Modern Games (Ire)

Darley newcomers Modern Games (Ire), Native Trail (GB) and Triple Time (Ire) have all had their first mares scanned in foal, the operation announced on Tuesday. Dalham Hall Stud resident Modern Games won five races at the top level for Charlie Appleby, notably winning at the Breeders' Cup in successive years when landing the Juvenile Turf in 2021 and Mile in 2022. Modern Games is reported to have four mares in foal, including George Strawbridge's G1 Prix Royal-Oak winner Montare (Ire) (Montjeu {GB}), already the dam of three talented performers...

Last year's brilliant G1 1,000 Guineas winner Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) has been retired, Godolphin announced on Wednesday. She will now join the operation's broodmare band having failed to sparkle on what proved to be her final racecourse appearance when finishing last of the nine runners in last month's G1 Jebel Hatta at Meydan. Trained by Saeed bin Suroor, Mawj was a high-class juvenile when her victories included the G2 Duchess Of Cambridge S. at Newmarket's July Festival. Last season, she won twice in Dubai before gaining the...

Godolphin's Eclipse Champion Male Turf Horse Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}--Modern Ideals {GB}, by New Approach {Ire}) will stand under the Darley banner at Dalham Hall Stud alongside his sire in Newmarket next season. A fee for the five-time top-level victor will be announced in due course. Trained by Charlie Appleby, he won both the G3 Somerville S. and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at two. Sent to France at three, Modern Games duly nabbed the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and was third in the G1 Prix du Jockey...

Racing roads converge this Saturday. With a little over a month left before horses and their connections officially point to Santa Anita, the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series returns to Woodbine Racetrack. Featured are three 'Win and You're In' chances, including the GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile. Meanwhile, at Churchill Downs, the prep seasons officially open for 2-year-old colts and fillies, who are seeking to bank points for next May's 150th editions of the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks. There is much to get to with Belmont at the Big...

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...

Frankie. Storms. A New King. It's Royal Ascot again, and all the themes and strands of the week will begin to unravel as soon as Charles III has made his way up the straight mile in his first procession as the ruling monarch. Maybe the forecast thunder will get there first, who knows? It's been a while since the meeting enjoyed the promise of clear skies over the five days and it's no safe bet we'll get that luxury this time. Once the opening Queen Anne is underway, the Italian...

Successful at the elite level at two Breeders' Cups, in a Poule d'Essai des Poulains and a Woodbine Mile, Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}--Modern Ideals {GB}, by New Approach {Ire}) finally did it in the UK as he swooped to dominate Saturday's G1 Al Shaqab Lockinge S. at Newbury. Drawn on the extreme towards the stands' rail, the 3-1 favourite was in the right place if the preceding London Gold Cup was anything to go by and William Buick was able to enjoy the perfect draft behind My Prospero (Ire)...

A pair of Godolphin's stable stars are headed back to contest Grade I races in America, the owner confirmed in a tweet on Wednesday. Trained by Charlie Appleby, the American champion Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) will ship to Keeneland's Spring Meet to run over the Haggin Turf Course in the GI Maker's Mark Mile on Friday, Apr. 14. With the Moonlight (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who won the GIII Saratoga Oaks Invitational S. and was second in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S., will contest the GI Jenny Wiley S....

Both Regal Glory and Modern Games (Ire) won Grade I races to close out 2022, as the former heads to the breeding shed, while the latter looks to return this year. REGAL GLORY In discussing the rationale for keeping 'TDN Rising Star' Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom) in training for a 6-year-old campaign following her victory in Keeneland's GI Jenny Wiley S., trainer Chad Brown recalled a conversation with owner Peter Brant. Said Brown, "I probably would have bred her and he said, 'No, she's in good form and I want...

Charlie Appleby, fresh off two consecutive UK trainers' titles,  will have a host of stars to go to war with in 2023, among them Godolphin's undefeated G2 Gimcrack S. hero Noble Style (GB) (Kingman {GB}). The son of listed winner and Group 3-placed Eartha Kitt (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), named a 'TDN Rising Star' off his winning debut at Ascot in May, is earmarked for the G3 Greenham S. in April, before a possible bid for G1 2000 Guineas glory in May. He said, "Noble Style has not been seen since...

LEXINGTON, KY--This was a day that seemed to hang suspended, if not quite on a single hair of his tail, then certainly on the fate of a single horse. Even the gale that blew through the afternoon had a portentous quality, as though the very elements were anticipating some complementary melodrama of wind and fire from Flightline (Tapit). Yet history is often made not to a blaring fanfare but in quiet increments--and the 39 steps taken by the Breeders' Cup since its inauguration in 1984 here brought the Europeans to...

With unbeaten sensation Flightline (Tapit) leading the way, 205 horses, including 45 from overseas, and seven former or returning Breeders' Cup champions, have been pre-entered for the 39th Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland Nov. 4 & 5. The Breeders' Cup will be televised live domestically on NBC, Peacock, USA Network, and FanDuel TV. Click here to view all of the 2022 Breeders' Cup World Championships Pre-Entered Fields. Nine horses were pre-entered for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. In addition to the record-setting GI Pacific Classic winner Flightline, the $6-million...