Wandering Eyes

Race 9 PROISIR PLATE WFA 1400m (G1) SACRED SATONO (M Cartwright) – Co-trainer Mr. G Cooksley advised Stewards that the stable was satisfied with the entire’s post-race condition, and blood tests conducted upon his return to the stable revealed no abnormalities. SACRED SATONO has now been sent for a brief spell. The post Auckland Thoroughbred Racing @ Ellerslie, Saturday 6 September 2025 appeared first on Racing Integrity Board. View the full article

Veteran racing industry executive Tom Ludt will oversee a transition of Turf Paradise to new owner Gary Hartunian, who has signed a two-year lease agreement with current owner Jerry Simms.View the full article

Reigning Australian Horse of the Year Via Sistina has had a change to her spring campaign and will contest the Makybe Diva Stakes (G1) at Flemington Racecourse Sept. 13. Just five other runners will oppose.View the full article

The Gun Runner show continued to roll on at the Keeneland September sale when Coolmore's M.V. Magnier went to $1.55 million to acquire a son of the Three Chimneys stallion (hip 969) Thursday. The yearling, bred by Three Chimneys and consigned by Four Star Sales, is out of graded winner Twenty Carat (Into Mischief). His third dam, Silk n' Sapphire (Smart Strike), produced Grade I winner Shared Account, dam of another Grade I winner in Sharing. Yearlings by Gun Runner have attracted the top price at the first three days of the September sale and the stallion has been represented by 12 million-dollar yearlings so far at the 12-day auction. Magnier and Peter Brant's White Birch Farm purchased the top-priced $3.3-million colt during Monday's first session of the sale. The post Coolmore Strikes for a $1.55-Million Gun Runner Colt appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In a Sept. 11 release the University of Kentucky said it had followed through on plans to terminate the employment of Scott Stanley, the former head of the Equine Analytical Chemistry Lab that provided drug testing for Thoroughbred racing.View the full article

Saturday’s Woodbine Mile (G1T) isn’t just a Grade 1 race. The one-mile grass contest at Woodbine is a pivotal steppingstone toward the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1T), to which it offers a “Win and You’re In” berth.View the full article

After his success in the G1 Juddmonte International Stakes, Godolphin's Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder) is now on top of the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (WBRR). His mark of 128 is one point better than GI Travers Stakes hero Sovereignty (Into Mischief), who is tied for second with G1 Saudi Cup winner Forever Young (Real Steel) and G1 Irish 2000 Guineas/G1 St James's Palace Stakes scorer Field Of Gold (Kingman). G1 Irish Champion Stakes entrant and G1 Coral-Eclipse hero Delacroix (Dubawi) was second at York and is rated at 126. Other horses in the rankings include GI Pacific Classic Stakes hero Fierceness (City Of Light) at 125, with GI Preakness Stakes winner Journalism (Curlin) second in that race and rated 120. New to the rankings is Byzantine Dream (Epiphaneia) at 121, who defeated the 120-rated Sosie (Sea The Stars) in the G2 Prix Foy. G1 Prix Jacques le Marois winner Diego Velazquez (Frankel), Notable Speech (Dubawi), and G1 Grosser Preis von Baden winner Goliath (Adlerflug) are all rated 120. For the full rankings, please visit the IFHA website. The post Ombudsman Takes Over Longines WBRR appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Gulfstream Park's 2025-26 Championship Meet will offer a stakes schedule with 68 stakes, 27 graded, worth $15.2 million in purses.View the full article

Following his victory in the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1), Godolphin's Ombudsman is the highest-rated horse in the latest Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings covering racing performances in 2025 through Sept. 7. View the full article

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association announced an amended 2025 awards plan that sets in-state breeder and stallion award rates at 15% of the gross purse. FTBOA also unveiled a new Florida-bred export incentives program for 2026.View the full article

Three exciting races in the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In will take place at Leopardstown Sept. 13 as part of Irish Champions weekend, led by Coral-Eclipse (G1) winner Delacroix in the Irish Champion Stakes (G1). View the full article

