Europe

Fergal O'Brien and Colin Tizzard were among those to pay tribute to Paddy Brennan, the Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning rider who retired at the age of 43 after partnering Manothepeople (Ire) (Mahler {GB}) to victory at Prestbury Park on Wednesday. Brennan recorded over 1,500 winners in a career as a National Hunt jockey spanning more than two decades, notably landing the 2010 Gold Cup on Imperial Commander. His other high-profile victories at the Cheltenham Festival included the 2007 World Hurdle on Inglis Drever, while he'll also be remembred for his association...

The third juvenile to make 525,000gns or more at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale was a colt by the late, great Galileo (Ire) (lot 112), who changed hands for 1 million gns on the bid of Anthony Stroud for Godolphin. Part of the Glending Stables draft, the Coolmore-bred bay--and only representative of his sire in the sale--is out of the stakes-placed Manderley (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}), who ran fourth in the G1 1000 Guineas. She is also a full-sister to multiple group winner and multiple Group 1-placed sire Gregorian (Ire). Glending...

Less than 10 lots into the second session of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale, lot 98 quickly equaled Tuesday's top price of 525,000gns, going, once again, to Anthony Stroud on behalf of Godolphin. Consigned, just like Tuesday's New Bay (GB) colt topper, by Katie Walsh's Greenhills Farm, the Havana Grey (GB) filly is a full-sister to four-time winner Secret Guest (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) from the family of G1 Prix de l'Abbaye winner Gilt Edge Girl (GB) (Monsieur Bond {Ire}). She was picked up for 80,000gns out of the Tattersalls...

Cathal Beale, the current CEO of the Irish National Stud (INS), will serve in the role for another three years, the Board of the INS announced on Wednesday. "The Board of the Irish National Stud is pleased to announce that our chief executive, Cathal Beale, has accepted an offer of a contract extension for a further final three-year period, following consultation with the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Marine and the Minister of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform," the INS said in a statement. Beale became the INS CEO...

NEWMARKET, UK -- The action on the Rowley Mile on Wednesday wasn't restricted to the seven scheduled races on the card, with a host of potential Classic runners taking part in racecourse gallops just before the first race of the day. The headline act was the Karl Burke-trained Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), who is currently co-favourite for the Qipco 1,000 Guineas on May 5. She was put through her paces by Danny Tudhope. "I was very happy with her and Danny was delighted," said Burke of Steve...

One of the more exposed fillies in the line-up for Wednesday's G3 Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn S. at Newmarket, Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum's Pretty Crystal (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}--Pretty Baby {Ire}, by Orpen) emerged on top of a battle with Dubawi's other runner Dance Sequence (GB). Sent off at 18-1, the homebred whose five juvenile efforts included a second in the G3 Princess Margaret S. raced prominently under Oisin Orr throughout the early stages. Getting to Kathmandu (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) a furlong out, the Richard Fahey-trained chestnut had Godolphin's Dance...

Godolphin's Ottoman Fleet (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}--Innevera {Fr}, by Motivator {GB}) had won one of five overseas starts since annexing last term's G3 bet365 Earl Of Sefton S. at Newmarket and made a winning European return with back-to-back victories in Wednesday's latest renewal of the nine-furlong test. The gelded 5-year-old backed up last term's success with a win in Belmont's GII Fort Marcy S. before hitting the board in June's GI Manhattan S. back in New York. He then returned off a sabbatical to place in Meydan's G2 Al...

Iraj Parvizi's Jayarebe (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}--Alakhana {Fr}, by Dalakhani {Ire}) backed up an Aug. 25 debut win at Newmarket's summer venue with a sixth in ParisLongchamp's G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere last time and stepped forward to notch an impressive success on sophomore return in Wednesday's Listed bet365 Feilden S. back at HQ. The 11-1 chance raced on the front end after an alert getaway and settled into a rhythm stalking the pace in close-up second for the most part. Shaken up to regain an edge passing the quarter-mile marker, he...

NEWMARKET, UK -- Charlie Appleby, who takes aim at a fourth victory in the Bet365 Craven S. on Thursday with Native Approach (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), took advantage of the Rowley Mile early on Wednesday morning to give one of his Derby prospects, Arabian Crown (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), a racecourse gallop. The winner of the G3 Zetland S. at the course last October, Arabian Crown, ridden by William Buick, worked over seven furlongs alongside his older stable-mate King Of Conquest (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and James Doyle. "He...

Nobody could accuse Katie Walsh of going around with her head in the clouds but, in the case of Tuesday's 525,000gns top lot, a colt by New Bay (GB), the leading breeze-up consignor revealed that she felt she had something worth dreaming about in the build-up to this year's Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale.  And so it proved after the colt was knocked down to Anthony Stroud on behalf of Godolphin. Bought for 125,000gns from the Ogden family's dispersal at Book 1 last year, the already-named Anno Domini (GB) (lot 26)...

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 Observations features a daughter of Frankel (GB). 16.45 Newmarket, Mdn, £25,000, 3yo, f, 8fT HILLBRIDGE (IRE) (Frankel {GB}) debuts for Juddmonte and Andrew Balding in this intriguing affair and is the first foal out of the listed-winning and group-placed sprinter Classical Times (GB) (Lawman {Fr}), a half-sister to...

Paddy Woods, who once rode three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Arkle (Ire) (Archive {GB}) to victory, has died at the age of 93, according to published reports. The Irishman was born in 1930, and began his career in racing at Dan Moore's yard before a few years with Charlie Rogers before returning to Moore. However, he is best known for his association with Tom Dreaper's Greenogue stable which began in 1956. Besides riding work aboard Arkle each morning for Dreaper, the jockey did capture the 1963 and 1965 Irish Grand...