Ghaiyyath

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. Monday's Observations features a newcomer from the Charlie Appleby yard. 13.30 Kempton, £20,000, Mdn, 2yo, 8f (AWT) Godolphin's hitherto untested NATION'S HOPE (IRE) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) is a half-brother to GI Saratoga Derby, G1 Grosser Dallmayr Preis, GI Canadian International and GI Arlington Million hero Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire})....

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. Wednesday's Observations features a seven-figure juvenile. 16.01 Dundalk, €18,000, Mdn, 2yo, 7f (AWT) Aidan O'Brien trainee ACCREDITED (FR) (Siyouni {Fr}) achieved the joint-second highest price when fetching €1-million at May's Arqana Breeze-Up sale and is kin to two black-type performers out of a half-sister to G1 Prix Morny runner-up...

Wertheimer et Frere homebred Sosie, third in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, is pointing to the G1 Hong Kong Vase, trainer Andre Fabre announced. The three-time Group 1-winning son of Sea The Stars was slated to retire at the end of the season. "He ran his race [in the Arc], he ran right up to his form. The plan with him now is to go to Hong Kong," said Fabre, who has won the Vase three times with Borgia (Acatenango) (1999), Flintshire (Dansili) (2014) and Junko (Intello) (2023)....

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the win of Luther (Frankel) in Saratoga's National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes. Frankel Colt Pens His Name Into The Hall Of Fame Paul Hickman and Nicholas Jones's Luther was put up via the disqualification of Zulu Kingdom (Ten Sovereigns) in the GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga on August 1 (video). The Frankel colt is trained by Charlie...

Impressive Dundalk maiden winner The Padre (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) has been sold to continue his career in California, where he will be trained by Phil D'Amato.  Bred by John Halley, The Padre created a big impression on his first and only start for his son Josh last month, winning a 1m2f maiden by almost three lengths under Wayne Lordan.  "We did think a bit of him before we came here and he was probably the best out of my two-year-olds last year," Josh told Irishracing.com after that debut victory.  "He...

His Highness the Aga Khan was remembered on the opening day of the Goffs February Sale, where the auditorium fell silent before the action--which was headlined by a €150,000 Space Blues (Ire) filly--got underway shortly after 11am. The Aga Khan Studs was due to offer a draft of seven horses during the two-day sale but they were withdrawn as a mark of respect to one of the most influential owner-breeders who passed away at the age of 88 on Tuesday night.  "On behalf of the Board of Goffs, Group Chief...

Darley nominations manager Eamon Moloney has shared the high opinion that Charlie Appleby has held Opera Ballo (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) in all winter and revealed that the colt's impressive victory at Kempton on Wednesday has resulted in a slew of calls from breeders either side of the Irish Sea booking in mares to his sire.  Opera Ballo, who fetched €600,000 at the Arqana August Yearling Sale, won the same Kempton maiden that Appleby landed with subsequent 2,000 Guineas hero Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) last year.  The wide-margin win, which...

What is in store for the bloodstock industry in 2025? From a shoo-in for the first-season sires' championship, market predictions, a word or two on Amo Racing and much more, TDN Europe's Brian Sheerin has come up with 10 predictions for the new year. Yearling Sale Momentum Can Continue Into The Breeze-Up Market It can be hard enough to predict how strong or weak trade will be on the eve of a sale, not to mention three or four months out, but there are a few good reasons to believe...

It may be the season to be jolly, but it's also a time of reflection, and there are many ways one can look back on a first-season sires' championship in Britain and Ireland that was ultimately dominated from start to finish by Whitsbury Manor Stud's Sergei Prokofiev.  The cool thing to say about this year's championship was that none of the new stallions seemed to be standing out from the crowd like Blue Point (Ire) and Havana Grey (GB) had done in previous years.  That may well be true, but...

Leading American owner Mike Repole opened up about his long-term breeding plan after sourcing six fillies and mares for just shy of €2 million at the December Breeding Stock Sale at Arqana, headed by the Sunday sale-topper Hoshiana (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) at €220,000.  Fourth in a Listed contest on heavy ground when last seen, Hoshiana is out of Doctor Dino (Fr) mare Galtika Coat Frity (Fr) and was knocked down to bloodstock agent Alex Solis on behalf of Repole. She was sold by trainer Nicolas Perret.  Speaking from America, the...

Never has the demand to get horses into the breeze-up sales in Europe been higher. It begs the question; how do the big sales companies limit their catalogues?  Inspectors from Tattersalls, Arqana and Goffs have been out in force in recent weeks trawling through the breeze-up consignors' barns to come up with their shortlists.  According to Harry Fowler, one of the main inspectors at Goffs, entries for the company's only breeze-up sale have sky-rocketed this year. With most of the viewing done at this stage, the Goffs inspectors will meet...

We're at the top end now when it comes to stallion fees, but there is quite a range to those prices, which for this feature is anything above £/€20,000. There is of course a massive difference, certainly when it comes to value, in a stallion standing at £35,000 and one at £350,000. In fact, we have two at that latter fee, which makes Frankel (GB) and Dubawi (Ire), the champion sires of the last two years in Britain and Ireland, the most expensive stallions in the world. Those two representatives...