Charlie Appleby

Irish 2,000 Guineas winner and unbeaten European Champion Two-Year-Old Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) will stand at Kildangan Stud for 2024.  Trained by Charlie Appleby, Native Trail carried the Godolphin blue throughout his career, which featured a stellar unbeaten juvenile campaign in 2021 which culminated with spellbinding performances in the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien S at the Curragh followed by the G1 Dewhurst S. at Newmarket.  After landing the G3 Craven S. on his seasonal return at three, he found only stablemate Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) too tough in...

Landing a late gamble in Saturday's G3 Solario S., Godolphin's Aablan (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) made it three wins from the last seven renewals of Sandown's staging post for Charlie Appleby. Sent off the 7-4 favourite, the Newmarket maiden scorer was settled in a share of third early by James Doyle with the pace set by Inishfallen (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) far from exacting. Taking until the final yards to work his way past that long-time leader, the son of the multiple group winner Promising Run (Hard Spun) prevailed by...

Godolphin's €600,000 Arqana August purchase Arabian Crown (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}--Dubai Rose {GB}, by Dubai Destination) shaped with promise when third over seven furlongs at Sandown in his July 7 debut and graduated with a two-length tally over that course and distance towards the end of last month. Stalking the tempo in second through halfway in this black-type bow, the 85-40 second choice was pushed to the front soon after passing the quarter-mile marker and driven clear in the latter stages to comfortably outpoint 'TDN Rising Star' Arabic Legend (Ire) (Dubawi...

MGISW Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}--Modern Ideals {GB}, by New Approach {Ire}), a winner at the Group 1/Grade I level at two, three and four, has been retired from racing. Stud plans for Modern Games will be announced at a later date. A half-brother to 2023 Classic heroine Mawj (Ire), the Godolphin homebred won four of six starts at two, including the G3 Tattersalls S. at Newmarket and the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar. At three, he added victories in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains at...

It was a performance worth waiting for. Rescheduled from the end of last Friday's rain-cancelled card, the GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. finally got its day on course as 'TDN Rising Star' Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) drove right on past his opposition to pick up his first graded-stakes win. Second by a head on debut Jan. 21 to another 'Rising Star' in GI Belmont Derby winner Far Bridge (English Channel), the Chad Brown trainee responded with 8 3/4-length rout over the Gulfstream green...

After a deluge of rainfall this past week in the Saratoga Springs area, last Friday's $500,000 GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. for 3-year-old colts at a mile over the grass was postponed seven days, as an interesting mix of American and European invaders reconvene on the Inner Turf. With conditions which could be soft to yielding, trainer Chad Brown saddles three entries with GISP Appraise (Ire) Kodiac {GB}), Mischievous Angel (Into Mischief) and Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), while also present is the winner...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Wednesday's Insights features a promising son of G1SW Zhukova (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). 18.30, Kempton, Novice, £9,900, 2yo, 7fT CLASSIC ENCOUNTER (IRE) (Shamardal) debuts in the race won 12 months ago by fellow Charlie Appleby trainee Silver Knott (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and is the third foal out...

With the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, a bevy of graded stakes--marked by Saturday's GI Whitney S.--plus, the annual Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale which begins Monday, Upstate New York once again makes its case as the Thoroughbred fulcrum. To get the weekend started early, we have a pair of Friday graded turf stakes scheduled which will crown winners. First, the $400,000 GIII Saratoga Oaks Invitational S. for 3-year-old fillies serves as the middle sparkler in NYRA's Fasig-Tipton Turf Tiara series. Since Aspen Grove (Ire) (Justify) has elected to take on the...

Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Turf winner Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) will make his next start in the GI Colonial Downs Arlington Million on Aug. 12, Godolphin tweeted on Tuesday. On Sunday the 5-year-old gelding clipped heels on the far turn during the running of the GII Bowling Green S. at Saratoga and unseated rider Richard Mullen. Trainer Charlie Appleby reported Rebel's Romance to be uninjured following the incident and Mullen also escaped unscathed after being taken to Albany Medical Center for evaluation. Godolphin also announced via Twitter that...

Godolphin has enjoyed a favourable record with globetrotters contesting Munich's G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis - Bayerisches Zuchtrennen, with recent editions falling the way of Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}). Team Blue, who also annexed 2001's running with Kutub (Ire) (In The Wings {GB}), another globetrotter, struck gold once more with Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}--Important Time {Ire}, by Oasis Dream {GB}), who downed this term's G1 Deutsches Derby hero Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {GB}) in Sunday's latest renewal of the 10-furlong feature. Last term's...

Equine or human, history is always about the six degrees of someone in racing's world. For instance, at 100-1 Jim Dandy beat Triple Crown champion Gallant Fox in the 1930 edition of the Travers S., which only featured four entries total. The horse who set up the longshot by engaging in a speed duel with the favorite over the mud was Whichone, a colt owned by Harry Payne Whitney (yes, that important family). And what other Thoroughbred did Whitney own? Well, that would be Upset, who did just that, when...

Derby and King George winner Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) has been retired from racing with his trainer Charlie Appleby saying the Godolphin-owned five-year-old was "a pleasure to train". Adayar provided Appleby with a second G1 Derby success at Epsom in 2021 when ridden by Adam Kirby before going on to beat his elders in the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot the following month under William Buick. He was subsequently beaten in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the G1 Champion S. and only...