Al Shaqab Racing

This year's Prix du Jockey Club winner Look de Vega (Fr) will join his sire Lope de Vega (Ire) on the stallion roster at Ballylinch Stud next season, the operation announced on Monday. He has been introduced at a fee of €20,000. Look de Vega was bred by Joelle Mestrallet of Haras De La Morsangliere and Lucien Urano of Ecurie des Charmes, who raced him in partnership with his trainers Carlos and Yann Lerner, as well as Patrick Madar, before it was announced in July that Ballylinch--in association with Al...

The eight-strong roster at Haras de Bouquetot will be led by Zelzal (Fr) at €10,000, Al Shaqab racing announced on Friday. A pair of Group 3 winners are among his eight lifetime stakes winners, and the son of Sea The Stars (Ire) has 57% winners to runners worldwide. Both Group 1 winners Wooded (Ire) at €7,000 and Romanised (Ire) at the same fee, have first 3-year-olds next year. The former has nine winners to his name, while the latter has sired 10 scorers. Roster veteran Olympic Glory (Ire), the sire...

The Curragh's Tuesday card started with a bang as Al Shaqab Racing's newcomer Saracen (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}--Soteria {Ire}, by Acclamation {GB}) made an impressive start to his career in the six-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden. Restrained behind the front pair by Dylan Browne McMonagle throughout the early stages, the Joseph O'Brien-trained 3-1 shot who was a €500,000 purchase at Arqana Deauville August moved to the long-time leader Pickersgill (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining before staying on to score by four lengths. "He was impressive, he's a...

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...

Sunday's field have now been set, with the group 1 races at The Curragh and ParisLongchamp hosting some major names including Ballydoyle's elite-level winners Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Opera Singer (Justify). The former bids for a second G1 Irish St Leger during the second day of the Irish Champions Festival in Kildare, while the latter is one of a dozen fillies set to contest the G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille which is the feature of the French Arc Trials card. Kyprios will face seven in the 14-furlong contest, including Scuderia...

Christopher Head trainee Houquetot (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}--Happen, by War Front) endured a first defeat in three career starts when runner-up in last month's G3 Prix Francois Boutin and bounced back with a game victory in Sunday's G3 Prix La Rochette at ParisLongchamp. The 11-10 favourite, previously successful in two seven-furlong heats at Compiegne, broke smartly and raced in a prominent second from flagfall in this fourth start at the specialist distance. Stoked up with a quarter-mile remaining, he joined long-time leader Sir Tommy Cen (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) entering...

Relishing the step up to seven furlongs on Saturday, Al Shaqab's G3 Princess Margaret Stakes winner Simmering (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}--Cashla Bay {GB}, by Fastnet Rock {Aus}) mastered her peers with a degree of comfort in Deauville's G2 Prix du Calvados to suggest she can enter elite territory sooner rather than later. Always travelling easily under Dylan Browne McMonagle tracking the pace, the Ollie Sangster-trained 7-5 favourite cruised to the front two out and once committed soon after gave generous response to inflict a three-length defeat on the previously...

Coolmore and Westerberg's G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and G1 Coronation Stakes placegetter Opera Singer (Justify) and supplementary entry Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) are the leading lights left after 10 of 12 overnight nominees stood their ground for Thursday's G1 Qatar Nassau Stakes. Opera Singer, last term's impressive G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner, is on course to make her first start beyond the one-mile distance while it will be dual Group 1 winner Emily Upjohn's first visit to the Sussex Downs venue. The latter's Team Gosden stablemate Inspiral...

Compensating for her agonising reversal in the Royal meeting's G3 Albany Stakes, Al Shaqab Racing's acquisition Simmering (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}--Cashla Bay {GB}, by Fastnet Rock {Aus}) got up late to break her maiden in style in Saturday's G3 Princess Margaret Stakes back at Ascot. Third on debut at York behind the high-class Arabie (GB) (Dandy Man {Ire}) prior to her standard-setting Albany performance behind Fairy Godmother (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), the 11-8 favourite was held up early by Ryan Moore who had already ridden the opening race's...

Grade I winner Unquestionable (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) has moved to the yard of Richard Hannon, according to Al Shaqab Racing's Ali Begley. The news was reported on the Nick Luck Daily podcast on Thursday morning. The 2023 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf victor was formerly with Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle. He raced for Al Shaqab, Coolmore and Westerberg until the start of the month, and now is soley raced by Al Shaqab. "After Ascot, Sheikh Joaan has bought 100% of the horse and he has moved over to Richard...

A private sale has now been agreed for Sparkling Plenty (Fr) (Kingman {GB}), who was bought back at £8.1 million at the Goffs London Sale but has now been part-sold to Al Shaqab Racing for £5 million. A day after winning the G1 Prix de Diane Longines, the filly was the headline act in the 24-lot eve-of-Royal Ascot sale in Kensington Palace and has been part-retained by her owner-breeder Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois, who subsequently came to an arrangement with Al Shaqab. Sparkling Plenty, a full-sister to G3 Jersey S. winner Noble...

Haras de Bouquetot has revealed its Al Shaqab Stallions fees for the 2024 breeding season as well as a new digital brochure available here. Leading the roster for the joint venture are Zelzal (Fr) and Wooded (Ire), both priced at €10,000 for next season. "Zelzal, thanks to his ability to improve the small number of mares he covered in his early breeding years, was able to cover 189 mares in 2022 and 111 mares in 2023," said Haras de Bouquetot nominations manager, Sebastien Desmontils. "Like many improving stallions, he is...