Charlie Appleby says it's not easy to come over to North America and win major stakes, even though he makes it look that way. On Saturday at Woodbine, Appleby will send out three horses, all of them in Grade I competition, and each one looks to have an excellent chance. He usually does well when he ships to anywhere in North America, but has been particularly tough at Woodbine, where he is 9-for-17 (53%). All nine of his Canadian winners have come in Grade I stakes. “We have sent the right horses to Woodbine to be competitive and we have had a lot of luck there,” Appleby said. “They have to ship there first and foremost and you hope they get there in good condition and that they adapt to the surroundings. Because of all the traveling we do, we feel like we've been choosing the right horses because we've seen it so much of late.” And is it easy? Are European turf horses simply better than North American turf horses? “It's far from easy,” he said. “I can assure you of that. We have had a lot of success, but I think that's because we've brought some good horses to the U.S., first and foremost. The experience we have gained over the years has helped us do the right things when we get there. You want to get there in the best shape and get a performance that you hope will put you in a competitive position. I feel that the turf horses in North America are improving year after year, so it's becoming harder. There are more turf races in the U.S. now than there have been historically. People are buying and training more with turf horses in mind than they were 20 years ago. It becomes more competitive every year. That just means we have to up our game and bring a better horse.” Appleby will start three horses at Woodbine Saturday. All three are morning line favorites. A look at Appleby's trio of starters: Wild Desert (Ire) (Too Darn Hot [GB}) will go in the Grade I Summer S. for 2-year-old colts. He is 1-for-3 in his career but was at his best last out when finishing a troubled third in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket. “He hasn't run since July,” Appleby said. “But after he ran so well in his last start it was our target to come to Canada. That's the only reason why he hasn't run lately. He's doing well. He drew stall 10, which might make things tricky. They'll be running on the inner turf course so it will be tight out there for an inexperienced horse who has been running in straight seven-furlong races. He encountered a turn in his first start at Haydock, but it is nowhere near as sharp as what he'll be facing at Woodbine. He's doing well physically, he's in a good level of form and he had spin around the grass there (Thursday) morning and seemed to handle it fine. Everyone was pleased with that. He should be live player. He had some trouble in his last race, but I don't mind. There should be some hustle and bustle in this race. He's been through that and I hope that experience will benefit him Saturday. Dance ToThe Music (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) will run in the Grade I Natalma Stakes. She's 2-for-2 and is coming off a win in the Aug. 9 G3 Sweet Solera S. at Newmarket. “She's a full sister to Space Blues (the winner of the 2021 GI Breeders' Cup Mile) so she has the pedigree to, hopefully, be a Breeders' Cup contender,” Appleby said. “She's 2 from 2. She had a nice break after breaking her maiden in the spring. In her last performance, she showed some grit to get the job done and I have to say she's probably improved physically since. She got a nice draw. When you get those nice draws you have to use them to your advantage and hopefully she can break well enough to get a good position. I feel stepping up to the mile should suit her on that style of track.” Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is a class horse with two wins in Group 1 company, in the 2024 Sussex S. and the English 2000 Guineas. He was also third as the favorite in the last year's GI Breeders' Cup Mile. He has not won since the Sussex 16 months ago, but looked like his old self when second last time out in the G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois in France (see below). He is the 8-5 morning line favorite in the Group I Woodbine Mile. “Notable Speech is a Guineas winner and a Sussex winner and you can't get much better than that,” Appleby said. “He's been such a good horse for us. In the Lockinge he needed the run off a big layoff. The Queen Anne was one of those races that if William (Buick) could do it over again he would have sat where he was and waited for the gap to come at the end. The jocks have to make split-second decisions and sometimes in doing so you might lose that momentum. In the July Cup, we thought we would take a crack at six furlongs. The thing we did in the Jacques Le Marois was to drop him in and ride him like he's a good horse and ride him so that he could show that good turn of foot that he has. We just came up short. The most important part of that is that we saw the real Notable Speech that day. He's got a nice draw and he will probably be ridden more forwardly than he has because I expect coming off that straight could be a problem. He's got an electric turn of foot but you still need to be in a position where you can use it. “It's a competitive race, as one would expect. But he's been there and done it at the top level. He's got the experience of running at Del Mar under his belt. I think he ticks all the boxes going into the Woodbine Mile. As for the juveniles, they are unexposed types. We feel confident we're coming over there with the right kind of horses to be competitive. “Of our three, Notable Speech has done it at a top level. Until you actually run the juveniles you don't know. They shipped in fine and they went around the turf track (Thursday) morning and the lads were pleased with what they saw. You may think you're bringing over the right kind of horses for these races but until they actually run you just don't know. We'll be showing up Saturday with the right horses that we think will be competitive.” All three Grade I features are Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' Challenge races for their respective divisions. The post Charlie Appleby Poised For Huge Saturday at Woodbine appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In the TDN's Breeders' Cup Breakthrough series, we catch up with the six trainers who celebrated their first win at the Breeders' Cup World Championships in 2024. We discuss the road to securing that victory and what they hope to accomplish from here. Next up is Ger Lyons. After scoring in last year's GI Juvenile Turf Sprint with Magnum Force (Mehmas), the successful Meath-based trainer is hoping to get back to the same race this year with Lady Iman (Starman), who makes her next start in Friday's G2 Flying Childers Stakes. Read more from the series here. When Ger Lyons sent out his first Flat winner in October 1994, the two-year-old filly Maelalong (Maelstrom Lake) was his only horse in training. As Lyons recounts the story, his National Hunt string had left the yard that very morning. Few, at the time, might have imagined what lay ahead for the Co. Kildare native, who found his way into the sport without the benefit of any family connection in racing. Yet Lyons has never been one to dwell on circumstance. For him, the horizon has always mattered far more than the rearview. Even today, with his first Breeders' Cup triumph behind him, his drive is stronger than ever. “This is what I aimed for,” Lyons said as he reflected on his results from last November at Del Mar. “This is what I said I was going to do in my head. Now, saying it and doing it are two different things, but if I retire tomorrow, I've done okay. Will I ever be satisfied? Probably not. Because you always seem to be chasing it.” If determination has defined Lyons's career, it took root early. As a young boy, he watched the daily rhythm of Peter McCreery's yard from his window, and when he was older, went to work for the trainer himself. His parents urged him toward university, but Lyons had other ideas. “I knew what I wanted to do from day one,” he recalled. “I didn't want to stay in school, but there was no way that was going to happen because my parents didn't understand this game. The unwritten deal I did with them was that I'd do my Leaving Cert, but then I was out. I know I got my Leaving Cert, but I didn't even go collect it. I just went straight into McCreery's and carried on from there.” At age 20, Lyons headed to America to ride for Carl Nafzger, spending time at Keeneland and at Canterbury Park in Minnesota. He rubbed shoulders with the likes of Mike Smith, Kenny Black and Sandy Hawley—jockeys he hoped to emulate one day. All the while, he was intent on absorbing everything around him. “You learn by osmosis,” he cited. “The American exercise riders would go in and line up against the wall, waiting on their next horse to come out. I'd be in there tacking up or learning how to bandage.” One of the highlights of his time in the States was riding Smile (In Reality) in the run-up to his victory in the 1986 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint Stakes. The then-fledgling world championship meet left a lasting impression on Lyons, even if his own trajectory would soon veer in a different direction. A few years after his stint America, a serious injury as a National Hunt rider cut his career as a jockey short and set him on a new course as a trainer. Lyons ahead of his first ride for Peter McCreery | courtesy Ger Lyons The shift eventually brought Lyons full circle. Siskin (First Defence) handed Lyons his first Classic win in the 2020 Irish 2,000 Guineas and later carried him to his Breeders' Cup debut in the GI Mile. The following year, fellow Juddmonte homebred Acanella (Dansili) contested the Filly and Mare Turf. Neither Breeders' Cup attempt produced the results Lyons had hoped for, but in 2024 he struck gold when Magnum Force came flying from off the pace to win the Juvenile Turf Sprint. A homebred for Sheikh Abdulla bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Magnum Force's third-place effort in the G2 Flying Childers Stakes led Lyons to believe that the son of Mehmas was a good fit for five furlongs at Del Mar. “A fast five around the bend was made for a horse like him,” he explained. “The minute we saw this horse on the far side of the water, we knew he had arrived. Mentally, he was made for it. You'd see horses melting on occasion because there's a lot going on out there, but this horse just took to it. Realistically, he's a rock-and-roll six-furlong–maybe even a seven-furlong–horse, but he has the speed for five and he is only getting going. When they're stopping, he's just coming, and it played into his hands.” For Lyons, it was a victory unlike any other career accomplishment. “The highlight of highlights has been the Breeders' Cup, end of story,” he said. “We've won the Cheveley Park Stakes and we've won two Irish Classics, but they were during Covid in 2020. That's not fair to them, like I love the two horses and I love the fact they are on my CV, but I was on my own for them. The Breeders' Cup is a very good experience and if you're lucky enough to have a horse that's good enough to go, I would advise you to go.” In typical Lyons fashion, the trainer has barely stopped to reflect on the breakthrough win in the months since last year's Breeders' Cup. He said he has watched the race replay only once. “You're only as good as your last winner,” he noted. “If I hadn't trained a winner since last year's Breeders' Cup, I'd be out of business.” Magnum Force in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint | Breeders' Cup Eclipse Sportswire And so, while Magnum Force is looking to get back to top form after two unplaced starts this year, Lyons's Glenburnie Stables is riding high from the emergence of a new star. Lady Iman claimed three wins in her first four starts this year, highlighted by her score in the G3 Molecomb Stakes where she secured a 'Win and You're In' ticket to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Afterwards, Lyons was clear about his intentions of getting back to Del Mar, saying, “If I can dance on that dance floor again, I'm going as that is what racing is about for me.” In her latest start, Lady Iman took on older rivals in the G1 Nunthorpe Stakes, but after breaking awkwardly she was unable to make a run at Australia's star seven-year-old Asfoora (Flying Artie) and finished 14th. On Friday, the juvenile will return to her own division for the G2 Flying Childers Stakes, following the same path as Magnum Force last year. Lyons said that if all goes well at Doncaster, the next stop will be the Breeders' Cup. “Lady Iman is a beautiful filly and I would say at this stage of her game, she is better than him, which is grand,” he said. “She has proven to be special. She has a rock-solid temperament for it and she's a five-furlong specialist who has the speed and will hit the line strong.” Lady Iman claims the G3 Molecomb Stakes | Goodwood Racecourse Developing young horses like Magnum Force and Lady Iman has always been one of Lyons's greatest passions, but with his operation's growing success, his focus has narrowed in on securing top-level talent for his stable. “I just love the two-year-olds and we're blessed with the pedigrees we've been getting in the last few years,” he said. “We built the business on making pedigrees, overachieving with pedigrees, but that only gets you so far. Back in 1994, I would have thought that I can't wait to have 30 horses, or I can't wait to have 50 or 100 horses. You're thinking as you get up it'll get easier. I can quite honestly say it just gets harder, because the higher you go, the harder you have to pedal to stay there.” If history is any guide, backing down has never been this horseman's style. “I was always pretty determined of what I wanted to do,” Lyons explained. “I knew I could do it. But it's one thing knowing it and another thing doing it. When I got a trainer's licence, I came out fighting and I've always felt that I had to fight my way.” Even as he reflects on a career milestone like the Breeders' Cup, Lyons is already looking forward. With Lady Iman showing promise and a yard full of young talent, the next challenge is already taking shape. The post Breeders’ Cup Breakthrough: Lyons Chasing Back-to-Back Success at Del Mar appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Michael Guerin The best tip in the main trot at Alexandra Park is actually hidden away in the market for another race. That race is the $400,000 Renwick Farms Dominion Trot at Addington on New Zealand Cup day and if you scroll far enough down the market you will find Belle Neige paying $151. Which is fair, because she almost certainly won’t win the Dominion. But the fact she is even entered for the great race means she is the one to beat in the 1700m mobile trot at The Park tonight. Trainers Michelle Wallis and Bernie Hackett have three reps in tonight’s race and while Wallis can make a case for all three she saves her highest praise for Belle Neige, winner of her last two. “We think she won’t be out of place in the major trots, we are not saying she will win them, but she might be good enough to contest them,” says Wallis. “That is why we nominated her for the Dominion and that is why she is, even from her wide draw, our best chance in that race on Friday.” While Belle Neige has won her last two starts they have been in standing starts over 2700m and 2200m and 1700m mobile sprint racing can be a mental test for some New Zealand trotters as their brain struggles to keep up to their legs. But as a former Aussie, Belle Neige not only has great mobile form but is a previous sprint winner in a 1:56.6 mile in one of the $100,000 Golden Gait races at Alexandra Park last December. “She is a mare in form and will be fitter than out other two so she has to be our best chance,” said Wallis. “Faith In Manchester is probably the toughest of the three and American Muscle is the one who might have improved the most this time in. “You would say they are three of the best trotting mares in the North Island.” The Wallis/Hackett barn is also one of the best in the North Island with their 40 wins so far this season, 38 of them with trotters, meaning they are the highest placed stable on the national premiership of those who only train the north. Team Telfer and Team Dunn are a long way ahead of them but both have stables in the North and South Islands. “We are having a good year, have some great owners and excellent staff and everybody works in well together,” says Wallis, who is the mother of Belle Neige’s driver Crystal Hackett. The stable have a promising young filly in Mad Mary in Race 1 tonight where she meets one of similar ability in Pretty In Pink and one of the pair should win. Later in the night Shegold gets her chance for the stable in Race 7, the second heat of the latest Metro Series. “She can be hard to follow but sitting close to the speed and not working from two on the second line is her go.” The stable have a rare pacer in Tuareg (R8, No.5) racing tonight and he will win a race somewhere, probably Cambridge, soon enough while they have three maidens in the last trot. There is not much between them but Royal Petite may be an improver on a disappointing last start. View the full article

The Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC) has approved an amended awards plan that fixes in-state breeder and stallion awards at 15% of gross purses, down from the 20% rate established in 2024, according to a release from the Florida Thorougbbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA). The new rates are effective as of Sept. 1, 2025. The adjustment reflects industry funding streams legislation, the release said, but despite the cut, total awards in 2026 for Florida breeders are expected to remain level thanks to the launch of new Florida-Bred 'Export' Incentives. With the objective of promoting Florida-bred horses that race out of state, the FTBOA will dedicate as much as $1 million to reward the breeders of registered Florida-breds that win in selected conditions beyond the borders of the Sunshine State. Under the new program, breeders will receive $7,500 for a Grade I win and $5,000 for wins at Grade II or Grade III level. Breeders are eligible for 15% of earnings in non-graded stakes races (up to $4,000) and for 15% of earnings up to $3,000 in allowance and maiden special weight races. According to the release, the FTBOA estimates that Florida-bred incentives in 2026 will total more than $20 million, not including money earmarked for purses for Florida-bred races. “This initiative shows gratitude to our longtime Florida breeders and demonstrates our commitment to supporting the industry wherever our nationally competitive horses succeed,” FTBOA CEO Lonny Powell said. “State legislation redirected $5 million of Florida-bred purses and owner incentives to the racetracks and injected another $2 million through the FTBOA. We are grateful to the Florida Senate and Governor DeSantis for their continued support of Florida Thoroughbred breeding. Florida-bred owners and breeders can anticipate unprecedented total awards in 2026. “Florida-breds perennially stand out amongst all regional producers across the nation, both on the racetrack and in the auction ring. These all-new incentives acknowledge that equine speed is a major Florida agricultural export,” Powell continued. The 2026 programs build upon FTBOA's recent elimination of most registration fees for Florida-bred and -sired foals of 2025, further reducing costs for breeders while maintaining comprehensive support programs. Combined with the Export Incentives, these initiatives demonstrate FTBOA's commitment to supporting Florida's Thoroughbred industry through multiple avenues, the release said. The post Florida Breeders, Stallion Awards Cut, New Export Incentive To Bridge the Gap appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

