Europe

Zhijun Zhao secured Group 1-winning sprinter Espiona (Aus) (Extreme Choice {Aus}) for A$4.15 million (€2,490,512) at a standalone virtual sale held by Magic Millions on Wednesday. Arrowfield Stud was the underbidder. Trained by Chris Waller for Denise Martin's Star Thoroughbreds, Espiona won seven of her 24 starts and earned over A$3.3 million in prize-money during her illustrious career, with her biggest success coming in 2023 when she defeated the multiple Group 1 heroine Pride Of Jenni (Aus) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}) by a nose to win the G1 Coolmore Classic...

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. Wednesday's Observations features a half-brother to a Group 1-winning juvenile filly. 6.55 Sandown, Novice, £10,000, 2yo, 7fT KING'S CHARTER (IRE) (Kingman {GB}) is a significant newcomer for Godolphin, being their €650,000 Goffs Orby Book 1 purchase who is a half-brother to the G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Skitter Scatter...

Amateur jockey Alice Procter, who injured her spinal cord in a Cartmel fall earlier this month, has left intensive care, the Injured Jockeys' Fund (IJF) announced on Wednesday. The 21-year-old was riding Uggy Uggy Uggy (GB) (Saddler's Rock {Ire}) for trainer Keiran Burke in a female riders' handicap hurdle on July 20 when the fall occurred, and has since undergone surgery. The IJF said in a statement on Tuesday, "Amateur jockey Alice Procter has now left Intensive Care at the Royal Preston Hospital. "As a consequence of her fall, she...

After the withdrawal of leading 3-year-old miler Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), Wednesday's G1 Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood has suddenly and drastically changed shape with the race's two main protagonists now fairly equally-rated sons of Dubawi (Ire). If the 3-year-olds hold sway over their three older rivals as the betting suggests in this GI Breeders' Cup Mile qualifier, this will come down to a good old-fashioned Coolmore-Godolphin face-off between Aidan O'Brien's Henry Longfellow (Ire) and Charlie Appleby's Notable Speech (GB). Both TDN Rising Stars with contrasting profiles, they have...

Scandals involving top equestrians have ignited fierce debates about animal welfare at the Olympics. As comparisons to horse racing's more controversial practices emerge, TTR AusNZ's Vicky Leonard discusses how all equestrian sports face mounting pressure to address these issues head-on, requiring strong leadership to ensure robust practices that can uphold public acceptance. It's the grand stage of the Olympics, where the thunderous applause for our elite equine athletes should be deafening, but instead, it's muffled by controversy. The recent removal of revered British dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin from the Olympics...

The Galway Festival's seven-furlong fillies' maiden on the Tuesday card has proved a rich font of budding luminaries and Ballydoyle's Bubbling (Ire) (No Nay Never--Lumiere Noire {Fr}, by Dashing Blade {GB}) looked no exception as she became the stable's latest TDN Rising Star. Fourth behind the stable's subsequent G3 Silver Flash Stakes runner-up Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) on debut at Leopardstown earlier this month, the full-sister to the G1 2,000 Guineas runner-up Wichita (Ire) travelled with ease under Wayne Lordan stalking the early pace. Sent forward to take control a...

Tattersalls Ireland released its catalogue for the September Yearling Sale, which features 555 lots and takes place on Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 September, with Part II taking place on Thursday 26 September where 275 yearlings are catalogued. The €250,000 Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sales Stakes has long been a feature of the sale, and will offer the connections of two-year-olds catalogued in the September Yearling Sale, the opportunity to compete at the 2025 Irish Champions Festival, with prize-money being offered to 10th place. The vendor of the winning horse...

All the drama involving Ballydoyle's Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Polished Gem {Ire}, by Danehill) hopefully seems to be firmly in the past as the monster stayer returned to the Sussex Downs for a second G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup, setting a new track record to put the cherry on top. Sent up by Ryan Moore to keep tabs on the cat-and-mouse leading duo from the outset, the 8-13 favourite needed niggling at various stages to close the gap but quickly responded each time and by the time he found himself in...

A total of 180 countries will be able to view the Qatar Goodwood Festival, which runs from Tuesday through Saturday, the racecourse announced on Tuesday. The festival, which features three Group 1 races, will be available to an expanded audience through the efforts of the Racecourse Media Group (RMG), the HBA Media (HBA) and Goodwood Racecourse. For the first time ESPN/Disney+ and SuperoSport will show the full festival for the first time, while first-time broadcasters include Racing.com (Australia) Sportsnet (Canada), Transvision (Indonesia), NTV (Mongolia) and Eurovision (Europe). Audiences in UK...

A full-sister to G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) will be offered by her breeder Kirsten Rausing's Staffordstown Stud during the first day of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, the sales company announced on Tuesday. Book 1 of the sale takes place from Oct. 8-10 in Newmarket. Kirsten Rausing said, "Lanwades and Staffordstown are proud to present world champion Alpinista's own sister at Tattersalls October Book 1. The filly, an exceptional individual whose pedigree speaks for itself, represents the pinnacle of my...

Lumbered with a five-pound penalty for his G1 Lockinge Stakes victory, Cheveley Park Stud's 5-year-old gelding Audience (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}--Ladyship {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) was just too good for his rivals and surged to an impressive four-length triumph in Tuesday's G2 HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. The homebred bay, who finished last of six last year, was let go at generous odds of 4-1 coming back off a fifth in Royal Ascot's G1 Queen Anne Stakes and stalked the pacesetting Art Power (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire})...

Godolphin's €260,000 Arqana August graduate Aomori City (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}--Setsuko {Fr}, by Shamardal), who came back off a June 13 debut triumph at Nottingham with a third-place finish in Newmarket's July 11 G2 July Stakes, stepped forward in impressive fashion to secure a stakes breakthrough in Tuesday's G2 HKJC World Pool Vintage Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. The 2-1 favourite was slick from the gates and occupied a forward position along the rail in third through halfway. Biding his time in the straight, he was the last of seven to...