Bay Bridge (GB)

As if conjuring the renowned Babet as a personal Tempest for his [probable] European goodbye, racing's true Duke of Milan rides back into his beloved Ascot on Saturday as the eye of the storm for a suitably dramatic instalment of the Qipco Champions Day. While this fixture has fast become a resounding success, despite its mid-October nook being that bit too far into the wet season to deliver a fair playing field, it always needs at least one dynamo per year to power it into the headlines. Officials are lucky...

Storm Babet has decided the final shape of the fields for Saturday's Qipco Champions Day fixture, with the softening ground ruling Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) out of the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. and making up Aidan O'Brien's mind as to where to point Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}). That four-times group 1 winner takes up his engagement in the QEII, leaving a total of nine to take part in the G1 Qipco Champion S. Heading the list for the 10-furlong highlight is last year's winner Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay...

Sir Michael Stoute trainee Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}--Hayyona {GB}, by Multiplex {GB}), winless in three Group 1 starts since annexing last term's G1 Champion S., regained the winning thread with a confidence-boosting success in Saturday's G3 Unibet September S. at Kempton. The 8-11 favourite hit the board in both G1 Prix Ganay and G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup earlier in the campaign and went postward this first outing at the 12-furlong trip coming back off a fifth in the G1 Prince of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot. Bay Bridge...

Arguably the week's most momentous race, Wednesday's G1 Prince of Wales's S. is as tight as it gets between a trio of hardcore middle-distance soldiers from all the right establishments. From Moulton Paddocks' 2021 Derby winner Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) to Freemason Lodge's Champion S. winner Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}) to Ballydoyle's Irish Champion hero Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), this renewal could come down to small margins and tactical decisions, much as it did last year. Not yet a Group 1 winner, but so obviously an imminent one,...

Sunday's G1 Prix du Jockey Club winner Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) is now in the top five on the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings at a joint 123, after the latest results were released on Thursday. Well ahead of his rivals is Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) on 129, and fellow Japanese runner Titleholder (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) is fourth on 124. Hong Kong's crack sprinter Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) has improved one pound to 125 after a win in the G3 Sha Tin Vase and is tied with Golden Sixty...

Sunday's G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup lived up to the billing and then some, with Ballydoyle's Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) making all and outbattling Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}) in a stirring finish to The Curragh's joint-feature of the day. Having put in one of those on-the-face-of-it underwhelming comeback performances that the stable's kingpins can when fifth in the G2 Mooresbridge S. here at the start of the month, last year's G1 Irish Champion S. hero took the requisite leap forward with Ryan Moore intent on taking no prisoners. Relishing...

Outbattled at Newmarket, The Aga Khan's Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) returns to The Curragh for what could prove ample compensation in Sunday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas. Unable to provide Dermot Weld with that elusive 1000 Guineas victory, the G1 Moyglare S.-winning TDN Rising Star bids to give her trainer a sixth of these. "She was a bit tired after the race, but she travelled home on the ferry and came home well and then she has picked up nicely and we've been pleased with her," her trainer said. "It...

Sunday's G1 Prix Ganay was as strong as any in recent times and there was no fluke about the victory of Bertrand Milliere's Iresine (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}--Inanga {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}), who provided trainer Jean-Pierre Gauvain and jockey Marie Velon with a once-in-a-lifetime moment at ParisLongchamp. Carrying a penalty for his G1 Prix Royal Oak success when an eye-catching second to Simca Mille (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) in the G2 Prix d'Harcourt here three weeks previously, the 4-1 shot was anchored in last early with the pace generous. Delivered with...

Six months on from his near-miss in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, The Aga Khan's Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) returns to ParisLongchamp on Sunday for what amounts to a stern test in the G1 Prix Ganay. Last year's G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Eclipse hero has a surprise awaiting him in James Wigan and Ballylinch Stud's G1 Champion S. winner Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}), who was impressive on his seasonal debut in 2022 when taking the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. Ballylinch Stud also have...

Half-sister to a pair of Group 1 winners and a colt foal by Mehmas (Ire) are late additions to the Tattersalls December Mares Sale and Tattersalls December Foal Sale. Five-time winner Nataleena (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}), a half-sister to Group 1 winner Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}) will sell through The Castlebridge Consignment as lot 1639A. Her dam, the Multiplex (GB) mare Hayyona (GB), is a half-sister to Group 2 victor Shimraan (Fr) (Rainbow Quest). She is in foal to Harry Angel (Ire), who has already sired stakes winners in...

Caught off guard in Royal Ascot's G1 Prince of Wales's S. and Sandown's G1 Coral-Eclipse, James Wigan and Ballylinch Stud's Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}--Hayyona {GB}, by Multiplex {GB}) made it third time lucky at the highest level when upsetting the hitherto undefeated Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and a stellar field in Saturday's G1 Qipco Champion S. at Ascot. The race is a qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland next month. Having appeared set fair to join the upper echelons when routing his rivals...

In the centennial year of The Aga Khan's Studs, the operation's latest flame Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) could present his owner-breeder with a present of particular value in Saturday's G1 Coral-Eclipse S. While The Aga Khan has won most of Europe's major middle distance prizes, Sandown's much-coveted contest has so far eluded him with Kalanisi (Ire) coming closest in his epic encounter with Giant's Causeway in the millennium edition. With weight-for-age tipping the balance very much in his favour, Jean-Claude Rouget's first runner at the Esher venue is ideally positioned...