5th-CD, 120k, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 2:45 p.m. ET Our Forefathers (Constitution), a $1.2-million KEESEP yearling purchase by the Searing family's C R K Stable, makes his career debut for trainer Peter Eurton. The chestnut was produced by the Street Sense mare Via Veritas, who hails from the extended female family of GISWs Magnum Moon, Harmony Lodge, et al. Luis Saez rides. The deep field of 12 also includes: Tiz Authority (Tiz the Law), an $825,000 OBS April breezer debuting for Flatland Racing Stable and trainer Chris Hartman; and fellow firster Stirring Words (Constitution), a $975,000 FTSAUG yearling graduate for Lael Stables from the Cherie DeVaux barn. TJCIS PPS 8th-CD, 120k, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 4:22 p.m. ET Holy Seven (Into Mischief), a $700,000 FTSAUG yearling and half-brother to SW Corporate Power (Curlin), gets his career started for J and J Stables and Stonestreet Stables and Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. The bay was produced by GII Golden Rod S. winner Road to Victory (Quality Road). The field of 12 also includes: Into the Beast (Into Mischief), a $475,000 OBS March breezer campaigned in partnership by West Point Thoroughbreds, St. Elias Stable, Beauty and The Beast Racing and SGV Thoroughbreds and trainer Dale Romans. TJCIS PPS The post Friday’s Racing Insights: $1.2-Million KEESEP Yearling Our Forefathers Debuts at Churchill Downs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Christophe Ferland trainee Double Major (Daiwa Major), who was on the upside of a narrow verdict in last month's G2 Prix Kergorlay, made a successful pitstop and defended his title in Thursday's G3 Prix Gladiateur, remaining on course in his quest to claim an unprecedented third G1 Prix Royal-Oak at Saint-Cloud next month. His victory provided owner-breeders Alain and Gerard Wertheimer and rider Maxime Guyon with a clean sweep of ParisLongchamp's three Group races. “This horse is really at his very best during the second part of the season and he had remained in top form since his win at Deauville [last month],” said Ferland. “The plan remains the same, which is to try to win a third Prix Royal-Oak and he goes straight for that now.” Holding sway after a swift getaway and under a firm hold on the front end for most of this marathon, the 4-5 favourite was scrubbed along when tackled by Bel Et Bien (Hunter's Light) soon after straightening for home and stayed on in resolute fashion under a late drive to deny that determined rival by a neck. There was daylight back to Coetzee (Frankel), who finished three lengths adrift in third. Pedigree Notes Double Major is one of six winners and the leading performer out of Listed Prix de Liancourt third Dancequest (Dansili), who has also produced G3 Prix de Guiche victor Flop Shot (New Approach), Listed Grand Prix de Clairefontaine third Veritas (Camelot) and a yearling colt by Saxon Warrior. Dancequest is a half-sister to G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud heroine Plumania (Anabaa) and G2 Prix de Royallieu victrix Balladeuse (Singspiel). The latter is the dam of G1 Prix Vermeille winner Left Hand (Dubawi) and Sunday's Vermeille heroine Aventure (Sea The Stars), while Plumania has four stakes performers to her credit headed by G2 Prix du Muguet winner Plumatic (Dubawi). The March-foaled bay's second dam Featherquest (Rainbow Quest) is kin to G1 Prix Lupin-winning sire Groom Dancer (Blushing Groom) and is from the family of Vermeille-winning champion Indian Rose (General Holme), G1 Prix Ganay-winning sire Vert Amande (Kenmare) and G1 Grand de Paris hero Le Nain Jaune (Pharly). #ParisLongchamp – Prix Gladiateur (Gr III) Double Major (Daiwa Major), associé à M.Guyon et entrainé par C.Ferland, vient parfaire la belle journée de la casaque Wertheimer & Frère. Il devance Bel et Bien (Hunter's Light) et Coetzee (Frankel). pic.twitter.com/R5tXiElhtS — France Galop (@francegalop) September 11, 2025 Thursday, ParisLongchamp, France PRIX GLADIATEUR-G3, €73,200, ParisLongchamp, 9-11, 4yo/up, 15 1/2fT, 3:34.70, sf. 1–DOUBLE MAJOR (IRE), 130, g, 5, by Daiwa Major (Jpn) 1st Dam: Dancequest (Ire) (SP-Fr), by Dansili (GB) 2nd Dam: Featherquest (GB), by Rainbow Quest 3rd Dam: Featherhill (Fr), by Lyphard O/B-Wertheimer & Frere; T-Christophe Ferland; J-Maxime Guyon. €36,600. Lifetime Record: MG1SW-Fr & GSP-UAE, 21-9-6-3, €1,122,579. *1/2 to Flop Shot (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), GSW-Fr, $266,711; and Veritas (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), SP-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Bel Et Bien (Fr), 126, g, 5, Hunter's Light (Ire)–Ring My Bell (Fr), by Turtle Bowl (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Ecurie La Perrigne; T-Paul de Chevigny. €14,640. 3–Coetzee, 126, g, 4, Frankel (GB)–Sing Softly, by Hennessy. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Ecurie Lenglet; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (KY); T-Francis-Henri Graffard. €10,980. Margins: NK, 3, 4. Odds: 0.80, 3.90, 5.60. Also Ran: Goya Senora (Fr), Mr Diafoirus (Ire). The post Double Major Completes Wertheimer Clean Sweep of Longchamp’s Group Races appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ahead of the Irish Champions Festival, Ado McGuinness opens up about one of the most difficult years of his life and his reinvention as a trainer of two-year-olds When Ado McGuinness was at his lowest ebb last year, he rightly would have looked at you twice had you told him that the next 12 months would see him bag a couple of premier handicaps, become an overnight success on the west coast of America and face into the Irish Champions Festival brimming with confidence about taking out a €250,000 pot. Yet, here we are. The seasoned handicappers that made this stable sing at all of the major festivals in Ireland in recent times are no more. Many have been retired while some were lost through the high-profile split with long-time assistant and nephew Stephen Thorne, who moved 11 horses from McGuinness's stable when embarking on his own training career. That hammer-blow represented a €25,000 hole in the business through training fees that needed to be plugged every month. And fast. But with the horses-in-training market proving harder and harder to navigate due to the strength of foreign buyers, which was illustrated this year by the fact McGuinness left the July Sale at Newmarket empty-handed for the first time in his life, another reservoir needed to be sniffed out. Channelling more of his owners' resources into the yearling sale market has already proved to be a wise move and McGuinness puts his rejuvenation as a trainer down to his reinvention of sorts along with the fact his daughter Aisling and son Tadhg [23-year-old twins] have taken a more prominent role within the business. “I love training two-year-olds,” the 58-year-old says, striding out between lots at his freshly-built stable in North County Dublin. “Okay, people might not associate me with training two-year-olds, but I still won a Birdcatcher a few years ago and we also had Beau Recall, who went on and won four Group 2s and was beaten a nose in a Group 1 in America. We always tricked around with the odd two-year-old but never anything too serious. But, if I'm honest, it's given me a new lease of life over the past year. I love it. And then with the family – my daughter Aisling and son Tadhg – coming into the business, it's been great. “Thankfully we saw what was coming down the line. We bought horses like Bowerman, Current Option and Saltonstall at the horses-in-training sales but, over the past few years, the value just hasn't been there. You used to be able to go to those sales and, for say €70,000, you would be able to buy a premier handicapper. Now that same type of horses is costing twice or three times as much as he was before. You are forced to pay black-type prices for premier handicap horses and that's not a game we wanted to play.” BBA Ireland's Adam Potts with McGuinness at Tattersalls Ireland last year | Tattersalls Not only does McGuinness label juvenile Aqua Bear as his best chance of a winner at the Irish Champions Festival, but he goes as far as saying he will “be sick” if the €36,000 yearling purchase does not fight out the finish for