Europe

Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) has been ruled out of Sunday's G1 Preis von Europa at Cologne due to a minor setback, it was announced on Thursday. Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, Goliath has been off the track since his shock 25-1 victory in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July, with prominent American owner John Stewart subsequently purchasing a majority share in the four-year-old from Philip Baron von Ullmann. Goliath had been set for a rematch with King George third Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})...

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 Tattersalls October Book 1 topper. 17.40 Naas, Debutantes, €18,000, 2yo, 7fT GALVESTON (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is a big deal debuting at a track that Aidan O'Brien favours, being the Coolmore partners and Peter Brant's 2million gns Tattersalls October Book 1 topper. Out of a full-sister...

The reputation of Yorkshire as the cradle of the Thoroughbred was reinforced through some of the key results of the Irish Champions Festival last weekend. Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) provided a reminder of the importance of his birthplace, the Reed family's Copgrove Hall Stud, where his broodmare sire, the Arc winner Peintre Celebre, had grazed as a youngster. His dam, the dual Group 2 winner La Pomme d'Amour (GB), a third-generation Guy Reed homebred, resides there still.  Just a little farther south from Copgrove lives Deborah O'Brien, the...

Group 1 winner Anmaat (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}), who won the G2 Prix Dollar in the autumn of 2022, is targeting the race again prior to a crack at the G1 Champion Stakes at Ascot, trainer Owen Burrows revealed. The Shadwell runner, who was second in the G3 Gordon Richards Stakes and a winner of the G1 Prix d'Ispahan both in 2023, went missing for 439 days afterwards. He resumed with a victory in the G3 Rose Of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock on Aug. 10, and had been a potential candidate...

The events comprising the Henry Cecil Open Weekend I Newmarket on Sept. 21-22 were revealed on Wednesday. A total of 26 trainers will open their yards to the public, while there will also be the My Pension Expert Racing Personality Show Jumping Competition and the My Pension Expert Shetland Pony Grand National among other events. In addition to raising money for the events charity partners--Newmarket Housing Trust and Racing Welfare--the open weekend is also part of National Racehorse Week. Access to the British Racing School, the Injured Jockeys Fund's fitness...

Juddmonte's hitherto untested Cosmic Year (GB) (Kingman {GB}--Passage Of Time {GB}, by Dansili {GB}) was scratched from a fast-ground maiden at Newbury last month and rewarded connections' patience with a stunning debut display to attain 'TDN Rising Star' status in Wednesday's Sir Michael Stoute Farewell And Thank You Novice Stakes. The Harry Charlton trainee was usurped in the betting market by Amo Racing's Rock D'Oro (Bolt D'Oro), who had chased home subsequent G2 Champagne Stakes victor Bay City Roller (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) on debut, and stalked that rival in...

The G3 Sunline Vase, a 2100-metre race at Ellerslie in New Zealand, will now be sponsored by Malih Al Basti's Al Basti Equiworld Dubai, the company announced on Wednesday. Now worth NZ$250,000 (€139,560), the race will take place on Champions Day at the course, Mar. 8. Al Basti Equiworld also includes sponsorship of the New Zealand Jockeys' Association, the NZ$1-million (€558,240) G1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m), NZ$650,000 G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and best turned-out prizes at both Riccarton Park and Wellington. "We are delighted to be extending our...

The National Horseracing Museum today announced the launch of the second year of the Awards for Young Writers on Horseracing, open to people aged between 11 and 25 living in the UK. The Awards are sponsored by the Wilmington Trust and separated into two age categories: 16-25 - up to 1,200 words 11-15 - up to 700 words The winner of the under 16s category will receive £250 in prize money, while £500 will be awarded to the winner of the under 26s section. The winning entries will be published...

Stallions Dabirsim (Fr) and Shamalgan (Fr), as well as seven broodmares, will be sold by owner-breeder Simon Springer of Ecurie Normandie Pur Sang during Arqana's December Breeding Stock Sale, the Jour de Galop reported on Tuesday. Springer is changing his bloodstock approach to concentrate his efforts on his other businesses. Springer's representative Daniel Haeser told the JDG, "The horses will go to Arqana in December. Mr. Springer has bred more than 150 horses in France, enjoying great success. But he now wants to buy yearlings on the public market. Breeding...

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. Wednesday's Observations features another foal out of a Group 1 winner. 14.50 Sandown, Novice, £10,000, 2yo, 7fT COSMIC YEAR (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is the 11th foal out of Juddmonte's G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud heroine Passage Of Time (GB) (Dansili {GB}), with her previous Kingman being the dual group 3...

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...

Multiple group winner Al Hakeem (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) has been retired and will stand at Al Shaqab's Haras de Bouquetot in 2025. A fee will be announced later. A homebred for Al Shaqab Racing, he won the G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano, although an early 2023 injury delayed his return last year. He would go on to finish fourth in both the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. This term, the G3 Prix Gontaut-Biron and Listed Prix de Suresnes went his way while under the...