Victorious Racing

There were fireworks on Chantilly's Tuesday afternoon card as Carlos and Yann Lerner trainee We'll Defend (Fr) (Zelzal {Fr}--Skysweeper {Fr}, by Hurricane Run {Ire}) illuminated proceedings with a taking four-length 'TDN Rising Star' performance in the Prix de la Serpentine, a 9 1/2-furlong contest for unraced fillies. The G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and G1 Prix de Diane entry was under heavy restraint through the early stages and raced in a handy fourth, behind a sedate pace, for the most part. Cruising forward on the bridle in the home straight,...

The National Stud certainly cannot be accused of lacking variety in its stallion ranks. The champion stayer Stradivarius (Ire) has been the kingpin of the stallion yard for the last two seasons but now he will have to make room for another much-loved star in Bradsell (GB), the champion sprinter in Europe in 2024. It didn't take long for Bradsell to make his presence felt. Having been sold at the Goffs UK Breeze-up Sale by Mark Grant to Tom Biggs and Archie Watson, he made his debut exactly a month...

Top-class sprinter Bradsell (GB) will retire to the National Stud following his tilt at the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar on Saturday, November 2. Trained by Archie Watson for Shaikh Nasser's Victorious Racing, Bradsell heads to the Breeders' Cup as the winner of six of his 12 career starts, with three of his victories coming at the top level. In 2024, he added wins in the Nunthorpe Stakes and Flying Five Stakes to his King's Stand Stakes success as a three-year-old. That was the second year in...

Every day is a school day if you follow TDN. Thankfully, master of all subjects Emma Berry delivered yesterday's lesson on the Bay City Rollers--apparently one of the most popular bands of the 1970s--in her excellent Seven Days column, allowing me to stay in my lane with today's news that the unbeaten two-year-old colt of the same name is unlikely to run again this year after his comfortable victory in Saturday's G2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. That is according to trainer George Scott, who already has his sights set on...

Backing up his success in last month's G1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York, Victorious Racing's Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}--Russian Punch {GB}, by Archipenko) proved he is a sprinter to be reckoned with by doubling up in Sunday's G1 Flying Five Stakes at The Curragh. Prominent throughout under Hollie Doyle, the Archie Watson-trained 2-1 favourite was committed two out and stayed on strongly to score by 1 1/4 lengths from compatriot Believing (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) to bring his group 1 win tally to three having also conquered last year's G1 King's Stand...

Doncaster's G2 Champagne Stakes lost a key actor on Saturday as Cheveley Park Stud's TDN Rising Star Chancellor (GB) (Kingman {GB}) was withdrawn at the start, leaving it to Victorious Racing's acquisition Bay City Roller (Ire) (New Bay {GB}--Bloomfield {Ire}, by Teofilo {Ire}) to extend his perfect sequence in the seven-furlong staging post. Always travelling smoothly tracking the free-running Righthere Rightnow (Fr) (Kodiac {GB}), the George Scott-trained Sandown and Chelmsford novice winner who had been sold by Clive Washbourn after his debut was sent forward by Callum Shepherd to take...

Victorious Racing's 2023 G1 King's Stand Stakes hero and 'TDN Rising Star' Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}--Russian Punch {GB}, by Archipenko), on an enforced sabbatical for 329 days after registering that career high, added to his comeback win in this month's Listed Prix du Cercle with a dominant performance in Friday's G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes at York. The 3-1 second favourite was swiftly into stride on the far wing and chased the trailblazing Ponntos (Ire) (Power {GB}) in second through the initial stages of this straight five-furlong dash. Easing...

Victorious Racing's €400,000 Arqana Arc sale acquisition Calif (Ger) (Areion {Ger}--Cherry Danon {Ire}, by Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), who collected ParisLongchamp's G3 La Coupe when last seen, made a breakthrough at the highest level when annexing Sunday's G1 Grosser Dallmayr Preis - Bayeriches Zuchtrennen at Munich. The eventual winner was steadied to track the leaders in fourth passing the judge first time and held that position until turning for home. Thundering forward in the straight, the 19-5 second favourite was shaken up to launch his challenge with 300 metres remaining...

Victorious Racing's Group 2 winner Isle Of Jura (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) has sustained a setback and will miss the rest of the year, trainer George Scott announced. Currently sporting a five-race winning streak, including the Bahraini Triple Crown this winter and Goodwood's Listed Festival Stakes in May, the 4-year-old gelding won the G2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot last out. He carried entries in both the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot later this month, and the G1 International Stakes at York on Aug. 21....

Shadwell's Mohaather (GB) (by Showcasing {GB}) became the latest first-crop sire to get off the mark on Thursday as his daughter Serving With Style (GB) scored at Carlisle. Sent off the 13-8 favourite for the track's maiden over nearly seven furlongs, Victorious Racing and Fawzi Nass's £75,000 Goffs UK Premier Sale graduate was in rear early after a tardy start. Staying on between rivals to take command 150 yards from the finish, the Karl Burke trainee was pushed out by Clifford Lee to score by 3/4 of a length from...

There is no doubt that one of the feel-good moments in an excellent week of action at Royal Ascot came when Isle Of Jura (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) won the G2 Hardwicke Stakes on the final day of the meeting. Much of the joy that sprung from the result was aimed towards jockey Callum Shepherd after he had missed out on a plum ride in the Derby. But the importance of the win for the horse's trainer, George Scott, who was enjoying a first Royal Ascot success, and his owner...

Royal Ascot was tremendous in myriad ways. Sun up, crowd up, and a spread of results which drew in some of the world's biggest owners and trainers alongside syndicates and smaller yards. Then on Sunday morning came the news that QIPCO is to significantly reduce its sponsorship of British racing from next year. British Champions Day will still be run in its name, and the company owned by Sheikhs Hamad and Fahad Al Thani will remain as an official partner of Ascot racecourse, but Newmarket's Guineas meeting, Ascot's King George...