Alex Elliott

Ballylinch Stud resident Bayside Boy (New Bay) became Europe's latest first-crop sire to get off the mark when his Ralph Beckett-trained son Blessed Voyager shed maiden status at the first time of asking in Friday's Dubai Duty Free EBF Maiden Stakes at Newbury. The 11-1 chance, his sire's second representative to hit the track, was positioned within range of the leaders racing fifth through the initial fractions. Making smooth headway once past halfway, he launched his challenge on the stands' side entering the final furlong and was pushed out to...

Well-bred Aga Khan mares dominated on the second and final day of the Goffs February Sale, with Alex Elliott going to €190,000 to secure Shamalza (Lope De Vega), who the bloodstock agent said would continue her career for Valmont and trainer Ralph Beckett.  A winner on debut for Dermot Weld back in September, Shamalza failed to land a blow on her only other start when the ground was heavy. A daughter of dual Group 2 scorer Shamreen (Dubawi), Shamalza is a sister to talented sprinter Shartash (Invincible Spirit) and Elliott...

NEWMARKET, UK -- There was still plenty of business to be done as the December Sale drew to a close - in the ring, at the bar, and around the local stallion studs still busily showing to breeders in welcome sunshine.  For many, money earned at the sales over the last few weeks is quickly reinvested. Wendy Miller, whose Jarosa Stud was responsible for the first lot in Tuesday's Sceptre Session, was back on Wednesday to buy a new mare. Miller bred Fair Angellica (Harry Angel) herself and when she...

Mountarmstrong Stud's Noel O'Callaghan declared himself "delighted" after Amo Racing stretched to €1 million to secure his Night Of Thunder filly during Tuesday's session of the Goffs Orby Sale, telling the assembled press pack, "If you don't get a kick out of selling a yearling for €1 million, you never will." Lot 298 is the second foal out of No Speak Alexander (Shalaa), Mountarmstrong's homebred winner of the G1 Matron Stakes. No Speak Alexander, in turn, is out of the Listed scorer Rapacity Alexander (Dandy Man), a full-sister to the...

DEAUVILLE, FRANCE - Shattering a record set a decade ago, a Night Of Thunder filly out of the Ecurie des Monceaux blue hen Prudenzia (Dansili) was sold for €3 million to Amo Racing and was one of six seven-figure transactions on the final day of the Arqana August. There were eight across the sale as a whole. Such a lively last session ensured that the figures were well beyond those of a relatively quiet edition of the sale in 2024. The €266,576 average was not only up by 22% on...

There is nothing fast or precocious about developing a good wine, and certainly not for the Italian wine producer Ornellaia, one of the leading creators of Super Tuscan wine in the famous Bolgheri region. But when Kia Joorabchian of Amo Racing teamed up with the Memo partnership to buy the sale-topper at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale this May for $1.1 million, he was not looking to let her age quietly before popping the cork. Off slowly in Saturday's sixth race at Saratoga, Ornellaia (Girvin) the filly came with a late...

Some of the earliest clues for next year's Triumph Hurdle may well have been on show at Arqana on Wednesday when the highly-touted Zekret (Fr) was purchased on behalf of a leading Irish owner to continue his career with Joseph O'Brien. The Zarak colt boasted smart form in France for trainer Andre Fabre on behalf of Al Shaqab Racing and was last seen running respectably - only beaten a little over three lengths - in a Group 3 contest at ParisLongchamp over 1m3f.  It was agent Alex Elliott, working alongside...

Ballydoyle's standard had been hoisted just once in Sandown's G3 bet365 Classic Trial during the Aidan O'Brien era and last term's G3 Tyros Stakes runner-up Swagman (Ger) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) doubled that tally with a determined effort in this year's renewal of the 10-furlong feature. Let go at generous odds of 9-2, the €170,000 BBAG September graduate was the only one of five contenders without a ticket to Epsom's Blue Riband and, coming back off a 274-day sabbatical, stalked the leading duo in third for the most part. Easing outside...

A 1/50th share in the Aga Khan Studs stallion Zarak (Fr) took top billing in the Arqana December Online Sale when going the way of Alex Elliott for €800,000. Of the 13 stallion shares and breeding rights offered, nine sold for a total of €1,323,000. A four-time winner when trained by Alain de Royer-Dupré, notably landing the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, Zarak boasts an exceptional pedigree as a son of Dubawi (Ire) and the unbeaten G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar). Zarak stood his first...

Alex Elliott was in action for G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte heroine Classic Flower (GB) (Calyx {GB}) (lot 191) at €1,800,000 to take the lead at Arqana. The chestnut, consigned by Haras de Beaumont, was purchased on behalf of MV Magnier and White Birch Farm. From the same family as multiple stakes winner and multiple group-placed Bahia Breeze (GB) (Mister Baileys {GB}), Classic Flower changed hands for 45,000gns as a Tattersalls December foal in 2021 when purchased by Arthur Hoyeau. She was bred by Petches Farm, Ltd.   A new top...

NEWMARKET, UK -- The Wednesday of the December Mares Sale may have become a quieter session than was once the case but there are still plenty of enticing broodmare prospects, not least from the Godolphin draft. It provided five of the day's top ten lots, including the session-topper Bridestones (Ire), a listed-placed filly by Teofilo (Ire) out of the G1 Fillies' Mile winner White Moonstone (Dynaformer). The four-year-old was selected by agent Alex Elliott, who assisted the Amo Racing team in the purchase of the overall sale-topper, the 4.8 million...

By Brian Sheerin and Emma Berry NEWMARKET, UK -- In an extraordinary session in which the turnover of 30,906,000gns was almost double this day of trade from 12 months ago, and included the five highest-priced foals sold in Europe this year, Amo Racing's Kia Joorabchian returned to the Tattersalls ring to once again head the buyers' list. In addition to his eye-watering outlay on yearlings in October, the football agent and increasingly prominent owner and breeder spent a total of 4,675,000gns on four weanlings.  Heading this recent spending spree was...