Aventure

Cock Of The North at Ballydoyle in the present moment, Lambourn heads to Sunday's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh looking to emulate his sire Australia in completing the notable double. A most unlikely Blue Riband hero at this stage last term, the ever-improving colt now sits pretty having mastered the ultimate test. Providing a blueprint of how to perform in a Derby three weeks ago, he is likely to be even better suited by this more conventional galloping track and has few if any weaknesses. With...

"Always the bridesmaid, never the bride" is perhaps an apt way of describing the racing career of Calandagan thus far, even if he does have a Royal Ascot victory to show for his efforts, having been a runaway winner of last year's G2 King Edward VII Stakes. Since then, the son of Gleneagles has been campaigned exclusively at the top level and it's been a case of close but no cigar, with four consecutive runner-up finishes in the Juddmonte International, Champion Stakes, Dubai Sheema Classic and Coronation Cup. Beaten just...

Monday, Saint-Cloud, France, post time: 15:40, PRIX CORRIDA-G2, €130,000, 4yo/up, f/m, 10 1/2fT Field: Survie (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), Erle (Ger) (Reliable Man {GB}), Diya (Ger) (Dubawi {Ire}), Waldora (Fr) (Waldgeist {GB}), Grand Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Mme Jourdain (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Aventure (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). TDN Verdict: There will be consternation if Aventure is beaten here, especially given how easily she dealt with 10 furlongs in ParisLongchamp's G3 Prix Allez France last month. Undoubtedly at her strongest over the mile and a half of the...

An initial batch of 78 entries for the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe have been released by France Galop. One of the leading fancies is last year's runner-up, the Wertheimers' Aventure, by 2009 Arc hero Sea The Stars. The 4-year-old filly won the G3 Prix Allez France at ParisLongchamp in April. Other 2024 Arc runners are also back for more in 2025 G2 Mooresbridge Stakes hero and Arc third Los Angeles (Camelot) for the Coolmore partners, Arc fourth Sosie (Sea The Stars)--successful in the 2025 G1 Prix Ganay...

Any week which included the return of Kyprios (Ire) should be considered a good week indeed. Yes, this time of the year is really all about exciting maiden winners and Classic trials, but any horse who can stick around in the Flat pack for as long as Kyprios has done must be cherished.  Four members of the final crop of his sire Galileo (Ire) have entries in the Derby and/or Irish Derby, but otherwise we will be relying on his older runners, including last year's St Leger one-two Illinois (Ire)...

On the 15th anniversary of the passing of Vincent O'Brien, his successor at Ballydoyle, Aidan O'Brien, extended his record at Epsom to 10 wins in the Derby. Vincent O'Brien's daughter and son-in-law Sue and John Magnier were not at Epsom on Saturday but several of the late, great trainer's grandchildren were in the winner's circle to greet City Of Troy. Their own family is now so strongly enmeshed with the man who shares their grandfather's surname but is no relation to the creator of Ballydoyle. Just like City Of Troy,...