Anmaat (Ire)

Capping another red-letter day for Coolmore and Team Ballydoyle and a memorable one for Christophe Soumillon, Delacroix (Dubawi) justified favouritism in style in Leopardstown's G1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes. He also punched his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar on November 1. Sent off the well-supported 2-1 market-leader, the Eclipse hero sat a way off the strong pace before delivering a jaw-dropping killer kick between the three and the two as if he had just jumped in. In command before his chief rival Anmaat (Awtaad)...

Thriving for a searching pace made by the Ballydoyle runners, Godolphin's Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder) leapt to the fore to win Wednesday's G1 Prince of Wales's Stakes. Anchored behind by William Buick early, the John and Thady Gosden-trained 7-1 shot powered past labouring rivals and beyond the reigning Champion Stakes title-holder Anmaat (Awtaad) to score by two lengths in a show of finishing power. There was a 2 1/2-length margin back to See The Fire (Sea The Stars) in third, with the 13-8 favourite Los Angeles (Camelot) looking to have...

Ballydoyle's Los Angeles (Camelot) will face eight rivals in Wednesday's G1 Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot, with his chief G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup rival Anmaat (Awtaad) set to renew rivalry. Also in the 10-furlong feature are the progressive Map Of Stars (Sea The Stars), Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder) and See The Fire (Sea The Stars), with White Birch the only withdrawal. In the supporting races, Luis Saez will partner Lennilu (Leinster) in the G2 Queen Mary Stakes and Flavien Prat is on Tough Critic (Caravaggio) in the Listed Windsor Castle...

Drawing on all his inherent toughness on Sunday, Ballydoyle's emerging middle-distance heavyweight Los Angeles defied Anmaat in a duel to the line in The Curragh's G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup. Merely hinting at what was to come with his comeback G2 Mooresbridge Stakes win, last year's G1 Irish Derby hero sat three lengths off the demanding pace before taking over two out. Responding to Ryan Moore's call to ward off the Shadwell runner, having been headed inside the final furlong, the 9-4 favourite carved out a half-length advantage at the line...

Multiple Group 1 winner Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) is now the highest rated filly or mare in the world at 127 on the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings, which were released on Thursday. A winner of the G1 Turnbull Stakes and G1 Cox Plate in October, she added the G1 Champions Stakes in November and is equal to G1 Derby/G1 International Stakes/G1 Eclipse winner City Of Troy (Justify). The highest rated horse in the world is Laurel River (Into Mischief) at 128. Next in the rankings are the...

Anmaat (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}) is said to be finished for the season following his victory in Saturday's G1 QIPCO Champion Stakes at Ascot, with Shadwell's racing manager Angus Gold hoping the six-year-old can continue to be a flagbearer for the operation in 2025. The Owen Burrows trainee was among the outsiders for Saturday's £1.3 million feature contest at odds of 40-1, having managed only fifth when sent off the 6-5 favourite for the G2 Prix Dollar at Longchamp two weeks earlier. In the event, however, Anmaat proved better than ever...

Saturday's G1 QIPCO Champion Stakes threw up a major shock as Shadwell's Anmaat (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}--African Moonlight {UAE}, by Halling) swooped late to register a 40-1 success and provide further evidence of the skill and guile of Owen Burrows. Contesting his second group 1 having scored on his only previous try in the Prix d'Ispahan last May, the 6-year-old was coming off a below-par fifth in the G2 Prix Dollar 13 days ago but at least had his favoured testing ground to aid his cause. Travelling strongly in a pocket...

Usually brilliant, sometimes a reluctant star but never dull, Cheveley Park Stud's Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is back on familiar soil as she looks to end her illustrious career in style in Saturday's G1 Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket. Dominant over the high-class yardstick Mqse De Sevigne (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) under Frankie 12 months ago, the homebred who has garnered six at this level including a GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf has failed to make a mark so far this term for varying reasons and will need to...

Group 1 winner Anmaat (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}), who won the G2 Prix Dollar in the autumn of 2022, is targeting the race again prior to a crack at the G1 Champion Stakes at Ascot, trainer Owen Burrows revealed. The Shadwell runner, who was second in the G3 Gordon Richards Stakes and a winner of the G1 Prix d'Ispahan both in 2023, went missing for 439 days afterwards. He resumed with a victory in the G3 Rose Of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock on Aug. 10, and had been a potential candidate...

Shadwell's 140,000gns Tattersalls December foal Anmaat (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}--African Moonlight {UAE}, by Halling) had been on a 439-day sabbatical after annexing last term's G1 Prix d'Ispahan and the 6-year-old gelding added to his victory in 2022's G3 Betfred Rose of Lancaster Stakes with a narrow victory in Saturday's latest renewal at Haydock. The 8-11 favourite raced in third through the initial stages, but slipped to fourth at halfway in this extended 10-furlong test. Nudged along with three furlongs remaining, he inched ahead passing the furlong pole and stayed on well...

Shadwell's Group 1 winner Anmaat (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}) is aiming to make his long-awaited return to the races in the G3 Rose of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock on Aug. 10, according to trainer Owen Burrows. The 6-year-old gelding has been out of action with a foot issue since winning the G1 Prix d'Ispahan at ParisLongchamp in May of 2023. A multiple group winner, Anmaat was successful in the 2022 edition of the Rose of Lancaster. "All being well, he's going to run, we've had this in mind for him for...

Shadwell's G2 Darley S. winner Alflaila (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) will make his long-awaited return from injury in the G2 Sky Bet York S. at York on July 24, trainer Owen Burrows revealed. The 4-year-old was sidelined late last year while training for a start in Bahrain in November. "He has had his rehab back at Shadwell and touch wood it has all gone well," Burrows said. "We have had plenty of time to prepare him and there was the listed race at Newbury on Saturday or this race, and...