St Mark's Basilica (Fr)

G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Albigna (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}--Freedonia {GB}, by Selkirk) was the first lot to clear seven figures at Goffs on Friday, selling for €3.7 million to MV Magnier. In foal to St Mark's Basilica (Fr), the 6-year-old (lot 1212) is already the dam of a Wootton Bassett (GB) yearling colt who brought €460,000 during the Goffs Orby Sale earlier this year. She was consigned by Baroda Stud on behalf of the Niarchos family. "She is a lovely mare," Magnier told the TDN's Brian Sheerin. "The whole Niarchos...

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. Sunday's Observations features a half-brother to St Mark's Basilica (Fr) and Magna Grecia (Ire). 12.55 Newcastle, £10,300, Mdn, 2yo, 8f 5y (AWT) Juddmonte's 600,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 acquisition LAUTREC (GB) (Kingman {GB}), representing John and Thady Gosden, is half-brother to MG1SW sires St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr})...

Two-time Group 1 producer Cabaret (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}-Witch of Fife, by Lear Fan), who is due to foal a colt by Kingman (GB) this month, will visit Siyouni (Fr) later this year, it has been confirmed to the TDN. Currently boarding at the Aga Khan Studs in France, the dam of Classic winners and young sires Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) was purchased by BBA Ireland's Adrian Nicoll for 600,000gns out of the 2011 Tattersalls December Mares Sale on behalf of Bob...

St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), a four-time Group 1 winner in 2021 and five-time top-level scorer overall, was named the Cartier Horse of the Year and Cartier 3-Year-Old Colt during the 31st annual Cartier Racing Awards at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Wednesday evening. The sixth Cartier Horse of the Year for the Coolmore partners since the awards began in 1991, the Aidan O'Brien trainee joins the illustrious company of stablemates Giant's Causeway (Storm Cat) (2000), Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire) (Danehill) (2002), Hurricane Run (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) (2005),...

The 2021 nominations for the 31st annual Cartier Racing Awards, which will be held at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Nov. 10, were released on Monday. Undefeated top-class miler Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) goes up against international Group 1 winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) who won four Group 1 races this year, and G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) for Cartier Horse of the Year honours. Besides the octet of equine awards, the Cartier/The...

Wootton Bassett (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}), who will stand for €150,000 in 2022, leads the Coolmore Stud roster next year. Following the passing of his former stablemate, the breed-shaping Galileo (Ire) earlier this year, the dark bay has continued to burnish his reputation with 12 of his progeny winning stakes-eight at group level--in 2021. The fillies Incarville (Fr) and Zellie (Fr) took the G1 Prix Saint-Alary and G1 Prix Marcel Boussac, respectively, increasing his overall Group 1 winners to five. Juvenile colts Royal Patronage (Fr), Atomic Jones (Fr) and Topgear (Fr)...

12.40 The Curragh, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, 7fT DALMATIAN COAST (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) represents Messrs Tabor/Smith and Magnier and Westerberg in this intriguing affair and is a notable newcomer as a half-brother to the G2 Richmond and G2 July S. winner and G1 English and Irish 2000 Guineas-placed sire Ivawood (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}). Ballydoyle's May-foaled bay meets Robert Scarborough's once-raced Paris Lights (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), the Jessica Harrington-trained full-brother to St Mark's Basilica (Fr) and half to fellow Classic hero Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).

Five-time Group 1 winner St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}--Cabaret {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) has been retired from racing and will stand at Coolmore Stud in Ireland in 2022. A fee will be announced later. Bred by Bob Scarborough in France, the Norelands Stud-consigned bay brought 1.3 million guineas from MV Magnier during Book 1 of the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. Trained by Aidan O'Brien for Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor, the half-brother to two-time Group 1 winner, G1 2000 Guineas hero and young Coolmore sire...

Saturday's G1 Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown may have been short on quantity, but was certainly not lacking in quality as Coolmore's St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) maintained his winning streak at the highest level with a fifth such triumph in a thrilling finale to the €1,000,000 10-furlong contest. Backing up a juvenile high in Newmarket's G1 Dewhurst S., the 3-year-old bay has carried all before him during a banner sophomore campaign,  which has also witnessed victories in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains, G1 Prix du Jockey Club...

Ballydoyle's St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) will take on The Aga Khan's Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) and Jim Bolger's Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) and just one other in what is certain to be a tactical renewal of Saturday's G1 Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown. As he suggested earlier this month, Aidan O'Brien has taken out all other entries for the 10-furlong contest, which is made up by last year's G3 Meld S. winner Patrick Sarsfield (Fr) (Australia {GB}). At Doncaster the same afternoon, the G1 Cazoo St Leger will see Godolphin's G1 Irish Derby and...

Aidan O'Brien has declared Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) for Wednesday's G1 Juddmonte International at York after revealing that St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) has suffered a setback in training. "Yesterday morning he lost a front shoe and it came back and hit his hind leg--his near-hind joint," the Ballydoyle handler explained on Monday. "We didn't think a lot of it, but this morning there was a little bit of swelling in it and when we took bloods off him, his bloods came back and it was a little bit...

G1 Cazoo Derby hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) has joined dual French Classic winner and G1 Coral-Eclipse hero St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) on top of the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings. Both are now rated 127 after the Godolphin silksbearer won the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), third behind St Mark's Basilica and Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) (121) in the Coral-Eclipse, moved up to a mark of 124 after running second to Adayar in the Goodwood feature. Palace Pier (GB)...