Albigna

Coolmore Stud spent €19m and equalled its own record set for the highest price paid at public auction in Ireland 10 years ago for Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) by flexing its buying power to secure half-sisters Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) and Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) for €6m apiece from the Niarchos draft at the Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale on Friday. Alpine Star, the brilliant G1 Coronation S. winner, and multiple Group 1 and Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Alpha Centauri, carried the Niarchos family's colours with...

Freedonia (GB) (Selkirk), the dam of G1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac winner Albigna (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), has been scanned in foal to new Coolmore stallion Circus Maximus (Ire). The Niarchos Family, who bred Circus Maximus and raced the treble Group 1 winner in partnership with the Coolmore syndicate, are also supporting the freshman sire by sending him their European Champion 3-year-old filly Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), who was named Horseracing Ireland's Horse of the Year in 2018. Among the other well-credentialed mares already tested in foal to Circus Maximus...

   The trainer originally best known for many high-class jumps winners that has made an eye-catching advance on Flat racing's top contests in recent years will share her thoughts with the TDN on a monthly basis in this most unusual of seasons. It is an understatement to say that it has been a very strange year. In Ireland we managed a few meetings behind closed doors before racing shut down completely, and we then had some uncertainty over when it was going to start again. We eventually accepted the fact...

G1 Coronation S. winner Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), last seen finishing a short-neck second to Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G1 Prix de Diane on July 5, could resurface in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville on Aug. 16 if ground conditions play to her liking. "If all goes according to plan she could go to Deauville, but we just need to keep an eye on the ground," said Alan Cooper, racing manager to owner/breeder The Niarchos Family. "There's very hot weather...

Jessie Harrington has begun the season with a flourish and all the stars could be aligned for Albigna (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) to provide a first Classic success in Saturday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh. The Niarchos family's homebred has stronger claims at this stage of her career than the 2018 heroine Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), having won the six-furlong G2 Airlie Stud S. here in June and G1 Prix Marcel Boussac at ParisLongchamp in October before finishing fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf....

There's a heavier bias towards smart homebreds but of those who went through the sales ring, the prices for the runners in the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas started at just €1,000. Albigna (Ire) Zoffany (Ire) - Freedonia (GB) (Selkirk) Classy Niarchos family homebred who won the G1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac and G2 Airlie Stud S. last term before running fourth to Sharing in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf. Her dam won the G2 Prix de Pomone and is herself out of a half-sister to GI Breeders' Cup...

Jessica Harrington's anticipated early assault on Ireland's turf season remains on hold as the latest governmental coronavirus measures has seen a stalling of the countdown to the resumption of racing. "We're keeping our heads down and keeping positive," the trainer said. "We are lucky enough that we have a very good team who are in every day and work very hard. Our flat horses are carrying on and the 3-year-olds are just ticking over. I'd hope racing will resume soon and if so it will almost certainly be behind closed...

The Niarchos Family sophomore's Albigna (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) returned from their winter break in good order and connections begin to look ahead toward Classic campaigns in 2020. Both fillies are trained by Jessica Harrington. Winner of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and the G3 Airlie Stud S. last fall, Albigna finished fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita. The daughter of Freedonia (GB) (Selkirk), who is the early favorite at 14-1 for the G1 1,000 Guineas at...