for lucrative Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sales Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday. Aqua Bear makes up a two-pronged attack on the race for the trainer alongside Coincidental Glory. Both horses were sourced by BBA Ireland. “It's funny, Aqua Bear wouldn't have been one you'd have been dreaming about earlier on in the year,” McGuinness revealed. “But, I think if you went into most yards in the country in February and March and asked what their best two-year-olds were, they'd have a very different answer for you come September or October. That's the beauty about these two-year-olds – they can change so much throughout the year and I'm convinced Aqua Bear is a good horse now. If he doesn't pick up a big cheque on Sunday, I will be sick.” He added, “Coincidental Glory is not without a chance either. He'll run a big race. But definitely, Aqua Bear is the one. He worked very well on the Curragh the other day – pulled four lengths clear of what he was working with – and everyone was very impressed by what he did.” “I got into the car after that and I bawled crying for at least an hour driving down the road to Cork. Until the day I die, I'll never forget the tears rolling off the bridge of his nose,” – Ado McGuinness McGuinness has sent out 23 winners domestically this year, which is roughly half of what he achieved [49] in 2024. His current prize-money tally is just €328,942 short of the €790,355 the stable achieved last year but, what you won't see in any of these tables is the amount of business being done abroad. Within the space of 24 hours last month, two McGuinness-trained graduates – Later Than Planned and Yours Sincerely – made winning debuts for California-based trainer Phil D'Amato. The combined sum those runners fetched at the yearling sales was €6,000 but they sold for many multitudes of that figure after their respective efforts in Irish maidens. These are the sort of trades that are now deemed necessary for even a trainer of McGuinness's status in order to survive in Ireland. “They were only cheap yearlings,” McGuinness says of his Californian delights. “The owners couldn't get a bid in the ring for Later Than Planned so they sent him to me and Yours Sincerely only cost six grand. All of those lads will go again at the yearling sales so it's great great business for everyone involved.” He continued, “There are an awful lot of trainers who are barely surviving in Ireland because they're not trading. If you win a €100,000 handicap, or even a €200,000 handicap, you don't get a lot of money out of that as a trainer. And tell me this; how many trainers in Ireland are winning €200,000 handicaps? Not many. We all have low-grade horses and they're important to have but you won't earn any money training them. Take Laytown last week for example, we had two winners there and it was great. But it's not going to pay many bills. That's the reality of it. To survive in this game, you have to go out there and make money trading. To me, that revolves around working the sales hard.” McGuinness is better-qualified than most to comment on what life at the coalface is like for a trainer operating in Ireland. The son of a vegetable farmer, he has held a licence for more than 25 years and, in his role of chairman of the Irish Racehorse Trainers' Association, he understands and listens to the middle-to-smaller-tier handlers. However, he does not deny that, in the current climate where costs are sky-rocketing, some trainers need to help themselves before asking for help. He explained, “One of the main problems within the training ranks in Ireland right now is lads underselling themselves. When a carpenter comes down to your house, he is so much an hour and that is that. Too many trainers are undercutting each other because they are so hungry for horses. The same lads will come crying saying they're struggling. They're struggling because they're not charging enough. An empty stable won't make you money but it won't lose you any money either. If you work for nothing, you'll never be idle.” And that's one thing McGuinness will never be. When his world was turned upside down last year through the loss of his second sibling to cancer, it was the responsibility of caring for 45 horses that drove him out of his bed every morning. “I got a bit of a kicking last year,” McGuinness says without a shred of self-loathing or pity. “Shamrock pulled out 11 horses and I lost my brother Johnny the following month through cancer. He was only 54 and was the second brother I lost within the space of three years to cancer so it was shocking. It broke my heart, to be honest. I just had to keep going and buried myself in work as a form of therapy. I could easily have taken to the bed while all of this was happening but I've never been afraid of hard work and keeping busy helped.” He added, “Johnny died the first week in July last year. He was a big racing man and I always called in to see him before I went to the races. I'll never forget calling in to see him in the month of May last year. I think I was on my way to the races at Cork. At this point, he was very bad, and he sat up at the side of the bed and he just said, 'Ado, I'm f*cked.' I can still see him now. I'll never forget the tears rolling down the bridge of his nose and me going to get him a hanky. I gave him a big hug and, by God, that was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. Oh man, I got into the car after that and I bawled crying for at least an hour driving down the road to Cork. Until the day I die, I'll never forget the tears rolling off the bridge of his nose. Johnny was six foot four inches but here he was wasting away in the bed. He died not long after that so losing horses can be hard to take, but something like that puts life into perspective.” McGuinness regularly sends horses to the beach in Rush | Racingfotos.com McGuinness enjoyed eight of his best years as a trainer with Thorne alongside him. The latter has proved himself one of the brightest additions to the training ranks for many years and, while the relationship between the pair ended abruptly, nothing will take away the memories of A Case Of You landing the Prix de l'Abbaye and the Al Quoz Sprint or even Current Option scooping the Sovereign Path Handicap on what was then known as Irish Champions Weekend in 2019. “It just didn't end the way it should have ended,” McGuinness said of the split. “That's the sad part about it. We enjoyed success together and it probably shouldn't have ended like that.” Memories alone are not enough to sustain anyone in sport. Especially not in the dog-eat-dog world that is the training ranks in Ireland. McGuinness agrees and, having come out the other side of what he openly admits was one of his most difficult years both in business and personally, he is optimistic about the next chapter. He said, “The Irish Champions Festival is watched by people all over the world and, the more people you meet and the more people who know your name, the better in this business. You have to get out there as a trainer and make people aware of who you are and what you can do. It's never about what you have achieved in this game, it's always about what you are going to achieve next. Last week's winners are forgotten about very quickly. Don't get me wrong, memories are brilliant, and we have had some brilliant memories. But what is most important is what you're going to do tomorrow, next week, next month and next year.” The post Ado McGuinness: ‘Memories Are Great But What You Do Tomorrow Is More Important’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Friday, Doncaster, post time: 15:00, THE BETFRED HOWARD WRIGHT DONCASTER CUP-G2, £150,000, 3yo/up, 17f 197yT Field: Coltrane (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), Hipop De Loire (Fr) (American Post {GB}), Kyle Of Lochalsh (GB) (Highland Reel {Ire}), Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}), Sweet William (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Tashkhan (Ire) (Born To Sea {Ire}), Oxford Comma (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}), Pendragon (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). TDN Verdict: Last year's winner Sweet William remains in good heart and is the obvious choice, but there is a chance that