Al Shaqab Racing

Team Ballydoyle got off to a perfect start on Irish 2000 Guineas day when the once-raced Unquestionable (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}--Strawberry Lace {GB}, by Sea The Stars {Ire}) powered clear of his five rivals in Saturday's Tally-Ho Stud Irish EBF (C&G) Maiden at the Curragh for a 'TDN Rising Star' rosette. The July 2 G2 Railway S. entry lined up as the 4-6 favourite coming back off a promising debut third in this month's Listed First Flier S. and broke sharply to seize an immediate lead upped to six furlongs...

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. Saturday's Insights features the unusual step down in class when Unquestionable tries a maiden off a Listed stakes placing. 15.20 Curragh, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo, 6fT UNQUESTIONABLE (FR) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) takes the unusual step of dropping in class for a maiden on his second start, having caught the eye...

Al Shaqab Racing's juvenile filly Balsam (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}--Bea Remembered {GB}, by Doyen {Ire}) was a two-race maiden heading into Wednesday's Listed Prix des Reves d'Or at Vichy and went home with a stakes rosette and a breakthrough success in the bag after denting a pair of unbeaten records. Balsam, let go as the 13-2 fourth choice of seven, was sharply into stride from the outside gate and occupied a prominent slot in second through halfway. Looming large on the bridle out wide to threaten the pacesetting 'TDN Rising...

Dual Group 1 winner Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}), who ran second in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Sunday, will remain in training at four and aim to go one better in the ParisLongchamp showpiece next October, owner/breeder The Aga Khan's Racing Manager Georges Rimaud revealed on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast. A winner of the G3 Prix de Guiche in May, the bay claimed the G1 Prix du Jockey Club on June 5 and doubled up at the highest level in the Eclipse S. against his elders...

Al Shaqab Racing's Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}--Traffic Jam {Ire}, by Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}), off the track since failing to land a blow in Chantilly's June 19 G1 Prix de Diane, exacted revenge on that Classic's winner, 'TDN Rising Star' Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}), with a late rush to secure a career high in the flickering embers of Sunday's G1 Prix de l'Opera Longines at ParisLongchamp. The €260,000 Arqana August graduate had earlier annexed Saint-Cloud's Apr. 29 G3 Prix Cleopatre before taking second behind another 'TDN...

Fresh from the high of Al Hakeem (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) annexing Monday's G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville, the in-form team of Al Shaqab Racing, Jean-Claude Rouget and Cristian Demuro was back in the winner's circle once more after the hitherto untried 2-year-old colt Beylerbeyi (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}--Gherdaiya {GB}, by Shamardal) unleashed a 'TDN Rising Star' performance in Tuesday's Prix de Vernon over 6 1/2 furlongs at the Normandy venue. Bowling along on the front end after a swift getaway, the 9-10 favourite held sway throughout and kept on...

Bouncing back off a fourth in June's G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly, Al Shaqab's homebred 3-year-old colt Al Hakeem (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}--Jadhaba {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) was all heart and regained the winning thread in Monday's G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville. The January-foaled bay closed his two-race juvenile campaign with a breakthrough success at Chantilly and doubled his win tally back there on seasonal return before earning his black-type stripes contesting the May 3 Listed Prix de Suresnes at Chantilly in his penultimate start. The even-money favourite...

Dual group winner Lusail (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) is pointing to Royal Ascot, trainer Richard Hannon revealed on Tuesday. A start in the one-mile G1 St James's Palace S. or the six-furlong G1 Commonwealth Cup S. are both being considered for the Al Shaqab Racing colourbearer, as is the G3 Jersey S. Successful in both the G2 July S. and G2 Gimcrack S. last term, Lusail resumed with a second in the G3 Greenham S. in mid-April and was a close sixth in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on...

Off the mark over nine furlongs at Fontainebleau Apr. 12, Al Shaqab Racing and Ballylinch Stud's Place du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) came through her first major test in style to annexe Friday's G3 Prix Cleopatre at Saint-Cloud. Bred to appreciate at least this 10 1/2-furlong trip, being out of the G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris winner Traffic Jam (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}), the Andre Fabre trainee was held up in last early in contrast to her last outing when she was sent forward from the...

Al Shaqab Racing's €80,000 Arqana September graduate Welwal (GB) (Shalaa {Ire}, who snagged two of three juvenile outings last term, went postward for Sunday's G3 Prix de Fontainebleau at ParisLongchamp coming back off a Mar. 22 conditions second at Chantilly and was comfortably on top at the end of the one-mile test. Steadied to race behind the leaders in sixth for the most part, the 28-5 chance made headway under pressure in the straight to challenge with 300 metres remaining and was ridden out in the dying embers to deny...

This season's G3 Molecomb S. scorer Armor (GB) (No Nay Never-Hestia {Fr}, by High Chaparral {Ire}) has been retired from racing and will enter stud in 2022 at Haras de Bouquetot in Normandy. He will stand for €5,000. A €55,000 Arqana October yearling purchase by Al Shaqab Racing, Armor was a debut winner in April for trainer Richard Hannon. He took the Molecomb on his third start in July and was fourth in the G1 Prix Morny before placing in the G2 Flying Childers S. and G1 Middle Park S....

Defying a three-pound penalty for his success in the G2 July S., Lusail (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) continued Al Shaqab Racing's purple patch with the juveniles in Friday's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack S. at York. Always perfectly placed behind the pace-setters by Pat Dobbs, the 7-2 second favourite stayed on past Gis a Sub (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) just inside the final furlong en route to a 1 1/4-length success from that long-time leader, with Twilight Jet (Ire) (Twilight Son {GB}) 3/4 of a length behind in third. "He's very...