Newmarket

With no standout member of the line-up, Thursday's G3 Craven S. at Newmarket may offer more clues as to the 2000 Guineas prospects of those in absentia who share the stables of the main contenders. Ballydoyle are perhaps scouting the local opposition to City Of Troy with Cambridge (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), while Godolphin saddle Native Approach (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) possibly with a view to weighing up where their Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) sits. Andre Fabre is here again with Baron Edouard De Rothschild's TDN Rising Star Alcantor...

NEWMARKET, UK -- The action on the Rowley Mile on Wednesday wasn't restricted to the seven scheduled races on the card, with a host of potential Classic runners taking part in racecourse gallops just before the first race of the day. The headline act was the Karl Burke-trained Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), who is currently co-favourite for the Qipco 1,000 Guineas on May 5. She was put through her paces by Danny Tudhope. "I was very happy with her and Danny was delighted," said Burke of Steve...

One of the more exposed fillies in the line-up for Wednesday's G3 Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn S. at Newmarket, Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum's Pretty Crystal (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}--Pretty Baby {Ire}, by Orpen) emerged on top of a battle with Dubawi's other runner Dance Sequence (GB). Sent off at 18-1, the homebred whose five juvenile efforts included a second in the G3 Princess Margaret S. raced prominently under Oisin Orr throughout the early stages. Getting to Kathmandu (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) a furlong out, the Richard Fahey-trained chestnut had Godolphin's Dance...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed 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 daughter of Frankel (GB). 16.45 Newmarket, Mdn, £25,000, 3yo, f, 8fT HILLBRIDGE (IRE) (Frankel {GB}) debuts for Juddmonte and Andrew Balding in this intriguing affair and is the first foal out of the listed-winning and group-placed sprinter Classical Times (GB) (Lawman {Fr}), a half-sister to...

Long absent but certainly not forgotten by the racing intelligentsia, TDN Rising Star Matrika (Ire) (No Nay Never) stages her comeback in a renewal of Newmarket's G3 Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn S. on Wednesday that could yet determine the shape of next month's G1 1000 Guineas. While seen generally as an understudy to Ballydoyle's sidelined Opera Singer (Justify) and other TDN Rising Star Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the Classic picture throughout the winter weeks, there is time for her to emerge as a leading light with this seven-furlong...

The only juvenile by New Bay (GB) in the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale, lot 26, a grey colt already named Anno Domini (GB), brought 525,000gns from Anthony Stroud on behalf of Godolphin during the first session at Park Paddocks on Tuesday. A half-brother to listed winners Pythagoras (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and Blue Gardenia (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), the colt is out of the winning Galileo (Ire) mare Alegra (GB) and he was consigned by Greenhills Farm. Greenhills had snapped up the March foal for 125,000gns in the same ring during Book 1...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Observations features Kikkuli, a half-brother to champion and leading sire Frankel.   16.05 Newmarket, Mdn, £10,000, 3yo, c/g, 7fT KIKKULI (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is a key player in this often-informative Alex Scott Maiden, as the eighth foal out of Juddmonte's diamond mine Kind (Ire) (Danehill). Her previous septet...

Newmarket's Craven meeting could just as well be called Anticipation Week. Anticipation is climbing the steps of a venerated football stadium for a night game to find the floodlights blazing and the grass slick and lush. It's the bounce of the England cricket team down the pavilion steps to start an Ashes series. It's checking your tickets the day before Wimbledon tennis starts or standing just after dawn beside the first tee at an Open Championship or Masters. It's not about what you know. It's about all the things you...

The Jockey Club and 1/ST Racing have partnered to increase international participation in several of their respective turf races, the two companies announced on Thursday. The aim of the partnership is to create links between historic races in the UK and high-profile U.S. turf races over two different distances. The winner of the May 4 $200,000 GII Charles Whittingham S. at Santa Anita will gain an automatic berth and travel incentive to run in the £750,000 G1 Coral-Eclipse over the same 10-furlong distance at Sandown Park on July 6. Whichever...

Is there anything like a pedigree update to get a consignor's blood pumping in the build-up to a big sale? A little winner here, a black-type update there, it can't hurt when it comes to advertising your wares.  Well, if it's happening pedigrees that buyers want, it won't take long to scope out lot 53 in the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale. A brother to leading 2,000 Guineas contender Night Raider (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), the colt will be offered under the hammer by the father-and-son team of Mick and Stephen...

The Newmarket training ranks will be boosted by the addition of leading Qatari trainer Hamad Al-Jehani, who is to set up with a "small number" of horses owned by Wathnan Racing, the operation of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.  Al-Jehani, who will continue to train in Qatar over the winter, will be based in the lower yard at Tom Clover's Kremlin House Stables. The deal has been negotiated by Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock, who has been responsible for buying a number of horses for...

The training game may be a tough one but that doesn't stop new young hopefuls  joining the ranks each year. Getting early winners on the board counts for everything and that is something Alice Haynes managed from the outset. Now, just over three years since she sent out her first runner, her string has grown steadily in number and she has taken on the historic Machell Place Stables in Newmarket in addition to her original base just across the road at Cadland Cottage Stables. Despite having all of Newmarket's expansive...