proper Group 1 horse Sunway could enjoy this extreme trip at the track at which he was third in the St Leger 12 months ago. Sir Mark Prescott saddles the only three-year-old and while Pendragon has improvement to find, he has a healthy weight-for-age advantage over what amount to largely beatable older horses. The trainer exploited it with the filly Alleluia in 2001, so knows what it takes. [Tom Frary]. Friday, Doncaster, post time: 14:25, THE CARLSBERG DANISH PILSNER FLYING CHILDERS STAKES-G2, £130,000, 2yo, 5f 3yT Field: Dickensian (GB) (Pinatubo {Ire}), Exclamation (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), Havana Hurricane (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}), Kansas (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Military Code (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Mission Central (Ire) (No Nay Never), Argentine Tango (GB) (Mattmu {GB}), Killavia (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), Lady Iman (Ire) (Starman {GB}), Palmeira (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), Revival Power (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}). TDN Verdict: Ballydoyle's Round Tower winner Mission Central goes again and Aidan O'Brien sees no issue with the drop back to five, but he won't be able to dominate the Molecomb winner Lady Iman over this trip if she is over her Nunthorpe experience. Revival Power beat Military Code in the Listed Roses Stakes over York's flat, fast five and should be equally suited by this track, while the Windsor Castle one-two Havana Hurricane and Dickensian are no back-numbers with plenty of experience to draw on. [Tom Frary]. Friday, Salisbury, post time: 15:25, THE IRE-INCENTIVE, IT PAYS TO BUY IRISH DICK POOLE FILLIES' STAKES-G3, £45,000, 2yo, f, 6fT Field: Anthelia (Ire) (Supremacy {Ire}), Awaken (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Azleet (GB) (Tasleet {GB}), Bella Lyra (Ger) (Oasis Dream {GB}), Dandana (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}), Flowerhead (Ire) (Starman {GB}), Golden Palace (GB) (Palace Pier {Ire}), Orion's Belt (Ire) (Starman {GB}), Ourbren (Ire) (Starman {GB}), Planet Seeker (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}), Reimagined (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}), Spinning Lizzie (GB) (Kameko), Vishaka (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). TDN Verdict: Rescheduled from last week, this features the Albany runner-up Awaken, who has since shed her maiden status at Leicester and will be a warm order. Also in the mix is the Queen Mary runner-up Flowerhead, but she hasn't really gone on from Royal Ascot while Jeff Smith's Goodwood maiden winner Planet Seeker could be anything at this stage. [Tom Frary]. Friday, Doncaster, post time: 13:50, THE BETFRED FLYING SCOTSMAN STAKES-Listed, £65,000, 2yo, 7f 6yT Field: Avicenna (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), Catullus (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Do Bronxs (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), Do Or Do Not (Ire) (Space Blues {Ire}), Electrical (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), Frescobaldi (Ire) (No Nay Never), Hankelow (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Northern Champion (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Sir Albert (Ire) (No Nay Never), Sunset On Leros (GB) (Almanzor {Fr}). TDN Verdict: This is a race that has grown in importance in recent years since Frankel made sure it obtained Listed status and the major stables are present with unexposed types with Classic potential. Godolphin's Catullus had it easy at Yarmouth last time, but won't here with the likes of the York winners Hankelow and Frescobaldi and the Arqana Series des Poulains winner Northern Champion. He joins fellow TBT Racing-Ed Walker representative Do Or Do Not who is a rarity as a six-times maiden with four Group 2 placings. [Tom Frary]. Friday, Saint-Cloud, France, post time: 15:28, PRIX TURENNE-Listed, €50,300, 3yo, 12fT Field: Surabad (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), Sea Scout (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Prosecutor (Fr) (Persian King {Ire}), Zarraf (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), Gethin (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), Maneki (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}), Waldnebel (Ger) (Reliable Man {GB}), Best Secret (Fr) (Persian King {Ire}). TDN Verdict: Owen Burrows trainee Gethin, who boasts a two-for-two record, has not been out since posting a wide-margin win at Newbury in April and puts his unbeaten record on the line in this black-type debut. Fellow British challenger Sea Scout has finished off the board in four stakes starts since annexing Epsom's Listed Blue Riband Trial back in May and comes back off a fourth in last month's Listed Prix Nureyev. Aga Khan Studs representative Surabad finished sixth of six in July's G1 Grand Prix de Paris and the Francis Graffard entry is better judged on his runner-up finish in Chantilly's G3 Prix du Lys and a win in April's Listed Prix de l'Avre. Wathnan Racing's Goodwood handicap winner Best Secret and G1 Deutsches Derby eight Waldnebel offer hope in an open edition, while Prosecutor and Maneki, representing Andre Fabre and Jean-Claude Rouget, merit respect. Zarraf completes the line-up. [Sean Cronin]. Saturday, Doncaster, post time: 15:40, THE BETFRED ST LEGER S.-G1, £700,000, 3yo, Open, 14f 115y Field: Carmers (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Furthur (Ire) (Waldgeist {GB}), Lambourn (Ire) (Australia {GB}), Rahiebb (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Scandinavia (Justify), Stay True (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Tarriance (GB) (Frankel {GB}). TDN Verdict: Judged on the evidence of the first day's racing here, staying power is going to be a must and Scandinavia certainly has that. From one of Coolmore's finest Classic families, he has surged to promise in the last two months and mastered last year's Leger runner-up Illinois in the Goodwood Cup. Lambourn was so disappointing in the Voltigeur that it leaves a question mark over what looked a rock-solid Leger proposition beforehand. Winning the Derby and Irish Derby in the manner of a true stayer, he would probably be the more likely candidate of the pair if he is back to his best. Galileo's last Classic runner Stay True and the Queen's Vase winner Carmers were in front of Lambourn at York and both promise to improve significantly for this step up in trip in what will probably be an Irish-dominated affair. [Tom Frary]. Saturday, Leopardstown, post time: 17:30, ROYAL BAHRAIN IRISH CHAMPION S.-G1, €725,000, 3yo/up, 10f 0y Field: Anmaat (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}), Royal Champion (Ire) (Shamardal), Shin Emperor (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), White Birch (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}), Delacroix (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Hotazhell (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), Mount Kilimanjaro (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), Zahrann (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}). TDN Verdict: Given the likelihood of soft ground for this, it is very hard to envisage Anmaat not having a big say. One of the few to have beaten Calandagan, he may have too much for the race's obvious favourite Delacroix who won a falsely-run Eclipse but yet is described by Aidan O'Brien as needing a strong pace. This renewal is light on heavyweight players, so Japan's Shin Emperor who was third in what was probably a stronger renewal of this 12 months ago may not have to improve on that to continue Japan's fine recent record in Europe. Zahrann is on the upgrade, but his win in the Royal Whip leaves him probably short of what is required. [Tom Frary]. Saturday, Leopardstown, post time: 16:25, COOLMORE AMERICA 'JUSTIFY' MATRON S.