St Mark's Basilica

We're sliding down the scale slightly for this second part of our look at the sires standing across Europe to those with an advertised fee of £15,000 to £50,000 (approximately €17,000 to €57,000). And how can we not start with the champion sire of 2024, Dark Angel? At €45,000, his fee is the lowest it has been for a decade, and of course the years are marching on, but if there is one thing we have learnt about Dark Angel in his 18 seasons at Yeomanstown Stud it is that...

A St Mark's Basilica half-sister to G1 Prix de l'Opera winner Barnavara (Calyx) has been added to the Tattersalls December Foal Sale as a wild card entry. Consigned by Awbeg Stud, the February-born filly out of the Kentucky Dynamite mare Alfea will be offered on the Friday of the sale as lot 895A. Her yearling half-sister by Blackbeard was sold for 450,000gns at Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale.  The further family includes leading sire Lope De Vega, who is a half-brother to the foal's third dam Bal De...

No Nay Never heads the Coolmore roster for the 2026 breeding season at €100,000, while the G1 Coral-Eclipse and G1 Irish Champion Stakes winner Delacroix, a son of Dubawi and the outstanding racemare Tepin, has been introduced at €40,000. Only the late Wootton Bassett has sired more individual Group-winning juveniles in Europe this year than No Nay Never, whose standout two-year-olds have included the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes heroine True Love and the G2 Norfolk Stakes winner Charles Darwin. The G1 City Of York Stakes scorer Never So Brave has...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features the ninth foal of Lilly Langtry. 1.45 Thurles, Mdn, 2yo, f, 8f 44yT MOTHER'S DAY (IRE) (Frankel {GB}) is the ninth foal out of Danehill Dancer's Coronation and Matron heroine Lillie Langtry who has proven a revelation for Coolmore by providing a trio of Classic-winning Galileo...

It can be easy to read the headlines from Book 1 and conclude that this is a sale for the big boys and, unless you have millions in the bank, you cannot compete.  Pinhooker Fearghal Hogan put that theory in the bin on Wednesday when a St Mark's Basilica colt that he bought for €120,000 sold for a whopping 800,000gns to Amo Racing.  It was the type of pinhooking profit that left Hogan puffing for air down in the gangway as the numbers kept on climbing. And when the gavel...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a son of dual Group 1 winner Amazing Maria (Mastercraftsman). 5.48 Naas, Debutantes, 2yo, 7fT PORT FERDINAND (IRE) (Camelot {GB}) is a son of the Falmouth, Prix Rothschild and Duke of Cambridge Stakes winner Amazing Maria (Mastercraftsman) and is one of two runners for Ballydoyle in...

There was much consternation when only three new Flat stallions retired to stand in Britain for the 2025 season. It remains to be seen whether this was a blip, but if it becomes a trend then obviously it is cause for concern. It is easy to understand why, in an increasingly commercial sphere, breeders would either flock to the proven elite (for those with mares good enough and pockets deep enough) or to the next first-season sire on the block who may be forgiven for a year or two until...

Fresh from Thursday's Group-race breakthrough with G2 May Hill Stakes heroine Aylin, the St Mark's Basilica bandwagon looks set to roll on through this weekend, with the first-season sire set to be represented by big-race runners everywhere from Doncaster to Woodbine. Thesecretadversary, the first black-type winner for his sire in last month's Listed Churchill Stakes at Tipperary, is set to line up in Saturday's GI Summer Stakes over in Canada for Fozzy Stack. There he'll have the assistance of one Frankie Dettori, the man who rode St Mark's Basilica to...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features a half-brother to multiple Group 1 winner Quadrilateral (Frankel). 16.10 Newbury, £40,000, Nov, 2yo, 7fT Juddmonte homebred SLIGHT OF FOOT (GB) (Kingman {GB}), a Harry Charlton-trained half-brother to G1 Fillies' Mile heroine Quadrilateral (GB) (Frankel {GB}), faces nine in this first go. They include Jeff Smith's...

Haras de Beaufay manager Sebastien Bloyet is next in the hot seat. Bloyet joined the famous stud farm a little under a year ago and says he is looking forward to offering a St Mark's Basilica colt [lot 13] at the Arqana August Sale this week. He shares all in TDN Europe's latest consignor Q&A ahead of the three-day sale which begins on Saturday in Deauville.  Can you tell us a little bit about the background of your consignment? I took over my role at the Haras de Beaufay in...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features the well-bred Hawk Mountain. 1.45 Curragh, Mdn, 2yo, 7fT HAWK MOUNTAIN (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) debuts for Ballydoyle in a maiden which has been won in recent times by Delacroix, Diego Velazquez, Al Riffa and Thunder Moon and is a key player as a son of...

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. Thursday's Observations features a newcomer sporting the Wathnan Racing silks. 4.55 Goodwood, Mdn, £60,000, 2yo, f, 7fT PROPOSAL (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is an eye-catching newcomer in this maiden won in recent times by the likes of Dreamy and Rhododendron, being the second foal out of the G3 Blue Wind...