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. Thursday's Observations features The Queen's group winner Reach For The Moon (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).
5.16 ParisLongchamp, Listed, €55,000, 3yo, f, 9fT
RACLETTE (GB) (Frankel {GB}) lines up for this Prix Finlande on the back of a disappointing eighth in the G3 Prix de la Grotte here last month, with Andre Fabre opting to go up in trip and down in class for the daughter of Emollient (Empire Maker). Juddmonte's 'TDN Rising Star' remains a filly of great interest, especially having beaten the subsequent G3 Prix de Fontainebleau winner Welwal (GB) (Shalaa {Ire}) by four lengths on the second of her two winning juvenile starts.
7.15 Sandown, Listed, £52,000, 3yo, 8fT
REACH FOR THE MOON (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) makes his eagerly-awaited seasonal bow for The Queen, having carved out a reputation as one of her most exciting juveniles for some time when successful in this track's G3 Solario S. and second in the G2 Champagne S. The Gosden stable has won this Heron S. for the past three years, including with the subsequent G1 St James's Palace S. winner Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}), and there will be expectation that it will extend its record but Reach For the Moon will have to be straight enough to deal with KHK Racing Ltd's 'TDN Rising Star' Akhu Najla (GB) (Kingman {GB}), the Roger Varian-trained half-brother to Galileo Gold (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}) who was so impressive at Yarmouth last month.
7.15 Sandown, Novice, £11,000, 3yo, 9f 209yT
FRANCESCO CLEMENTE (IRE) (Dubawi {Ire}) takes the second step on his career path, having won Newmarket's Wood Ditton last month and been a non-runner at Newcastle. White Birch Farm's homebred Arc and G2 King Edward VII S. entry, who is related to the high-class Islington (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and Greek Dance (Ire), hails from the John and Thady Gosden stable and meets Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Subastar (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), the Roger Varian-trained relative of Dubawi (Ire) who was third in the Listed Newmarket S. last month.
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