-G1, €240,000, 3yo/up, 8f 0y Field: Duckadilly (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), Queen Of Thunder (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Sparks Fly (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}), Vera's Secret (Ire) (Epaulette {Aus}), Atsila (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}), California Dreamer (GB) (Mehmas {Ire}), Cathedral (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), Cercene (Ire) (Australia {GB}), Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), January (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). TDN Verdict: Revived by her win in the Prix Rothschild, Fallen Angel bids for another overseas triumph with January looking to close the narrow gap between them from Deauville and become the bride for once. Second to Porta Fortuna 12 months ago, Fallen Angel holds the key but it might be a mistake to have taken Danny Tudhope off given how well they connect. The surprise Coronation heroine Cercene reverts to a mile after being put in her place by Whirl in the flag-started Nassau, while Vera's Secret is three-for-three around here and has two Group 3s over seven under her belt from her trio of visits. [Tom Frary]. Saturday, Doncaster, post time: 13:50, THE BETFRED CHAMPAGNE S.-G2, £150,000, 2yo, Open, 7f 6y Field: Cape Ashizuri (Ire) (St Mark's Basilica {Fr}), Cape Orator (Ire) (Mohaather {GB}), Gewan (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Oxagon (Fr) (Frankel {GB}), Puerto Rico (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). TDN Verdict: Under new ownership, the Acomb winner Gewan continues exactly on the Chaldean path for the same stable. Oxagon earned TDN Rising Star status with his eight-length Sandown romp, while the two “Capes” have claims. Cape Orator looked ready for this grade when bossing Deauville's Arqana Criterium d'Ete and Cape Ashizuri registered a taking debut success at Ayr. [Tom Frary]. Saturday, Doncaster, post time: 15:00, THE BETFRED PARK S.-G2, £140,000, 3yo/up, 7f 6y Field: Audience (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}), Devil's Point (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), King's Gamble (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), Quinault (Ger) (Oasis Dream {GB}), Room Service (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}), Ten Bob Tony (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Zoum Zoum (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}), East Hampton (GB) (Cracksman {GB}), Marvelman (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Shadow Of Light (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Zabeel Alkabeir (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). TDN Verdict: Back over seven, last year's Middle Park and Dewhurst winner Shadow Of Light bids to get back on track and it is probably a case of leaving it as late as possible to employ his deadly kick. Connections of the John Of Gaunt winner Ten Bob Tony have been patient and the ground has come right at last, while Audience needs to bounce back after a spell in the wilderness but has a flat track and his ideal trip to help. [Tom Frary]. Saturday, Leopardstown, post time: 16:55, TONYBET SOLONAWAY S.-G2, €120,000, 3yo/up, 8f 0y Field: Chicago Critic (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Johan (GB) (Zoffany {Ire}), Lord Massusus (Ire) (Markaz {Ire}), Mutasarref (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}), Skukuza (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}), Alakazi (Fr) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), Comanche Brave (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Expanded (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Scorthy Champ (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Copacabana Sands (Ire) (Sands Of Mali {Fr}). TDN Verdict: Comanche Brave probably has the most upside, with his Jersey third backing up a fine effort behind Henri Matisse in the G3 Ballylinch Stud Stakes here in March. Things haven't happened for last year's Vincent O'Brien National Stakes winner Scorthy Champ this term, but there is always another day for a colt of his class while there is no reason to expect a drop-off from the G3 Desmond Stakes-winning veteran Johan. [Tom Frary]. Saturday, Leopardstown, post time: 15:20, KPMG CHAMPIONS JUVENILE S.-G2, €90,000, 2yo, Open, 8f 0y Field: A Boy Named Susie (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), Benvenuto Cellini (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Hardy Warrior (Ire) (Pinatubo {Ire}), Montreal (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Nil Bua Gan Dua (American Pharoah). TDN Verdict: It's an all-O'Brien affair, as Aidan, Joseph and Donnacha supply the runners in what will be a historic moment for Irish racing's supreme dynasty. The colts that Ballydoyle choose for this staging post are pointers to their Derby thoughts for the year ahead and it is no surprise that Benvenuto Cellini and Montreal carry the standard here. Kept back since his taking maiden win at Killarney, the former is a son of Newspaperofrecord who has already produced the smart full-sister Giselle, while TDN Rising Star Montreal is a half to Cayenne Pepper who couldn't have done any more than win by eight lengths over course and distance last month. As ever, Joseph has irons in the fire in Hardy Warrior who had Montreal back in third over this track and trip in July and the maiden Nil Bua Gan Dua, while Donnacha's Futurity fourth A Boy Named Susie completes the landmark line-up. [Tom Frary]. Saturday, Leopardstown, post time: 15:50, CMG GROUP S.-G3, €60,000, 3yo/up, 12f 0y Field: Al Aasy (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Sons And Lovers (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}), Trustyourinstinct (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), Fleetfoot (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), Sunchart (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}), Mo Ghille Mar (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), Acapulco Bay (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Convergent (Ire) (Fascinating Rock {Ire}), Omni Man (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Reyenzi (Fr) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), It's A Heartbeat (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}). TDN Verdict: This is competitive stuff, with the perpetual Group 3 winner Al Aasy looking to see off some smart Irish runners and the Deutsches Derby runner-up Convergent. Last year's winner Trustyourinstinct looks even better in 2025, while there is a chance that we haven't seen the best of Ballydoyle's Acapulco Bay during a frustrating campaign. [Tom Frary]. Saturday, Leopardstown, post time: 14:15, BALLYLINCH STUD IRISH EBF INGABELLE S.-L, €60,000, 2yo, Open, 7f 0y Field: Brownstown (GB) (Cracksman {GB}), Caught U Sleeping (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), Diamond Necklace (Ire) (St Mark's Basilica {Fr}), Inbox (GB) (Ectot {GB}), Kensington Lane (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), Killashee Warrior (GB) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), Mighty Danu (Ire) (Coulsty {Ire}), Red Autumn (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), Sukanya (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), Teewinot (Ire) (Sioux Nation), Venosa (Gun Runner). TDN Verdict: TDN Rising Star Diamond Necklace will be a warm order to kick off Irish Champions weekend in style for Ballydoyle and with good cause. The blueblood went through her Curragh debut with so much promise it is impossible not to envisage her in the 2026 Classics and anything other than a win will be deflating. Mighty Danu looked one to follow on her winning debut at Galway, while the Prestige fourth Sukanya had that form boosted on Thursday. [Tom Frary]. Click here for the complete fields. The post Black-Type Analysis: Round Tower Winner On A Mission In Flying Childers, As St Leger Draws Seven appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Set to begin Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27 and run through Mar. 29, Gulfstream Park's 2025-2026 Championship Meet will offer a schedule with 68 stakes, 27 graded, worth $15.2 million in purses, 1/ST Racing said in a Thursday press release. The signature South Florida meet is highlighted by the $3 million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational and the $1 million GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Jan. 24, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. On closing weekend, the $1 million GI