Dragon Symbol

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features an exciting newcomer for Amo Racing. 1.52 Southwell, Novice, 2yo, 6f 16y (AWT) FIREWALKER (GB) (Kingman {GB}) makes his belated debut just over two years since making the top five lots at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale when selling to Amo Racing for 360,000gns. Kevin Philippart...

NEWMARKET, UK--Improved trade punctuated by a steady stream of notable results for the progeny of Dragon Symbol would be a neat summation of Tuesday's opening session of the December Foal Sale at Tattersalls, with Whitsbury Manor Stud's first-crop sire alone accounting for nearly 25% of the 1,684,200gns that changed hands on the day. That total turnover represented a 23% increase compared to 12 months ago, while the average and the median also painted a much prettier picture as opposed to what was a sluggish start to last year's December Foal...

There are many ways to celebrate breeding a Classic winner, but Ed Harper must be in the minority in having selected a betting shop on Newmarket High Street as his first destination after departing the town's Rowley Mile, the landmark achievement of his family's Whitsbury Manor Stud still barely having sunk in. As it was, little more than an hour after the homebred Chaldean had skipped to glory in the 2023 edition of the 2,000 Guineas, Harper found himself in front of a wall of screens, ready to watch the...

"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...

Who would be a stallion master, eh? Sure it's fine if you have a new horse to show off, or one of the elite few who has truly made it, but pity the owner of the stallion who has just faded from fashion through no real fault of his own, merely overlooked as the stampede rushes on to the next new thing. One can't blame breeders either for showing such interest in the new stallions at stud, for they have yet to be judged (though they will be, just as...

It has been a big year for Whitsbury Manor Stud. From a landmark result with homebred Chaldean going on to win the 2,000 Guineas for Juddmonte, his half-sister Get Ahead selling for 2.5m gns at public auction and the continued rise of superstar stallion Havana Grey, 2023 has been the gift that keeps on giving for Ed Harper and his team. There is plenty, still, to look forward to next year, with fellow Whitsbury-based stallion Sergei Prokofiev set to be represented by his first crop of runners and Dragon Symbol...

Shadwell's Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) began his impressive ascent to the top of the sprinting tree in the 2017 edition of the G2 King George Qatar S. and in all his return Goodwood visits he has been unflinching and unbeatable. He returns to the race he has made his own in search of a glorious five-timer on Friday and after Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) was forced out of a similar bid on Tuesday the onus is firmly on him. Immaculate last term with his three starts culminating...

Connections of Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) have lost their appeal to have the colt's disqualification from victory in Royal Ascot's G1 Commonwealth Cup overturned. Dragon Symbol and the American-trained filly Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) fought out a thrilling stretch duel in the six furlong contest, with Dragon Symbol crossing the wire a head the better, but the placings were reversed on account of Dragon Symbol bumping Campanelle on numerous occasions during the run and taking her off her line. Stewards on the day deemed the interference was enough...

Trainer Archie Watson has lodged an appeal with the British Horseracing Authority against the decision by stewards at Royal Ascot to disqualify Yoshiro Kubota's Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) from victory in last week's G1 Commonwealth Cup. Dragon Symbol and Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) moved into a joint lead approaching the final furlong of the Commonwealth Cup, at which point Dragon Symbol, ridden by Oisin Murphy, began to drift towards the far side rail, bumping Campanelle, with Frankie Dettori aboard, as he did so. Stewards deemed that at the...

Saturday's Curragh card which features the G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas is in doubt after 35 millimetres of rain hit the track overnight Thursday. With a morning inspection called, chief executive Pat Keogh is hoping for a turnaround with the course currently waterlogged in places. "We got a lot more rain than we anticipated overnight. We were forecast 15 millimetres at the most in the last 24 hours," he explained on Friday. "It's come completely out of left field, unfortunately. The track would not be raceable today. We'll just have...