for Godolphin, in which James Cummings was swiftly off the mark with a winner […]
Redoute’s Choice Filly Wins Prix Chloe 1800m G3 Viktor Timoshenko’s home-bred filly Ibiza went into Sunday’s €80,000 Chantilly Prix Chloe 1800m G3 as a stakes-placed winner. She came out of the race as the second Group winner from the first of Redoute’s Choice’s two European crops, and the 149th stakeswinner on his specacular lifetime record. […]
Stallion Honorius Could Make his Name in British Classics by Craig Jones for Knightsbridge Bloodstock One of my favourite things about being interested in Horse Racing breeding is pinpointing new stallions to follow. One stallion I like the look of and will follow with interest is Honorius, who will stand in Australia but also stand […]
With prize money of 1.5 million Euros, this race crowns the year’s fastest thoroughbred and is one of the year’s most selective races! This Group I race, the highest category of horse race, is the third stage of the EPIQE Series, a championship circuit made up of the 14 top horse races in France. The […]