Al Shaqab

Alex Elliott lauded Tattersalls for its "hold my beer" flex during Book 1 and 2 of the October Yearling Sale after the leading bloodstock agent signed for the 600,000gns Too Darn Hot (GB) joint-top lot on Tuesday for Amo Racing and Al Shaqab from Appletree Stud.  One of the stories to emerge from Park Paddocks throughout Book 1 and 2 has been the strength of Amo and Al Shaqab while Elliott, who has now become something of a super agent, revealed that the figures floating around the ring over the...

One of the first indicators as to how strong the middle tiers of the European yearling market will be this autumn was provided at the V2 session of the August Sale at Arqana where a Starspangledbanner (Aus) filly led the way at €115,000 when sold to Arthur Hoyeau. The filly was consigned by Charles Brière's Fairway Consignment and was one of only two yearlings to break the six-figure barrier, the other being a Siyouni (Fr) filly that was sold to Nicolas de Watrigant on behalf of Al Shaqab Racing for...

Sparkling Plenty (Fr) (Kingman {GB}), winner of the G1 Prix de Diane at Chantilly just over 24 hours previously and billed as the headline act at Monday's Goffs London Sale, was knocked down for a whopping £8,100,000 only for it to emerge that the filly had been brought back by owner Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois. Eventually it was revealed that a deal was struck by Al Shaqab Racing to buy into the Patrice Cottier-trained sister to G3 Jersey S. winner Noble Truth (Fr) for £5 million. It was reported that Sheikh Joaan...

It was just five years ago when Guillaume Vitse left his longtime job at Haras de Colleville where he had helped build the farm from a start-up to a well-established French stallion station to forge his own path. "At one stage, you just feel like it's time to go out on your own and buy your own place," says Vitse, sitting by one of his pastures at his Normandie Breeding in Hotot-en-Auge, France, where a dozen yearlings are grazing behind him. "My wife and I were pretty motivated to do...

Haras de Bouquetot has a classy son of Mehmas (Ire) to look forward to in the stallion ranks for 2024 after announcing that the G2 Gimcrack S. winner Lusail (Ire) will join the roster.  Trained by Richard Hannon, Lusail also landed the G2 July S. as a juvenile. He was beaten just a head in the St James's Palace S. as a three-year-old and was also placed in the Prix Jean Prat that same season. He retires to stud aged four and will embark on stallion duties next year as...

By Brian Sheerin and Emma Berry DEAUVILLE, France--It was the bloodstock sales equivalent of a mic drop: two lots, five minutes, €3 million. Boom. Coomore has long nurtured its partnerships, and with Peter Brant, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Georg von Opel's Westerberg, the Magnier-led operation has enjoyed plentiful success. Most notably this season that has come with Paddington (GB), a multiple Group 1-winning son of Siyouni (Fr) bred by Dayton Investments at Ecurie des Monceaux, and it was to that nursery that the team turned again, signing for the...

Leading trainer Richard Hannon has nominated the juveniles who have been impressing him the most at home on the gallops and described himself as a massive fan of first-season sire Blue Point (Ire).  So impressed is Hannon by Godolphin's freshman sire, whose first runner--Action Point (Ire)--was a winner, he has predicted that he will struggle to get near the progeny of Blue Point at the sales in the coming years.  Alongside the leading bloodstock agents Peter and Ross Doyle, Hannon has amassed a team of over 100 two-year-olds to go...

Joseph O'Brien has an array of talent to look forward to this season, headed by G1 Irish 2000 Guineas hope Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Group 1 winner Above The Curve (American Pharoah) and smart additions to the stable in Jumbly (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}), Mooneista (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) and Ottilien (Fr) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}). But a yard as big as Owning Hill needs a conveyor belt of youngsters coming through the ranks and O'Brien can boast just that. Last season's stats back up such a statement. With...

Jean-Claude Rouget is not prone to hyperbole so, when the decorated French handler compared the unexposed Al Hakeem (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) to his only G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) earlier this week, some people did a double take. Not Benoit Jeffroy, who manages Haras de Bouquetot on behalf of the Al Shaqab operation. Jeffroy has long been aware of the standing in which the multiple Classic-winning trainer has held Al Hakeem and, when the colt won the Listed Prix de Suresnes at Chantilly on...

Haras de Bouquetot has released its stud fees for 2022, and announced that Shalaa (Ire), who got his first Group 1 winner this autumn when No Speak Alexander (Ire) won the G1 Matron S., will remain at Arrowfield Stud in Australia. The Bouquetot roster is headed by Zelzal (Fr) and Wooded (Ire), who will each stand for €15,000. The G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Zelzal has been represented by 10 first crop winners thus far, headed by the Listed Prix Saraca scorer Zelda (Fr). The G1 Prix de l'Abbaye winner...

Ruler Of The World (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}-Love Me True, by Kingmambo), winner of the 2013 Derby, will relocate to Andy Capp Stud in Siena in 2022. Ruler Of The World will be managed by the partnership of Mattia Cadrobbi, Marco Bozzi and Guido Berardelli, the same group that has managed another son of Galileo, Magician (Ire), in Italy. Magician will return to Ireland. Ruler Of The World won the Derby in his third start for the Coolmore partners. Al Shaqab Racing bought into the chestnut for his 4-year-old campaign, during...

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. Tuesday's Observations features daughters of Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) and Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa). 2.20 Saint-Cloud, Debutantes, €27,000, 3yo, f, 8fT PARIS (FR) (Shalaa {Ire}), the second foal and the first filly out of the remarkable dual G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}), starts out...