Native Trail (GB)

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...

Ten years on from that momentous day when Frankel (GB) moved a nation, York's Knavesmire has a scenario fit to mark the anniversary as Shadwell's Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) goes onwards and upwards in the G1 Juddmonte International. Just as the great gift afforded to the late Sir Henry Cecil entered unknown territory traversing an additional two furlongs and 56 yards that afternoon, so too does the colt that has come to represent the bridge between the legacy of the departed Sheikh Hamdan and his daughter Sheikha Hissa....

Seven contenders will go forward for Wednesday's G1 Juddmonte International S. at York after final declarations were confirmed Monday morning. Shadwell's all-conquering Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), undefeated through nine starts to date, will seek to take his record to a perfect ten in the £1-million 10-furlong feature and will break from stall six. Guaranteed to start as the odds-on favourite for his first attempt at beyond the one-mile trip, his rivals are headed by Prince Faisal's globetrotting Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), who has not tasted success in...

Classic winner Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) is "thriving" ahead of a start in Wednesday's G1 Juddmonte International S., according to trainer Charlie Appleby. The Godolphin-owned colt was most recently third in the G1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown last month. "He's got the constitution of a rhinoceros--he just loves it," he told Sky Sports Racing. "He actually gets a bit depressed when he doesn't get on with his work, so for the last three weeks we've been winding him up and he's thriving on it. "As we all know he's...

Jockey Christophe Soumillon has had his twelve-day suspension for careless riding in the G1 Coral-Eclipse S. reduced to eight days following an appeal hearing on Thursday. On board Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}), the pair cut across and impeded the third- and fourth-placed finishers William Buick on Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) for Charlie Appleby and James Doyle on Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) for John and Thady Gosden after the winning post, as Soumillon celebrated. The stewards reviewed the race and subsequently handed out their suspension. Soumillon, speaking via...

Last year's G1 Cazoo Derby and G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth QIPCO S. hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) is slowly rounding back into form after a start in this year's King George was mooted earlier this week, according to trainer Charlie Appleby. The Classic winner ran fourth in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in October and dropped to fifth in his 3-year-old finale, the G1 QIPCO Champion S. in the middle of that month. He has not graced a racecourse since. Appleby said, "Adayar is cantering...

Delivered by fate to coincide with the centennial year of The Aga Khan's Studs, the Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) descended on Sandown on Saturday to mark the occasion by providing his owner-breeder with a landmark first G1 Coral-Eclipse S. success. In the kind of tight finale that could comfortably have been predicted given the highly-competitive nature of this year's renewal, the Prix du Jockey Club hero held a fast-diminishing neck margin over the arguably unlucky Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), with the race's other 3-year-old Native Trail (GB)...

In the centennial year of The Aga Khan's Studs, the operation's latest flame Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) could present his owner-breeder with a present of particular value in Saturday's G1 Coral-Eclipse S. While The Aga Khan has won most of Europe's major middle distance prizes, Sandown's much-coveted contest has so far eluded him with Kalanisi (Ire) coming closest in his epic encounter with Giant's Causeway in the millennium edition. With weight-for-age tipping the balance very much in his favour, Jean-Claude Rouget's first runner at the Esher venue is ideally positioned...

With Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) setting it up for him, Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) carried the heavy burden of hope into Saturday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh but with William Buick at his coolest the trinity of Guineas victories was completed with a degree of comfort. While the winning performance was not much more than workmanlike as the champion juvenile of 2021 grafted to deny the outsiders New Energy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) and Imperial Fighter (Ire) (The Gurkha...

Godolphin's quest for a unique 2000 Guineas treble with three different colts is set to culminate in Saturday's €500,000 G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh, where the hot favourite Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) will face eight peers. Drawn in stall one, which was occupied by two of the last three winners of the Classic in Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) and Phoenix of Spain (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), he will start against the rail as he seeks compensation for his defeat in the Apr....

A Godolphin-Charlie Appleby one-two in Saturday's G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket seemed highly plausible, but as the dust settled on the sun-blessed Rowley Mile it was Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and not Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) who held the Moulton Paddocks bragging rights. Despite arriving here in his stablemate's shadow, the G3 Autumn S. winner received due respect and support at 5-1 attempting to navigate from the one draw on the far side. As the 5-4 favourite charged down the other wing with William Buick animated, Coroebus...

Since Charlie Appleby took up the mantle at Moulton Paddocks in 2013, Godolphin's fortunes on British soil have been back on the rise and there is no greater exponent of that trend than Saturday's G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas leading light Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). The way Appleby's runners have been sweeping up the Spring's black-type contests so far this term is reminiscent of the days when Henry Cecil's Warren Place was at its height and provides further evidence that Ballydoyle has a heavyweight of mutual prowess to trade blows...