Curlin Florida Derby is scheduled for Mar. 28. The key Kentucky Derby prep is in its 75th installment. Stall applications for the 84-day meet are due Sunday, Sept. 28. Click here to view the entire schedule. The post Gulfstream’s ’25-’26 Championship Meet Offers 68 Stakes Worth $15.2 Million appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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 the first of his five career Group 1 victories in the Dewhurst Stakes. Closer to home, 'TDN Rising Star' Diamond Necklace will put her unbeaten record on the line in the Listed Ingabelle Stakes at Leopardstown, the scene of her sire's final Group 1 success in the Irish Champion Stakes on this very weekend. The blue-blooded filly, who fetched a sale-topping €1.7 million at Arqana last August, showed more than a bit of top-class potential when making a winning debut at the Curragh last month. And then there's Cape Ashizuri who, whilst perhaps under the radar amongst St Mark's Basilica's 13 first-crop winners to date, shouldn't be underestimated when he steps up markedly in grade for Saturday's G2 Champagne Stakes on Town Moor. With top-level entries later this autumn in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and Dewhurst, this is a colt who has always been held in high regard by John and Sean Quinn at their Highfield Stables in Malton, even if the 10/1 SP for his debut win at Ayr might suggest otherwise. “He was working nicely at home and showing good ability, but I think the main principals in that race had all had at least one run,” Sean says of confidence levels in the camp going to Ayr. “They were seemingly well fancied and, when you look at it with hindsight, rightly so. It's a maiden that has worked out phenomenally well – I think everything behind him is now around rated 80 or higher. “We thought he was capable of winning at six [furlongs], because he had the raw ability, but we always felt that seven might be better for him.” A debut success for Cape Ashizuri (St Mark's Basilica), who finished strongly under Jason Hart for John and Sean Quinn in the Ayrshire Cancer Support @BritishEBF Maiden @ayrracecourse pic.twitter.com/7D23lODFfZ — Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 6, 2025 That debut display had a sense of deja vu about it, with Cape Ashizuri mirroring his half-brother, The Wow Signal, by winning first time out over the six furlongs at Ayr, in the familiar maroon silks with mauve epaulets belonging to the Quinn's long-time supporter Ross Harmon. “The Wow Signal was probably more precocious,” says Quinn when asked to compare Cape Ashizuri with their two-year-old champion who later won the G2 Coventry Stakes and G1 Prix Morny for Al Shaqab Racing. “We've had some very good two-year-olds, but he had proper raw ability and power, a real bull of a horse. He would be the best we've had to date. “But this horse has strengthened up lovely through the year. He's now 40 kilos heavier than when he won at Ayr, so we feel, physically, he's done very well.” Explaining why Cape Ashizuri hasn't been seen on a racecourse since early-July, the trainer continues, “He was due to run in the Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot. He travelled down the day before and when the lads were doing their evening checks they found he'd spiked a temperature. He couldn't run the next day and needed an easy week after that, so that just knocked us off track slightly.” Now back in peak condition, Cape Ashizuri also had the option of returning in Friday's Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes at Doncaster, but his connections have decided to dive in at the deep end for Saturday's Group 2 where he'll face the G3 Acomb Stakes scorer Gewan (Night Of Thunder) and 'TDN Rising Star' Oxagon (Frankel), an eight-length winner on his second start at Sandown. “I had a good chat with Ross about it and we just thought that the Flying Scotsman was certainly no gimme,” Sean explains. “There are 10 runners in that race, some nice colts. We thought there would be fewer runners in the Champagne, which there are. With it being a Group 2 and more money on offer, we thought it was well worth a go. “Obviously, those races close early, so you have to have your bases covered if you feel that you have a good one,” he adds of Cape Ashizuri's Group 1 entries. “We've touched on it there, he has the pedigree to be a good one, and he's always pleased us at home.” One of seven winners from as many runners out of the unraced Muravka (High Chaparral), Cape Ashizuri is also a half-brother to Unicorn Lion, a multiple Grade 3 winner in Japan, and the G2 Airlie Stud Stakes heroine Matrika, both by No Nay Never. Another sibling, Vichy Listed winner Miss Infinity (Rock Of Gibraltar), is the dam of the G3 Prix Quincey victor Make Me King (Dark Angel), while the Quinns' G2 City Of York Stakes scorer Breege (Starspangledbanner) is out of Muravka's Zoffany daughter, Wowcha. With that pedigree, Sean was not optimistic of securing the St Mark's Basilica colt when he was offered at the Arqana October Yearling Sale, but in the end his price tag of €75,000 was by no means prohibitive. “I wasn't at Arqana, but Hamish Macauley rang me and said that he liked the horse,” Sean remembers. “I thought he might not be too easy to buy, but Hamish said, 'Look, we'll do our due diligence, get him vetted, etc., and then wait and see.' I spoke to some of the Coolmore partners, who gave the horse a good endorsement, and they said they would stay involved if he came our way. That was great, so Ross owns him and the Coolmore partners have a part of him as well. “Ross has been with us an awfully long time and never had a horse anywhere else. He's had plenty of good ones and plenty of bad ones, but it would be great to have another nice one for him.” Safe Voyage (Fast Company), whose 14 wins included the G2 Boomerang Stakes at Leopardstown on this weekend five years ago, would be the best horse Harmon has had with the Quinns, while none of us will forget John Fairley's flying mare Highfield Princess (Night Of Thunder), whose four Group 1 wins included an Irish Champions Festival success of her own in the 2022 Flying Five Stakes. Her death early last year inevitably left a significant void to be filled at Highfield Stables, but nobody can accuse the Quinns of not working tirelessly in their pursuit of the next superstar, with Sean conducting this interview the best part of 4,000 miles from home in Lexington. “They're incredibly hard to find and, even if you think you've found one, they're incredibly hard to buy,” he says of the search for horses who can perform at the top table. “We're always looking and I'm in Keeneland at the moment. The trade over here is very strong, and we haven't bought anything yet, but you've got to keep looking and moving forward. We're here for the week, so we'll see if we can come away with something.” The post Cape Ashizuri Sits Champagne Test on Big Weekend for St Mark’s Basilica appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Larry Donlin won his 1,000th Thoroughbred race Sept. 10 when West Island crossed the finish line first in the eighth race at Canterbury Park.View the full article

Charlie Appleby hopes to work some familiar magic as he saddles Notable Speech for the Sept. 13 Woodbine Mile (G1T), a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T).View the full article

The $500,000 Summer Stakes (G1T) is one of three races scheduled for Sept. 13 at Woodbine that are part of the Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Challenge Series. View the full article

The Jockey Club and The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) will host a state breeder organization workshop on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 9 a.m. ET in the Oaks Room at Churchill Downs to share current programs to help identify best practices and areas of growth, according to a press release from the club on Thursday morning. Topics include everything from an overview of national trends to perspectives from various breeder programs. For more information, please contact Jamie Haydon at jhaydon@jockeyclub.com or (859) 224-2750. The post The Jockey Club And TOBA To Hold State Breeders Workshop At Churchill Nov. 12 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article