Europe

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. Monday's Observations features a half-sister to Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). 17.30 Kempton, Novice, £6,800, 2yo f, 7f (AWT) WILD ANGEL (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) is the 10th foal out of the G2 Challenge Stakes winner Miss Lucifer (Fr) (Noverre), who produced Godolphin's GI Breeders' Cup Mile and...

Jockey Franny Norton will retire on Sept. 21, the contemporary of Frankie Dettori announced on Instagram. The Liverpool native will end his career riding at Chester Racecourse. Norton, who turned 54 this year, began riding in 1988. A Chester specialist, he was a close ally of Mark Johnston, and now rides for his son Charlie, among others. Throughout his career, Norton has been associated with several Pattern winners including Permian (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), and G1 St Leger second Sir Ron Priestley (GB) (Australia {GB}), to name a few. A notable...

Aidan O'Brien is always on edge when Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Polished Gem {Ire}, by Danehill) is at the races, but the mighty stayer proved yet again that there is no real cause for concern with a typically straightforward success in Sunday's G1 Irish St Leger at The Curragh. Back in peak form as he had been when first capturing this in 2022, the Moyglare homebred and colour-bearer was the 2-5 favourite to erase the memory of his runner-up placing 12 months ago when not fully recharged following his major injury....

Sunday's G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes at The Curragh had a more open look to it than the betting suggested beforehand and that proved the case as the Joseph O'Brien-trained outsider Scorthy Champ (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}--Fidaaha {Ire}, by New Approach {Ire}) stepped up to earn the bragging rights. Third behind this race's favourite Henri Matisse (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) on his second start over this course and seven-furlong trip in the G2 Futurity Stakes last month, the 12-1 shot who had won on debut at Leopardstown in May raced...

All eyes were on the returning G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero Look De Vega (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) in Sunday's G2 Qatar Prix Niel at ParisLongchamp, but while he appeared to run out of stamina the Wertheimers' Sosie (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}--Sosia {Ger}, by Shamardal) proved that is his strong suit to book his Arc ticket. Rested since his G1 Grand Prix de Paris success over this course and mile-and-a-half trip, the Andre Fabre-trained homebred shadowed that Classic-winning peer throughout the early stages with Ronan Thomas happy...

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...

Most were expecting that Aidan O'Brien would be welcoming back a 10th winner of The Curragh's G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes on Sunday and that it would be an unbeaten daughter of Frankel (GB), but few would have predicted that it would be Lake Victoria (Ire) and not Bedtime Story (Ire). Like her deservedly much-vaunted stablemate, Lake Victoria held TDN Rising Star status heading into this seven-furlong test having beaten the re-opposing Red Letter (GB) (Frankel {GB}) on debut over this course and distance in June and gone to Newmarket to...

Showing that her recent travails had left no mark on Sunday, Juddmonte's Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}--Emulous {GB}, by Dansili {GB}) instead relished a heavyweight clash with a younger rival up the ParisLongchamp straight to edge the G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille from Aventure (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Hard at it when second in the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes and when fourth in the G1 Juddmonte International in the previous weeks, Ralph Beckett had considered leaving the G1 Pretty Polly Stakes winner at home so was a...

German Derby winner Sisfahan (Ger) (Isfahan {Ger}) will be sold as a wildcard during the upcoming Auctav National Hunt Sale on Friday, Sept. 20. Offered as lot 123B by OH Consignment, the Group 1 winner is being offered as a stallion prospect. From the family of Grade 1-winning jumper and sire Beaumec De Houelle (Fr) (Martaline {GB}), he is out of the winning mare Kendalee (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}). Other stallions set to sell on the platform include lot 1, Morpheus (GB), an Oasis Dream (GB) half-brother to Frankel (GB); and...

Following the exploits of Jan Brueghel (Ire) and Illinois (Ire) on Saturday, it is the turn of Kyprios (Ire) to write one of the final stories of the grand epoch of Galileo (Ire) in his St Leger on Sunday. Heading back to The Curragh for the Irish equivalent he mastered in 2022, Moyglare's elite homebred seems to know no limitations to his supremacy in the staying division and it is highly likely he will augment Ballydoyle's group 1 haul during Irish Champions Weekend. Nothing can diminish him. Not the best...

In an outstanding renewal of Doncaster's G1 St Leger on Saturday, it was the much-missed colossus Galileo (Ire) who had his inimitable stamp on proceedings with his sons Jan Brueghel (Ire) and Illinois (Ire) waging war in a clear demonstration of one of the most common characteristics of his breed. While the eventual winner Jan Brueghel had yet to go into the red zone in a career that only commenced in May, the son of Devoted To You (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) who had already provided a Classic winner in...

Tom Marquand had a tactical dilemma from the outside stall in Saturday's G1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, but what could have been a disaster was quickly turned around as the rider excelled in steering Isa Salman Al Khalifa's Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--La Pomme D'Amour (GB) (Peintre Celebre) to glory in the feature. Sent forward from the compromising draw to keep Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) hemmed in to his inner, the 7-4 favourite had first run on last year's winner and swooped to the...