Career Opener at Ascot for Enable's Half-Brother

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. Friday's Insights features a half-brother to champion Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}).

3.05 Ascot, Mdn, £18,000, 2yo, 7fT
DERAB (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) is the ninth foal out of Concentric (GB) (Sadler's Wells) to represent Khalid Abdullah and the March-foaled bay starts out at the track at which his half-sister Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) made history last month. John Gosden introduces him against Godolphin's similarly-unraced La Barrosa (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), a Charlie Appleby-trained son of the multiple group-placed Bikini Babe (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) who cost 750,000gns at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1.

5.50 Kempton, Novice, £6,300, 2yo, 8f (AWT)
ACT OF WISDOM (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) is another Godolphin-Charlie Appleby newcomer of note who graduated at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1, this time for 1.1 million gns. A March-foaled son of the demoted G1 1000 Guineas winner Jacqueline Quest (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) and therefore a full-brother to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Line of Duty (Ire) and half to the smart 3-year-old filly Onassis (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), he meets Amo Racing Limited's Great King (Fr) (Shamardal), a Roger Varian-trained relative of the G1 Hong Kong Vase heroine Daryakana (Fr) (Selkirk).

6.20 Kempton, Novice, £6,300, 2yo, 7f (AWT)
MEGALLAN (GB) (Kingman%20(GB)#tot">Kingman {GB}) is out quickly after being withdrawn from his intended start at Newmarket on Friday after rain hit that venue. Carrying a seven-pound penalty for his impressive debut success there last month, John Gosden plays safe with the surface this time with Anthony Oppenheimer's son of the listed-winning and multiple graded-stakes-placed Eastern Belle (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}), a half-sister to Golden Horn (GB). Lining up in opposition is Godolphin's Secret Protector (War Front), a Charlie Appleby-trained $800,000 Keeneland September graduate whose dam Eternal Bounty (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was Group 3-placed.