Inspiral

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables' Up to the Mark (Not This Time) and Cheveley Park Stud's Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) were named turf champions during Thursday's Eclipse Award ceremony in Florida. Up the Mark won three straight Grade I events, starting off with the GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic in May, adding the GI Manhattan S. in June and the GI Coolmore Turf Mile in October. On championship weekend, he found just European invader Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) too good while trying 1 1/2 miles for...

Frankel (GB), who is set to become champion sire for the second time at the end of this year, has had his fee increased to a career high of £350,000 for 2024. Along with Dubawi (Ire), this makes him the joint-highest-priced stallion in Europe. Juddmonte has released the fees for its five European stallions, with Kingman (GB) remaining unchanged at £125,000 after a year in which his leading runners have included the top sprinter Kinross (GB) along with French Group 1 winners Sauterne (Fr) and Feed The Flame (GB). Kingman...

ARCADIA, USA -- They got what they came for. Breeders' Cup Saturday delivered two storybook results right off the bat: victory for the fabled Cody's Wish (Curlin) and a 15th win at the championships for Frankie Dettori, whose thoughts of retirement are now firmly consigned to the past. And that was just in the first two races. Amid a huddle of reporters by the tunnel entrance as the runners went to post for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf, one of the most seasoned of American racing writers muttered, "The suspense...

ARCADIA, USA--Against the most stunning backdrop in world racing, just as the pre-dawn sky started to pinken with promise, a metaphorical dark cloud was cast across Santa Anita racetrack. Practical Move (Practical Joke), a leading contender for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, collapsed and died of an apparent heart attack on his way back in from exercise in front of onlookers on the apron. The screens arrived eventually, but not soon enough to remind those present of the occasionally desperate nature of the sport we love, and how such a...

Most normal people spend some of August at the beach. Bloodstock folk do too, though the spade work involves no bucket, just plenty of prowling around the Arqana sales ground looking at yearlings. There may be the odd oyster here and there at the hospitality suites of various consignors but, make no mistake, this is gruelling work. It's curtain up this Friday for the European yearling sales season, and we all know what that means: Christmas is right around the corner. For breeders and stallion masters, results on the track...

Twelve months ago, Cheveley Park Stud's Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) was using Deauville's G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois as a springboard back to the big time having suffered a shock reversal in the G1 Falmouth S. This time around, the John and Thady Gosden-trained homebred is in Normandy attempting to make up for another defeat having been bogged down in Goodwood's unexpectedly tacky surface in the G1 Sussex S. As she had shown when disappointing in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. on Champions Day, easy...

Surprise Queen Anne S. winner Triple Time (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) could bid to prove that Group 1 success at the royal meeting was no fluke when lining out in the Prix Jacques le Marois next month. The Kevin Ryan-trained colt had just a neck to spare over Inspiral at Ascot and a rematch is likely for Deauville. Adam Ryan, son and assistant to the Hambleton trainer, said, "Triple Time has come out of the race absolutely fine and done very well. It was his first run of the year so...

With Royal Ascot looming large on the horizon, and racing about to switch from Newmarket's Rowley Mile to the July Course, John and Thady Gosden and Charlie Appleby took advantage of the latter for racecourse gallops for some of their Ascot runners on Tuesday morning.  Cheveley Park Stud's homebred Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) was out first under Frankie Dettori ahead of what will be her first start since QIPCO British Champions Day last October. The treble Group 1 winner is heading to the G1 Queen Anne S. on the opening...

John and Thady Gosden's Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) will possibly return in Epsom's G1 Coronation Cup June 2 as her first start since capturing the G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. Oct. 15. She was initially set to return in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan but missed the opportunity having not come to hand as quickly as liked and returns to Epsom after being narrowly denied when sent off the 6-4 favourite for the Oaks at the Surrey venue last year. "She ran a...

Just 11 years old in its reconstructed state, Ascot's QIPCO British Champions Day is not yet the supermassive black hole it longs to be, but its gravitational waves are enough to draw in a sufficient quantity of racing's brightest year upon year to justify its title. Saturday's binary stars are the turf overlord Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and the miling dame Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}), whose orbits have been steadily coming closer into view over the past weeks. In the case of the former, this final act of...

Shadwell's Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) will conclude his racing career against eight rivals in Saturday's £1.3-million QIPCO Champion S. at Ascot, with the unbeaten luminary drawn in stall one as the final fields were confirmed on Thursday morning. Like the 2016 hero Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), the William Haggas flagbearer is on the inside in a contest that should be staged on ground no worse than soft and very likely good-to-soft. Last year's Derby and King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB})...

Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}), one of the shining lights of the Flat season, is set to tackle the G1 Prix de l'Opera on her next start while fellow John and Thady Gosden-trained filly Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) will take on the boys in the G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville on Sunday after pleasing connections in a key workout on Tuesday.  The Prix de Diane winner Nashwa lit up Goodwood when successful in the Nassau S. and, according to Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager for the filly's owner Imad Al...